Jul 27, 2017 - A collection of some of the great reggae tracks released by Trojan Records over the years. Trojan Records is a British record label founded in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music.The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group.
Trojan Records is a music label that was created back in 1968 to serve reggae, and its sub-genres, to the burgeoning skinhead culture that was exploding in late 1960s Britain. Releasing tracks that were rooted in Jamaican music, acts not limited to Desmond Dekker, The Pioneers, Bob Marley, Nicky Thomas and Jimmy Cliff all enjoyed success on this UK label, particularly through the late Sixties and early 1970s. Much of what became successful among record buyers was described as pop reggae, rather than the not-so-commercial, cultural Jamaican music of the time. While keeping its name, Trojan Records has changed hands several times over the years. In doing so, reggae lovers have been able to enjoy an enormous back catalogue of music through the re-release of tracks on the Trojan Box Set series. Having grown up during this period, the songs featured here take me back to a more innocent time, while research has allowed me to rediscover some reggae gems that I might have otherwise forgotten. Here are just a very few of the best from Trojan Records.
Lovers of the Trojan Sound Although I was a little young to afford any kind of fashion trend in the late 1960s, I have vivid memories of the skinhead movement that developed out of the mod culture. Skinheads at that time were mostly working class and did not have the overly violent image that they were later identified with. Their style was cropped hair, straight legged jeans, button down shirts, braces and army boots. Their preferred music was that produced in Jamaica; namely rocksteady, ska and the roots of reggae. There developed an obvious niche in the music business of the time and Trojan Records filled much of the void with the release of reggae tracks by the likes of The Pioneers, Desmond Dekker and Jimmy Cliff. Youth Culture of the Early 1970s When Trojan Records was at its peak in the early 1970s, a new subculture sprang out of the skinhead movement in the UK: the Suedeheads.
What separated the appearance of the two tribes was longer hair and the preferred choice in clothes. Suedeheads dispensed with the 'bovver boy' boots in favour of loafers and brogues.
Formal suits added to the overall style change, along with overcoats (in particular, Crombies), Sta-Prest trousers and coloured socks. While the look of the two subcultures had developed in different directions, they continued to share an enthusiasm for the music coming out of Jamaica and black America. Song: Love of the Common People Probably my favourite of the Trojan releases is this song by Nicky Thomas.
The record label added lush orchestral dubbing to the original to make the sound more palatable to British audiences, and it worked. The track climbed into the British Top 10 in 1970, selling near to a quarter of a million copies in the process. Both versions are now available, so fans can make a comparison and decide which they prefer.
Whatever the outcome of that debate, this is a classic and a masterpiece of the reggae genre. Luckily, this out-of-breath and sweaty clip of Nicky Thomas from Reggae at the BBC is still around for followers to enjoy Love of the Common People. Song: Wonderful World, Beautiful People At the height of the conflict in Vietnam, along came a tune that typified the era, Wonderful World, Beautiful People. One of the best by Jimmy Cliff, the song is a call for hope for the future, while at the same time, recognising the serious problems facing the world at that time. Wonderfully melodic, it is as infectious as the plague.
The video here shows the exuberant Jimmy Cliff performing live in front of what appears to be an audience of showroom dummies. Blink and you may miss any movement among them. Close your eyes longer, however, and listen to his soul. Song: You Can Get It If You Really Want Many of the Trojan Records' releases were by well-established reggae performers who enjoyed covering the big songs of the day. Desmond Dekker, however, tended to release his own compositions, only intermittently releasing cover songs.
After a lot of persuasion, he agreed to record another favourite of mine called You Can Get It if You Really Want, written by Jimmy Cliff. A massive hit, we British bought it in our droves, sending the track towards the top of the charts.
Jimmy Cliff went on to make his own version and fans still argue over which is the definitive one. The video below shows the late Desmond Dekker performing You Can. Along with another of his big hits, Israelites. Song: Double Barrel Another instrumental that transports me back to those fairground days. This one became even more popular and was able to make the difficult journey over to the American charts and succeed.
Double Barrel epitomized the new reggae sound and anyone who remembers the song will instantly recall the opening: I am the magnificent, I am double OOO! And the plethora of grunts that brought funk and soul into the reggae arena.
The video here is an edition of Britain's Top of the Pops from April 1971 with Dave and Ansel Collins performing the track at the time it first reached Number One. For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: Show Details Necessary HubPages Device ID This is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
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