Launched by Trojan in late 1969, the ‘Reggae Chartbusters’ album series only ran for three years. With the original trio of releases augmented by another three volumes, is this just another reggae cash-in or something worth shelling out for?
The six discs (also sold individually) comprise approximately 120 remastered songs to produce a more consistent listen. Spanning the late ’60s through to the early ’70s and with much to choose from, it’s not simply a case of picking a single volume to pick, as the compilations contain Skinhead, Roots, Dub and the Lovers genre for casual and discerning listeners to choose from.
String-filled Jimmy Cliff classic ‘Wonderful World, Beautiful People’ gets the party started on volume one and the iconic ‘Israelites’ by Desmond Dekker & The Aces as ruined by a margarine company isn’t far ahead. A British sensation amongst working-class kids, a number of tracks including ‘Skinhead Moonstomp’, ‘Red, Red Wine’ and ‘Long Shot Kick De Bucket’ would eventually find themselves reworked into ska as the two-tone movement picked out these fulfilling records.
Volume two keeps up the pressure as ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’, ‘Young, Gifted and Black’, ‘Monkey Man’ and ‘Rivers Of Babylon’ lead the charge for smash sing-a-long hits. The only stickler here is Jimmy Cliff’s anti-war ‘Vietnam’, which appears to have suffered sonically from the transfer.
By volume three, the varied recording standards of the many different studios starts to become more apparent. With songs recorded in the ’70s appearing alongside early, dirtier recordings, overall quality begins to wane. Nevertheless, The Pioneers‘ ‘Let Your Yeah Be Yeah’ and Dave & Ansell Collins‘ ‘Monkey Spanner‘ are saving graces. The inclusion of The Chosen Few‘s poorly judged cover of ‘Theme From Shaft’ is a needless addition.
Covers put in a stronger appearance on Volume four as ‘Louie Louie’, ‘Smoke Gets In Your Eyes’ and ‘Moon River’ get splattered in cheese by Toots & The Maytals, Blue Haze and Greyhound respectively. It’s a triple tragedy that even the gentle, sway of Dennis Brown‘s ‘Money In My Pocket’ can’t salvage.
Volumes five and six present even greater challenges and the awful comedy version of ‘Je T’aime…Moi Non Plus’ by Judge Dread simply aches from speakers. If the late ’70s style of Lover’s Rock appeals, then these later volumes feature many numbers to suit those with smoochy, skanking needs.
As it’s difficult to get excited about much from volume three onwards, it’s perhaps best to allow volumes one and two tickle those reggae fancies. Just remember – play them LOUD!
Following the simple, but effective formula of highlighting a dozen of the biggest Reggae hits of the preceding months, the LPs provided a showcase for both Trojan and the new style from Jamaica.
Released annually, each of the albums topped the Reggae album charts, even out-selling the much vaunted ‘Tighten Up’ collections, yet surprisingly the series only ran for three years before being brought to a sudden stop in 1972.
Now, some 40 years since the release of the first ‘Reggae Chartbusters’ LP, the seminal line has been revived, the original trio of releases augmented by another three volumes, each of which highlights the most popular Reggae sounds from a specific period.
Volume One brings together a selection of favourites from the late sixties, when the genre was still in its embryonic stage, while subsequent collections trace the music’s development, covering all styles from ‘Skinhead Reggae’ through to the Roots, Dub and Lovers music of the close of the following decade.