Friday Reggae # 2 - Jamaican Soul

It has been a great week for the More Reggae In The Blogosphere (c) campaign, with Crash at Pretending Life Is Like A Song, Darcy at Feel It and Mick at Raiding The Vinyl Archive all signing up with groovy posts of riddim: RESPECT.

Lots of comments too from many of you lovely people of the 'Don't know much about reggae but know what I like' variety: and isn't it cool that what you like can be everything from Linton Kwesi Johnson's radical poetry take on the West Indian experience in 70s Britain to the roots rhythms of old punk favourite Dr Alimantado to Trenchtown-era Bob Marley to Althea & Donna and sunny chart-spanking reggae pop?

I loves it all, though it probably won't surprise you, given certain other musical 'leanings' that I have, that there is a soft spot in my heart for Music Of West Indian Origin with more than a little soul edge to it.

This, for example, I find simply sublime, starting as it does like a lost track from 'Dusty In Memphis' before kicking at 10 seconds into a seriously sexy rhythm and oh, that sweet vocal. It was originally recorded by Millie Jackson.

Susan Cadogan - 'Hurt So Good' (1974)

And perhaps Jimmy Cliff is Jamaica's Marvin Gaye: that pure, light, lovely voice that can soar, and does, on the almost gospel 'Many Rivers To Cross' (1971) and sooth too, like on the much, much less famous (and later) but almost as glorious 'Shelter Of Your Love' (1981).

Finally... 'Sitting In Limbo' (1971) I once shoved on the end of a tape of Balearic stuff I took to Ibiza - it was perfect sunshine listening on that magical island of intersecting leylines and chilled out good people. And they say the drugs don't work! (though please make mine a couple of these).

Happy weekend everyone.

[Buy Jimmy Cliff here; Susan Cadogan here - and on lots of compilations].