{"title":"Black Symbol","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"journey-11","title":"Journey","description":"\u003cp\u003eTen years ago, we released the Black Symbol album \u003ci\u003eJourney\u003c\/i\u003e on our sister label Sugar Shack Records. It was the first new music from Fatman in thirty years - although he stopped releasing music in the early eighties, he continued to write and record. \u003ci\u003eJourney\u003c\/i\u003e has sold steadily ever since but at the time it was only released it on CD. The last decade has seen the vinyl revival go from strength to strength so a vinyl issue of \u003ci\u003eJourney\u003c\/i\u003e is long overdue. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Fatman and Black Symbol helped to put Birmingham's Handsworth area firmly on the reggae map with a series of Black Symbol singles and three albums  in conjunction with other local artists, including the two legendary volumes of \"Handsworth Explosion\" mostly released on the band's own eponymous label. Over the last forty years, those original Black Symbol releases have grown in status as more and more people discovered them via our comprehensive reissue campaign. \u003ci\u003eJourney\u003c\/i\u003e was produced by Paul Horton for Ecks Productions. Paul has twice been nominated for a Grammy Award for his work on Steel Pulse's \"Victims\" and Pato Banton's \"Life Is a Miracle.\" Although the music benefits from Paul's experience and knowledge of the latest production techniques, he was careful to ensure that the music recalls the Black Symbol of old retaining that original spiritual edge. Spiritual is the best word to describe this collection of eight songs and an instrumental version and there couldn't be a more apt title than \u003ci\u003eJourney\u003c\/i\u003e, our lives are a journey. Fatman's journey has taken him from St. Ann's, Jamaica to Handsworth, England and increasingly he looks towards Ethiopia and Africa. It is a recurring theme throughout the songs on this collection. When Fatman sings \"Mama Africa,\" he sings of Africa as his homeland just as much as Jamaica or England. Fatman rejects the corruption of modern society, we must come away from the \"muddy water\" and drink from the pure spring of Rastafari. Fatman is not afraid to proclaim his faith throughout this album, in fact that is exactly how he begins with the track \"I'm not Afraid\" with more positive, uplifting, and spiritual messages filling \"Let It Shine.\" Special mention should be given to Empress Bev, whose backing vocals add so much to the unique sound of this album and help it stand out from the crowd. Black Symbol always sounded different from any other British reggae, the music always felt as though it had flowed straight from a spring in the hills of Jamaica rather than coming from the terraced streets and concrete of Birmingham.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Reggae Archive","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50407418233163,"sku":"2168542","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/RARC024V_c535853d_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726597631"},{"product_id":"black-symbol","title":"Black Symbol","description":"\u003cp\u003eBlack Symbol are among the unsung heroes of British Reggae. During their heyday in the early 1980s, they not only released a handful of their own songs as singles, now highly sought after, but financed and released the two volumes of 'Handsworth Explosion', records that documented and showcased so many talented local acts. Although their reputation within Birmingham was and still is second to none, their self-released records lacked the promotional muscle of major label backing and enjoyed modest sales, not escaping beyond the specialist reggae market. The music itself is roots reggae at its best, clearly British, but firmly anchored to the childhood home of the band's core members in St Ann's on Jamaica's North coast. Although all tracks were recorded at Outlaw Studios in the heart of Birmingham, this music is among the most Jamaican sounding of any British recordings. CD - The CD version contain sleeve notes based on interviews with original band members; Fatman, Blobbo and Rhino plus archive photos provided by bandleader Fatman.LP - Double vinyl in deluxe gatefold sleeve.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Reggae Archive","offers":[{"title":"LP | x2","offer_id":50470938018123,"sku":"384539","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50470939853131,"sku":"384538","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/8f65936e-50ef-4fda-ac40-b209f16b2e71_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727385533"},{"product_id":"journey-1","title":"Journey","description":"\u003cp\u003eStraight from the Bristol Archive - legendary roots and spiritual reggae. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"No Label","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50866878120267,"sku":"1070530","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}]},{"product_id":"loving-jah-everything-has-its-time","title":"Loving Jah \/ Everything Has Its Time","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eDuring the 1980s the late Black Symbol was a massive supporter of reggae music in Birmingham's Handsworth community and thirty years later he offered Reggae Archive Records a similar level of\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esupport. Not only did he allow us to release his back catalogue and new music, he also introduced us to many other Birmingham artists with whom we went on to work with.\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eSadly, we lost Black Symbol just over two years ago, but he is always in our thoughts and having discussed it with his family and with their support, we decided to reissue a classic and very in demand 12\"\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esingle, \"Loving Jah\" \/ \"Everything Has Its Time\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eTwo unique and very spiritual slices of UK roots reggae at its best.\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eThis great single barely sold upon release, not because of any lack of quality, but because Black Symbol's brothers and fellow band members had little option but to travel the country by bus and\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003etrain with boxes of the record, trying get it stocked anywhere that would take it. Few copies made it to shops beyond Birmingham. The record had minimal self-distribution and the London based reggae industry mostly ignored Britain's second city, only being interested in promoting their own releases or in one case offering a pittance for the band's rights, an offer firmly rejected.\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eIt may be a very rare record, but its quality meant that those in the know were soon trying to find themselves a copy, an often-futile task. The arrival\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eof the internet barely made the search much easier with\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ecopies appearing infrequently averaging perhaps one copy showing up every two years or less. Inevitably the demand has seen prices climb with copies now fetching in excess of £200, assuming you can\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ebeat the competition and be first in the queue to purchase one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eOriginally shared both tracks with a wider audience back in 2015 with the Black Symbol compilation album. If anything, that release created even more of a demand for the original 12\" single with its\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eextended mixes. Knowing that for many reggae fans it is the format of choice, comes a straight reissue of the original 12\" as a fitting tribute to Black Symbol.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Reggae Archive","offers":[{"title":"12\" - Black","offer_id":56646905299275,"sku":"R1396-4416","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/jfkrU5Zs.jpg?v=1772200394"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/black-symbol.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}