{"product_id":"mash-down-birmingham-the-early-recordings-of-musical-youth","title":"Mash Down Birmingham : The Early Recordings Of Musical Youth","description":"\u003cp\u003eMash Down Birmingham : The Early Recordings Of Musical Youth – an album of rare and unheard early recordings by Musical Youth, the Birmingham reggae group propelled to worldwide fame with the release of their chart- topping single Pass the Dutchie.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMash Down Birmingham : The Early Recordings Of Musical Youth\u003c\/em\u003e combines songs from Musical Youth’s first John Peel session, recorded in 1981 with newly unearthed recordings taken from quarter-inch reels stored for over 40 years by the group’s mentor and producer Toney Owens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe project was seeded as early as 2020, when Paphides sent a speculative message to Owens, after he saw his producer credit on the group’s independently released 1981 single Generals\/Political. Paphides wanted to know if Owens had made more recordings of the group in a similar heavier roots reggae vein to those on their debut single. Happening upon the message by chance three years later, Owens allowed Needle Mythology access to his archive of quarter-inch tapes, dating back as far as 1978.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe recordings gathered together on \u003cem\u003eMash Down Birmingham : The Early Recordings Of Musical Youth\u003c\/em\u003e shine a light on the exceptional musicianship inculcated into the group by their first frontman Frederick Waite, formerly singer with revered Jamaican rocksteady group The Techniques.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBacking Frederick Waite in the early lineup of Musical Youth (originally billed by Toney as Cultural Musical Workshop Youths, were two pairs of brothers) Patrick and Junior Waite, and Kelvin and Michael Grant. Having grown up immersed in roots reggae, the four young members of Musical Youth started playing locally in Birmingham at an early age. Legendary Jamaican deejay I Roy was the Grants’ maternal uncle; while Sugar Minott and Jackie Mittoo frequently played with the group during their extended stays at the house of Toney Owens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHighlights on \u003cem\u003eMash Down Birmingham : The Early Recordings Of Musical Youth\u003c\/em\u003e include mind-blowing Jackie Mittoo collab Mash Down Babylon featuring inspired MC’ing from guitarist Kelvin Grant, still only 11 at this point, and a previously unheard extended mix of Generals and a sensational dub version of Political. From their inaugural Peel session, standouts include Culture, Don’t Blame The Youth and a version of The Slickers’ Johnny Too Bad.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, the coup de grace surely has to be the album’s closing track – a newly discovered early version of the song that would propel Musical Youth to the top of the UK charts. With freshly installed singer Dennis Seaton, Musical Youth’s version of The Mighty Diamonds’ Pass The Kouchie can be heard here in its original form – thus contradicting interviews given months later, in which the group denied all knowledge of what a “kouchie” was!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFeaturing thorough liner notes based on extensive interviews with Toney Owens and Musical Youth guitarist and co-vocalist Kelvin Grant, \u003cem\u003eMash Down Birmingham : The Early Recordings Of Musical Youth\u003c\/em\u003e is not only an important slice of musical and\u003cbr\u003esocial history – but also an important corrective to the misconception that Musical Youth’s musicianship was anything less than exemplary. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Needle Mythology","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":56458491429195,"sku":"R8226-1398","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":56458491461963,"sku":"R8226-9821","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/20000000360149.jpg?v=1770141670","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/products\/mash-down-birmingham-the-early-recordings-of-musical-youth","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}