Reggae Power

By the close of the Sixties, record retailer and jukebox businessman Karl ‘J.J.’ Johnson was firmly established as one of Jamaica’s leading record producers, having released a string of best-selling rock steady and proto-reggae 45s by such noted local acts as Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, the Rulers, Carl Dawkins, the Kingstonians and the Ethiopians. Early in 1969, a lucrative agreement with British record label, Trojan, emboldened the ambitious entrepreneur to release an album comprising a dozen of his latest recordings in the new reggae style. Entitled Reggae Power, the LP was dominated by regular hit-makers, the Ethiopians, whose recent singles had proved so popular in Britain that the group had been prompted to make a promotional tour of the country. Their trip led to Trojan dramatically reworking the Reggae Power long-player for its UK release, replacing all but two non-Ethiopians tracks with further J.J.-produced works by the trio, before issuing it in new artwork. But with the Ethiopians collection already available on the Doctor Bird CD, Reggae Power and Woman Capture Man, it is the Jamaican version of the album that provides the inspiration for this exciting double-disc compilation, which collects the bulk of J.J. Johnson’s output from 1968 to 1972, including numerous reggae hits and 17 recordings new to CD.

DISC ONE: REGGAE POWER 1968-1970

DANCE UP THE REGGAE - Roy Shirley

MIX IT UP - The Kingstonians

LOVE IS NOT YOUR GAME - V. Vinstrick*

ONE DOLLAR OF MUSIC - The J.J. All Stars

I'LL MAKE IT UP - Carl Dawkins

MUSICAL PRIEST - Roy Shirley

BIGGER BOSS - Cool Sticky & Ansel Collins

LIVE LIFE - The Vibrators

I'LL BE AROUND - The Kingstonians

FIVE MILES HIGH - Winston Wright*

GLAD YOU'RE LIVING - Stranger Cole

BRIGHT LIFE - Roy Shirley

R.F.K. - The J.J. All Stars

ISRAEL MUST WIN - The Ethiopians*

GOT TO BE FREE - The Rulers

NECK TIE - Winston Wright

THE ONLY GIRL - Carl Dawkins*

I LIKE YOUR SMILE - Roy Shirley

MEMPHIS UNDERGROUND - The J.J. All Stars

HERE YAH - The Scorchers

HELP WANTED - Stranger Cole

MANGO TREE - Ansel Collins

HERE I COME - The Ethiopians

SATISFACTION - Carl Dawkins

POPPY COCK - Winston Wright

WHAT A SITUATION - The Rulers

ROOK MA DINE - The Ethiopians

THE REMOVERS - Ansel Collins

CABBAGE LEAF - Val Bennett

DISC TWO: WRECK IT UP 1970-1972

THIS LAND - Carl Dawkins*

TRY TO BE HAPPY - The Clarendonians*

DROP HIM - The Ethiopians

VERSION DROP - The J.J. All Stars

COOLIE MAN - The Cambodians*

GET TOGETHER - Carl Dawkins

INSTALMENT NO.3 - Family Man

NUMBER ONE VERSION - Tony*

WRECK IT UP VERSION - The J.J. All Stars*

COME ALONG - The Clarendonians*

I'LL NEVER BE BLUE - Carl Dawkins*

I'LL NEVER BE BLUE (INSTR.) – The J.J. All Stars*

DON'T GO (ALT. VERSION) - The Ethiopians*

MAKE GOOD - Stranger & Gladdy

PUT IT GOOD - The Bleechers

PERSEVERANCE - Carl Dawkins*

HE'S NOT A REBEL - The Ethiopians

NYAH MAN STORY - The Linkers

LION'S DEN - The Kingstonians

I FEEL GOOD - Carl Dawkins*

SELAH - The Ethiopians

SELAH - The J.J. All Stars

ROCKING TO ETHIOPIA - Dennis Alcapone

HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART - Carl Dawkins*

SLIM GIRL - The Kingstonians*

I'M A BELIEVER - The Ethiopians

MY WHOLE WORLD HAS ENDED - Carl Dawkins*

28. SOUP - Lloyd Young