Real Authentic Sounds: The RAS Records Story

Рет қаралды 1,068

Күн бұрын

Inspired by a recent summer read, I take a deep dive through my music collection back into the catalogue of RAS Records - a prolific American label founded by Gary "Doctor Dread" Himelfarb that exemplified the independent, DIY spirit that spurred reggae music to further expansion in North America and Europe, as it transitioned from a largely Jamaican based phenomenon to a worldwide one in the 1990's and 00's.
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@amynightnurse7784 Ай бұрын

RAS and Dr. Dread are and were crucial to the promotion and growth of Reggae Music in the US! The BEST ✨

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

Indeed they went a long way in establishing reggae as a viable genre and continuing to build the fanbase further and further! A massive contribution and influence that is not yet fully overstood...

@packymalley5446 Ай бұрын

Fabulous job! I just finished listening to the whole segment and it is a beautiful way to start a Friday as the sun is about to rise in the Denham mountain in the northern parish of Manchester in Jamaica. I am a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer serving in the agriculture sector. I am a 59 year old volunteer. I became a reggae DJ back in 1986 at Ohio State and RAS Records is and was an important part of reggae history. Gary, “Doctor Dread,” and I have become great friends . We even survived an earthquake when we were in a hotel swimming pool last year (2023) in Kingston! Great job telling the story! Thank you.

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

Thank you 🙏 I could practically do a sequel, it seems Doctor Dread's story is far from over and his adventures continue! People do not know how important RAS and other labels were in spreading reggae far and wide, having owned many of their releases for a long time even I wasn't fully aware of how influential they were...all credit to Gary for setting the record straight in his book! Wishing you well in the important work you are doing - sounds beautiful there, would love to reach one day! Cheers and one love 🙏❤💛💚✌

@craigsteven74 5 күн бұрын

Yo packy, I was just saying what's up, I met you at a number of shows in Ohio, I was super close w ras carl.rip. I think last time was the ivibes in akron...Carl use to tell me who you were bringing in for your fests. Greatest hope everything is irie...craig steven

@packymalley5446 5 күн бұрын

@@craigsteven74 Thanks for the shoutout! You do a fabulous job with your posting here on youtube. Dr. Dread sent me your video. What an absolute shame about Ras Carl. Truly one of the nicest guys around. His jealth was failing for years and that was a shame. I am in the Peac Corps in Jamaica and have been serving here for almost 20 months and my close of service is June, 2025. Keep up the great work Craig!

@brentbeck9880 Ай бұрын

A wonderful overview of RAS Records and the amazing man behind it. A must listen for any fan of Reggae and the Rastafarian culture.❤

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

@@brentbeck9880 Thank you 🙏 sounds like the man and his journey are far from done, from what I’ve been hearing in the comments here and on other platforms. Maybe a sequel to this video will be needed, one day ✌️

@anthonychukwuka8839 Ай бұрын

Don Carlos Just a Passing Glance first delivered the RAS Records experience to me. Respect

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

A classic right there! Cheers ✌️

@Paneeks1960 Ай бұрын

Absolutely fantastic Doug. I kind of remember you mentioning some of the artists that you showed in your previous videos. I could not remember the RAS label though. Prince Malachi and naturally Gregory Isaacs were two that jumped right out at me. Superbly delivered~ Rob/Boston

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

RAS Records had quite the roster of artists, had good distribution in the U.S. and were uniquely positioned to spread reggae further in the 80's and 90's, while sales of music on a physical format were still healthy. A time that won't be repeated again in quite the same way, but it has been nice to see some long out of print RAS titles released on vinyl again recently. Thanks for watching this one Rob, cheers!

@2gs585 Ай бұрын

Reggae has it's place iin history, but understanding that history is key for it's future; and you are THE history teacher. Big up yourself Fat City.You just leave me speechless!! Keep on doing what you're doing.

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

Thank you 🙏 I'm humbled and honoured ☺ I'm learning more all the time myself, nearly every day there is something new to discover about this fascinating music. Cheers and one love ❤💛💚

@rasmarcusdubwise1242 Ай бұрын

The R.A.S label I have a few of them..but hard to find..they put out some good sounds..big artist from then..💯📖📖😎🎼🎼🎶🙏🔥🔥💯📖😎thanks Doug..FROM..INDIKA SOUNDS

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

I used to buy a lot from Ernie B's Reggae back in the day...for a long time the biggest mail order and then online seller of reggae in the world before Discogs, Amazon etc and RAS titles always used to be cheap...even if you found something locally they were usually not expensive...but like much else I guess they have gotten harder to find these days...nice to see some reissues coming out in recent years. Big up 🙏❤✌

@gregoryspevack2263 Ай бұрын

Back in the 80's RAS records had tour with Freddie Migregor plus Michigan and Smiley. I remember M & S throwing Sugar Daddies into the crowd. Somewhere in my collection. I had a Freddie Mcgregory 45 of Guantanamera. RAS put out some great music, and I have still have a lot of stuff from them in my collection.

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

That tour must have been something! I enjoyed those albums Freddie did on RAS but hadn't listened to them in a long time; nice to revisit them and the label over the summer!

@gregoryspevack2263 Ай бұрын

@@FatCityVinyl It was a great show for sure. Many years later, I became friends with Michigan. He still puts out some great music. He travels a lot and stills comes to the states on a regular basis. RAS records was a big part of my collection.

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

@@gregoryspevack2263 Yes, I hear about his new releases and productions from time to time...

@nimafari Ай бұрын

Amazing knowledge and collection Doug! Love listening and learning. Doctor Dread is such a great guy! He still goes to Jamaica once a year and brings back lots of vinyl. He has a small shop about 10 minutes from my house. He always has Reggae playing and has a listening room with comfy chairs. It is through him that I acquired his book as well as many albums including that Bob Dylan one. He is a wealth of stories and knowledge. He often talks to David Hinds on the phone around the shop. He started another small record company / distributor here with a local address. 👍🏼

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

Well most of the knowledge is straight from his book lol...I just supplied the collection and tried to sort them into (mostly) chronological order to further illustrate the story. I never had much interest in the Dylan covers or Reggae For Kids releases, sounds like they were milestones for the label though. That's amazing you know him and he is based so close! I had no idea of any of that - sounds like he has gone back to his roots as a distributor/seller. What a life he has had, man I'd be down there all the time hearing his stories and listening to reggae! Guys like him and my local community radio DJ (on the air weekly playing reggae for 48 years now) inspire me...some serious dedication, right there...appreciate you tuning in, take care!

@dubkebab6307 Ай бұрын

Another fine retrospective, mate. Come to think of it,my reggae journey pretty much began with my parent's copy of 'harder they come' also-although I usually credit The Clash. I'll add that RAS 80's vinyl pressings tend to be very good quality,heavier than many Ja counterparts-generally worth snatching up as one finds them. I've been meaning to read Gary's book,thanks for reminding me to seek it out.That cat has LOTS of hilarious tales to share! We struck up a warm acquaintanceship many years ago on the west coast festival circuit and had many a deep conversation. He was very supportive of my radio show and would slip me promo goodies here and there.I treasure my autographed copy of his 'theremin in dub' album as I'm a novice player of that weird best. I didn't hear you mention his production of Barrington Levy's "Acousticallevy" ~a really lush record easily found on discogs for cheap I was pleasantly shocked to note. The last time I ran into him at a show security was not going to let him pass into backstage and I strolled over to intervene..."don't embarass yourself-this guy is Dr.Dread-the LEGEND!-he will be very much appreciated backstage" ~ The kid rolled his eyes and let the man by and I got a peace sign and a hearty laugh. His jerk peanuts are legit too. Keep this excellent series coming strong,star!!!

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

@@dubkebab6307 THTC was so influential in spreading the gospel of reggae! I was only a little kid at the time though so I’d have to wait until the 90’s after first hearing a certain Mr. Marley - though there were a few fleeting earlier encounters with the genre through the Clash and others. A lot of those RAS vinyl pressings are still very affordable! Though a few like Peter Broggs and some of the Israel Vibes discs became pricey - grateful for the reissues that have been coming through lately! I can bet Dread has a lot more stories to tell. A friend of mine on here, Griot Mareh Pictures did an interview with him that spurred me into finally reading the book and then delving back into the RAS catalogue. You know, I don’t think I knew he produced that Barrington album! Probably around where the book left off. Wasn’t that one nominated for a reggae Grammy? A friend of mine was nominated in another category that year and ran into Barrington at the awards ceremony in L.A. Cheers and thank you 🙏

@djtrishm Ай бұрын

Awesome Video Doug! Lots of great infor. If I see any ras 45s Ill send them your way! Thumbs up! Trish

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

Thanks Trish! I have at least one RAS 12" single but never seen any 45's, they did do some though. Cheers and take care ✌

@YoungLPLovers Ай бұрын

Hey Doug! Outstanding as always! I wanted to drop back in and thank you for this one. I was driving when I first watched/listened and was unable to comment. I don’t think I have any RAS records in my small collection but it is so great to have this overview and add to my want list 😃. Also, I have a few credits available in my Audible account and Doctor Dread’s book has been sitting in my wish list for a quite a while - this maybe the push I needed to pull the trigger. All the best

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

Hi Curtis! RAS was so influential in spreading reggae further in the 80's and 90's and the book gives a lot of behind the scenes info on the artists and what it was like to run a label in those years. His adventures are not yet done from what I've been hearing and he is still very active, releasing and selling records in California now I think. Cheers and thanks for watching!

@KokyoBill Ай бұрын

@FatCityVinyl Proud to say I've got a relatively deep shelf of Is Vibes records but thought I would never own Strength of My Life, one of my faves, on vinyl due to the price of OG copys. I was super excited to see this video and immediately ordered myself a copy (shoulda got 2) and can't wait to see what RAS LP's will be reissued next. Excellent video from one Reggae nerd to another. Now I have to find time to watch all your other videos.

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

I did a video on them a while back when Skelly passed but had quite a few gaps in their discography! Strength being a major one that is now filled - never thought I would ever own it either. There was a limited green vinyl exclusive variant through the Real Gone Music label I was kind of hoping to get but for some reason could not order a copy, oh well. They have since put out the next one (Praises?) so perhaps more will follow if they keep up with the reissues. Having discovered IV in the CD era all this newfound availability of their back catalogue is most welcomed. Cheers and thank you 🙏

@DarrenSmith-uj8fj Ай бұрын

Very enjoyable 🙏 Give Thanks

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

Thank you and one love 🙏❤💛💚✌

@RandyforRoyals Ай бұрын

I don't think that I know of the RAS label and I enjoyed hearing the history. I like that you have an old catalog. I have some old Bear Family (a company out of Germany) and like to peruse them once in a while. They specialized in country and rockabilly. I wish that I had visited some record stores in Jamaica when I visited there years ago. I thought I didn't have anything on RAS and then checked my Discogs to find a Gregory Isaacs CD. Israel Vibration certainly had humble beginnings and an interesting ascent and then fallout. The Bob Dylan covers albums sounds interesting. Another great video Doug.

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

I never had much interest in the Bob Dylan covers album or the Reggae For Kids series but sounds like they were very successful for the label and went far beyond the typical reggae market. RAS benefited from the healthy sales of physical media in the 1980's and early 90's but like many other labels ran into trouble as the bottom began to drop out of the music industry due to downloading and file sharing. They leave a huge catalogue that can tend to be overlooked, including by myself until revisiting what I have by them and realizing how extensive their impact was. Thanks for watching and have a good weekend!

@DJvince_Gbenga Ай бұрын

Thank you

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

Cheers 🙏 thank you for watching ✌

@craigsteven74 5 күн бұрын

Yes I love your show, I have been records from a bro who lives in kingston, so I got alot of rare reggae vinal also I taped reggae shows in Pittsburgh for 20 years. Love ras records,Dr dreads book is great read. I know the price on good reggae vinyl is way expensive. Thank you great site..awesome shirt

@FatCityVinyl 5 күн бұрын

Hello and thank you! Yes record prices gone outta hand these days, fortunately I scooped a lot of mine just before they really started to go up. Nice you have a source straight from yard! I started out taping local radio shows myself then later tried to buy all the tunes I liked. Cheers and one love!

@craigsteven74 4 күн бұрын

@FatCityVinyl Yeah man I was blown away w your knowledge on roots. What's crazy I got a package today f kingston...um alphablondy apartheid is nazism....jr reid one blood...peter broggs cease the war ras copy.....Dennis brown the exit jammyrecords....rasmichael tribute to the emperor Trojan....culture good things ras records...last one. Teacher rassambrown ononeness label.. I try to get 7 to10 albums from ja every couple weeks.. Have you did a show on like themeditations, itals,mighty diamonds...coolbro, lookingforward thx craig

@FatCityVinyl 4 күн бұрын

@@craigsteven74 Thank you 🙏 I never risked getting any records direct from JA…heard a lot of stories over the years about bad grading & condition, customs punching holes in overseas packages etc…some classics there! Listening to Jr. Reid with Voice Of Progress right now…found the One Blood LP at a record fair here a few years back…Good Things is in this video of course…missing Dennis and Ras Michael…I did do the Diamonds when Tabby passed, maybe scroll back for that one…the others I’d like to, kinda thin on Meditations in the collection though…

@AuthenticSelector64 Ай бұрын

Half Pint classic Victory Album on Ras Records

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

Yes, I have it - it's in the photo for a post about RAS for my FB page but I forgot to include it in the video...

@patkelly8309 Ай бұрын

Apparently Gregory Isaac's had a particular pistol he was very fond of and on occasion was known to draw a picture of it in place of his signature on contracts etc. Perhaps a less-than subliminal message to those who may have considered crossing him financially? Gussie Clarke told that story and his Anchor Records is definitely worthy of a deep dive for anyone with an interest in the Jamaican music scene of the late 1980s and early to mid 90s.

@patkelly8309 Ай бұрын

Shit, sorry fella. You obviously went on to talk about Gussie Clarke and Anchor.just goes to show that you should watch the whole video before commenting! lol. Apologies

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

@@patkelly8309 Haha no probs! Yes Gussie is another one to delve into more fully sometime in future. It's never ending lol. Interesting about the pistol, sounds like it might have been the one Doctor Dread mentions in the book, when GI confronted him with it in a drug fuelled state of paranoia...

@jamesgriffithsmusic Ай бұрын

It's strange the way that the ready availability of certain records makes us suspicious of them; I've certainly been guilty of that. Although I never got heavily into reggae beyond a few key artists I remember very clearly squinting at certain releases and trying to make sure they'd been recorded in Jamaica as I didn't want to bother with any 'inauthentic' artists or records. Ironically of course a lot of great Jamaican artists got licensed and released by UK labels so I probably passed over some great stuff. The idea of an American reggae label is interesting; I don't see too many American music fans talking about the music. Did any music genre escape the synth treatment in the 80s I wonder. I definitely have some Michigan & Smiley tracks on cd somewhere in the collection. Great spotlight!

@patkelly8309 Ай бұрын

If you dig a bit deeper you can hear a lot of synth work in late 70s and 80s Reggae. Done tastefully I should add. There is a fantastic version of Tubby Meets Jacob Miller in a Tenement Yard re-worked with the eponymous Moog Model D pushed to the forefront of the mix. Sounds incredible. Unfortunately for some reason the album was released as City of the Weak Heart which was actually an Earl Zero track. Lewis Touter was the man behind the synths on most JA records of the time. There's also a couple of tracks featuring some killer Xylophone work which may have been Touter or possibly Augustus Pablo, the jury's still out on that one. All in all a brilliant showcase for ( at the time ) a different sound. One Love

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

@@patkelly8309 Is that the same album that appeared on Motion, aka E E Saw Dub, dubs to the Tenement Yard LP (which I picked up not too long ago)? I see there was also some kind of unofficial vinyl press under that name. Typical murky reggae business! Yes those synth touches immediately place you in the late 70's/early 80's timeframe...I was probably meaning more the smoother, more polished 80's sound aimed at an international audience that might have put me off RAS to some extent, early on...

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

I used to buy a lot of my reggae from Ernie B down in California (in those days the biggest reggae mail order and later online retailer, long before Discogs, Amazon etc) and RAS titles in general always seemed to be cheaply available at cutout prices; to this day some of the vinyl pressings are still quite affordable. So that unfortunate perception was there, that it maybe wasn't as desirable somehow...I was genuinely surprised in recent years to see how expensive originals of some RAS albums, like the Peter Broggs and Israel Vibration, had become. The question of authenticity has a whole other problematic history; to this day I have seen British Jamaicans insist that the "real" reggae comes from Jamaica, though an expat Brit friend of mine is more objective in his opinion that UK recorded reggae is sometimes superior to that of Jamaica! I probably used the synths as a scapegoat for the more polished 80's production sound which did creep into some of RAS' releases, aimed at they were at a wider international audience. America never embraced reggae to the degree the UK did, it is maybe simply too large and populous, though thanks to the sheer gumption and boundless enthusiasm of a number of committed fans, radio hosts, promoters and journalists (not to mention artists and labels like RAS) it did spread and establish strong footholds in certain regions. Cheers James!

@patkelly8309 Ай бұрын

@@FatCityVinyl Yes, on Motion. For me being a child of the 80s I have no problem with that 80s polish. I call it the DX7 sound, seen?

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

@@patkelly8309 Cool...I have a certain fondness for it too...but maybe not so much in reggae lol

@patkelly8309 Ай бұрын

Interesting video. I'm not very familiar with US released Reggae apart from Wackie's. I know you guys in Canada had a healthy scene for a long time. Presumably through the influx of Jamaicans to Toronto in the 80s? i like a lot of RAS' output. I'm sure I had some Prince Alla on the label at some point but could be wrong. He's an artist worth a deeper dive for sure. Big Up Fat City Vinyl

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

Funny you should mention that, Alla is an artist I have been mulling over doing something on, can't think of anything by him I have seen on RAS though. Wackies another one on the bucket list but whew what a project that would be. Yes there was a scene in Toronto (on the other side of the country from me) that was chronicled to some extent in the Jamaica To Toronto series from Light In The Attic Records some years ago (which a friend of mine was responsible for). More recently the guy behind the Shella Records label has put out a documentary series on the reggae history there, I still have to check that out. Some things were going on in my area too, last Saturday night my selector George Barrett (cousin to Fams and Carly) just reached the milestone of 48 years doing his weekly radio program here. Nowhere near as big a West Indian population out west as TO though. Cheers ✌

@patkelly8309 Ай бұрын

@@FatCityVinyl so you are on the Pacific coast? Man it's hard for someone like me who grew up in UK but also a very small Island within it, to fathom the size of your country!! so Shella Records sounds like something I should check out. any links or recommendations? cheers

@patkelly8309 Ай бұрын

When you say " your selector " How you mean? Mad that the guy has been doing his ting for 48 years. I literally turned 45 years old yesterday (6th) LOL

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

@@patkelly8309 Happy earthday! I'm turning 55 in a couple of months. I've been listening to him since soon after discovering reggae (mid to late 90's, still have some of his shows I taped to cassette back then) so he's been a big influence, particularly in the early years. Still love to hear that voice with its strong Jamaican accent, it is going to be tough when he goes "off air". Longest running radio show in the whole of Canada, as I overstand it...

@FatCityVinyl Ай бұрын

@@patkelly8309 Yes, outside Vancouver...a massive country fe true! All about Shella here...not sure how up to date the website is but they've done a few reissues starting with Sheila Rickard's Jamaican Fruit Of African Roots that got some favourable response: www.shellarecords.com