Seven Things To Know When Collecting Reggae On Vinyl (Episode 234)

A primer for the beginning reggae vinyl collector. Includes insight on the history of reggae, the influence of Rastafari, reggae styles, perspective on Bob Marley's standing in reggae, reggae producers and labels, avoiding physical defects, and which formats to look for when collecting reggae records online. Otherwise known as Collecting Reggae Records 101.
Music mentioned in this video:
Island Champions: Silver Seas Calypso, 1958
Prince Buster: “Enjoy Yourself”, 1963
Don Drummond: The Best of Don Drummond, 1969
The Wailers: “Simmer Down”, 1964
Alton Ellis: “Rock Steady”, unknown release date (1960s)
Keith and Tex: “Stop That Train”, 1967
Mr. (Ken) Boothe: Everything I Own, 1974
John Holt: 1000 Volts of Holt, 1973
The Wailers: African Herbsman, 1973
Burning Spear: Rocking Time, 1974
Burning Spear: Marcus Garvey (Wolf Records), 1975
Burning Spear: Marcus Garvey (Island Records), 1975
Gregory Isaacs: Night Nurse, 1982
Big Youth: Screaming Target, 1972
U-Roy: Dread In A Babylon, 1975
Dennis Alcapone: Forever Version, 1971
Scotty: “Draw Your Brakes”, 1971
Various Artists: The Harder They Come (Original Soundtrack Recording), 1972
King Tubby and Riley All Stars” Concrete Jungle Dub, 1976
Scientist: Scientist Meets The Space Invaders, 1981
Scientist: The Best Dub Album In The World, 1980
Yellowman: King Yellowman, 1984
Eek-A-Mouse: Mouseketeer, 1984
Bob Marley: Natty Dread, 1974
Peter Tosh: Legalize It, 1976
Bunny Wailer: Blackheart Man, 1976
Peter Tosh: Equal Rights, 1977
Paragons: On The Beach, 1967
Ijahman: Haile I Hymn (Chapter 1), 1978
Marcia Griffiths: Naturally, 1978 (I got the date on this wrong in the video... it was released
while she was with Marley’s Wailers, not before.)
Various Artists: The Trojan Story, 1980 (Has a different track listing than the early 70s original release.)

[@PiecesofVinyl]

WOW. just WOW. This is THE BEST most comprehensive deep dive into Reggae vinyl I have ever seen. AWESOME! I am going to buy every single one of these records. Thank you so much for making this! I have the Marcia Griffiths and I just got a great ska record from Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Plays Jamaica Ska (1964) sounds great. I am going to recommend this video heavily only my channel!

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Thanks very much! I appreciate the support.

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Subbed back!

[@chrismurraymusic]

A great overview of Jamaican music and recordings. You cover a lot of ground very well in 32 minutes. When you recommended the Silver Seas Calypsos album I knew you really know your stuff.

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Thanks Chris. It's far from perfect, such as the whole world of 45s which as others point out is where the OG stuff is during the 60s (but which I don't collect). I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@rastaman5105]

i collected most Reggae vinyl from the 60,s , 70,s and early 80,s and most of my Reggae vinyl is from Trojan Records , greetings from Assen in the Netherlands !!

[@user-ug4xw7ji3b]

4.07 the silver seas mento band named after the Silver Sea Hotel,most of these groups had a connection with hotels and took there names from hotels like the HILTON_AIRES who recorded for studio one.Concerning presses trough time they learn that the sun had a great impact on these records so a lot of old records have more weight so they last longer,the mixes from studio one are also different trough time from mono to stereo and different mixes from the 1970/80/90,so try to compare the jamaican mixes with the english or the american mixes,and you wil hear the difference..Happy record hunting

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Thanks. Had no idea about the hotels. Fascinating!

[@juancho1002]

I really love these longer style of videos. I'm not a collector myself, but I enjoy hearing your recommendations. Amazing video!

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Thank you for your kind words. I work hard to keep the reviews to 10 minutes, but in these kinds of videos there’s more room because there is simply more to convey!

[@Markymarkvinylnut]

Thanks Alan, I don't know how I missed this! I've dipped a toe in reggae and your first point about the cost of records is so true! I got introduced to Steel Pulse 'Handsworth Revolution ' which is absolutely wonderful. I've recently picked a few Twinkle Brothers records.. I'm a Dub lover! Many thanks

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Glad you liked it Mark. Keep on dippin.

[@jacobwhite3164]

Thanks for this terrific & thoughtful overview! Yes -- the historical forces that shaped this music and its production is essential! I'm a longtime collector of JA vinyl and white and have been troubled by the ethics of a vinyl market wholly disconnected from the musicians, so many of whom die in penniless (like Frankie Paul, who did his final concert on one leg). Is there such a thing as "ethically sourced" JA vinyl? The history and nature of JA production makes the question laughable -- it was kind of a Wild West of artistic ownership. Yet the disconnection gets more complicated with the deluge of reissues produced today by UK, French, Italian, and Japanese labels of varying legality and largely run by non-Black owners (some of whom work extensively with estates for rights, some of whom just pirate the stuff since it's already been pirated). I often purchase these reissues because they sometimes offer the best version of a particularly scarce recording, and I wonder about where that money goes and if it does more to lift up the Black musicians and producers and families behind this music or is simply a massive system of appropriation and exploitation disguised as "appreciation." I could ask the same of myself and my own collecting. Sorry to sound like such a hand-writing idiot, but do you or anyone else have any thoughts about what it means for a white dude to shore up shelves of JA wax by historically colonized or exploited people? I guess I'm not so much asking whether one should feel bad or good about it, just asking if it's worth thinking more deeply about the relationship white collectors have with this music and the culture and human beings that produced it. Just putting it out there. Thanks again!

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

I think about these issues a fair amount myself. I suppose if you think about different eras, the answer is different. In the time when these records were originally being produced, I’d think any market would be better than none. But nowadays, with the original LPs often essentially irreplaceable / non-reproducible as master tapes are lost or degraded, the classic early releases begin to move from being just a commodity to becoming a part of Jamaican history. But ultimately I think there are important differences related to quantity which make records a different situation. If there were just one copy of Burning Spear’s original mix of Marcus Garvey, then just like the Elgin Marbles I’d say no one outside of the country should “own” it. But there were thousands, and there are many copies freely for sale from Jamaican sources. I hear what you are saying and I think those questions need to be asked, but like vintage French wine or works by Van Gogh I don’t see any ethical issue in a valuable national product manufactured in large quantities being collected by any particular sort of person. None of these records were looted like eg Indigenous artifacts, and conversely it is also a point of pride in Jamaica that the island has been as influential on global musical tastes as it has. So, collect away, I say… but as you say it is good practice to pay attention to how contemporary releases are structured re artist royalties.

[@keshastewart8408]

Hi. I have a really good vinyl records that I'm selling. 432 12 inches and 222 7 inch. I have all the greatest reggae and ska artist from the 60s 70s 80s. If you're interested reply so we can correspond. I also have souls& funk plus other genre.

[@OliversEnglish75]

cheers bro , great video.

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Thanks for the visit

[@bernhardhagen1013]

found my own original jamaican mix of Marcus Garvey now, thanks for the tip!

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Nicely done!

[@xentakis]

This was fantastic, thank you! Well timed for me, as I just happened upon a cheap nice copy of the Mister Yellowman LP, my first reggae on vinyl.

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Awesome find! He's brilliant - funny as hell too.

[@vergevinyl]

Watched it a few times and will watch a few more I’m sure . Great info and very informative!

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Glad it was helpful!

[@analogmixtape]

Great video! One of the best Reggae primers I've seen.

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Thanks very much!

[@kevinjones9685]

I wish someone would release the Black Ark Mix of Heart of The Congos and the original Jamaican mix of Catch A Fire on LP. If they have been released, please point me in the right direction

[@YoungLPLovers]

Tuff gong just released the original Jamaican version of Catch a Fire on Bob’s Birthday a few weeks ago - in fact they reissued the whole catalog (island years). The Jamaican mix was also released in Japan maybe 2 years ago. And it had the original zippo cover, unlike the current Tugg Gong release with has the spliff cover.

[@andrewwilliams2329]

Great video with lots of information oh and an Arsenal fan too. Excellent!!

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Good taste is good taste!

[@alfieweekes2973]

This one of my favourite vids on KZbin

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@recordfan]

Great overview! Subscribed. You should do a break down of all the new roots reggae labels that have sprung up and which ones are ones to avoid.

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Thanks! Boy I dunno, that's a long list. I'm overdue for a reggae review so maybe I can flip that around and say something about the labels to seek out. Other people have dived much deeper than me though.

[@RussSternglassDrums]

This was excellent! Thank you!

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

You're most welcome.

[@435982814]

Thank you for your accurate assessment of Bob Marley. I'm an often-times reggae fanatic since the mid-late 70's, and although I own a cassette of the Lee Perry produced Wailer tracks, I own not a single Marley album throughout my not insubstantial collection of reggae vinyl. Kudos to Marley for popularizing reggae world-wide, but his music is as much mainstream rock as it is reggae. His most popular recordings are hybridized music. Lead guitarist on many of Marley's Island recordings is Al Anderson, an American. This is akin to someone from Indiana playing cajun style accordion. Technically fine, but not embedded in the genes. The brothers Barrett, as much as Marley himself, make those albums worthwhile. Whenever someone tells me they love Bob Marley to support the contention they love reggae, I immediately discount the statement. Being a Bob Marley fan is not the same thing as being a reggae fan. Not at all.

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Preach!

[@willieluncheonette5843]

could not disagree more but we all have our own opinions. BTW this is the first time I've ever heard Bob's music being described as mainstream rock as well as reggae.

[@josephsaroce4991]

​@@willieluncheonette5843 Here's something to think about. This makes what was said above very palatable. I own many 70s sound tapes..NEVER a Marley tune played. Horace andy ,sammy dread, anything but Marley. The music didn't fit in. Johnny clarke and ronnie davis remakes of bobs tunes were played, with these cuts sounding very Jamaican .

[@chrisstronach5495]

I would reccomend reissue labels as a more affordable way to collect classic Jamaican tunes. The original pressings can cost a fortune. Pressure Sounds UK label is a brilliant place to start.

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Agreed. PS do a great job.

[@chrisstronach5495]

@@TenMinuteRecordReviews Yep. Believe it or not, I've got all the PS albums, 10" dubplates and singles - except two 7" singles which I'm finding it impossible to hunt down. Frustrating!

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

@@chrisstronach5495 keep the faith!

[@chrisstronach5495]

@@TenMinuteRecordReviews ❤❤🎶🎶🎷

[@godzd4rxz306]

heyy just watched your vid.... know i have more knowledge about the jamaican music era thanks for that. Lately ive also been collecting some roots reggea and know i now more about what i should by another thanks big blessings from belgium

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Thank you for watching!✌

[@NYUMusicGuru]

Fantastic video, great info...just got my first Burning Spear record (Marcus Garvey with the Dub version on 2nd LP) and looking forward to more

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Thanks. And that’s a good release. Enjoy!

[@briangilbert3884]

Ya know, this would make a nice college course! Thanks very much for this video, I added the Trojan Story to my wantlist, though I'm pretty sure I won't be finding this anytime soon (as I'm a fairly low-budget collector). Hey! there's an idea for another video...what reggae records would you recommend that are under-appreciated- in other words, more affordable? Here's one example to get you started- Linton Quesi Johnson. Thanks!

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Good idea. Though one of the issues with reggae is that the low volume of pressings (and the poor condition of many) means that high-quality and affordable don’t usually coexist! It’s not as bad as punk that way, but still.

[@rvbadland]

From France , very interesting vidéo .Cordialement

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Merçi et je suis heureux que vous ayez apprécié.

[@beibei888]

Vinyl albums, 10in, 12in have their place but the very soul of Jamaican music lives on 45's. (well, on dubplates too but only in a sound system situation). If you really want to collect ska/rock steady/reggae vinyl you must deal with 7in.!

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Very true, though not everyone is a DJ! Which is how Trojan made their money, compiling all those singles.

[@DJWerkz]

Nice job even though you seem to be a Gooner lol. Big fan of Roots and Dub myself, Misty In Roots are one of my favorite UK Roots bands, See Them Ah Come is an epic track. Label to look for is Pressure Sounds, you can find them on Bandcamp

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Cool, thanks... and you spotted my allegiance.

[@Breamar_sounds]

Burning spear, steel pulse, black uhuru the best

[@deancronin6934]

Great job 👏 I’ve been collecting ska/rocksteady/reggae since age 13, and no other genre has more quirkiness to offer as you had mentioned. Hoping you do a top 10 reggae grail records for people to look for, in the future. My best spot is Henry’s records in Scarborough (I’m Cdn too) he has the best selection of albums and 45 s I’ve ever seen for Jamaican music, and he’s a gentleman! I would also add a chapter about Clocktower/Abraham records in regard to QC, some can sound good, some are pure shite Bless Up!

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Thank you! I ended up getting caught between doing a deeper dive (more research!) or going with what I knew. Decided on the latter. Thanks for the suggestion - and if I am in TO at some point will definitely make a pilgrimage to Henry’s.

[@keshastewart8408]

Hi. I have a really good vinyl records that I'm selling. 432 12 inches and 222 7 inch. I have all the greatest reggae and ska artist from the 60s 70s 80s. If you're interested reply so we can correspond. I also have souls& funk plus other genre.

[@chinaphone]

Nice list, though bit light on Lee Scratch Perry. Heart of the Congos- Congos Police & Thieves- Junior Murvin Life of Contradiction- Joe Higgs Scientist Wins the World Cup- Scientist Super Ape- Lee Scratch Perry Pick a Dub- Keith Hudson I really dig your videos. Keep the love going.

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Fair comment! I have (and love) the Higgs and Congos records. Dub is the weak(est) part of my reggae collection.

[@alexl5083]

Notable Records - The Silvertones (Silver Bullets) Burning Spear (Dry and Heavy) (In The Dark Black) Toots and the Maytals Black Uhuru (Red)

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Great suggestions - I hadn’t heard the silvertones but that recent reissue apparently sounds pretty good.

[@keshastewart8408]

Hi. I have a really good vinyl records that I'm selling. 432 12 inches and 222 7 inch. I have all the greatest reggae and ska artist from the 60s 70s 80s. If you're interested reply so we can correspond. I also have souls& funk plus other genre.

[@johnnybongo9208]

✊🏿

[@thewailingwailers1022]

Great insight... But no mention of Dennis Brown... Really???

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Dennis is one of my favourites. When I do a “top reggae artists to collect” video, there will be plenty of space for him.