"King Size Reggae" [1970] by VARIOUS ARTISTS including Leslie Kong Productions (November 2018 Doctor Bird 'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue - Andy Pearce Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"King Sized Reggae" by Various Artists from 1970

"...Give You My Love..."

Tapping into the 50th Anniversary celebrations for Trojan Records UK - 2018 has seen Doctor Bird Records (part of Cherry Red UK) bombard us ravenous Reggae and Ska lovers with fantastic 'Expanded Edition' CD reissues of albums disappeared from our record shop racks four and even five decades ago – many of which in truth weren't widely available in the first place.

Centred round the magical output of Trojan’s catalogue from the late 60ts up to about 1975 (see list below) - these CD reissues are not haphazard cash-ins. Each is tastily done, reasonably priced, have properly expanded booklets with newly researched and updated liner notes, often offer two albums onto 1CD or one-album with a huge number of bonus tracks - and some give label rarities their digital debut after decades languishing in the vaults. And all of it mastered from best sources by one of the top Audio Engineers out there – Andy Pearce – a name more commonly known for his decades of work on a huge array of artists under the Universal umbrella.

For this release we get one of Trojan's lesser-seen LP compilations – the Leslie Kong produced "King Size Reggae". First UK issued 1970 as a 12-Track Various Artists budget compilation on Trojan TBL 140 – here it loses three songs - "Soul Shake Down Party" and "Cheer Up" by The Wailers (no doubt contractual reissue refusal is the cause for these two Bob Marley tracks being absent) and what was the opening song on Side 1 - "Drums Of Freedom" by Ken Boothe. That tune has already been issued November 2017 as the opening track on the "Hot Shots Of Reggae" CD reissue (Doctor Bird DBCD-08 – Barcode 5013929270831) – a complimentary Various Artists set of the same period hence its exclusion here. Of the 9 tracks that are present, most were Trojan singles with Leslie Kong Productions or tie-ins and the three losses are more than compensated with by a massive 19 bonus cuts from the period.

This Doctor Bird CD reissue is also a first digital outing for "King Size Reggae" and amidst the 19 Bonus Tracks are three songs not originally available in the UK (Tracks 13, 15 and 25) and one Previously Unreleased (Track 28). Here are the Soul Sisters...

UK released Friday, 23 November 2018 - "King Size Reggae" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Doctor Bird DBCD-026 (Barcode 5013929272637) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue of that 1970 compilation LP offering fans 9 of the original 12-songs alongside a further 19 bonuses (74:53 minutes):

1. (God Love You) Soul Sister – THE GAYLADS

2. It's Gonna Take A Miracle – KEN BOOTHE

3. The Bitterness Of Life – BRUCE RUFFIN

4. (Come) Rock It With Me – THE MELODIANS

5. Money Day – THE PIONEERS

6. Gave You My Love – DELROY WILSON

7. Now I Know – KEN BOOTHE

8. Staircase Of Time – TONY BREVETT

9. Tell The Children The Truth – THE GAYLADS

Tracks 1 to 9 are most of the 12-track compilation LP "King Size Reggae" originally UK issued 1970 on Trojan Records TBL 140 (see notes above re track list)

BONUS TRACKS:

10. Cecilia – BRUCE RUFFIN

11. I Can Remember – THE TENNORS

12. Got To Get Away – DELROY WILSON

13. I'm A True Believer – TYRONE EVANS & BRUCE RUFFIN

14. I'm Black – THE EPICS

15. Night Flight (aka "Sentimental Journey") – ANSEL COLLINS

16. Who's Gonna Be Your Man – BRUCE RUFFIN

17. Collie And Wine – GLEN BROWN

18. Tribute To Prince Ruff – THE MONSTER & THE BEVERLEY'S ALL STARS

19. Baby Don't Do It – THE CLARENDONIANS

20. You Were So Much In Love – THE TENNORS

21. Ooh Child – BRUCE RUFFIN

22. Run Fattie – THE SLICKERS

23. Fat Cat – ANSEL COLLINS

24. I'm Gonna Make It – THE KINGSTONIANS

25. Let Them Stay – TYRONE EVANS

26. The Bells Of Freedom – THE EPICS

27. Candida – BRUCE RUFFIN & BEVERLEY'S ALL STARS

28. Bull Rush – ANSEL COLLINS [Previously Unreleased]

Like all the others in this series - the 12-page booklet is a fantastic affair - new liner notes by ANDY LAMBOURNE [aka Charlie Chalk] and MARC GRIFFITHS of Boss Sounds. Each page is festooned with tape boxes, the two label sides of the original LP on Trojan TBL 140, photos of Bruce Ruffin, Ken Boothe, The Gaylads, The Melodians (and more) and of course Leslie Kong, nine label repros for singles on Trojan alongside another nine for associated labels like Beverley’s Records, Summit and Blue Mountain and even the Elephant rear artwork. But best of all is one of my fave-rave Audio Engineers at the helm - ANDY PEARCE - who along with his engineer partner Matt Wortham has done Lee Perry, The Upsetters, Treasure Isle box set and wads of huge Rock names like Free, Rory Gallagher, Budgie, Wishbone Ash, ELP, Spooky Tooth, Mott The Hoople and so on...

Fantastic cuts like "(God Loves You) Soul Sister", "Money Day" and "Tell The Children The Truth" all stem from 1970 Trojan 45s (TR 7771, TR 7781 and TR 7783) - but I also dig "Baby Don't Do It" by The Clarendonians amidst the extras - a sexy little shimmy originally issued February 1970 on Trojan TR 7719 and written by Peter Austin about his girlfriend Hortense Lewis of The Soulettes. Those ever popular Kingstonians throw in their tuppence worth with a Leslie Kong composition called "I'm Gonna Make It" - a B-side to "I'll Need You Tomorrow" in January 1970 on Trojan TR 7708. And on it goes...

You could argue that the three missing songs compromise the original listen too much – but frankly in all the years I was trading rare records and albums at Reckless in Berwick Street – I've never laid eyes on this LP – so to have it here at all is all right by me. Recommended my Soul Sisters and Reggae Brothers...

2018 DOCTOR BIRD CD REISSUES covering the TROJAN RECORDS label

1. BOB & MARCIA - Young, Gifted And Black/Pied Pier (May 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-014 - Barcode 5013929271432)

2. DAVE & ANSEL COLLINS – Double Barrel (June 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-016 - Barcode 5013929271630)

3. DESMOND DECKER & THE ACES – Action!/Intensified (August 2018 2CD Set, Doctor Bird DBCD-025 – Barcode 5013929272538)

4. DESMOND DEKKER – You Can Get It If You Really Want (September 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-015 - Barcode 5013929271531)

5. DESMOND DEKKER – Double Dekker (November 2013, Doctor Bird DBCD-018 – Barcode 5013929271838)

6. PHYLLIS DILLON – One Life To Live (September 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-021 – Barcode 5013929272132)

7. ETHIOPIANS – Reggae Power/Woman Capture Man (January 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-10 – Barcode 5013929271036)

8. HARRY J. ALL STARS - Liquidator (June 2008, Doctor Bird DBCD-012 - Barcode 5013929271234)

9. THE MAYTALS – Monkey Man/From The Roots (July 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-017 – Barcode 5013929271739)

10. THE PIONEERS – Long Shot/Battle Of The Giants (September 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-019 – Barcode 5013929271937)

11. THE UNIQUES - Absolutely The...Uniques (January 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-011 - Barcode 5013929271135)

12. THE UPSETTERS – The Upsetter/Scratch The Upsetter Again (October 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-022 – Barcode 5013929272231)

13. THE UPSETTERS – Return Of Django/Eastwood Rides Again (May 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-013 - Barcode 5013929271333)

14. VARIOUS ARTISTS – Greater Jamaica Moonwalk Reggae/Reggay At Its Best (October 2018 2CD Set, Doctor Bird DBCDD-030 – Barcode 5013929273030)

15. VARIOUS ARTISTS – King Size Reggae (November 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-026 – Barcode 5013929272637)
16. VARIOUS ARTISTS [Duke Reid and Treasure Isle Productions] – Soul Of Jamaica/Here Comes The Duke (August 2008 2CD Set, Doctor Bird DBCDD-024 – Barcode 5013929272439)