Toots & The Maytals start this scorcher radio program live in London from the previous September in this vital vintage Midnight Dread encored here for the first time since its original broadcast out of San Rafael, just north of San Francisco. Local greats The Titans and The Rastafarians have their boss skanking new albums featured. Tamlins, I-Roy, Joe Higgs, Jimmy Cliff, Black Eagles, Dillinger, Prince Buster, The Beat, Desmond Dekker, Doctor Bird, Capital Letters, Mikey Dread backed by The Clash, Bob Marley, & Generals add their massive talents to the mighty mix.
“I go to bed but sleep won’t come
Get up in the night
I couldn’t fight my feelings
Early in the morning
It’s just the same situation
Here comes the landlord just a knocking upon my door
I’ve got four hundred/month rent to pay
And I can’t find a job
Let me tell you time tough
Everything is out of sight, it’s so hard”
In early 1981 Ras Midas is in trouble town bay area for his first series of shows. I-Roy says “Right On!”. Meanwhile Mikey Dread is in Clash town triple lp SANDINISTA! area with his lyrical levitation “Living In Fame”:
“When you living in a fame
you gotta live up to your name
or you die in shame
it’s all in the game“
(the original SANDINISTA! album’s large fold out insert partially shown after Ras Midas):
Same song everyday. 33 years on the new New York mayor with roots in Sandinista takes charge. Having just watched the top flight THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN documentary on Joe Strummer it seems The Titans with Ron Rhoades (who are interviewed in Part 2 of this show, which will be made available later) may have also told a bit of Strummer’s story when doing Ron’s song “Johnny Rocker” which ends this portion of another freshly mastered and digitized radio diary.
Last time’s 33 years ahead program. Dreadcasting over the air since 1979 & online since 1996 dreader 21st Century Midnight Dread programs air daily at 12am including replays often heard in his Best of All Worlds high noon slot and where one can also become conscious at 6am with the indigenous sounds of Native Son Rising, all curated by Doug everyday, all times Pacific. Many more Midnight Dread sights & sounds here and on this blog’s Midnight Dread page. Go deh. All of dem.
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