For the past few years, European and American anthology labels have focused intently on reissues from Studio One. It’s understandable, given the popularity of the brand and the fact that many obscure recordings stored in the vault of the mythical Brentford Road studio have still not seen the light of day. Luckily, the English label Cherry Red has been able to brilliantly wrangle a catalog that’s almost never updated in CD form: the productions of Karl “J.J.” Johnson, one of the most popular producers of the late 1960s, who died in 1972. Seventeen of the 58 songs on Reggae Power are presented for the first time in a format other than vinyl. The period from 1968 to 1972 is covered with vocal and instrumental productions featuring several harmony trios. The genres of rock steady and early reggae (renamed skinhead reggae by British fans) are well blended, and the favoured artists of the label well represented, with a few excerpts each: the underestimated Carl Dawkins, with 10 tracks including his greatest hit “Satisfaction”, The Ethiopians with eight, The Kingstonians, Roy Shirley, and The Clarendonians. These productions are all accompanied by Bobby Aitken’s The Carib Beats (renamed The JJ Allstars). The little gems on the album are “Try To Be Happy” by The Clarendonians, “Put It Good” by The Bleechers, and “Make Good” by Stranger Cole and Gladdy Anderson. JJ Johnson had a special talent for recognizing what the audience was looking for: deep bass lines and relaxed reggae beats, which quickly became his trademark.
Latest 360 Content
Interview Classical/classique
Transforming Hiroshima mon amour into contemporary opera: Christian Lapointe and Rosa Lind tell the story
By Marilyn Bouchard
Concert review Classical/classique
“Hiroshima, mon amour”: An Evening to Remember
By Marilyn Bouchard
Concert review Électro/euro-disco
Art of the Line: Klangkarussell’s Euro Vision at SAT
By Loic Minty
Dossier
Centroamérica – a powerful docu-play about truth and connection in an age of distance and denial
By Stephan Boissonneault
Album review classique/Sacred Music/Latino/Classical/Pop 2025
Lido Pimienta – La Belleza
By Stephan Boissonneault
Album review Experimental / Contemporary/expérimental / contemporain/Rock/psych 2025
Grails – Miracle Music
By Stephan Boissonneault
Album review Electronic/Indigenous peoples 2025
The Halluci Nation – Path of the Baby Face
By Stephan Boissonneault
Interview Classical/classique
A lap steel guitar choir and an angel to end the Innovations en concert 24-25 season
By Frédéric Cardin
Concert review classique/Classical/Traditional
The OSM and Abel Selaocoe: Evenings When You’d Like to Stop Time
By Judith Hamel
Concert review Classical/classique
Reaching for the sky: Francis Choinière’s challenge to end his OPCM’s 10th season
By Frédéric Cardin
Album review art rock/Pop/Rock/électro-indie/Electronic 2025
Stereolab – Instant Holograms On Metal Film
By Stephan Boissonneault
Interview expérimental / contemporain/Classical/classique
SMCQ | In memoriam Jocelyn Morlock
By Alain Brunet
Album review Classical/classique 2025