Doctor Bird Vinilo y CD

Review: While born in Jamaica, like many of the Windrush Generation Robert Thompson AKA Dandy made his name in the UK, subsequently making some of the earliest - and most successful - British Ska records with the assistance of Australian entrepreneur and Crossbow Records founder Millie Small. This fine compilation, one of the first to showcase the work of a UK-based ska star, tells the story of Thompson's work in 1964 and '65, much of it alongside fellow vocalist Keith Foster as Sugar N Dandy. There's much to enjoy throughout, with highlights including the organ solo-sporting delight of 'Oh Dear', the fuzzy jazziness of 'I'm Not Crying Now', the Mod-friendly 'Blues Got a Hold On Me' and his superb ska cover of Hermans Hermits' hit 'I'm Into Something Good'.

Review: For the label's latest essential two-disc trawl through the archives of Jamaican music culture, Doctor Bird has decided to take us back to the late 1970s and the dawn of dancehall - then a kind of harder, more upbeat take on reggae rather than the drum machine-powered rhythmic powerhouse it became. The Volcano Dancehall Albums Collection features a quartet of full-length excursions produced by early dancehall hero Henry 'Junjo' Lawes: Barrington Levy's influential 'Bounty Hunter', 'Weh Dem a Go Do' by young deejay/toaster Cocoa Tea, and a pair of sets by fellow patois proto-rapper Charlie Chaplin ('Sound System' and the superb 'Dancehall Rockers'). Throw in a handful of essential bonus cuts (including the full 12" version of Barrington Levy's take on Horace Andy favourite 'Skylarking') and you have an indispensable collection of formative dancehall classics.

Review: Cherry Red's Doctor Bird offshoot continues to trawl through the archives of legendary Jamaican label Observer and its' owner and producer-in-chief, Winston Holness AKA Niney The Observer. Having previously focused on the label's 1970s output, they've now turned their attention to the early, where Holness was influential in defining the formative dancehall sound. The first disc here boasts the vocal sides of singles, with Holness and his in-house bands providing a platform for such undoubted talents as Freddie McGregor, Don Carlos, Third World, Yellowman and Sugar Minott. Disc two, meanwhile, is the one for dub heads: an exhaustive collection of instrumental 'riddims' laid down by the Roots Radics and mixed in true 'version' style by Holness.

Review: This double-disc collection offers a fascinating glimpse into Lee Perry's evolution as a producer during a pivotal year in reggae music. 1970 saw Perry at the top of his game, fresh off the success of Return Of Django, and these recordings capture his adventurous spirit and groundbreaking studio techniques. The compilation features a wealth of instrumental works, showcasing the proto-dub experiments of his backing band, The Hippy Boys. With 14 tracks new to CD and many others unavailable since the 1990s, this release is a treasure trove for dedicated Upsetter fans. From the infectious grooves of 'Yakety Yak' to the dubwise explorations of 'Bush Tea' and the soulful sounds of 'Let It Be', this collection is a must-have for any reggae enthusiast.

Review: On its latest deep dive into the Jamaican reggae archives, the Doctor Bird label has returned to the early years of one of the style's most iconic producers, Lee 'Scratch' Perry. The music showcased on this two-disc set was initially released on Perry's own Upsetter imprint in 1969-70 and contains a mix of vocal numbers, instrumental 'versions' and alternate takes from the archive. There's naturally tons of highlights amongst the 50-plus tracks on show, including the organ-rich ska flex of The Upsetters' 'Night Doctor', the soulful rocksteady sweetness of 'Kiddy-O' by the Silvertones, the slow-dance excellence of Busty Brown's 'I Can't See Myself Cry About You', the low-slung shuffle of The Upsetters' 'Bab Thool' and the bona fide anthem that is 'Django Shoots Again' by Val Bennett and the Upsetters.

Review: The first extensive anthology of Lee Perry's early productions includes numerous Jamaican hits and features some of the most influential recordings of the late 60s. Today, Lee 'Scratch' Perry is widely recognied as one of the finest talents from the golden age of Jamaican music. However, his rise to fame was neither easy nor swift. After working for Studio One boss Clement 'Coxson' Dodd, Perry made his mark as an artist and arranger in the mid-60s, eventually becoming a fully independent producer by mid-1968. Perry's innovative approach and understanding of local music trends quickly brought him national success with popular singles on Upset, the label he co-owned. He soon became an independent operator, releasing best-selling 45s on his Upsetter label, which attracted the attention of London-based Trojan Records. Trojan created a British version of his imprint in early 1969. Perry's music particularly resonated with Britain's skinhead fans, and in autumn 1969, his production of Val Bennett and The Upsetters' Return Of Django reached the UK pop charts, exposing Perry's music to a global audience. This anthology brings together the recordings that launched Perry's career as an independent producer, showcasing a mix of soulful rock steady and dynamic boss reggae. It offers a compelling listening experience and a fascinating insight into the early musical development of one of Jamaican music's most influential and innovative figures.

Review: Doctor Bird's latest deep dive into Jamaica's seemingly bottomless reggae archives takes us back to the turn-of-the-1970s and the short-lived - but undeniably successful - story of singer-turned-producer George Philips AKA Phil Pratt's Sunshot Records imprint. It's the first ever retrospective of the label's output, in part because few copies of the showcased records ever made it out of Jamaica. Reflective of the period when rocksteady was fading and roots reggae was beginning to emerge, the cuts on disc one - fronted by such legendary singers as Ken Boothe, John Holt and Horace Andy -comprise the best of the singles released by the label between 1969 and 1972. Disc two contains more singles, B-sides and rarities, alongside all ten tracks from Pat Kelly's Breezing album.

Review: .This essential album from Doctor Bird highlights the great Phil Pratt's remarkable work during a pivotal era in Jamaican music. Feel Good All Over: The Sunshot Singles 1972-1973 digs into his work during that golden time and turns out both many well-known hits and some rarer gems, a total of 30 of which appear on CD for the first time. This collection captures the energy of a time when Pratt, alongside a new wave of equally bold and ambitious producers, pushed against the established norms of the island's music scene and brought in new influences. The result is a treasure trove of some of the finest and most influential reggae recordings from the pre-roots period including deep-cut gems like Delroy Wilson's aching 'Heart Made Of Stone', the romantic harmonies of The Soul Syndicate and swagger of 'Phil Pratt Thing'.

Review: Doctor Bird prescribe a new 2xCD anthology for the auralgics among fans of early UK reggae, bringing together for the first time on CD four pioneering albums from Creole Music Ltd, incorporated in May 1964 as chief outputter of prime British reggae. Bruce White and Tony Cousins took the helm, and Creole quickly became a key (and melodica) player in Britain's reggae scene. Their initial success came with The Hippy Boys' The Good, The Bad & The Upsetters, recorded on tour with Lee Perry; working with Trojan Records and eventually launching their own label, Rhino, Creole struck gold with Bruce Ruffin's 'Mad About You', helping clarify the UK reggae sound of the early 70s, and which comes rendered again here in clearest tones.