Joe Gibbs Presents Dancehall Stylee – Classic Dancehall Sounds 1979-1981, 2CD
Various Artists

• First retrospective of Joe Gibbs’s dancehall productions.

• 22 tracks new to CD.

• Includes many of the biggest hits of the dancehall era.

As the 70s drew to a close, the roots and dub sounds that had dominated the Jamaican music scene for much of the decade gave way to dancehall, a style that continued to find favour with reggae fans until the onset of the digital revolution of the mid-1980s.

Aimed squarely at satisfying the demands of live audiences, songwriters largely abandoned the conscious lyrics that had typified the music of the preceding years, focusing instead on subjects which with their Jamaican audiences could readily identify.

Meanwhile, the island’s record producers revived classic rock steady and early reggae rhythms that had been created over a decade earlier, while giving the music an extra edge by introducing a dominant snare drum sound, which set it apart from the roots sound it superseded.

Among the most successful of the old school music makers to adapt to the new style was Joe Gibbs, who between 1979 and 1983 released many of the most popular and enduring dancehall singles of the period.

This long overdue 2CD collection brings together 46 of his most sought after productions from the first years of dancehall, including numerous major Jamaican hits, with 25 of the recordings making their CD debut!

Track Listing:

DISC ONE
1 Boxing Around – Cornel Campbell
2 Bam Bam – Kojak & Liza *
3 Friday Evening – Joe Tex & U Black
4 Nice Up The Dance – Welton Irie *
5 Fist To Fist Rub A Dub – Kojak & Liza
6 Jammin’ So – Madoo *
7 My Love – Wayde Brammer *
8 Green Bay Killing – Kojak
9 Can’t Tek Mi Landlord – Lui Lepke *
10 Quick Divorce – Barrington Levy *
11 Money Man The Girl She Want – Prince Mohammed *
12 Time Stiff – Junior Murvin
13 Sky Juice – Kojak & Liza
14 Joe Grine – Madoo
15 Ring Craft – Earth & Stone
16 Hole In The Bucket – Kojak & Liza
17 Heavy Waist Line – Tyrone Taylor
18 Drunken Master – Ranking Joe
19 My Woman – Barrington Levy
20 One Thousand Gal – Kojak & Liza *
21 Rope In – Cornel Campbell
22 Love In A Jamdown – Lui Lepke
23 No Children Don’t Cry – Al Campbell *
24 Lover Man Style – Shorty The President *

DISC TWO
1 Leave Fi Mi Gal Arlene – Ranking Joe *
2 DJ Sprit – Errol Scorcher
3 You-Mus-Si-Mouse – Lui Lepke *
4 12 Tribe Possie – Prince Jazzbo
5 Two Timer – Cornel Campbell *
6 Batman And Robin – Joe Tex & U Black *
7 Mine Yu Mouth – Barrington Levy *
8 Late Night Movie – Lui Lepke
9 Good To Be There – Chalice
10 Dreadlocks Girl – Sammy Dread *
11 Lawd Suh – Danny Mangaroo
12 Love Problems – Echo Minott *
13 Wife And Sweetheart – Barrington Levy
14 My Princess – Sammy Dread *
15 Back Way Mr Landlord – Madoo *
16 Back Away – Prince Mohammad *
17 Thousand Things On My Mind – Danny Mangaroo
18 Look How She Fat – Lee Van Cleef *
19 Talk Of The Town – Ranking Toyan *
20 Under Me – Errol Scorcher *
21 Virgin Girl – Eek-A-Mouse
22 Tribute To Bob Marley – Lui Lepke
*new to CD