More Info
• One of the most influential reggae albums of all time
• Includes 4 tracks new to CD
• The complete Treasure Isle works of a Jamaican legend
Although largely unreported by the mainstream popular press, 17 February 2021 witnessed the passing of a true great of popular music: Asman Euwart Beckford. Under his stage name of U Roy, Beckford revolutionised the Jamaican music industry and in so doing also heavily influenced the development of hip hop, jungle and grime.
In 1970, the immense popularity of his ground-breaking 7” singles for Treasure Isle boss, Duke Reid popularised DJ recordings, and sparked an explosion of similarly-styled discs, performed by a plethora of established and wanna-be toasters. Over the next year or two, U Roy continued to record high quality works for Reid, who gathered many of the DJ’s most popular sides on two best-selling long-players, ‘Version Galore’ and the eponymously titled ‘U Roy’, issued in 1971 and 1993, respectively.
In tribute to the man and his music, both of these seminal collections have finally been brought together, along with the remainder of his Treasure Isle singles and a number of rare alternate takes. These historic recordings, which forever changed the sound of reggae, demonstrate the inimitable style that resulted in U Roy becoming the world’s first DJ superstar.
Tracklist
DISC 1: VERSION GALORE
1 Your Ace From Space – U Roy & Tommy
2 On The Beach – U Roy & The Paragons
3 Version Galore – U Roy & The Melodians
4 True Confession – U Roy & The Silvertones
5 Tide Is High – U Roy & The Paragons
6 Things You Love – U Roy & The Jamaicans
7 The Same Song – U Roy & The Paragons
8 Happy Go Lucky Girl – U Roy & The Paragons
9 You Will Never Get Away – U Roy & The Melodians
10 Wear You To The Ball – U Roy & The Paragons
11 Don’t Stay Away – U Roy & Phyllis Dillon
12 Hot Pop – U Roy & Tommy McCook
Bonus Tracks
13 Nehru – Tommy McCook
14 True, True – U Roy & Ken Parker
15 Wake The Town (take 2) – U Roy & The Paragons
16 Flashing My Whip – U Roy & The Paragons
17 The Ball – Earl ‘Wire’ Lindo
18 Do It Right – U Roy And The Three Tops
19 Ain’t That Loving You (alt. take) – U Roy & Alton Ellis
20 Do Re Mi U Roy & The Melodians
21 Super Boss – Tommy McCook
DISC TWO: U ROY
1 Honey Come Forward – U Roy
2 Treasure Isle Skank – U Roy
3 This Station Rule The Nation – U Roy & Tommy McCook
4 Drive Her Home – U Roy & Hopeton Lewis
5 Tom Drunk – Hopeton Lewis & U Roy
6 Words Of Wisdom – U Roy & Tommy McCook
7 The Merry Go Round – U Roy
8 Wake The Town – U Roy & The Paragons
9 Big Boy And Teacher – U Roy
10 Everybody Bawling – U Roy & The Melodians
11 Ain’t That Loving You – U Roy & Alton Ellis
12 Behold – U Roy & Tommy McCook
Bonus tracks
13 Way Back Home – U Roy & Tommy McCook
14 My Girl – U Roy & The Techniques
15 My Girl Version –Tommy McCook
16 Peace And Love – U Roy & The Jamaicans
17 Peace And Love Version – Tommy McCook
18 Drive Her Home Part Two – Tommy McCook
19 You Will Never Get Away (take 5) – U Roy & The Melodians
20 Studio chatter – U Roy & Byron Smith