Released on Oct 20 2008
#62 – Alton Ellis Tribute Part 1
On October 11, Alton Ellis passed away. He was 70 years old. His first recorded song was “Muriel” in 1959 with Eddie Perkins. He continued to record and perform right into August of this year. Alton is best-known for the music he sang from 1966-1968, when Jamaican popular music was known as rock steady. I consider rock steady music to be some of the classiest and most dignified music around, and Alton seemed to keep that rock steady performance style throughout his entire singing career.
Alton Ellis – Dance Crasher
Alton Ellis – Rock Steady
Alton Ellis & Phyllis Dillon – Remember That Sunday
Alton Ellis & Phyllis Dillon – Why Did You Leave Me
Alton Ellis – I’m Just a Guy
Alton Ellis – Let Him Try
Alton Ellis – Never Love Again
Alton Ellis – A Fool
Alton Ellis & Lloyd Williams – Can’t Stand It
Alton Ellis – I’ll Be Waiting
Alton Ellis – Sunday Coming
Alton Ellis – Mad Mad
Dub Specialist – Dar Es Salaam
Alton Ellis – Big Bad Boy
Alton Ellis – Alton’s Official Daughter
This show was a blast to record. My mind raced back to the days of going to college in Boston, where I did a lot of walking and listening to music. I remember walking to an arcade near the Arlington T stop and playing some pinball between classes, then stopping at the mall at Copley and buying Heavy D’s Peaceful Journey CD. Then I’d walk across the street and wait for my train at South Station while I listened to my music with oversized Sony headphones so I could get the best bass and overall sound quality. I remember dancing solo at a Cambridge club to the hot combination tune of the day, “The Jam” by Shabba Ranks & KRS-1, and having a girl approach me to tell me she liked the way I move. What are your memories as you listen to #61? Reply and comment as you listen or when you get back to your computer.
Toward the end of my high school years, I would listen to WERS 88.9 FM’s nightly reggae show, “Rockers.” I’d also listen to parts of their “urban” format show, “Eighty-Eight Nine at Night,” where the student DJs would play hip-hop, R&B, and house music. Listening to that show was a great opportunity to experience the crossover that was happening between reggae and hip-hop. This episode of Reggae Rhythm Update is the first part in a series of three that will chronicle that crossover sound. You’ll hear the music that influenced me as I was exploring my favorite reggae sounds and artists.
Today’s show is filled with variety. It starts off in hype style with 20 year old Jazmine Sullivan’s new song and a big combination tune featuring Busta Rhymes, Akon, Shabba Ranks, plus their respective rhythms. Then get set for two short rhythm updates, Alton Ellis – “So Much Love” and the Studio One version of “Sentimental Reason,” a cover of the standard, “For Sentimental Reasons.”