Pete S

Don't be silly you lot. The sample on the Atomic Kitten record was actually from Last Train To London by E.L.O. if you don't believe me, find it and listen to it

You'd be best speaking to John about this because apart from the two well known pressings (one styrene which is easy to spot, one vinyl which fooled a few people back in 76), there's also another one which apparently really does look the part (doesn't have that big dip in the label towards the centre hole).

Coincidentally, I posted the ken Boothe version up a while back. Though I don't really ike either version to be honest!

If you're not used to hearing it without the jump you wouldn't notice it but I guarantee you - every UK copy jumps one groove towards the end of the instrumental break.

If this shows up looking all weird, blame the site not me, it was fine when I pasted it in then once posted, it lost all formatting.. One of the most soulful and accomplished singers of Jamaica's ska, rocksteady, and early reggae eras, Slim Smith found his biggest success from 1965 until his premature death at age 25 in 1973. Although according to various reports stating he had a troubled and unstable life, Smith will best be remembered for his stunning contributions to reggae's vocal tradition. Slim Smith (born Keith Smith) was born in Jamaica in 1948. He got his start in the early '60s with producer Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, working both as a solo act and as part of the vocal group the Techniques. Thanks to his already powerful and singular voice (his falsetto-capable tenor contained shades of both Sam Cooke and his hero, Curtis Mayfield), Smith soon took over the lead spot in the Techniques. In addition to their many hits on Dodd's Studio One label, the group cut several smashes for Dodd's rival at the time, Duke Reid. Under Reid's watch, they scored with "Queen Majesty," "Traveling Man," and "My Girl." Following his stint with the Techniques, Smith returned to Dodd for more solo work. Recorded during the late ska and early rocksteady periods from 1966-1967, Smith's second round of solo sides included hits like "Rougher Yet," "I'll Never Let Go," "Try Again," and "Mercy Mercy," among many others (several of these Studio One records would later be endlessly versioned during the early dancehall period of 1979-1984). Next, Smith suspended his solo career once again to join the Uniques, a group which featured singers Jimmy Riley and Lloyd Charmers. While they had already cut many impressive sides with other lead vocalists, the group would find their greatest success with Smith, both on the charts and in terms of quality. In addition to a fine session for producer Willie Lowe in 1968, the Uniques cut their best sides for Bunny "Striker" Lee from 1967-1968. The band racked up a steady stream of hits for Lee, including "My Conversation," "Girls Like Dirt," "Gypsy Woman," "Story of Love," and "The Beatitudes." Switching back again, Smith recommenced his solo career in 1969, cutting many quality sides for Lee until his death in 1973. As was the vogue during the rocksteady and early reggae years, Smith included soul covers amongst the many fine originals and Jamaican standards he cut at the time. Along with such peculiarities as the Shirelles' hit by Goffin and King, "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," Smith put his distinctive stamp on "Spanish Harlem," Cooke's "Send Me Some Loving," Mayfield's "It's Alright," Billy Stewart's "Sitting in the Park," and Eddie Floyd's "Don't Tell Your Mama" and "Stand Up and Fight." Smith even paid homage to his Jamaican musical peers by cutting some tracks by fellow rocksteady and reggae singing star Delroy Wilson. Having finished up with some of the strongest work of his career, Smith's run came to an abrupt end in 1973. The cause of his death is not certain. One story has it that Smith, severely depressed over the impression that rival singer Roy Shirley's career was being pushed at the cost of his own, smashed in a window with his hand and bled to death as he walked off into the night. Another account comes from singing partner Jimmy Riley, who says that Smith returned from a late-night party, found himself locked out of his house, smashed the window, and bled to death before anyone found him. Whether his death was caused by depression and subsequently suicide is still not really known. Thankfully, Smith's musical legacy lives on with several reissues of his best work. A chunk of his work with the Techniques is available on the Heartbeat collection Run Come Celebrate, while a good portion of the Uniques tracks for Reid can be found on Trojan's Best of the Uniques (1967-1969). As for his solo material, the Studio One years are covered on Heartbeat's reissue of the Born to Love album, while much of the later material from 1969-1973 is covered on Trojan's Rain From the Skies and West Side's A Unique Technique. ~ Stephen Cook, All Music Guide

Well if he committed suicide, he did it by cutting his wrist on a broken window...

I have this on UK island and it took my a long long time to get it, condition is rather poor but sod it, I've got it so I'm happy! You'd be looking at maybe £125 for a minter I think.

You don't want to heart it, trust me!

I'm dead chuffed that so many people had a listen to these, I found 3 more by The Uniques / Slim Smith that I thought people might like, one of them (the second track) is sadly more famous as something else, see if you can remember what (Gene R may not apply)... the first one is a brilliant version of The Impressions Gypsy Woman done as a rocksteady slow-burner Ok the second is the track who's backing was pinched for another track which became a hit record...boooo!!! The third is just too good to put into words...and they are obviously doing it live in the studio too

No more than a tenner - but what a great track, if this was US only it'd be three figures

Thats a boot mate but your memory is going because this wasn't booted until about 1992. If you can see the light bulb through it, it's a boot. If you put the needle on the record, you'll hear surface noise from the copy they booted it on start up a split second before the track starts.

Steve are you saying thats a Jamaican record because I've got no trace of either title, artist, label or number and I'm using a database of over 20,000 tracks here. By the way if anyone wants this database - you can sort by artist/ title/ label/ ja matrix/ uk matrix/ producer - it's the greatest guide to jamaican music I've ever seen. Every UK label listed fully as well, a & b sides. Very very expensive (but I might know a cheap source)

I think it probably is rare as it is Jamaican only mate - Coxsone CSD 166 from 1966. The confusing thing is that this is called keep That Light but he also had one called keep That Light Shining On Me which came out 3 years later on Unity and they are totally different. That might be why I only recently heard this one, because I thought it was the other one which I already knew.

Track listing for Jump jamaica Way.. maytals - four seasons don drummond - green island maytals - 6 and 7 books of moses don drummond - looking through the window harris seaton - tell me r. willis - it's raining lester sterling - out of nowhere charmers - long walk home alton & eddy - yours winston stewart - i don't know roland alphonso - down beat special tommy mccook - patricia only tracks 5 & 6 side 1 and 3 & 4 side 2 could be anywhere near the one you were thinking of

I know the Bluesbusters but definitely never heard of the other one...that definitely the right name?

One more, I think I get more soul collectors asking me for this record than anything else apart from Wide Awake In A Dream..."The Loser"

i'D BEST NOT KEEP EM COMING MATE AS SOMEONE WILL TELL ME TO TAKE IT ELSEWHERE oops sorry about the capitals...but I've got to send this up, this is probably my favourite ever rocksteady record and it is just simply beautiful, it's like a group harmony record...fantastic record from The Techniques

Fantastic record...ten times better than Such Misery.

I'm really really pleased to hear you say that Hammy. Gives me confidence to post another of his tracks which I've been meaning to do for ages, though my copy is a bit scratched up. On this one his 'pleading' becomes almost hysterical towards the end, it's a real heartbreaking vocal and the backing singers add a great atmosphere to the track. It's called Out Of Love or The One That Love Forgot (they can't make their mind up, I've got it as both)

No he's a legendary singer, originally with the Techniques, then the Uniques, two of Jamaica's finest groups...died in 1972 or 73, smashed a window trying to get into his house and bled to death

Rich I've got that LP. I'll do you a track list in a minute, see if you can remember what it was

No it's Slim Smith mate, why would I joke about it?

Just found this again - well worth a listen! This is a Jamaican record but it had the same effect on me as my northern favourites did when I first heard them..I was just blown away by this. And I'll tell you why. This guys voice is fantastic, it always is/was, but it's the incessant one note played by the baritone sax and that fantastic guitar playing the background which plays a really melancholy tune towards the end of each verse. No doubt every one will disagree but I think this qualifies as a soul record.

Just back a bit to the first post, I used to have a Little Milton version, it was on a UK Stax blues compilation.

If anyone else is into this stuff I have a treat for you. For details please send me a PM, thanks.