Sunday, 25 May 2008

A List of Black Ark Recordings I have collected.

Various Artists; Arkology (3cd) (A round up of hits from 1975-1979)
Various Artists; Black Arkives (A selection of rare tracks from the early Ark years 1974-1977)
Scratch The Upsetter; Super Ape (Dub masterpiece recorded 1976)
Lee "Scratch" Perry & The Upsetters; 14 Blackboard Jungle Dub (Original Dub album 1973)
The Mighty Upsetter; Kung Fu Meets The Dragon (Instrumentals and oddities 1975)
Max Romeo & The Upsetters; War Ina Babylon (Romeo's finest album recorded in 1976)
The Heptones; Party Time (Beautiful production by Perry, Great vocals by the group)
Jah Lion; Columbia Colly (Toaster Jah Lloyd rides some classic rhythms with great results)
The Congos; Heart Of The Congos (One of the greatest recordings in reggae history)
Prince Jazzbo; Ital Corner (More classic Ark rhythms and the toasts are dreader than dread)
Vin Gordon & The Upsetters; Musical Bones (Instrumentals with great sax by Mr. Gordon)
The Jolly Brothers; Conscious Man (Plays like a follow up to Heart Of The Congos, Great Roots)
Lee Perry & The Upsetters; Return Of The Super Ape (Dubbed up Roots meets Jazz, Essential)
The Slickers; Breakthrough (Another incredible production, Superb Black Ark music)
I Kong; The Way It Is (About 5 tracks are Black Ark but are overdubbed elsewhere but they are still really good)
Native; Rockstone (Most of this is Black Ark and it is superb at times, the rest is fairly good too)
Bob Marley & The Wailers; Kaya (Re-Released 2001 Island Records (Only the Bonus Track "Smile Jamaica" is a Black Ark recording and is in fact the A & B Side of the 45" single spliced together into one, still very good)
Bob Marley & The Wailers; Trenchtown Rock Anthology (Includes 6 Black Ark tracks, Rare)
Junior Murvin; Police & Thieves (Brilliant album with some classic songs, Deluxe Edition includes a number of previously unavailable tracks from Murvin's follow up L.P never released)
George Faith; To Be A Lover (A Lover's Rock classic with hits a plenty)
George Faith; Super Eight (Basically the same album as above with one different song)
George Faith; Guideline (Incredibly rare album is even better than his first record)
Various Artists; Rastafari Lives In The Hearts of Everyone Itinually (Great selection of roots tracks recorded in the latter years of the Ark, very dread and very hard to find)
Lee Perry; Roast Fish Collie Weed & Corn Bread (Perry's solo L.P is a great mix of humour and roots, it's rough and ready feel just adds to the listening pleasure)
Linda McCartney; Wide Prairie (2 Ark tracks including brilliant version of Mr. Sandman)
Robert Palmer; Love Can Run Faster (45"Single B-Side to "Bad Case Of Loving You" also available uncredited on a rough mix of the album "Seke Molenga & Kalo Kawongolo" on CD)
Lee Perry Presents African Roots At The Black Ark (The remastered Molenga & Kawongolo L.P mentioned above without Palmer's track but it does add 4 unreleased songs by the two Africans) Candy McKenzie; 12 " Single "Disco Fits" B-Side "Breakfast In Bed" (Excellent Single)
Jah Woosh "Marijuana World Tour" (Album by the toaster has a handful of Ark recordings including Woosh riding the "War Ina Babylon" Riddim to great effect)
The Meditations; Greatest Hits (2 rare Ark tracks here, this is available on iTunes)
Various Artists; Lee Perry & Friends Singles Collection Anthology (A round up of hits from all over Perry's career includes some rare Ark material)
Various Artists; The Upsetter Selection A Lee Perry Jukebox (Same as above)
Various Artists; Lost Treasures from The Ark (Great 2cd set with rarities aplenty)
Lee Perry; Black Ark In Dub (Not all of this is Ark material but the ones that are sound great)
Various Artists; Cutting Razor Rare Cuts From The Black Ark (Exactly what it says, excellent)
Various Artists; Voodooism (An incredible round up of Ark 45's definately worth buying)
Various Artists; Nyahbinghi Slaughters The Dragon (Basically the same as "Kung Fu Meets The Dragon" mentioned above but with Nyahbinghi drumming and added dub elements)
Aura Lewis & Full Experience; At The Black Ark (5track E.P with some really good songs)
Various Artists; Produced & Directed By The Upsetter (Follow up to Voodooism, great stuff)
Various Artists; Heart Of The Ark (Very much like "Lost Treasures" Great rare songs aplenty)
Lee Perry; Sounds From The Hotline (A second solo effort maybe? Great stuff nonetheless)
Lee Perry; Upsetter In Dub (A really good selection of the more well know songs in dub form)
The Upsetters; Revolution Dub (A strange brew of dubs and vocal tracks by Perry)
The Upsetters; Return Of Wax (As above, a mix of Dubs and vocals thrown together)
Bob Marley & The Wailers; Jamaican Sessions '74-'79 (Hard to find 2cd set of rare and demo versions of Bob's well known material includes some incredibly rare Ark recordings previously unreleased including "Babylon Feel Dis One" and "She Used To Call Me Dada")
The Heptones; Unreleased Night Food & Black Ark (Great stuff here including the material that wasn't recorded at the Ark)
Various Artists; Divine Madness Definately (A great mix of rare Ark songs)
Junior Ross & Prince Alla; I Can Hear The Children Singing (A few Ark rarities are hidden here)
Johnny Rotten; Bootleg Series Vol.2 (Includes 2 songs recorded at the Ark including a version of the Sex Pistols track "Submission" but it's very poor sound quality unfortunatly)
Lion Zion; Reggae In America (This is great, very much like Max Romeo's Ark album)
Lee Perry Presents Megaton Dub (More great dub tracks also available is Volume Two)
Various Artists; Build The Ark (Some more rare 45's and dubs to match, great set)
The Melodians; Pre-Meditation (Recorded around 1974/75 though most is Ark material not all)
Various Artists; DIP Presents The Upsetter (Some rare Ark stuff here, hard to find but worth it) Lee Perry; Return Of Pipecock Jackxon (Strange and scary sounds from late Ark years)
Bunny Scott; To Love Somebody (Third World frontman sings some covers of soul classics)
Little Roy; Taffari Earth Uprising (A couple of Perry productions here)
Ras Michael & Sons Of Negus; Love Thy Neighbour (More strange sounds from late Ark years)
Max Romeo; Perilous Times 1974-1999 (Includes 3 Rare Ark tracks including "City Without Pity" and "Tell The People The Truth" possibly cut from the War Ina Babylon sessions)
Various Artists; Mystic Mirror Mix (Short compilation of extended dub discos including The Heptones and Max Romeo)
Alton Ellis & The Heptones; Mr Ska'Beena (A Few Ark tracks here including "Humble Will Stumble" and "Pure Sorrow")
The Webber Sisters; I And I Love You Honey (3 Ark/Perry productions including the brilliant "Down The Aisle")
Various Artists; Yabby You Jesus Dread 1972-1977 (Some of the best Ark tracks on here)
Dennis Brown; Wolf & Leopard (The title track is supposedly Perry Produced)
Gregory Isaacs; Cool Ruler The Definitive Collection (Trojan compilation with a few Ark tracks including "Mr Cop")
A number of Trojan 3 disc Box Sets contain unbelievable amounts of hard to find Black Ark singles/B-sides check out "Upsetter", "Roots", "Roots & Culture", "Dub", "Dub Rarities" and "12 Inch" Box Sets to name but a few.
The Silvertones; Silver Bullets (The awesome "Rejoice Jah Jah Children" and Dub both here)
Linval Thompson; Rocking Vibration (Hot track "Natty Pressure Them")
Various Artists; The Marley Family Album Vol. One (I-Threes "Many Are Called" Extended Mix is a Lee Perry Ark record and is great, available on i-Tunes)
Kiddus I; Rockers Graduation In Zion (4 Black Ark Tracks including "Crying Wolf" & "Too Fat")
Pablo Moses; Revolutionary Dream ("I Man A Grasshopper")
Knowledge; Straight Outta Trenchtown (A few tracks cut at Black Ark produced by Tapper Zukie out on i-Tunes)
Various Artists; Muzik City (4 Disc Compilation has a couple of Perry Ark tracks Including "Bush Tea" by Perry himself)
Perry And Friends; Excaliburman (Great Ark compilation includes "Economic Crisis" by Jack Lord And The Upsetters!)
Augustus Pablo; East Of The River Nile (Numurous Ark Tracks here, very good)
Eric Donaldson; Cherry Oh Baby The Best Of (A few Ark recordings here including a Perry produced extended mix of "Cherry Oh Baby" and the brilliant "Freedom Street")

45"/12" Black Art Label/Other Labels Singles:
Horace Smart; "Ruffer Ruff" B-side "Ruffer Dub"
Junior Byles; "The Long Way" B-side The Upsetter "All The Way"
Lacksley Castell; "Jah Love Is Sweeter" B-side The Upsetter "Jah Dub"
The Heptones; "Crying Over You" B-side Jah Lion "Crying Over You Version"
The Heptones; "Mistry Babylon" B-side Ranking King "Mistry Babylon Version"
Big Youth; "23rd Psalm" B-side The Upsetter "23rd Dub"
Te-Track; "Let's Get It Together" B-side Te-Track "Black Ants Dub"
The Cimarons; "Paul Bogle" B-side The Upsetter "Paul Bogle Dub"
Junior Murvin; "People Get Ready" B-side The Upsetter "Coast To Coast Dub"
The Meditations; "Rastaman Prayer" B-side The Upsetter "Rasta Dub"
Augustus Pablo; "Silent Satta" B-side Jah Butty "Traditional Satta"
Bob Marley & The Wailers; "Smile Jamaica" B-side The Wailers "Smile Jamaica Dub"
Bob Marley & The Wailers; "Rastaman Live Up" B-side The Wailers "Don't Give Up"
Clive Hylton; "From Creation" B-side The Upsetters "Creation Dub"
Lee Scratch Perry; "Roast Fish & Corn Bread" B-side The Upsetter "Corned Fish Dub"
Carlton Jackson; "History" B-side The Upsetter "Old Dub"
Junior Delgado; "The Sons Of Slaves" B-side The Upsetters "Sons Of Dub"
Lee Scratch Perry/The Lion Of Judah; "Captive" B-side The Upsetter "Dub Captive"
The Hurricanes; "You Can Run" B-side The Upsetters "You Can Dub"
Junior Murvin; "Cross Over" B-side "Cross Over Dub"
Debra Keese & The Black Five "Traveling" B-side The Upsetters "Nyambie Dub"
Leo Graham; "My Little Sandra" B-side The Upsetters "Dubbing Sandra"
Lord Sassafrass; "Green Bay Incident" B-side The Upsetter "Green Bay Version"
Eric Donaldson & The Keystones; "Freedom Street" B-side "Freedom Dub"
Junior Ainsworth; "Thanks And Praise" B-side "Dub And Praise"
Sharon Isaacs; "Feelings" B-side The Upsetters "Feelings Dub"
The Hombres; "Long Long Time" B-side The Upsetter "Long Time Dub"
Lee Scratch Perry; "White Belly Rat" B-side Jah Lion "Judas De White Belly Rat"

Various Artists; Turn And Fire (Black Ark compilation with rare extended dubs)
The Gladiators; Bongo Red (Contains 2 Ark tracks "Time" and "Ungrateful Girl")
Ras Michael & Sons Of Negus; Disarmament (Contains 2 Ark tracks from the same sessions as the "Love Thy Neighbour" album, "Stop Paying The Price" and "Unity")
The Grace Thrillers; I've Got A Love (Bizarre gospel sounding music includes 3 Black Ark Perry productions "Love Divine", "I Would Know Him" and "Just About Time". Very strange)
Rupie Edwards; Jamaica Serenade (2 Ark Tracks "3 Pan 1 A Murder" and "Baby It's You")