Roots Radics Revolution Collects Classic Dancehall Cuts

Shanachie Entertainment has released Roots Radics Revolution: Crucial Cuts From Dancehall's Classic Era (1978-1984), a definitive vinyl collection highlighting some of the biggest hits and essential recordings from reggae dancehall’s pre-digital era.

Featuring Yellowman, Eek-A-Mouse, Sugar Minott, Barrington Levy, Sister Nancy and more, the collection captures a pivotal period in Jamaican music when a new, hard-hitting sound began to emerge.

While the roots reggae of Bob Marley, Burning Spear, Peter Tosh and others made the biggest impact internationally for reggae, in 1978 a new sound began to emerge in Jamaica. Hard-hitting but sparser, fueled by the dynamic rhythms of the new group of studio musicians dubbed Roots Radics, by the early Eighties, dancehall reggae was hitting around the world.

Roots Radics Revolution includes some of the biggest hits of the pre-digital dancehall era by such stars as Yellowman, Eek-A-Mouse, Sugar Minott and Barrington Levy — all of whom began touring around the world — as well as the all-time classic “Bam Bam” by Sister Nancy.

Also included are some rare gems such as the original version of “Dem A Lick Shot” by Michael Palmer, “Gunshot” by Anthony Johnson, and “Saturday Night Jamboree” by Wayne Jarrett.

The collection also features lesser-known gems by Barry Brown, Tristan Palmer, Jah Thomas and Michael Palmer that helped define a new sound in Jamaican music, often featuring riddims by the Roots Radics band.

Roots Radics Revolution: Crucial Cuts From Dancehall's Classic Era (1978-1984) is the definitive collection of the classic era of reggae dancehall. Crucial listening.