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Crucial Vinyl: Super Ape by Lee 'Scratch' Perry and The Upsetters

The Don's Crucial Vinyl, an album that has shaped his musical taste, is 1976's Super Ape by Lee 'Scratch' Perry and The Upsetters.

Each week the Don selects a piece of Crucial Vinyl (an album that has shaped his musical taste and helped to make him who he is). He features three tracks from it and explains why it means so much to him. This week he picks Burning Spear's political and hugely influential L.P. Marcus Garvey.

Named after the Jamaican national hero and prophet of the Rastafarian faith, who was born in Jamaica in 1887 and died in London in 1940, Burning Spear's album was released in the UK on the Island label in 1975. A dub version entitled Garvey's Ghost came out a few months later.

Around this time, Don was getting started as a DJ in London, initially playing dub reggae at the fashionable clothes shop Acme Attractions in London's Kings Road, where he worked. At the end of 1976 Don went on to DJ at the Roxy club in Covent Garden. Between frantic live sets by the likes of the Clash, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Generation X, Don would spin reggae records. Back then, hardly any punk records had been made.

Somehow, many of the punks had affinity with reggae and Don's blend worked. The mellower, but still rebellious, reggae sounds appealed to the young crowd and provided a welcome break from the thrash of punk. Many of the young punks loved this very cool alternative soundtrack and a lasting bond was formed.

Don had an enviable collection of reggae on vinyl and, as well as DJing, he would make highly-prized mixtapes for his friends, including the Clash, the Slits and John Lydon of the Sex Pistols.

2 hours

Music Played

  • 9 in Common

    La Musique

  • Maya Angelou

    Phenomenal Woman (Daz-I-Kue Rmx)

  • Average White Band

    Pick Up The Pieces

    • Single - Atlantic K 10489.
  • Babe

    Aerialist Babette

    • Volery Flighty.
    • Moshi Moshi Records.
  • Bob Marley Rmx

    Small Axe Rmx

  • The Byrds

    Wasn't Born To Follow

  • The Chosen Few

    Theme From Shaft

    • NFI.
    • Sanctuary Records Group.
  • Hollie Cook

    Superfast

  • Daniel Amorosi

    Voxson

    • The Incredible Chess CD.
  • Depeche Mode

    I Feel Loved

  • DEVO

    Come Back Jonee

  • John Holt

    Stick By Me

  • How to Dress Well

    Repeat Pleasure

  • inc.

    Black Wings

  • The Kinks

    Waterloo Sunset

  • Barrington Levy

    Dances Are Changing

  • Lone

    Cutched Under

    • Reality Testing.
    • R & S Records.
    • 12.
  • Manfred Mann

    Ha! Ha! Said the Clown

  • Massive Attack

    Daydreaming

  • The Platters

    My Prayer

  • Sneaker Pimps

    Six Underground

  • Rachid Taha

    Valencia

  • Teleman

    23 Floors Up

  • Linval Thompson

    Jah Jah Is The Conqueror

  • Throwing Snow

    The Void Ft. Jassy Grez

  • Trwbador /Essa

    Breakthrough

  • Ty

    Knock Knock (DJ Spinna Beyond Real Remix)

    Remix Artist: DJ Spinna.
  • The Upsetters

    Croaking Lizard

  • The Upsetters

    Black Vest

  • The Upsetters

    Underground

  • Alan Vega

    Jukebox Babe

    • (single).
    • Celluloid.
  • Barry White

    What Am I Gonna Do With You?

Broadcast

  • Sun 6 Jul 2014 22:00