Soul Jazz Records’ Down Beat Special is a roller-coaster ‘greatest hits’ ride through many of the all-time classic tunes hand-picked from across the mighty vaults of, without doubt, Jamaica’s finest ever record label and pioneering powerhouse of reggae music.
Seminal tracks such as Michigan and Smiley’s ‘Nice Up The Dance’, Dawn Penn’s ‘No,No,No’, The Wailers’ ‘Simmer Down’, The Eternals’ ‘Queen of the Minstrels’ … and on it goes. Non-stop BIG tunes. Down Beat Special is an essential primer to Studio One Records.
Originally released as a one-off pressing limited edition (long-since deleted) 7” box set, this new edition is fully remastered and expanded to a massive 18 super rare and killer cuts from the Studio One empire. Featuring the Skatalites, Jackie Mittoo, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Horace Andy, Alton Ellis, Lone Ranger and many more the album features rare and classic tracks throughout.
Newly commissioned sleevenotes by Noel Hawks (History of the Jamaican Recording Industry) features a track by track historical and musical analysis, label scans and more added to this fantastic collection.
| A1 | The Eternals (2) - Queen Of The Minstrels |
| A2 | Michigan & Smiley - Nice Up the Dance |
| A3 | The Mad Lads (2) - Ten To One |
| A4 | Jackie Mittoo - Totally Together |
| A5 | Horace Andy - Just Say Who |
| B1 | The Skatalites - Addis Ababa |
| B2 | Sugar Minott - Live Loving |
| B3 | Lone Ranger - Can't Stand It |
| B4 | Wailing Souls - I've Got A Burning Fire |
| B5 | Bob Marley & The Wailers - Simmer Down |
| C1 | Dub Specialist - Hooligan |
| C2 | Alton Ellis - Your Heart Is Gonna Pay |
| C3 | Roland Alphonso - Do It Good |
| C4 | Wailing Souls - You Should Have Known |
| C5 | Dawn Penn - No No No |
| D1 | Freddie McKay - You'll Be Sorry |
| D2 | Alton Ellis - We Need Love |
| D3 | Cornell Campbell - Best To Be Free |
