VA - Get Ready Rocksteady (1967)

Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around 1966. A successor to ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was performed by Jamaican vocal harmony groups such as The Gaylads, The Maytals and The Paragons. The term rocksteady comes from a dance style that was mentioned in the Alton Ellis song "Rock Steady". Dances performed to rocksteady were less energetic than the earlier ska dances.

This album is a compilation containing 15 tracks by 10 different artists, produced by Clement Coxson Dodd. The first two cuts, "Never Love Again" and "My Last Love", are slow soulful vocal numbers by Alton Ellis and The Termites that highlight Jamaica’s love affair with American RnB and doo wop in their delivery and overall feel.

Even better is "Won’t You Come Home Now" by Ken and Delroy, who I believe are Ken Boothe and Delroy Wilson, with its interplay between guitar and piano and the strong vocals.

The second side starts off with an instrumental version of the Beatles’ "Darker Shade Of Black" with plenty of conga work by the Soul Vendors. "Get Ready Rock Steady" by the Soul Agents gets off to a good start with the chorus, but then gets a little long in the tooth. The "Groove To The Beat" is a melodic instrumental called by Keith & Ken.

A1	–Alton Ellis	Never Love Again
A2	–The Termites	My Last Love
A3	–Norma Frazer	Hound Dog
A4	–The Bassies	Big Mistake
A5	–Ken & Delroy	Won't You Come Home Now
A6	–Ken Boothe	Oh Babe
A7	–Soul Vendors	Darker Shade Of Black
B1	–Soul Vendors	Fat Fish
B2	–Pete Young	If You Got Soul
B3	–The Hamlins	Soul And Inspiration
B4	–Soul Agents	Get Ready To Rock Steady
B5	–Keith & Ken	Groove To The Beat
B6	–Sound Dimension	Night Doctor
B7	–The Lyrics	Money Lover

VA - Get Ready Rocksteady (1967)
(320 kbps, cover art included)