Donnerstag, 16. Februar 2023

VA - Tighten Up, Vol. 1 & 2 (Trojan Records)


It was the phenomenal success of the Inspirations' "Tighten Up" single, that launched Trojan's legendary reggae series. Quickly cashing in with the astutely titled "Tighten Up" compilation, the rest is history.

That's the accepted version of the story, the actual one is more mundane, and much more calculating. Trojan had so far failed to interest the British public with its albums, and three excellent single-artist compilations released in 1968 excited little attention. In desperation, a market research study was conducted; the results were a wake-up call, for what reggae fans really wanted was a cheap sound system experience in their front rooms. Trojan responded in 1969 with a budget-priced album featuring an eclectic mix of recent tracks, kicking off with "Tighten Up" itself. The reaction was phenomenal, so much so that a follow-up set was released before the year was out.

"Tighten Up, Vol. 1-2" brings these two seminal sets together on a single CD. The first volume was surprisingly the weakest, and weighed down with reggae-fied pop covers. David Isaacs' "Place in the Sun" is the best of the batch, the two instrumentals the most fun, and the Uniques' "Watch This Squad" the oddest. Of the original numbers, "Tighten Up" itself (now inexplicably credited to producer Lee Perry) is the obvious draw, but equally crucial are Derrick Morgan's soulful, skinhead fave "Fat Man," and Brother Dan All--Stars' sweet "Donkey Returns."

In contrast to this shaky start, the second volume was stuffed with smash hits and acknowledged classics. The trio of instrumentals are absolutely lethal, with the biggest, the Upsetters' "Return of Django" having moonstomped its way into the U.K. Top Five. It's obvious this set held pride of place in many future 2-Toners record collections, with the Pioneers' "Longshot Kick de Bucket," Clancy Eccles' "Fattie Fattie," and the Upsetters' exuberant "Live Injection" all providing inspiration. From calculating Casanovas to the outright rude, from sufferers to celebrators of the new sound, in Britain "Them a Laugh and a Ki Ki" when presented with reggae in all its wonder. Great music never goes out of fashion, which is why this series' popularity has never faded.            

VA - Tighten Up Vol. 1 & 2 (Trojan)
(192 kbps, front cover included)

7 Kommentare:

Dr. Fu Man Chu hat gesagt…

"File has expired and does not exist anymore on this server".
Can you update the link? (Vol. 3 & 4 is still up)
Thank you

Videobunker hat gesagt…

Nice, thank you for that work

zero hat gesagt…

Nice moniker. Best wishes!

Cri hat gesagt…

Danke Zero!

Cri hat gesagt…

To whom it may interest:
VA - Tighten Up Vol. 1 & 2 (Trojan)

Vol1
https://www.discogs.com/de/Various-Tighten-Up/release/522451
A1 Tighten Up - Lee Perry.mp3
A2 Kansas City - Joya Landis.mp3
A3 Spanish Harlem - Val Bennett.mp3
A4 Place In The Sun - David Isaacs.mp3
A5 Win Your Love - George A. Penny.mp3
A6 Donkey Returns - Brother Dan Allstars.mp3
B1 Ob - La-Di, Ob-La-Da - Joyce Bond.mp3
B2 Angel In The Morning - Joya Landis.mp3
B3 Fat Man - Derrick Morgan.mp3
B4 Soul Limbo - Byron Lee.mp3
B5 Mix It Up - Kingstonians.mp3
B6 Watch This Sound - Uniques.mp3

Vol2
https://www.discogs.com/de/Various-Tighten-Up-Volume-2/master/179422
01 Longshot Kick De Bucket - Pioneers.mp3
02 John Jones - Rudy Mills.mp3
03 Fire Corner - Clancy Eccles.mp3
04 Wreck A Buddy - Soul Sisters.mp3
05 Reggae In Your Jeggae - Dandy.mp3
06 Fattie Fattie - Clancy Eccles.mp3
07 Return Of Django - Upsetters.mp3
08 Sufferer - Kingstonians.mp3
09 Moonlight Lover - Joya Landis.mp3
10 Come Into My Parlour - Bleechers.mp3
11 Them A Laugh And Ki Ki - Soulmates.mp3
12 Live Injection - Upsetters.mp3

zero hat gesagt…

Thanks a lot for the tracklist. All the best!

Anonym hat gesagt…

Dear Sir... restore for where it began? Bless...

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