BUNNY LEE & FRIENDS

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Review written by Matthieu Legrand on Tuesday, June 18th 2013 - 9 880 views The third release from the King Spinna label once again honours Bunny Lee: the English label founded by Bob Harding and Dom Sotgiu, two veterans of the Blood & Fire label, devotes a new compilation to the Jamaican producer. After "Dub Will Change Your Mind", King Spinna's first release, this time it is the vocal versions of the same set that are gathered together on an album, "Good News". Good news indeed! The idea, suggested by Bunny Lee himself, was quickly approved by Bob and Dom. The track order of "Good News" is in fact exactly the same as on "Dub Will Change Your Mind". This new selection of "Striker"'s productions thus features vocals by Owen Gray, Derrick Morgan, Jackie Edwards, Cornell Campbell, John Holt, Ronnie Davis, Leroy Smart, Joy White and Johnny Clarke. All the songs gathered here were recorded between 1975 and 1978. The title track, Good News, is Ronnie Davis's recut of John Holt's song Sad News (on the riddim that would later host Johnny Clarke's Move Outta Babylon). Johnny Clarke, for his part, also covers a John Holt classic: Up Park Camp, a violent attack on Gun Court and its detention centre. Also in the spotlight is Derrick Morgan, who sings four tracks including Rasta Don't fear, a reworking of his Rudie Don't Fear (commissioned, like Tougher than Tough, by the gangster Brisby), and Behold, an unexpected (but delightful) combination with Johnny Clarke. There is no shortage of surprises along the tracklist: Cornell Campbell, splendid on vocals on Jah forgive me, once again spins the Gorgon metaphor on Gorgon A The Ginegog, a track that was not on the compilation "I Shall Not Remove", released by Blood & Fire. We also hear Leroy Smart on the theme of repatriation (We wanna go home) and the rare I man nah run by Owen Gray, a track so obscure that Bunny Lee, whose memory is nonetheless exceptional, confessed he did not remember it! An anecdote that works as a symbol: in the great tradition of Blood & Fire's compilations, this new fine selection deserves to be put in every pair of ears.

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