John Wayne w/ Sly & Robbie and the Aggrovators – Boogie Down LP

Description

The Jamaican dancehall artist known asJohn Waynewas bornNorval Headleyin 1962 in rural St Elizabeth. He first reached the studio in the early 1980s, recording “Racket Girls In Jackets” for the Root Out label, where you can already hear the fearsome skill unleashed by Wayne at the microphone, showing why he was a favorite of top-ranking sound systems such as Black Scorpio, Kilimanjaro, Jammy’s, and Studio Mix. In 1983 he traveled to New York, appearing on a 12″ ofSugar Minott‘s “Jamming In The Street,” while theHoo-Kimbrothers paired him withJohnny Slaughterfor “Rain Fall, Sun Shine.” That same year,Bunny “Striker” Leeproduced his only album, titledBoogie Downand issued by Vista Sounds in the UK. Because Striker had access to such killer rhythms, the album is a real treat. Opening track “Jailhouse” rides a slow “Queen Of The Minstrel” recut, patterned similar toWelton Irie‘s “Army Life”; the aptly-named “Heavy Rhythm” recounts his skill at rhyming, “African Princess” praises black women over a sparse recut of “No More Will I Roam,” “Bend Your Back” speaks of various aspects of ghetto life, before Side One closes out with title track “Boogie Down” on the immortal “Late Night Blues” rhythm. On side two, “Bubble With Me” uses a “Drifter” recut to give a massive salute to Bunny Lee and the engineer Professor atKing Tubby‘s studio; “Too Greedy” rides a “Real Rock” recut while the self-referential “Go John Wayne Go” ridesJohnny Osbourne‘s great “Yo Yo,” the result so appealing that it gained airplay onJohn Peel‘s influential radio show in England (and Wayne keeps up the pressure on “Murder Style” and closing number “Me Deep” too). Wayne scored a massive hit in 1985 whenJammyplaced him on “Sleng Teng” for “Call The Police” and he went on to record forGeorge Phang,King Tubby, andWitty Henrybefore becoming a producer himself. Sadly, John Wayne died of kidney failure in 2014, so we are fortunate thatBoogie Downcaptured the man at the peak of his powers.