MIMS Guest Mix: Joe from Jamwax (France)

MIMS Newsfeed — November 13, 2017

Joe is the founder at Jamwax, a label dedicated to mostly (but not restricted to) Jamaican music.

Since December 2013, Jamwax has been reissuing rare & obscure songs from the island in the sun, Bermuda, Trinidad & Tobago, and also Nigeria. With his partner Nico (that joined Jamwax in 2015), they do their best to release “The Future Sounds Of Yesterday’s Dreams” and give a second life to recordings they love to help the artists/producers behind them.

“Rocksteady is for me the most beautiful music Jamaica ever made. Unfortunately, it was popular for only two years, from 1966 – 1968 before reggae music took over. By legend, Rocksteady replaced ska music because of a heat wave in summer 1966 which caused the musicians to slow down the tempo (ska music is usually quite fast).

I am in love with this music because the songs are all beautiful, and on the original pressings you really can hear the studio vibes (most of the recordings are made in one shot). You hear all the details, the musicians far or close to the microphone, and the little errors that made those recordings totally unique. Most of Rocksteady songs are love songs, usually sung by someone who is declaring their love for someone else.

This mix was done in one shot with strictly 7’’ vinyl, made only with original pressings, so all the records are between 49 and 51 years old… expect a little surface noise! But, as John Peel once said “life has surface noise”. Only one reissue is played in this mix, and it’s the one from Jamwax, “Venus”, one of the most beautiful rocksteady love tunes sung by the great Winston Francis. A lot of the songs played in this mix are extremely rare.”

TRACKLIST

1. Tommy McCook & The Supersonics – Our Man Flint (Treasure Isle)
2. The Wrigglers – The Cooler (Giant)
3. The Uniques – Love And Devotion (Gas)
4. The Wrigglers – You Cannot Know (Giant)
5. Joe Nolan – Cool It With Reggae (Jolly)
6. Eric ‘Monty’ Morris & The Fugitives – Put On Your Best Dress (Doctor Bird)
7. Dermott Lynch & Lyn Tait & The Jets – Cool It (Gay Feet)
8. Clancy Eccles – Darling Don’t Do That (Pama)
9. ? – ? (Blank/Frm)
10. Ken Boothe – Without Love (Embassy)
11. The Tartans – Solid As A Rock (Unity)
12. Laurel Aitken – Quando Quando (Doctor Bird)
13. The Uniques – Lesson Of Love (Jackpot)
14. Prince Buster – Free Love (Blank)
15. Prince Buster – Let’s Go To The Dance (Fab)
16. Bob Marley & The Wailing Wailers – Stir It Up (Blank/Wail ’N Soul ‘M)
17. The Emotions with Tommy McCook & The Supersonics – A Rainbow (Blank/Caltone)
18. Jeanette Simpson – Watcha Gonna Do About It ? (Giant)
19. Little Roman aka Roman Stewart – While I Were Walk (Fab)
20. The Versatiles – Someone To Love (Crab)
21. Alton Ellis – My Time Is The Right Time (Pama)
22. Bobby Winston Francis with The Aubrey Adams Quartet – Venus (Wirl/Jamwax)
23. The Melodians with Lynn Tait & The Jets – You’re My Only Love (Blank/Gay Feet)
24. Keith & Tex – What Kind Of Fool (Blank/Derrick’s One Stop)
25. Derrick Harriott – Do I Worry (Blank/Crystal)
26. The Wailing Wailers (Peter Tosh) – Fire Fire (Blank/Wail ’N Soul ‘M)
27. The Ravers – Dirty Dozen aka See Dem A Come (Blank/Upsetter)
28. The Emotions with Lynn Tait & The Jets – Gypsy (Ska Beat)
29. Ken Parker – Search Is Over (Blank)
30. Rod Spence – Everyday (Blank/Beverley’s)
31. Tommy McCook & The Supersonics – Indian Love Call (Treasure Isle)
32. Tommy McCook & The Supersonics – Now Or Never (Blank/Treasure Isle)