[peel] 1977 Festive 50 (a billion questions (very slight exaggeration))

[Martin Wheatley]

A generalised comment on reggae tracks in those days

Most of them started life as 'pres'.   That is 7" singles imported
from Jamaica to the reggae djs and then shops here.

They were only actually released here if they caught on.
12" singles were not that common in Jamaica - the dub would
be on the B side but the UK market wanted 12" versions
If the artists were well known the tracks would find their way
onto an album later.   Even today reggae albums are often
a best of the tracks of the last 12 months padded out with a
couple of new tracks.

Peel had contacts in a couple of the record shops who would
supply him with new tracks as they came in because it helped their
own sales

Althea & Donna was a strange track in that it was never intended
They were 2 schoolgirls (one a daughter of Joe Gibbs I think) and
they were hanging around the studio at the end of a session and Joe let
them improvise over the backing track he was using.
A few pres were done and one found it's way to Peel and he played it
to a good reception and told Kid Jensen about it.   The rest is history

Noone in
Jamaica took it seriously as proven by the fact that when they came over
here they had no backing musicians and had to play on Top Of ThePops
with a horrible BBC orchestra - a cringemaking bit of video that is!
Two non musicians and a bunch of guys in suits playing reggae

martinw