roots reggae vocal ~ Jamaica 1974

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Not a 45 this time, but a song from the 1974 Jamaican LP, 'Play Me Sweet And Nice' by Marcia Griffiths. Roots reggae sounds with some great tracks on this LP.
This song has been covered and recorded about a hundred times by everyone in all genres of music. Most know Roberta Flack's 1972 version, but I've always loved this version by Marcia Griffiths.

A tough song to cover if not done right. Many have fallen into a sappy, at times uncomfortable, emotional sound and interpretation. Marcia's version here sounds emotionally warmer and a bit less sad. She honors her feelings with more strength. Intriguing to me also because it can sound past tense, but we're never really sure...
'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' surprisingly was originally written in the style of a folk song in 1957 by British folk singer/songwriter, Ewan MacColl.

roots reggae / dub ~ Jamaica 1972

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Producer/keyboardist/singer, "Tall T" aka Lloyd "Charmers" Tyrell starting out as half of the 50s reggae duo, The Charmers. An accomplished sessions musician through the 60s, he joined Slim Smith and The Uniques in 1967 before going on to produce and record many covers of American soul songs with various Jamaican artists, including Ken Boothe.
In the early 1970s Lloyd started the Jamaican Splash label. Don't have a definitive source on the back up band on this recording. Not certain. May be or likely, "The Touchers" were guitarist Mikey Chung and The Now Generation Band who were working with Lloyd Charmers around this time.

Lloyd Charmers 1938-2012

rocksteady instrumental ~ Jamaica 1968

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Roland Alphonso - mid-60s

Roland Alphonso's beautiful sax playing really shines here. Backed by the Beverley's All Stars, 'Dreamland' was written by him. Recorded in Kingston, and pressed on Leslie Kong's Beverley's label, it also was pressed the same year on the UK's Pyramid label.

Many white label "pre-release" 45s out of Jamaica were pressed, given out, or sold with minimal information on the labels. At the same time, some were legitimate, promo, pre-releases that were simply given out before being pressed officially with full colored designs, logos, and musical information to be sold to the general public.
The flip side of this: '54-46 (That's My Number)' by Toots and the Maytals (also first recorded the same year).

Stock Beverley's 45 from 1968 .

roots reggae ~ Jamaica 1973

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left: Val Douglas, top: Robbie Lyn, right/far right: Mikey Richards, Geoffrey Chung, bottom: Mikey Chung

Instrumental version of the 1970 Kris Kristofferson classic. Lloyd Charmers version/vocal. Mikey Chung on lead guitar.

John Holt 1947 - 2014
This just sounds especially good this morning.
John Holt's beautiful, " Lovers rock " reggae cover of the Isley Brother's soul classic.
I decided to mix and post two different 45 sides of the same tune here by him. Both from 1975.
The vocal side (Impact! label) leads into a "dub/instrumental" version side (Clintones label).