Expect around 20 singles in coming months, they boast that most come direct from the master tapes and there will be a number of previously unreleased tunes. The first batch (if not all) come in a great looking replica of an early 60′s Coxsone sleeve.

• Soul Brothers – Freedom Sounds/Soul Brothers – Freedom Sounds Take 2
  Two previously unissued early Rocksteady cuts of the Skatalites Ska classic. Released on a replica blue and silver early Studio One label.
  

• Monty And The Cyclones – Summertime/Monty And The Cyclones – Dog It
  Originally recorded around 1960/61 this was the first of a number of cuts of the standard that were recorded for Dodd over the years. The original on the Teen label is the stuff of legends and this reissue on a replica label is more than welcome.
  



• The Wailers – Rock Sweet Rock (AKA Sweetest Rocker)/The Wailers – Jerk In Time (AKA Jerking Time)
  Two classic late Ska Wailers tunes issued on a replica Coxsone label like their first issue circa 1966.
  

• Roland Alphonso – From Russia With Love/Roland Alphonso – Cleopatra
  Two great tunes but these are already available on a Rock A Shacka repress from 2012.

Forthcoming releases to look forward to in the series include a previously unreleased second take of Last Call by Don Drummond, James Bond Girl by the Soul Bros and Ice Water by Jack Sparrow (Leonard Dillon).

On a less positive note many tracks that were already issued by Rock A Shacka on 7″ single in the last eighteen months are also slated for re-release, these include Chain Gang by the Jamaicans, Give Me A Little Sign by Owen Grey, People Get Ready by the Minstrels and Summertime by Roy Richards. The reason for these duplicate reissues is probably because of the feud Dub Store had with Rock A Shacka over alleged bootleg recordings a couple of years ago (Dancecrasher wrote about it here). That said Dub Store have previously duplicated re-issues from New York based Deadly Dragon as well, this prompted a furious attack on the Japanese company via youtube. This seeming lack of concern about the potential harm their activeness can have on other record labels makes it hard to really respect Dub Store regardless of how great records they put out.

Higgs & Wilson – Mighty Man

This last batch of three double CD’s gathers together the releases for 1962 in chronological order with the A sides on the first CD and the B sides on the second. The first side on the Part 1 CD is Million Dollar Baby by Shenley (Duffus) & Annette (Clarke) originally issued on Blue Beat catalogue number BB72, the last A side on part three is Busty & Cool – Mr Policeman originally issues on BB177. There are also a handful of bonus tracks on each CD featuring recordings released on other Melodisc subsidiaries such as Dice and Chek. Another bonus is the extensive and informative sleeve notes by Mike Atherton, these help place the music in context and show that Sunrise are serious about releasing a quality product.

Count Ossie & His Warrikas – First Gone

There is a mix of musical styles here from Shuffle sounds and the emerging Ska beat, raucous Rhythm & Blues, sentimental Ballads and almost everything in between. Not everything is great of course, there is the odd painfully off key voice that will leave you wishing that auto tune had existed at the start of the sixties and some muddy sound tracks that betray the very basic recording facilities that existed around this time. Fortunately for each weak tune there is a strong one and artists like the Blues Busters, Higgs & Wilson, Eric Morris, Derrick Harriot and many more, guarantee that there is quality on every CD on each of the three parts.

Prince Buster – Time Longer Than Rope

The sound quality is mixed which is hardly surprising given as most of the recordings must have been sourced from old 45′s but over all it’s pretty good and given the vintage you’d be hard pressed to find cleaner copies of many of these titles.

It’s hard to listen to more than one of these CD’s in a single sitting, but as a document that charts the early years of the Jamaican music industry these are essential. Sunrise could have compiled just one single/double CD of the very best tracks but the attraction just wouldn’t be the same.

Parts one and two are available now, part three is released on the 20 May.

First up on the Tasha label and presented on two 10″ singles three cuts of the original Dem A Lick Shot rhythm.

• DKR-145 – Michael Palmer – Dem a Lick Shot/Version//Steve Knight – See Dem a Come/Version
  Michael Palmer had a big hit when he voiced Dem A Lick Shot at Powerhouse but this is the first cut from 1984. The Steve Knight cut was originally issued on LP only this is a different mix. Both sides have different dubs.
  
  
  

• DKR-144 – Midnight Riders – Cross the Border/Border Dub
  A fine previously unreleased cut on the same rhythm. DKR love the Midnight Riders and it’s not hard to see why.
  

And two 7″ singles produced by Trevor Douglas on the Leggo Sounds imprint.

• BE-011 – The Hax – Gimme The Wuk/Version
  Originally issued on both 7″ and 12″, the latter under The Hax’s real name of Carlton Lafters.
  

• BE-012 – The Hax – Nah Fatten No Roach Fe Fowl/Version
  Originally issued (and in demand!) on Leggo Sounds 7″. The labels on the DKR represses are very good copies of the originals.
  

Obituary on the Alpha Boys School website.