PAMA

The PAMA Records story began in a small office at 16 Peterborough Road in Harrow, London, where the Palmer Brothers (Harry, Jeff and Carl) had been issuing soul music on their Pama label (which may have been lifted from the 1958 version (left)), as well as running their own property business. One of my favourite tracks is one of these soul records released much later, a real stomper from 1970 - Say You Need Me by Barbara Perry (Pama PM 795). The brothers Palmer though, had already decided the Jamaican music scene was far more profitable and so begun part of music history.
Their first signings included Joyce Bond, The Marvels, The Crowns, Betty Lovett, Norman T Washington and The Other Brothers. During the latter part of 1967 they began releasing rock steady, partly in competition to Island/Trojan Records.
Harry was the main driving force and was responsible for licensing the tunes, initially from Clancy Eccles and Alton Ellis, later establishing links with Bunny Lee and Lee Perry. Carl looked after the accountancy side of the biz, and Jeffrey founded the London Apollo Club to showcase up and coming black talent. A young Junior English actually won a Pama talent contest run at their Club 31 in Willesden NW London, and then made his first record with them. It was at Pama where Junior learnt his trade through meeting the aforementioned musical luminaries.
Another aspiring young musician was Delroy Washington, who later went on to be one of the UK's most respected stars of the 1970's. Delroy worked in Pama's record shop in Harlesden, and while employed by Pama, he also sang in a group called The Classics who made a few songs for Pama. Delroy met his biggest influence - Bob Marley (who was on tour at the time with Johnny Nash) while working in the shop.
It became more obvious the more we delved into the history of Pama records that we began to realise that the Pama sound was actually a very indigenous sound. Whereas UK soul was merely imitating an American sound from far away, UK reggae was for the most part played and appreciated by people much closer to the source of the music - Jamaicans living in England.
Though the fanbase was initially limited to these ex-pats and a secret but growing legion of white admirers (who picked up on the music and treated it as the key to a mystery they were pledged never to reveal), the musicians were nearly always Jamaican. This was not true at Pama however, because they did use a range of home-grown talent in their British recordings.
These local fans/musicians brought very different backgrounds and offered different contributions. Of course, the Jamaican musicians were the stars, but due to the fact that a lot of Pama releases were recorded in England, there was a lot of local interest. In fact, Pama signed at least three UK based bands - The Mohawks, led by keyboardist Alan Hawkshaw, Mood Reaction, the first white band to be signed to a reggae label and The Inner Mind, led by Huddersfield based organist Ian Smith.
The Inner Mind, as well as recording much of their own material, also backed such names as Laurel Aitken, Owen Grey, Alton Ellis, and Winston Groovy (who came to Britain in the mid 1960's and formed a band The Ebonites for touring in the UK and Europe, and became one of Pama's top artists from 1968 - 73). The Inner Mind also played at the Santa Rosa in Birmingham, the Club 67 in Wolverhampton, & London's Mr Bees, Colombo's and the Pama-run Apollo Club, who described them at the time as 'The greatest white reggae band on earth'.
In the meantime, Derrick Morgan had introduced his brother-in-law Bunny Lee, to the music business. Lee hadcome to England and forged a deal with Pama to operate the Jamaican end of things. Derrick Morgan soon becameone of Pama's biggest stars and producers and also hit the British charts with Moon Hop.
This skinhead anthem became a hit all over Europe, and would have climbed higher than the number 48 position it achieved in the UK, if Trojan hadn't released Skinhead Moonstomp by Symarip and gazumped Pama. This trick was supposedly in revenge for Lee licensing Derrick's Seven Letters to both Trojan and Pama. Forever to be known as Mr Skinhead Reggae, Derrick left the music business due to his failing eyesight, but made a limited comeback during one of Britain's many ska revivals, and is still seen gigging occasionally.
The Unity, Gas, Crab and Nu-Beat labels were formed in 1968 with 1969 seeing the introduction of Punch and the changing of Nu-Beat to New Beat to emphasize the change in musical styles. The biggest hit to come from the Pama stable has to be Wet Dream by Max Romeo, another huge worldwide hit. Wet Dream got to number 10 in the British charts, and managed to sell 250,000 copies without one single airplay. Later artists who hit with Pama include Derrick Morgan, Pat Kelly and Laurel Aitken.
Further vinyl battles were carried out via Pama's Straighten Up series of albums, a direct copy of, and in direct competition to Trojan's Tighten Up series. Pama tricks didn't stop there however, and the This Is Reggae series of album covers were complete copies of Atlantic's This Is Soul series.
The Pama distribution network is largely in the realms of legend, but the delivery man was seen once, in 1973, outside Pauls For Music record shop in Finsbury Park, London.
The demise of the Pama Records is not at all well documented, but it seems to coincide with a general slump in reggae sales around the late 70's/early 80's. There is also the story that Harry found god on a trip to the USA and quit the music biz to devote his life to Christianity.
The truth is probably less sensational, and Pama just lost their way, with too many below-par releases. Pama finally succumed in 1974, only to be briefly resurrected in 1975 for a few singles and one album. That is not quite the end though, as Pama resurfaced a short time later as Jet Star, one of the biggest distribution networks for Jamaican music.

Skinhead & Reggae music 2

THE MUSIC

By 1968 not only had the fashion changed but so had the music, and gone was the romantic, sweeping Rocksteady beat of Duke Reid and in came the brash, faster sound of the reggay, reggie or reggae.
Horn man Lester Sterling's 'Reggie On Broadway', Stranger Cole's 'Bang A Rang', Lee Perry's Upsetters with 'Return of Django' and, of course, Desmond Dekker's number one pop chart entry 'Israelites' were staple favourites of the skinhead crowd and younger West Indians as the decade drew to a close.
1969 through to 1971 were the best chart hitting years for reggae music mainly fuelled by the massive buying power of the skinheads who had adopted it as their own which caused over twenty records to hit the pop charts. From powerful organ instrumentals like 'Liquidator' by Harry J's All Star band, featuring Winston Wright on funky hammond, to Dave & Ansil Collins, two yelping Dj pieces with 'Double Barrel' and 'Monkey Spanner' respectively, the reggae style was moving units. Max Romeo's lewd 'Wet Dream' reputedly sold 250,000 copies and made number ten in the pop charts with out a single airplay as the BBC had banned it.
Beneath the charts was a strong flow of new records coming out each week and eagerly snapped up by skinheads even before the West Indians themselves could grab a copy. There had been UK pressed Jamaican R&B and ska records all through the sixties starting with Melodisc's Blue Beat label at the end of 1960 and the Starlite imprint run out of the jazz label Esquire, plus the home grown recordings put out by Sonny Roberts independent Planetone label. Island Records came next, along with Rita and Benny King's R&B Discs, (Rita and Benny Discs) later to name change to Ska Beat, but two companies really held the marketplace by the end of the decade.
The biggest and responsible for almost every pop chart hit was Trojan Records working out of north west London. The original Trojan label was part of a tie up with Lee Gopthal's Beat & Commercial (B&C) distribution company and Island Records owner, white Jamaican, Chris Blackwell. The pair were already pressing Studio One, Coxsone and Treasure Isle labelled records and selling them via Gopthals 'Musik City' record stores as well as wholesaling out to other West Indian record shops by 1967. Trojan was one of producer Arthur 'Duke' Reid's original Jamaican imprints and was intended by Island/B&C to use as a nameplate along with Treasure Isle for his productions they were to release in the UK. Island/B&C issued twelve singles and one rare album between summer '67 and the beginning of '68 with the now familiar logo and all orange design Trojan label. By the end of 1968 more labels had been added to the roster including Amalgamated for producer Joe Gibbs and Down Town to provide an outlet for the UK studio work of Dandy Livingstone. As the skinhead boom was starting in late 1968 Lee Gopthal decided to split B&C away from Island and took all the subsidiary labels with him just as the '600' series Trojan singles were going into production. Trojan/B&C also started to distribute Graeme Goodalls Doctor Bird Group of labels which included Attack, JJ, Rio and Pyramid as well as carrying on with Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd's Studio One output.
Trojan/B&C began adding new labels at a speedy rate to keep up with the rapid input of various Jamaican producers whose work was selling by the cartload to the new white market in the UK. Upsetter for all Lee Perry work, Jackpot for Edward 'Bunny' Lee productions and Grape for the home grown skinhead material from artists like Freddy Notes and the Rudies, to name but three of more than twenty. The Trojan empire was growing and producers and artists both sides of the Atlantic were aware of the new markets opening up and old hands like singer/producers Laurel Aitken and Dandy Livingstone began catering especially for the skinheads. Laurels Pama releases like the jumping 'Skinhead Train' along with 'Jessie James' were club staples while Dandy's chart entry for Trojan, 'Reggae In Your Jeggae', kept the skins happy with it's pumping rhythm and chant like chorus.
Not every thing was rosy for Trojan though, as they had a serious rival in Pama Records with a base in north London and were formed by brothers Harry and Jeff Palmer, in 1967. The original mauve Pama label was set up to release US recorded soul music but by summer 1968 the demand was such for Jamaican product that the decision was made start licensing and releasing it. In keeping with Trojan Records, Pama set up a number of offshoot labels to cater for the late rocksteady and early skinhead reggae issues from various producers. The first was Nu-Beat with a UK recorded tune, 'Train To Vietnam' by the Rudies closely followed by other labels such as Unity, Crab and Gas. By early 1969 Pama had almost as many labels as Trojan under their belt with superb design work on most. 'Punch' with its fist smashing through the pop charts or 'Camel' with the grinning cartoon animal all carried first class reggae music to the skinhead and West Indian community. The original Pama label had gone through a colour change with it turning to a tan brown for the rocksteady and reggae releases in 1968, and only reverting to the soul mauve for US imported tunes or home grown funky things such as The Mohawks with 'The Champ'. Pama had the jump on Trojan to start with as they had the massive 'Wet Dream' chart single on their subsidiary Unity, but they didn't have either Lee Gopthals distribution network or, indeed, his ear for adding strings to sweeten the sound. This UK over dubbing aided the singles to not only sell well to the younger generation but also added enough sweetener to make them accessible for radio play and move in to the mainstream.
By 1969 Trojan were way ahead in the pop chart stakes notching up hit after hit with their saccharin sweet string arrangements while Pama had very healthy sales but couldn't crack the pop charts. Pat Kelly's moving 'How Long' on Pama subsidiary Gas sold enormous quantities but only through more specialist shops and outlets that didn't file chart returns hence no mainstream recognition.
Long play albums were a tricky market to crack as singles were the way most Jamaicans had traditionally heard and bought recorded music and one of a skinheads most prized possessions was his collection of reggae 45s. But Trojan took the plunge and released 'Tighten Up Volume 1' early in 1969 at the give away price of just under fifteen shillings or 75p. It contained a strong selection of their previous years hits and originally came on the all orange label design. It was an instant success and Volume 2 appeared in the autumn of the same year and reached number two in the UK album charts before disappearing three weeks later as budget price albums were to be disregarded in future weeks chart returns.
Both Pama and Trojan started to put out compilation album series. 'Club Reggae' and 'Reggae Chart Busters' followed alongside the 'Tighten Up' series for Trojan often duplicating tracks, while Pama hit out with the 'Straighten Up', 'This is Reggae' and 'Hot Numbers' string of albums. Pama also released generic round ups of their better labels such as 'Best of Crab' and 'Nu Beats Greatest Hits' which are chock full of quality skinhead reggae although all the tracks had obviously been out as 45s.
The Trojan album sleeve art left a little to be desired. Travel shots loaned from BOAC or scantily clad young ladies romping with snakes or in mounds of Dolly Mixtures were the order of the day, where as early Pama albums carried interesting shots of singers and club scenes along with sleeve notes - a novelty in the reggae market. Sadly, Pama soon turned to the pretty girl covers too and, if anything, their shots were more explicit than Trojan.
Single artist albums were also emerging both from Trojan and Pama. These albums were interesting affairs for the enthusiast as they normally carried many of the hit singles for that particular performer and sometimes, the odd recording that was actually nothing to do with him! Also it was quite often the first time the UK buyers had seen a picture of the singer if he hadn't visited these shores on tour. Desmond Dekker's 'This Is' collection for Trojan did very well in the mainstream due to his chart activity while Clancy Eccles Dynamites had the 'Fire Corner' LP and Derrick Harriott's Crystalites with 'The Undertaker' album mopped up any spare money the skinheads had in their pockets. Interestingly, many albums that appeared to be single artist concerns were actually producer fronted and utilised a pool of musicians who assumed different group identities depending who offered the fee. Though Harriott and Eccles were accomplished vocalists both were catering for the fashionable skinhead market with semi-instrumental session albums they had produced with the above releases. There were a great number of superb single artist albums available such as Keith 'Slim' Smith's sublime Pama release of 'Everybody Needs Love' or 'Says Fire' from skinhead stalwart Laurel Aitken on Doctor Bird to name two, but the compilation album had the edge in sales and desirability.
A few other labels were issuing current material such as Melodisc who had retired their Blue Beat label in 1967 as out of date and installed the modern titled 'Fab' imprint. There was very little difference in the output as Blue Beat, and now Fab, had been predominantly for issuing Prince Buster's vocals and productions. He had always been abreast of the times with the ska, rocksteady and then reggae beats so it was business as usual, although Fab never managed to gain a large foothold in the skinhead market. 'Bamboo' and then slightly later 'Banana' had been set up by Junior Lincoln to deal with the output of Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd's productions after the demise of the Island/B&C distribution deal of the 'Studio One' and 'Coxsone' imprints. The sound was decidedly different to the jumping skinhead music coming out of Pama and Trojan, with a much more mellow feel thanks in part to keyboard ace, Jackie Mittoo, who was the principle arranger. Whilst the music is sublime it didn't really fit the bill for the average skinhead in 1970 although it was very popular with West Indians.
By the middle of 1973 the skinhead faze had moved through to the short lived smoothie fashion which in turn gave way to the suedehead with longer hair, loafer shoes and patterned trousers, and with Glam Rock just around the corner there many defectors. The reggae sales suffered as the skinheads faded away and both Trojan and Pama, by the end of 1972, were releasing a considerable percentage of weak, watered down, string laden UK recordings which found no favour with the remaining skinheads or the general public. Both companies were to soon close many of their labels and minimalism operations due to lack of sales. Also the rise of the 'back to Africa' and 'black awareness' lyrics didn't help the cause of reggae in the UK. Most of the white skinheads couldn't identify with this new form of the music and as they didn't like the slower rootsy beat they deserted it for Bolan and Bowie.

Skinhead & Reggae music 1

The Phenomonen of the Skinhead Movement and Reggae Music

THE CULT
The Skinheads of '69 and Jamaican reggae music seem strange bedfellows but they are almost thought of as synonymous with each other these days. The love affair of the British youth with black based music started a decade before any Dr. Marten boot ever thudded its way across a record shop floor.
We have to go back to the mid 1950's to find the roots of this devotion to black music and the birth of the 1969 skinhead movement. In Jamaica, American R&B, very early soul records, and a slice of Nat 'King' Cole's smooth jazz, were the mainstream sounds played by the radio and in the dancehalls around that time. As the British black population swelled and inner city clubs started playing the same records for their immigrant customers, the local white lads also started to appreciate their new neighbours musical tastes.
As early as 1954 The Duke Vin sound system had been pumping out the latest R&B, Doo-Wop and pre-soul sounds to the West Indian population resident this side of the Atlantic. The sound system, or mobile discotheque to Europeans, was an integral part of Jamaican life. With out door and inside dances every night of the weekend and any public holiday it was a national pastime, so it was only natural that the same entertainment would surface within the Jamaican community in London and eventually every major city in the UK.
The Ska appeared around 1961in Jamaica as the music for the lower urban classes. It blended elements of US R&B with touches of the native Poccomania religion and jazz in the blasting horn solos of masters like Don Drummond.
By1963 young white Mods who frequented the black clubs, in places like Soho and Brixton, were dancing to the pulse of the 'Blue Beat', as the Ska was called, after the label responsible for releasing the majority of the music in the UK. Not only did the Mods champion black music but they also took some of their styling from the artists and young Jamaicans in general.
The main influence from Jamaica on the Mods was the Rude Boy or 'Rudie' culture of the young ghetto youths that was hitting the island by1965. Problems had started in Jamaica after it gained independence in 1962 as a multitude of rural youths and young men flocked to its capital, Kingston, searching for work. The ghetto dwellers of Western Kingston could see no improvement now the colonial rule had gone and the massive influx of rural people only turned the heat up as flash points ignited, with violence, injury and death commonplace. This harsh living produced the dissatisfied ghetto youth who adopted his own stance against this forced way of life - the Rude Boy. The Rude Boys image was one of being cool & deadly and sharply dressed, and they certainly didn't want to fling themselves around the dance floor like the white American tourists did when trying to dance to the ska beat. The Rude Boys wanted a slower tighter rhythm where they could look good while dancing. The music that they called for evolved pulling down the ska beat to a much slower tempo. The Rudies music was often played and sung by people who came from the same impoverished background as the ghetto dwellers and understood their needs and plight. Artists such as the Wailers, Alton Ellis, Derrick Morgan, Desmond Dekker and Prince Buster all produced work either glorifying or commenting on the Rude Boys. There's a great sleeve shot of a young Rudy by the name of Derrick Morgan wearing a snappy two piece suit, trilby and thick shades on his Island album 'Forward March' as early as 1963 although the music is decidedly uptempo ska at this time.
The young Jamaicans this side of the ocean soon picked up on this style as did their white counterparts in the clubs, the Mods. By 1967 the Rude Boy culture had grown to epidemic proportions in the poor areas of Kingston and a great number of Jamaican singers were commenting with tunes like Joe White's 'Rudies All Around' and Prince Buster's set of three 'Judge Dread' singles. Many of the songs were issued in the UK as the Rude Boy style was shaping the Jamaican rhythm further to the cool beat to be known as Rocksteady. Even in the UK there was comment on the Rudy phenomenon from one Robert Livingstone Thompson, better known as Dandy, on a Ska Beat single called 'Rudy A Message To You' where he berates the wayward youths to 'stop your messin' around'. A near identical copy of this single was one of the first 2Tone releases by The Specials in 1979 using the same trombone player who was on the original, Reco Rodriguez.
The first skinheads, or 'peanuts' as they were also known, started to appear around 1967 as the Mod movement fractured into the more affluent or art-school orientated ' trendy mods' and the so called 'hard mods'. The hard mods were becoming dissatisfied with the elitism in the movement and the expensive tailored fashions that the trendy mods wore. Whilst they, too, would've liked the latest in Saville Row fashion, they had average jobs and average incomes which precluded them from being at the cutting edge of the group. While the neat and tidy aspect remained, along with the short serviceable hair, they took to wearing more work orientated clothing topped off with tough, hardwearing work boots.

Time moved on and the original Mods of the early 60's grew out of the group while their younger brothers carried forward the new hard mod styles adapting and changing to make them their own. By late 1968 the skinhead was here. The Mods were all but gone and a new youth culture was firmly on the rise. The Mod favoured Levi jeans, Ben Sherman shirts and general neatness of person continued with the early skinheads as did the thick overcoat worn by the immigrant Jamaicans to ward off the hostile British winter. The overcoat became the beloved Crombie by 1970, although any coat would do at first as long as it was hard wearing and serviceable. The working class, work wear ethic was very firmly in place and the fashionable names so beloved by the Mods were distinctly 'out', except Levis who continued to vie with Wrangler as the number one jean.
The stereotypical boots & braces skinhead uniform was formed by the end of 1969, with Dr. Martens boots topping the footwear stakes as the original Hard Mod work boots were declared an offensive weapon. This was due to them normally coming with steel toecaps which could, and did, cause considerable damage at football matches and other close combat sports. The only exceptions were for evening outings where the rough and rugged style was swapped for a more Mod influenced Two-Tone Tonic suit or Levi Sta-Prest trousers and smart casual shoes such as Frank Wrights fabled tasselled loafers.
Regional fashions were very much in evidence with one town favouring brown boots and another oxblood. The same applied to the reggae records. Different clubs favoured different tunes thus creating a big demand in one town while the same record was unsaleable just a few miles away. Actually getting hold of the prized reggae 45's was quite a task if you weren't near to a major city as most record retailers didn't hold any stock and everything had to be ordered.

Dr.Martens

Dr Klausus Maertens, now known as Dr Martens, first invented the famous sole in 1945, following a skiing accident. The Dr Martins brand began on April 1st 1960 when the first pair of boots was born. Almost five decades later the brand goes from strength to strength and still represents many sub-cultures including skinheads, mods, punks etc. Dr. Martens History. By 1959 the two decided that they needed a company to produce and distribute the shoes, then called Dr. Maertens, in other parts of the world. At first, many manufacturers rejected the concept of an ‘air cushioned sole’ as a short-lived gimmick. However, the R. Griggs Group, located in the village of Wollaston in England, decided to go along with the idea by creating the first work boot with the revolutionary sole. On the first of April 1960, the first cherry red eight-eyelet work boot was produced and named 1460 (1/4/60). To sell the brand name better in England, the name was anglicized to Dr. Martens. The range was branded AirWair and the rest is history. Today the Dr Marten brand is recognized around the world as one of the most comfortable shoe designs in history. Over time it has changed from a specialized fashion statement to one of the most comfortable boots in the field.

NuBeat

A great skinhead reggae label, which ran from 1968 to 1971, and released about 100 singles, undergoing a change of spelling (from Nu Beat to New Beat) and colour along the way. As Derrick Morgan did with Crab, Laurel Aitken took over this Pama label with sheer volume of his releases. These included "Scandal In Brixton Market", "Frankenstein" and "Skinhead Train".

Laurel was supposed to have signed for PAMA Records after Carl Palmer bailed him out of jail in Birmingham, England. Mr Aitken had been arrested on stage and remanded in jail for having a paternity suit filed against him, and the prospect of a huge fine or six weeks in prison helped hasten his decision to sign, as Carl Palmer had paid his fine on that condition.
Other great tracks include "Tonight", "I Can't Stand It", "Tonight" and "La La Means I Love You" by Alton Ellis, "Push, Push" from The Termites, "Mother Radio" by Joe Higgs, "Hey Boy, Hey Girl" from Derrick (Morgan) & Patsy, "My Testamony" by The Maytals (right) and "Hold Them One" from Roy Shirley (above left).

Nu Beat Discography

NB-001
Train To Vietnam/Skaville To Rainbow City
The Rudies
NB-002
Rain & Thunder/Swing Baby Swing
The Soul Tops
NB-003
Cover Me/Darling
Fitz & The Coozers
NB-004
Rocksteady Cool/I Have Changed
Frederick Bell
NB-005
Engine '59/My Girl
The Rudies
NB-006
Festival '68/I Really Love You
Clancy Eccles
NB-007
Rhythm & Soul/True Romance
Bunny & Ruddy/Monty Morris
NB-008
Hey Boy Hey Girl/Music Be The Food Of Love
Derrick & Patsy/Derrick Morgan
NB-009
Easy Snapping/My Lonely Days
Theophilus Beckford/Eric Morris
NB-010
I Can't Stand It/Tonight
Alton Ellis
NB-011
On The Town/Simple Simon
Bunny & Ruddy/Monty Morris
NB-012
Young Love/Days Like These
The Imperials
NB-013
Bye Bye Love/My Lovely Days
Alton Ellis/Monty Morris
NB-014
La La Means I Love You/Give Me Your Love
Alton Ellis
NB-015
Blue Socks/Solas Market
Reco Rodriquez
NB-016
I Love You/Searching
Derrick Morgan/Junior Smith
NB-017
Push Push/Girls
The Termites
NB-018
The Horse/Hot Line
The Versatiles
NB-019
Rhythm Hips/Deltone Special
Ronald Russel/The Soul Rhythms
NB-020
Mini Really Fit Dem/Soul Train
Alton Ellis & The Soul Flames
NB-021
Let's Have Some Fun/Making Love
Devon & The Tartons
NB-022
Blowing In The Wind/Money Girl
Max Romeo/Larry Marshall
NB-023
Mr Rhya/After Dark
Lloyd Terrell
NB-024
Woppi King/Mr Soul
Laurel Aitken
NB-025
Suffering Still/Reggae '69
Laurel Aitken
NB-026
Another Heartache/Come On Little Girl
Winston Sinclair
NB-027
I'll Do It/Give You My Love
Derrick & Paulette
NB-028
You've Lost Your Love/Little Girl
The Flames
NB-029
Rescue Me/Unity Is Strength
The Reggae Girls
NB-030
Rodney's History/Tribute To Drumbago
Carl Dawkins/The Dynomites
NB-031
My Testamony/One Dollar Of Soul
The Maytals
NB-032
Hailse Selaise/Blue Dance
Laurel Aitken
NB-033
Lawd Doctor/Big Fight In Hell
Laurel Aitken/Laurel Aitken & Girlie
NB-034
Crimson In Clover/What A Situation
The Uniques
NB-035
Run Powell Run/A Message To You
Laurel Aitken/Reco
NB-036
Splash Down/Finders Keepers
The Crystalites
NB-037
I'll Make You Love Me/Lovers Prayer
The Uniques
NB-038
Buss You Mouth/Rough Way Ahead
The Ethiopians
NB-039
Save The Last Dance/Walk Right Back
Laurel Aitken
NB-040
Don't Be Cruel/John B
Laurel Aitken
NB-041
Island In The Sun/Work It Up
Winston Groovy
NB-042
Josephine/Champagne & Wine
Winston Groovy
NB-043
Shoo Bee Doo Bee/Babylon Gone
Laurel Aitken
NB-044
Lanlords & Tenants/Everybody Suffering
Laurel Aitken
NB-045
Jesse James/Freedom
Laurel Aitken
NB-046
Pussy Price Gone Up/Give Me Back Mi Dollar
Derrick Morgan/Laurel Aitken
NB-047
Skinhead Train/Kent People
Laurel Aitken/The Gruvy Beats
NB-048
Mr Popcorn/Share Your Popcorn
Laurel Aitken/The Gruvy Beats
NB-049
I've Got Your Love/Blue Mink
Laurel Aitken
NB-050
Scandal In Brixton Market/Soul Jerker
Laurel & Girlie
NB-051
Frankenstein/I Can't Stand It
King Horror/Winston Grievy
NB-052
Soul Of Africa/Dallas, Texas
Tiger
NB-053
Standing At The Corner/You Send Me
Winston Groovy
NB-054
Nobody But Me/Baby Please Don't Go
Laurel Aitken
NB-055
Yellow Bird/For Your Love
Winston Groovy
NB-056
I'll Never Love Any Girl/The Best I Can
Laurel Aitken
NB-057
Reggae Popcorn/Take Me Back
Laurel Aitken
NB-058
Here Is My Heart/Birds & Flowers
Winston Groovy/The Groovy Beats
NB-059
Election/Tomorrows World
The Freedom Singers/Flece & The Live Shocks
NB-060
Pick My Pocket/Freedom
The Versatiles/Freedom Singers
NB-061
Same Old Feeling/So Much Love
The Classics
NB-062
Nobody Else But You/Version
Joel Lace/Live Shocks
NB-063
Baby I Need Your Loving/Think It Over
Laurel Aitken
NB-064
Musical Scorcher/Three Dogs Night
Tiger
NB-065
Sex Machine/Since You Left
Laurel Aitken
NB-066
Groovin/Sugarmama
Winston Groovey
NB-067
Witchcraft Man/Night In Cairo
Inner Minds
NB-068
Not Known
NB-069
Pum Pum Girl/Freedom
Inner Minds
NB-070
Not Known
NB-071
History Of Africa/Honey Bee
The Classics
NB-072
Packanga/Version
Laurel Aitken
NB-073
Tennessee Waltz/Oldman Trouble
Winston Groovey
NB-074
Your Testimony/Train Coming
The Freedom Singers
NB-075
African Beat/Black Man Land
Tiger
NB-076
Give To Me/With Hot
The Versatiles/Tiger
NB-077
Not Known
NB-078
True Love/The Best I Can
Laurel Aitken
NB-079
Only Heaven Knows/Freedom Psalms
Sheila/Grant & Richard
NB-080
Monkey Spanner/Version
Lloyd & Larry/Lloyd & Larry All Stars
NB-081
Coco/Hey Girl Don't Bother Me
Marvels
NB-082
Blackman/Tell The People
Rupie Edwards All Stars
NB-083
Love & Creation/Version 2
The Righteous Flames
NB-084
Mary/Soldier Boy
Jamaicans/Conscious Minds
NB-085
Not Known
NB-086
Walk A Little Prouder/Version
Carl Dawkins/Youth Professionals
NB-087
Mother Radio/Little Deeds
Joe Higgs/Dawn Sharon
NB-088
Have You Ever Been Hurt/Our Day Will Come
Tiger
NB-089
I Can't Stop Loving You/El Paso
Laurel Aitken
NB-090
Hold Them One/Two Three Four
Roy Shirley
NB-091
Three In One/One In Three
Errol Dunkley/Rupie Edwards All Stars
NB-092
Valley Of Tears/Because I Love
Cock & The Woodpeckers
NB-093
Everyday And Every Night/I Fall In Love Everyday
Cock & The Woodpeckers
NB-094
I Will Never Let You Down/This Magic Moment
Lorenzo
NB-095
Iron Sound/Version
Lester Sterling

One Dollar of Soul
The Johnson Boys

Unity

Another legendary Pama label which lasted from 1968 to 1973, releasing some 75 singles. One of Unity's first smashes was one of the first reggae songs "Bangarang" from Lester Sterling and Stranger Cole. The successes went on and on..."Wet Dream" by Max Romeo, who followed up with "Wine Her Goosie", "Mini-Skirt Vision", and "Rent Crisis".
There were many Slim Smith classics released on Unity, among them "For Once In My Life ", "Somebody To Love", "Sunny Side Of The Sea", "Keep That Light Shining", and the magnificent "Honey".Bunny Lee and His All Stars kept up the pressure with instrumental versions of most of the hits on Unity, with "Hook Up", "Daydream", "Ivan Itler The Conqueror", and "Death Rides A Horse", all great skinhead hits.
One 45 that sticks out on UNITY however is the double header from Prince Buster - "Thirty Pieces Of Silver" and "Everybody Ska". Its fairly obvious that Pama was up to its old tricks, but what a song to pirate. Apart from the re-releases etc on the major labels, this must have been the only domestic release from the Prince not to have been released by Melodisc.
Among the other great releases on the Unity label were songs from John Holt, Ken Parker, Ernest Wilson and Tommy McCook. Special mention goes to "Derrick Top The Pop" from Derrick Morgan, "Wake The Nation" from Jeff Barnes and Hugh(U) Roy, and a instrumental effort from Wailer Peter Touch entitled "The Return Of Al Capone".

Unity Discography

UN-501
Last Flight To Reggae City/Watch Dem Go
Tommy McCook & Stranger Cole/Junior Smith
UN-502
Bangarang/If We Should Ever Meet
Lester Sterling & Stranger Cole/Stranger Cole
UN-503
Wet Dream/She's But A Little Girl
Max Romeo
UN-504
Everybody Needs Love/Come Back Girl
Slim Smith/Junior Smith
UN-505
Reggie On Broadway/Love Can Be Wonderful
Lester Sterling/The Clique
UN-506
The Avengers/Donkey Man
Laurel Aitken
UN-507
Belly Woman/Please Stay
Max Romeo
UN-508
For Once In My Life/Burning Desire
Slim Smith
UN-509
Spoogy/Monkey Fiddle
Lester Sterling/Tommy McCook
UN-510
Zip-Pa-Di-Do-Da/Broadway
Slim Smith
UN-511
Twelfth Of Never/Solid As A Rock
Max Romeo/The Tartons
UN-512
Regina/Bright As A Rose
Lester Sterling
UN-513
Let It Be Me/Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things
Slim Smith & Paulette
UN-514
When I Get My Freedom/Life Can Be Beautiful
Stranger Cole
UN-515
Somebody To Love/Confusion
Slim Smith
UN-516
Wine Her Goosie/Fire Ball
Max Romeo/King Cannon
UN-517
1,000 Tons Of Megaton/Five Card Stud
Lester Sterling/King Cannon
UN-518
Man About Town/Man At The Door
Lester Sterling
UN-519
Peyton Place/Red Gal Ring
D Tony Lee
UN-520
Slipaway/Spanish Harlem
Slim Smith
UN-521
Not Known
UN-522
Thirty Pieces Of Silver/Everybody Ska
Prince Buster
UN-523
Not Known
UN-524
Sunny Side Of The Sea/Place In The Sun
Slim Smith
UN-525
The Return Of Alcapone/Q Club
Peter Touch/Lennox Mood
UN-526
Pepper Seed/Ambitious Beggar
R Williams
UN-527
Blessed Are The Meek/My Conversation
Slim Smith
UN-528
Dreams To Remember/Peace Makers
The Hippy Boys
UN-529
Sun Valley/Drums Of Fu Manchu
Peter Touch/Headley Bennett
UN-530
What You Gonna Do/Hot Coffee
The Reggae Boys/Headley Bennett
UN-531
Lonesome Feeling/Bright As A Rose
Lester Sterling
UN-532
Mini Skirt Vision/Far Far Away
Max Romeo
UN-533
Hook Up/Full Up
The Bunny Lee All Stars
UN-534
Dream Boat/Tommy's Dream
Tommy McCook
UN-535
Peanut Vendor/100,000 Tons Of Rock
Tommy McCook
UN-536
No Matter What/Walk Through This World
Doreen Schaffer
UN-537
Keep That Light Shining On Me/Build My World Around You
Slim Smith
UN-538
How Much Is That Doggie In The Window/As Long As He Needs Me
Doreen Schaffer
UN-539
Love Me Tender/This Feeling
Slim Smith
UN-540
Derrick Top-The-Pop/Capones Revenge
Derrick Morgan/Glen Adams
UN-541
Daydream/Joy Ride
Bunny Lee Allstars
UN-542
Honey/There Is A Light
Slim Smith
UN-543
Ivan Itler The Conqueror/The Spice
Bunny Lee Allstars (Featuring Lloyd Willis)
UN-544
Melting Pot/Death Rides A Horse
Max Romeo/The Hippy Boys
UN-545
Clap Clap/You've Got Your Troubles
Max Romeo& The Hippy Boys/Max Romeo
UN-546
Return Of Jack Slade/Fat Man
Derrick Morgan
UN-547
What A Cute Man/Buy You A Rainbow
Max Romeo
UN-548
Sometimes/Lash-La-Rue
John Holt/Bunny Lee All Stars
UN-549
Sea Cruise/Niney's Hop
John Holt/Lee's All Stars
UN-550
Did My Little Girl Cry/Change Partners
Little Freddy/Peter Austin
UN-551
Why Did My Little Girl Cry/Change Partners
Freddie McGregor/Peter Austin
UN-552
Walking Along/Ware Fare
John Holt/Donald Lee With Jackie Mittoo & Bunny Lees All Stars
UN-553
When You Were Mine/The Angles
Ken Parker/The Clarendonians
UN-554
My Special Prayer/Never Hurt
Errol Dunkley
UN-555
Ten Cent/Stay With Me Forever
Soulmates/Doreen Shaffer
UN-556
Give Her All The Love/Nobody But You
John Holt/Busty Brown
UN-557
Do It My Way/Where In The World
Monty Morris
UN-558
Goodnight My Love/Lover Girl
Corsairs
UN-559
Drink Wine Everybody/Someone To Call My Own
Delroy Wilson
UN-560
Fish In The Pot/Feel It
Max Romeo
UN-561
No Love/A Little Tear
Little John (John Holt)
UN-562
Duppy Conqueror/Version
The Wailers/The Upsetters
UN-562
Slip Up/On Broadway
Lester Sterling/Dave Barker
UN-563
Skankee/Skankee Version
Niney's All Stars
UN-564
Love Makes The World Go Round/Version Inst
Ernest Wilson
UN-565
More Balls/Bum Ball
Mark Anthony & The Jets/Tony King
UN-566
Peace And Love/Version
The Third Dimension
UN-567
Blessed Are The Meek/The People's Voice
Dave Barker & J. Smith/Jeff Barnes & The Uniques
UN-568
1.000 Tons Of Version/Wake The Nation
Jeff Barnes/Jeff Barnes & Hugh Roy
UN-569
The Conquering Ruler/Bedweight
Derrick Morgan
UN-570
Jenny/The Race
Slim Smith
UN-571
Macabee (Version)/Music Book
Max Romeo/Soul Syndicate
UN-572
Rent Crisis/Version
Max Romeo
UN-573
Big Haire/Skank In Skank
Dirty Harry/Young Doug

Punch

Over 100 releases from 1969 1972, and not a duff beer in there. From the first rel ease, by The Dynamics, The Burner,to classics such as Lively Up Yourself by Bob Marley and the
Wailers, Punch is a classic label. With songs like Strange by Busty Brown and A Broken Heart from B(D)obby Dobson, and many from the Upsetters including "Return of the Ugly”, the eternal "Clint Eastwood", "Dry Acid", "The Result" and “Roll On” (lead by Roland Alphonso).
There were also classic cuts from Ken Booth “Artibella” and “Paul, Marcus & Norman” (As The Conscious Minds), as well as cuts from Hugh (U) Roy “Scandal” and “NannyScank”, along with "Ram You Hard" by John Lennon and The Bleechers and "Run Babylon" from The Maytones. A highly collectable label, and deservedly so.


Punch Discography

PH-1
The Burner/Juckie Juckie
The Dynamics
PH-2
Mix Up Girl/Qua Kue Shut
The Creations
PH-3
Jump In A Fire/Give To Get
The Viceroys
PH-4
Strange/Your New Love
Dobby Dobson
PH-5
Too Experienced/Mule Jerk
Winston Francis/Jackie Mittoo
PH-6
Can’t Take It Anymore/Anyway
David Isaacs/Lloyd Douglas
PH-7
Trying To Be Free/I’ve Got It Bad
Martin Riley
PH-8
History/Just Be Alone
Harry & Radcliffe
PH-9
Hello Dolly/Never Get Away
Girl Satchmo/Errol Donaldson
PH-10
Broken Heart/Tribute To A King
Busty Brown
PH-11
Oh Happy Day/Spinning
Norman T Washington
PH-12
The Masquerade Is Over/Love For Ambition
Dobby Dobson
PH-13
The Bigger Way/Chatty Chatty
Winston Blake/Itals
PH-14
Love Is The Key/High Tide
Lloyd & Devon/The Virtues
PH-15
Herbert Splifington/Oh Lord, Why Lord
Winston Blake/Itals
PH-16
Goosy/Soul Stew
Pat Satchmo/The Upsetters
PH-17
Games People Play/Serious Joke
The Upsetters
PH-18
Return Of The Ugly/I’ve Caught You
The Upsetters/The Upsetters (& Count Sticky)
PH-19
Dry Acid/Selassie
Count Sticky & The Upsetters/The Reggae Boys
PH-20
Prisoner Of Love/Soul Juice
Dave Barker/The Upsetters
PH-21
Clint Eastwood/Lennox Mood
The Upsetters/Lennox Brown
PH-22
You Betray Me/Will You Still Love Me
Dave Barker
PH-23
Ram You Hard/Soul Stew
John Lennon & The Bleechers/The Mediators
PH-24
Wonderful World/Purple Mast
Pat Satchmo
PH-25
Shocks Of Mighty 1 & 2
Dave Barker
PH-26
Sweeter Than Honey/1,000 Pearls
Norman T Washington
PH-27
The Result/Feel The Spirit
The Upsetters
PH-28
In The Mood/Slide Mongoose
Pete Weston/Pete Weston & His Band
PH-29
I'm Proud Of You/Version
Victor Griffiths
PH-30
Artibella/Version Of Artibella
Ken Boothe
PH-31
Last Goodbye/Mothers Pride
Norman T Washington
PH-32
Smile/Musical ID
Ranny Williams
PH-33
Morning/Version
Ken Boothe
PH-34
Scandal/Son Of The Wise
Hugh Roy
PH-35
Serious Love/Musical Combination
Rupie Martin/Charlie Ace
PH-36
Oh My Darling/Ball Of Confusion
A.Royn /B.Smith(D.Alcapone)
PH-37
Mr Car Man/Chiney Man
Eli Reynolds
PH-38
Greatest Love/I Love You Madly
Busty Brown
PH-39
True Love/Roll On
Carl Dawkins/Roland Alphonso & The Upsetters
PH-40
Party Time / Peace & Love
Cybermen
PH-41
The Ark/False Reader
Trevor & Keith
PH-42
Reggae Meeting/Soulbone
Dave Barker/Martin All Stars
PH-43
Death In The Arena/Man Cometh
Rupie Martin/Julia Ceaser
PH-44
For Our Desire/Version
King Sporty/Winston Wright
PH-45
Bye Bye Happiness/Sufferation We Must Bear
Modifies
PH-46
Son Of Thunder/Only If You Understand
The Upsetters/The Punchers
PH-47
Not Known

PH-48
My Heart Is Gone/Version II
John Holt/Pratt All Stars
PH-49
Silver & Gold/Bump & Bore
Charlie Ace/Phil Pratt All Stars
PH-50
Heart Made of Stone/I May Never See My Baby Anymore
Jackey (Jackie) Robinson/Bob Taylor
PH-51
Not Known
PH-52
Not Known
PH-53
Book Of Books/Musical Dove
Charlie Ace/Winston Harris
PH-54
Fight The Good Fight/Fight Beat
Bill Gentles
PH-55
Hold The Ghost/Duppy Dance
Herman/Aquarius Soul Band
PH-56
What Do You Fall In Love For/Too Much
Agros/The Slickers
PH-57
Get Out Of This Land/Landmark
Sammy Morgan/Sydney All Stars
PH-58
Listen To The Beat/Sounds Only
Herman/Aquarians
PH-59
Johnny Too bad/Version
The Slickers
PH-60
Strange Things/Want Money
John Holt/Winston Wright
PH-61
Mosquito One/Out De Light
El Paso
PH-62
Love I Madly/Especially For You
Lloyd Terrell/Matador All Stars
PH-62*
Love (You) Madly/Especially For You
Charlie Ace
PH-63
Iron Bird/Cat Hop
Top Cat
PH-64
Not Known
PH-65
Cholera/Blackbird
Justins/Lloyd All Stars
PH-66
Come Ethiopians/Zion Gate
The Robinsons/The Matadors
PH-67
Do Something/Run Babylon
Charlie Ace/The Maytones
PH-68
Not Known
PH-69
What A Confusion/Small Axe
Dave Barker/Bob Marley & The Wailers
PH-70
Stop Your Crying/Suffering Thru The Nation
Ken Boothe/Conscious Minds
PH-71
Put Your Sweet Lips/Stand By Me
Raphael Stewart/Justines
PH-72
You Inspire Me/Version
Busty Brown/The Upsetters
PH-73
Chie Chie Bud/Version
Max Romeo
PH-74
There Is A Land/Goodnight My Love
Winston & Errol
PH-75
Hard Fighter/Back To Africa Version
Little Roy/Count Ossie
PH-76
Don't Say/Version
James Brown/Trans-Am Allstars
PH-77
Down Presser/Got The Tip
Bob Marley & The Wailers/Junior Byles
PH-78
Not Known
PH-79
Cheerio Baby/Civilisaton
The Classics
PH-80
Not Known
PH-81
Fussing And Fighting/Man I Should Be
Slickers
PH-82
Don't Give Up/Version
Paul Freeman/The Upsetters
PH-83
Where Love Goes/You Can Run
Donald Smythe/Hurricanes
PH-84
You'll Be Sorry/Knock Three Times
David Isaacs
PH-85
Not Known
PH-86
Not Known
PH-87
Sincerely/Hold On I'm Coming
Owen Grey
PH-88
Soulful Love/One For All
Pat Kelly/Hugh Roy & The Paragons
PH-89
Lonely World/Put It On
Afro/Alton Ellis All Stars
PH-90
Not Known
PH-91
Rudies Medley/Rude Boy Version
3rd & 4th Generation
PH-92
Not Known
PH-93
Christmas Message/Cool It Girl
Denzil Dennis
PH-94
Winey Winey/There Is A Place
Phil Pratt All Stars
PH-95
Royal Chord/Version
Jaylads
PH-96
Solid As A Rock/Version
Rupie Edwards All Stars
PH-97
Paul, Marcus & Norman/Version
The Concious Mind
PH-98
Nobody Told Me/Don't Play That Song Again(Version)
Carl Lewis/Wing
PH-99
123ABC/Zee
Combinations
PH-100
Butter Cup/I Care
Winston Scotland/Ronald Wilson
PH-101
Screw Face/Face Man
Bob Marley & The Wailers
PH-102
Lively Up Yourself/Live
Bob Marley & The Wailers/Tommy McCook
PH-103
Don't Be A Loser/Jamaican Girl
Roy Shirley
PH-104
NannyScank/Scank Version
Hugh Roy/Pitts-Burg Allstars
PH-105
Darling Ooh Wee/Merry Up Version
Erroll & U-Roy Junior/God Sons
PH-106
Dungeon/Kiss Me Honey
Wailing Soul/Nora Dean
PH-107
Foward March/Plenty Of One
Derrick Morgan
PH-108
A Sugar/Version
Roy Shirley
PH-109
Pharoah Hiding/Hail To Power
Junior Byles/The Upsetters
PH-110
Have I Sinned/Version
Lloyd & Ken
PH-111
Round & Round/Version
Melodians/The Upsetters
PH-112
People Like People/Softie
George Meggie/Max Romeo
PH-113
Trying To Wreck My Life/Version
Leroy Samuels
PH-114
You Should Have Known Better/Known Better
Tuff Gong All Stars
PH-115
Not Known

PH-116
Not Known

PH-117
Not Known

PH-118
Not Known

PH-119
Not Known

PH-120
Not Known

PH-121
Fattie Bum Bum/Fattie Bum Dub
Laurel Aitken

Unknown - Winston Scotland Buttercup