Sly And Robbie

In the early 80's Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, a Jamaican rhythm section, got famous. They started their career playing as session musicians in Studio One and in various local bands. Their first recognition outside of Jamaica they got for their work on bass and drum on this tiny little hit.

The Mighty Diamonds - Right Time

The late 70's / early 80's were the days where many artists discovered reggae for itself. It seemed like everyone wanted to record at Compass Point studio in Nassau. And both prepared the floor for some good records and their production decisively stamped the reggae rhythms of these days. It is impossible to name all the collaborations they did at this place so I just selected some songs that are big over 35 years ago.

Serge Gainsbourg - Lola Rastaquouere
Joe Cocker - Look What You've Done
Ian Dury - Red letter
Grace Jones - Warm Leatherette
Bob Dylan - Jokerman
Material - Playing With Fire

Funky Friday

I think it was in the late 70s when the ZE-label appeared on the scene but I got aware of it in the early 80s. The No Wave scene was gone and many artists were signed by ZE-records. In these days a new fresh and weird sound slopped over from the other side of the Atlantic ocean. James Chance, Material, Lydia Lunch and others fascinated us with their new and unbound sound. Lizzy Mercier Descloux was a forming member of French punk scene together with Michel Esteban the co-founder of ZE-label. Soon they moved over to New York to join the local punk scene around Patti Smith and Richard Hell. Her first record Press Colour was a brilliant little masterpiece of funk-influenced punk. Like many others she made cover-versions of well known songs and her version of Arthur Brown's Fire might be a good example how to interpret an old song. With her second record Mambo Nassau she had more influences of African music in her sound. But still the funky guitar ruled the sound although the sound was warmer than before. After a few more records she quit the music business to live in the Caribbean and working as a painter. She died 2004 at her birth place in Corsica.