40-Track Box Set Paying Homage to 50th Annv. of Jamaican Rock Steady

2016 marks the 50th anniversary for Jamaica's celebrated musical genre rock steady. VP and 17 North Parade in association with International Reggae Day commemorate the genre on Fri. July 1st with the comprehensive 40-track collection First Class Rock Steady. The release follows it's limited edition vinyl-only companion piece released earlier this year for 2016 Record Store Day.

Although it lasted only a couple of years (1966-68), rock steady is one of Jamaican music's most influential genres. International Reggae Day Founder Andrea Davis salutes the genre. "The brief but brilliant period produced some of Jamaica's most internationally respected and beloved masterpiece recordings, paving the way for the evolution of reggae music." Rock Steady produced immortal rhythms that are still sampled and used today.

For example, take the first rock steady track of the era "Take It Easy" by the 2014 fallen icon Hopeton Lewis. The song, which is the album's opening track, recently scored a TV ad for Corona (https://vimeo.com/163962443), becoming relevant to a new generation of music lovers 50 years later.

Lynn Taitt, who played bass on "Take It Easy", said in the album 's liner notes "that was the first slow song....nothing else was slow at the time. Everything had been ska. I find the ska was too fast. Very, very fast. So I told him (Hopeton Lewis) let's do this one slow. Very slow. The slower the music it have more spaces to do something with, so i put a bass line. I play in unison with the bass and i get a bass line..."

Rock Steady was also popularized by the likes of Alton Ellis, Desmond Dekker, Johnny Nash, Errol Dunkley and vocal harmony bands like The Gaylads, The Heptones, The Paragons, The Sensations and The Melodians, all featured on this extraordinary historical set.

The remastered collection's packaging includes extensive liner notes written by Harry Wise and filled with quotes from the genre's key players like living legend Bunny "Striker" Lee and more. The LP's detailed cover and CD sleeve reflects the excitement of the era when postal mail was the only mode for sharing this burgeoning Jamaican export for worldwide consumption. Playing off of Jamaica's long history of tourism, the album's packaging also features images of picturesque postcards and stamps of Cricket (a Jamaican pastime), the Doctor Bird (national symbol) and Montreal's Expo '67 (World's Fair).

TRACK LISTING DISC 1

1. Take it Easy-Hopeton Lewis
2. Hold Them - Roy Shirley
3. I Am Lonely-The Heptones
4. Dance All Night-The Tartans
5. Rock Steady-Alton Ellis & The Flanes
6. Ba Ba Boo,m-The Jamaicans
7. Pata Pata Rock Steady-Patsy & The Count Ossie Band
8. Last Train To Expo 67-the Melodians
9. I'm A Loving Pauper-Dobby Dobson
10. Please Stop Your Lying-Errol Dunkley
11. Return Home-Alva Lewis
12. Just Like A River- Stranger Cole & Gladdy
13. El Casino Royale-Lynn Taitt & The Jets feat. Cool Sticky
14. Dreader Than Dread-Honey Boy Martin & The Voices
15. The Return Of Ezekial-The Jupiters
16. Live And Love-Carlton Manning
17. Last Train To Ecstasy-The Melodians
18. You're Gonna Need Me-Errol Dunkley
19. Born To Love You-The Sensations
20. Sounds And Pressure- Hopeton Lewis

TRACK LISTING DISC 2

1. You Don't Care-The Techniques
2. Little Boy Blue-Pat Kelly
3. Left With A Broken Heart-The Paragons
4. ABC Rock Steady-The Gaylads
5. The Beatitude-The Uniques
6. Revelation-Alva Lewis
7. A Change Is Gonna Come-Ken Parker
8. The Russians Are Coming-Val Bennett
9. The Great Musical Battle-Derrick Morgan
10. The Big Takeover-The Overtakers
11. I Am The Upsetter-Lee Perry
12. Musically-Keith Blake
13. Lonely Heartaches-The Clarendonians
14. Napoleon Solo-Lynn Taitt & The Jets
15. Intensified-Desmond Dekker And The Aces
16. Got To Get Away-The Paragons
17. Hold Me Tight-Johnny Nash
18. Long Time Me No See You-The Sensations
19. Seeing And Knowing-Stranger Cole & Gladdy
20. Darling Jeboza Macoo-Stranger Cole