Steve (Thorp) writes: This is a guest post by my friend Ziggy. Not Bowie’s Ziggy – this one is Stephen to his mum, Steve to others. Ziggy is more obsessed with music than I am, and this Substack was inspired by and dedicated to him. You can find out about Ziggy and his lists here:
Ziggy likes a list, and this post is devoted to Steve’s top ten reggae and rocksteady tracks from the 60s/70s label, Pama Records. Part one covers Ziggy’s top tunes from 10 to 6 on his list. This is Part one; part two will be out in two weeks…
Ziggy’s Pama Records reggae top 10 pt. 1
By Steve Maycock aka Ziggy
1. Hello I’m Ziggy
Hello. I’m Ziggy – of ‘Ziggy’s Lament’ fame (smile).
I was indeed honoured when Steve asked if it was okay to use my nickname for the site – stardom, at long last!! I’ve been threatening and promising, in equal measures, to make a contribution since Steve told me of his intention to start his music blog.
Most people assume my nickname came about through a link with Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust album from 1972. The truth is I beat Bowie to the moniker by a good six years. My nickname emanated from a school playground kick-about in 1966. I can be precise as to the year because it was during the glorious World Cup campaign of that year and every participant in the game was allocated a player from the tournament. I was Siggi Held – the great West German striker. Somehow, Siggi became Ziggy and some 58 years later I still carry the tag.
2. Dance Crasher, crashed
Anyway, my musical contribution is a million miles away from this publication’s usual content – and about the same distance from my normal listening style.
But, it must have been two or three years ago that the Dance Crasher website announced they were to compile the greatest 100 single releases on Pama Records and its subsidiaries. They started dripping them out in blocks of ten, but after just a couple, the site lived up to its name and crashed – without trace.
I never reviewed the releases they’d already pronounced – preferring to wait until the chart was complete. Which, of course, it never was! So in my normal true OCD/listaholic fashion, I thought it was about time I knocked up my own ‘Pama 100’ singles chart. Trimming the list down to a hundred was difficult – the volume of releases, all crammed into a five year spell – was colossal. In fact, with the aid of 45CAT, I can calculate that during its relatively short life span, over 900 UK singles were released – many with fabulous flip sides too.
Pama Records was the UK outlet for a whole host of Jamaican artists and predominantly covered the ‘skinhead’ era of 1968 through to 1972/3.The label was set up in the UK in 1968 by brothers Harry, Geoff & Carl Palmer. It spawned a number of subsidiary labels; Bullet, Crab, Punch, Escort, Unity, Success, Camel, nu-Beat and Gas.
By far and away the organisation’s biggest hit was the (I think the word is - or was - ‘bawdy’) Unity release of Wet Dream by Max Romeo, which, despite the obvious total absence of air play, made the UK top ten, managing to sell over a quarter of a million copies.1
For a while Pama threatened to challenge Trojan as the essential UK reggae record label, and although I think it’s fair to say it never quite managed it, the Pama musical output was every bit as strong as its rival.
3. Ziggy’s Pama Records reggae top 10
Part 1: 10 down to 6
Note numbers 5 down to 1 will be published next week…
Don’t worry, I’ve no intention of burdening readers with a list of 100 reggae singles – but thought I would share my top ten – with a real desire that I may whet a few appetites and prompt a bit of delving.
I’m praying readers will concur to the tracks excellence – or am I just on some nostalgia trip with thoughts of Doc Marten boots, braces, Ben Sherman shirts and football violence scuttling around my brain!?
In the past I have been known to say that the greatest thing about 2-Tone, for me, was that it prompted me to dig deep and discover original versions - by Prince Buster, Tony Tribe, Lord Creator and so on.
So, here goes with the first five of my Top 10 Pama releases – and I have my fingers firmly crossed in a confident style hoping that these tracks will go down a storm and prompt a dig for unknown treasures.
And please believe me, there are plenty out there….
10: The Ark by Trevor and Keith
I’ve tried in vain to find out a little more about this track – I know Trevor is Trevor Lloyd, an established and well respected reggae act – I’ve no idea who Keith is! But he’s good.
9: Landlords and Tenants by Laurel Aitken
Laurel Aitken – often referred to as ‘The Godfather of Ska’ and/or ‘The High Priest of Reggae’. Heavy praise indeed. Laurel moved to England in 1960 – did have a brief return to Jamaica before returning to these shores – indeed he spent the majority of his life living in the UK – initially London, latterly Leicester where he sadly passed away in 2005. I went to a Leicester City v Chelsea match a few years back with my mate Stitch (also aka Steve) and we visited a pub which was adorned with pictures and memorabilia of Laurel Aitken – I found it quite moving. But true to form, I can’t remember the name of the pub.
8: Tribute to Don Drummond by Rico
Rico or El Reco or Reko Rodracez (or Rodriguez) paying tribute to Jamaican trombonist, Don Drummond. Drummond died aged just 35 on May 6th 1969. Drummond himself never recorded for Pama – and if you think his name doesn’t seem prominent in the world of reggae releases, he tended to perform as a session musician, his own work usually credited to the Skatalites. There are many sad aspects to Don Drummond’s life; one being that he died without ever seeing the growth and success of the musical genre he did so much to create. Another utterly tragic fact is that he murdered his wife. In 1965 he was committed to Belle Vue, Kingston’s lunatic asylum where he ended his sad and troubled life. This tribute was released seven weeks after his death, on 20th June 1969 and is a trombone masterpiece. Rico was awarded the MBE in 2007. He joined The Specials at the age of 65 in 1980. He died in 2015. No heavenly duet puns though, sorry.
7: Sunny Side Of The Sea by Slim Smith
When chatting all things music – and the subject of ‘the greatest ever vocalist’ crops up – when the usual suspects; Sam Cooke, Nat King Cole, Ian Curtis (smile), Johnny Mathis are thrown into the mix, I like to test the water by putting forward the name of Slim Smith. What a voice! Dead at 23 following a freak and bizarre accident, or suicide, depending on which story you opt for. Another tortured soul who also was detained in the Bell Vue lunatic asylum - he still left behind a catalogue of incredible vocal performances – this being one of his greatest.
6: Ten Times Sweeter Than You by Tony Gordon
(…or Ten Times Sweeter by Winston Francis)2
A little coincidence with this one – because, despite it being 52 years old, I only became aware of it earlier this year. Then just last week I was walking through Oxford city centre, was drifting past the Jamaican bar/café Turtle Bay, when it came bursting out of their speakers. Naturally I had to call in for a couple of drinks – and whilst I was there I genuinely pondered as to whether I’d died and gone to heaven, such was the beauty from the sound system. I shall be returning to Turtle Bay.
To be continued…
Part 2 of Ziggy’s Pama Records Top 10, numbers 5 down to 1, will be out in two weeks.
Pama Records exists today as an online digital archive of music produced from 1967 to the mid-70s on a website and on YouTube at: https://youtube.com/@pamarecords?si=lAwRGqwIPChPIrRR
From the website, https://www.pamarecords.co.uk/the-story:
“Originally formed in 1967 by the Palmer brothers - Harry, Jeff and Carl – Pama Records was a pioneer in bringing Jamaican and UK ska, soul, rocksteady and reggae to the charts.
Born in the back of room of the brothers’ Harrow based real-estate office, Pama Records released iconic early works from some of Jamaica’s biggest names including Derrick Morgan, Alton Ellis, Max Romeo and many more.
With each artist bringing their own unique style and sound to Pama, the brothers set up a variety of sub-labels, each one tailored towards the rapidly emerging sub-genres of reggae and Caribbean music. These sub-labels included Bullet, Camel, Crab, Escort, Gas, New Beat, Nu Beat, Supreme, Punch, Success and Unity Records.
These labels were home to some of Pama Records’ biggest hits, including Derrick Morgan's ‘Moon Hop’, Max Romeo's ‘Wet Dream’ and Bob Andy and Marcia Griffiths' ‘Young, Gifted & Black’.
Pama continued releasing music until the mid 70s and is now being made digitally available for the first time, meaning all your favourite albums and b side rarities will be available to stream and download in the highest quality audio format.
Note from Steve (Thorp): When Ziggy submitted the original draft of this piece, I queried whether the artist on Ten Times Sweeter Than You was Tony Gordon or Winston Francis. The record label pic had Tony Gordon, but the video he originally linked to was Winston Francis! Not an editing mistake; turns out it’s the same artist. Ziggy explains:
“Steve, it doesn't really matter re Winston Francis and/or Tony Gordon - they are the same person! So the tracks are the same. I've only just discovered that, I would have made a reference to it had I realised before but never mind - it would just look better if it's Tony Gordon all round.
Errors on labels are rife throughout the genre - The Ethiopians have been labelled as - among others - The Ethiopians, The Etheopians, The Ethyopians, The Eathiopians, The Eathopians, The Ethiopions, The Thiopions.
That normally doesn't matter - but if you take the 45CAT site and do a search you have to match perfectly and so it can become a nightmare. Marcia Griffiths becomes Marica Griffiths - Pat Kelly becomes Pat Kelley - Lloyd Charmers can be Lloyd Chalmers, Lord Charmers, Lloyd Chambers or even Lloyd Terrell. But it all adds to the fun I guess!!
He adds:
“.... a book could be written on the mistakes made on Jamaican reggae record labels. One of my favourites is that Stranger Cole & Gladstone Anderson normally went under the heading of Stranger & Gladdy. Not on this one though! Gladstone Anderson, something of a keyboard wizard (vocals too on occasions) and, among others, was a member of Lynn Taitt & The Jets (imagine the variants in spelling!), The Upsetters and The Harry J All Stars (of Liquidator fame).