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Various Artists - Virgin Front Line Presents Roots

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Various Artists - Virgin Front Line Presents Roots

Various Artists - Virgin Front Line Presents Roots

By Norman Darwen on Thursday, November 6, 2014 - 1 comment

Crucial selection from the 70's.

virgin If you were around in the 70s, this may be like greeting some long-lost friends. Back then Virgin’s Front Line label presented some fine roots recordings, with groups like The Mighty Diamonds, The Gladiators, Culture, The Abyssinians and The Twinkle Brothers all at the top of their game and laying down truly heavyweight sounds, and dee-jays (still known as toasters back then) Big Youth, U-Roy, I-Roy, U-Brown, Ranking Trevor and Tappa Zukie mashing up the place – try the latter’s great ‘MPLA’. Throw in grade A singers Gregory Isaacs and Johnny Clarke and a well dread Prince Far I – even Althea & Donna’s If You Don’t Love Jah is well worth a listen - and this double CD, with 37 tracks from between 1975 to 1979 and including several stunning 12 inch mixes by The Twinkle Brothers, recommends itself.