Due out in stores on October 28th, Reggae Anthology: Randy’s 50th Anniversary celebrates 50 years of reggae music with 50 tracks produced at legendary Randy's studio. Out on a 2CD collection, first volume ‘1960 to 1971’ features ska and early reggae classics from pioneers as The Skatalites, Bob Marley and The Wailers, Lord Creator and Don Drummond. The second disc focuses on productions from 1971 to 1976 featuring veterans as Augustus Pablo, Junior Byles, I Roy, Dennis Brown, John Holt, Gregory Isaacs, Black Uhuru, The Heptones and Alton Ellis.The two cds are accompanied with extended liner notes from reggae specialists Steve Barrow and David Katz, and a complementary 40-minutes DVD loaded with interviews.

This new release is the occasion to remind the roots of reggae label and distributor, VP Records. It began in 1958 when Vincent and Patricia Chin founded their store Randy’s Records. Four years later, Vincent moved at 17 North Parade in Kingston, and began recording local artists in the upstairs rooms of his shop. The new studio based in the heart of Kingston was known as Randy’s Studio 17. Chin recorded most of the prominent singers and bands in Jamaica ; Randy’s was the place to be in the island from 1969 to 1976, as author Steve Barrow explained in Rough Guide to Reggae. In 1979, the Chin family moved to New York and opened VP Records, a combination of their first name initials.14 years later, as the business flourished, they launched the VP label. Today, it’s the biggest reggae imprint of the disc industry working with most of the leading artists from roots to dancehall.