VA - Joe Gibbs Presents Dancehall Stylee (Classic Dancehall Sounds 1979-1981) (2023)

As the 70s drew to a close, the roots and dub sounds that had dominated the Jamaican music scene for much of the decade gave way to dancehall, a style that continued to find favour with reggae fans until the onset of the digital revolution of the mid-1980s. Aimed squarely at satisfying the demands of live audiences, songwriters largely abandoned the conscious lyrics that had typified the music of the preceding years, focusing instead on subjects which with their Jamaican audiences could readily identify.

Meanwhile, the island’s record producers revived classic rock steady and early reggae rhythms that had been created over a decade earlier, while giving the music an extra edge by introducing a dominant snare drum sound, which set it apart from the roots sound it superseded.

Among the most successful of the old school music makers to adapt to the new style was Joe Gibbs, who between 1979 and 1983 released many of the most popular and enduring dancehall singles of the period.

This long overdue 2CD collection brings together 46 of his most sought after productions from the first years of dancehall, including numerous major Jamaican hits, with 25 of the recordings making their CD debut!

Tracklist
Disc 1 (01:18:47)
1. Cornel Campbell – Boxing Around (04:12)
2. Kojak & Liza – Bam Bam (02:56)
3. Joe Tex & U Black – Friday Evening (02:53)
4. Welton Irie – Nice Up The Dance (04:18)
5. Kojak & Liza – Fist To Fist Rub A Dub (02:56)
6. Madoo – Yuh Jammin' So (03:08)
7. Wayde Brammer – My Love (03:06)
8. Kojak – Green Bay Killing (03:18)
9. Lui Lepke – Can't Tek Mi Landlord (02:53)
10. Barrington Levy – Quick Divorce (03:43)
11. Prince Mohammed – Money Man The Girl She Want (03:14)
12. Junior Murvin – Time Stiff (03:58)
13. Kojak & Liza – Sky Juice (03:20)
14. Madoo – Joe Grine (03:34)
15. Earth & Stone – Ring Craft (02:55)
16. Kojak & Liza – Hole In The Bucket (03:24)
17. Ranking Joe – Drunken Master (03:35)
18. Barrington Levy – My Woman (02:58)
19. Kojak & Liza – One Thousand Gal (02:45)
20. Cornel Campbell – Rope In (03:13)
21. Lui Lepke – Love In A Jamdown (03:12)
22. Shorty The President – Lover Man Style (03:17)
23. Al Campbell – No Children Don't Cry (03:14)
24. Tyrone Taylor – Heavy Waist Line (02:45)

Disc 2 (01:16:37)
1. Ranking Joe – Leave Fi Mi Gal Arlene (03:47)
2. Errol Scorcher – DJ Spirit (03:33)
3. Lui Lepke – You-Mus-Si-Mouse (03:10)
4. Prince Jazzbo – 12 Tribe Possie (03:39)
5. Cornel Campbell – Two Timer (03:52)
6. Joe Tex & U Black – Batman And Robin (03:11)
7. Barrington Levy – Mine Yu Mouth (03:26)
8. Lui Lepke – Late Night Movie (03:18)
9. Chalice – Good To Be There (03:16)
10. Sammy Dread – Dreadlocks Girl (03:29)
11. Danny Mangaroo – Lawd Suh (03:16)
12. Echo Minott – Love Problems (03:56)
13. Barrington Levy – Wife And Sweetheart (Dem A Friend) (03:50)
14. Sammy Dread – My Princess (03:24)
15. Madoo – Back Way Mr Landlord (03:09)
16. Prince Mohammad – Back Away (02:50)
17. Danny Mangaroo – Thousand Things On My Mind (04:56)
18. Lee Van Cleef – Look How She Fat (03:24)
19. Ranking Toyan – Talk Of The Town (03:14)
20. Errol Scorcher – Under Me (03:09)
21. Eek-A-Mouse – Virgin Girl (03:32)
22. Lui Lepke – Tribute To Bob Marley (03:16)