King Size Reggae

Having launched the careers of Jimmy Cliff, Desmond Dekker and Bob Marley & the Wailers, producer Leslie Kong had an unmatched authority on the reggae of his age. It may come as a surprise then that bar a couple of Ken Boothe and Gaylads tracks, this 1970 compilation showcasing the producer's work will feature mostly unknown names. Instead, we are presented with a treadmill of talent that Kong pulled off Kingston's Orange Street, each hoping to cut a hit at his Beverley's Studio.

The themes are almost exclusively love laments of the ‘baby don't leave me’ variety. Delroy Wilson's ‘Gave You My Love’ is a deliciously lush, male-harmony backed bit of perfection, while Boothe proves his money's worth with the simple charm of ‘It's Gonna Take a Miracle’. Things get more rootsy and lyrically interesting as the compilation progresses. Glen Brown's playful ‘Collie and Wine’ has a layered echo effect that sounds more Lee Perry than the more commercial Kong. The stand-out of these tracks comes courtesy of The Melodians, of ‘Rivers of Babylon’ fame; their punchy, heartfelt ballad ‘(Come) Rock it With Me’ is truly the kind of king-size reggae that deserves a bigger audience.