From our “Single of the Week” 2 weeks back to a vinyl giveaway today, the roots reggae skank of Bunny Lion’s “Rat Trap” from the newly repressed Red LP had us from the initial needle drop. Rereleased on red vinyl from our friends at Fantasy Memory/ Captured Tracks—we’ve found a copy to send to one of you.
“Although his lack of touring kept him from being established as a major figure in overground reggae circles, Linval Thompson’s work as a singer, songwriter and producer is essential to Jamaican music. Between 1977 and 1979, he released five solo albums and produced countless artists on the side. Thompson acted as a mentor to many up-and-comers, including Junjo Lawes, Scientist, and Eek-A-Mouse.
As dancehall became more prominent in the late 1970s, Thompson began to offer up his rhythms to sound system deejays. The mysterious deejay LP, Red, was originally released on London’s Starlight records in 1979. Little was written about the album at the time; however, we have uncovered that Bunny Lion is in fact the legendary Puddy Roots of Killamanjaro Soundsystem fame. Red features ten grooving Thompson Sound rhythms voiced by Puddy. This is the earliest documented work of the criminally under-recorded Puddy Roots. It’s also the perfect gateway record for anyone curious about dub, roots reggae, or dancehall.
All jokes aside, New Jersey is a pretty great place. While it has a lot to offer as a state, it also has a rich musical history of which many people remain unaware. Everyone knows Sinatra and The Boss, but there’s much more.
