The Ultimate Guide to Great Reggae - The complete story of Reggae told through its greatest songs, famous and forgotten - Michael Garnice
Black Slate
The Ultimate Guide to Great Reggae - The complete story of Reggae told through its greatest songs, famous and forgotten - Michael Garnice
Michael Garnice [+]
Freelance writer
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Description
Black Slate is a London-based roots reggae group comprised of Jamaican expatriates and members from other backgrounds. They initially came together in 1974 as a backing outfit for visiting star Jamaican singers performing in the UK. They recorded their first single in 1976 and would release about ten more, plus a run of seven self-produced albums through 1985. This included two UK hits, ‘Amigo’ and ‘Sticksman’. But, rather than these songs, it’s the ones below that represent Black Slate’s best. Along with Steel Pulse and Linton Kwesi Johnson, Black Slate is one of the greatest reggae acts to come out of the UK’s sizable reggae scene. By this reckoning, the tracks below are amongst the best reggae songs to come from a country other than Jamaica. Or, thinking with my ears instead of my brain, these are great reggae songs, period.