Review - Various Artists - Treasure Isle Showtime

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Treasure Isle Showtime (Heartbeat)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

Heartbeat Records, a wonderful part of the Rounder Records Group that deals in Caribbean music, provides a real service to fans of reggae, ska, rocksteady and, occasionally, calypso. Songs that would be lost in time, mere memories in the minds of... well, mostly people in Jamaica, have been rescued from the vaults and presented on many splendid Heartbeat LPs and CDs over the years. Most of them highlight music from a particular label or studio or producer. Treasure Isle was a studio that put out more than its share of awesome music in the 60s and 70s, and there are many Heartbeat collections that are more friendly to the novice listener than this one, as they just have the popular version of each song. This CD has alternate takes, instrumental versions, and in some cases three versions of one song in a row, usually named differently and either performed by or credited to a different artist. For a new convert that's confusing and probably boring as hell. For a student of the music and the period it's pretty interesting stuff and a must have. Don't let anyone tell you this has all been done to death, because for everything familiar there's a version of it you've probably never heard, unless you have vault keys I'd like to borrow.
Track List:
Boom Chacka Lacka (Hopeton Lewis) * On The Beach (The Paragons) * Come On Little Girl (The Melodians) * Rocking Soul (Tommy And Roy) * Girl I've Got A Date (Alton Ellis) * Musical Date (Winston Wright) * Wake The Twon (Take 2) (U Roy) * Ali Baba (original version) (John Holt) * I Can't Hide (Ken Parker) * It's Raining (The Three Tops) * Wear You To The Ball (The Paragons) * You Don't Care (The Techniques) * Go Lizzy Go (Lizzy And Dennis Alcapone) * Cry Tough (Take 5) (Alton Ellis & The Flames) * Happy Go Lucky Girl (The Paragons) * Rock Steady (Phyllis Dillon) * Carry Go Bring Come (Rock Steady) (Justin Hinds) * Baba Boom (The Jamaicans) * You Don't Need Me (The Melodians) * Rock Away (Take 5) (U Roy & The Melodians) * On The Beach (medley) (The Paragons) * Shake It (Take 2) (Alton Ellis)

© 2003 - DJ Johnson