My personal 2007 45s top 50

[BMC]

The year is coming to an end, time to look back a bit. There haven’t been many dancehall / bashy riddims that did it for me in 2007, but I didn’t follow it very closely either (list anyone?). Some artists made important steps there this year though imo, especially Movado and Busy Signal. On the rootsy side of things for me numerous 45s with interesting riddims and tunes have been released, ranging from just nice to killers. Here’s a selection I made of 50 more rootsy tracks that I rate highly and still play regularly; roughly in order, but don’t take that too serious cause tomorrow it may differ again. Just my personal preference, no official thing or so, feel free to disagree and / or dislike.

1. Natty King – Real Herbalist (House Of Riddim)
2. Glen Washington – In The Distance (A-Lone – Dirty Dozen)
3. Ray Darwin – People’s Choice (Tad’s – officially released late december 2006 though)
4. Alborosie & Sizzla – Meditation (Forward)
5. Capleton – Prophet Rides Again (Ink A Link)
6. Pressure – Be Free (Don Corleon)
7. Tami Chynn – Over And Over Again (Fresh Ear – Guardian Angel)
8. Luciano – Every Where I Go (Broken Stick – Let Them Talk)
9. Natty King – Dem A Fight (Pleasure Beat – Majestic)
10. Alpheus – Ultimate (A-Lone – Dirty Dozen)
11. Richie Spice – The World Is A Cycle (Fresh Ear – Guardian Angel)
12. Capleton – No Fold Hand (Shall I – Meditation)
13. Burro Banton – Friday Dress (SWS – Crazy Night)
14. Shaggy – Move Hype (Big Yard – 007)
15. Million Stylez – More Life (Supersonic – Devil’s Angel)
16. Chezidek – Bad Out Deh (Irie Ites – Down In Jamaica)
17. Alborosie – Kingston Town (Forward)
18. Perfect – 30 Pieces (Irievibrations)
19. Taurus Riley – She Is Royal (Cannon)
20. I Wayne – More Herb (Yellow Moon – Dst)
21. Lutan Fyah – Hypocrits (Oneness – Oneness)
22. Da’Ville – Africa Is Calling (Pure Music – Serengeti)
23. Etana – Roots (Freemind)
24. Lutan Fyah – Red-Red (Al.Ta.Fa.An – Senior)
25. Lymie Murray – Fire Will Be Burning (Bay Rock – Bay Rock)
26. Glen Washington – Jah Jah Delivered Me (A-Lone – Family)
27. Taurus Riley – Back Biter (Don Corleon – Far Away)
28. Morgan Heritage – Too Much Blood A Run (Free The Children – Africa)
29. Natural Black – Free Your Mind (Total Satisfaction – Melody Life)
30. Burro Banton – MC Peggy Part 2 (One Love – Maria)
31. Da’Ville – In My Arms (Renaissance – Legal)
32. Jah Cure – Sticky (Danger Zone – Jamdown)
33. Maxie Priest & Richie Stephens – My Girl Dis (Joe Frasier – Full Attention)
34. Turbulence – Youths (Kickin – Rewind)
35. Alborosie & U-Roy – Precious (Forward)
36. Alaine – Sincerely (Don Corleon – Love Potion)
37. Cocoa Tea – Poverty (Minor 7 Flat 5 – Bodo)
38. Lukie D – Step Away (Badda)
39. Richie Spice – A No Me Dat (No Doubt – Eighty Three)
40. Sizzla – Sow More Love (Irie Ites – Rocking Time)
41. Pressure – Love & Affection (Don Corleon)
42. Jah Cure – To Your Arms Of Love (VP – Guardian Angel)
43. Edge Michael – Delilah (House Of Riddim)
44. Lutan Fyah – Can’t Stop The Fire (Bassrunner – Glorious)
45. Luciano – Strive (Mafia & Fluxy)
46. Pinchers – Slaughterer (Penthouse – M16)
47. Morgan Heritage & Busy Signal – Run Dem (Juke Boxx)
48. Frankie Paul – Love Somebody (Stone Love – Rocksteady)
49. Morgan Heritage – Guards Up (Maximum Sound – Black Board)
50. Doniki – Gully Bank (Gully Bank)

(I didn’t get the chance yet to get Fat Eyes’ Midnight Hour or Joe Frasier’s Chi Chi Bud riddims released on 45 last week, so those tunes were not taken into account.)

All in all even though I bought significantly less 45s this year, 2007 brought enough good reggae again to keep me entertained, just needed a bit more selectivity. For 2008 I hope for more bass, more positivity and less autotune! ;D

Just some names for the year:

Most consistently good artist: Lutan Fyah
Most disappointing artist: Turbulence
Most promising artist: Pressure or Tarrus Riley

[Freddy C]

Thanks BMC, I must go down this later looking for soundclips of the one's I haven't heard like Edge Michael and some of the dancehall tunes.

Did you check any of these ones?:

Africa riddim (Feed The Children)
Natural Black - Me & You Ina Business
Queen Ifrica - Rasta Nuh Chat Rasta

Cool & Deadly riddim (The Worthington Project)
Lutan Fyah - Rasta Ban Wagonist (The Worthington Project)
Perfect - Cruising (The Worthington Project)


Contractor - It's A Shame (Wile Fyia)

Cornell Campbell - I'm Lost (Joseph Sound)

Chandra - You Shouldn't Stay Away (Tesfa) - update of the Phyllis Dillon classic

Mark Wonder - My Love Is Burning (Lone Lions)

Morgan Heritage - Tired Of The Injustice (Isakieikie)

Pam Hall - Hold It Down (Joe Frasier)

Pampidoo - Selassie I Rule (Version City)



edit: Yes I see the Africa riddim now: ;D
28. Morgan Heritage – Too Much Blood A Run (Free The Children – Africa)

[timp]

Guilty Pleasure:
Amazing Grace - Mavado (nasty but spectacular all the same).

[BMC]

Yes Fred, as you saw, Africa riddim I did check and have a few 45s of. My 2nd favourite after the MH on it is the Sizzla followed by the Turbulence.

Cool & Deadly is a riddim that was already released in 2006, but got a couple of extra tracks (like that Lutan and Perfect) voiced in 2007. My favoruite on it is a Tanya Stephens cuts from the 2006 releases. Next to the ones you mention, I quite like the combo of Da'Ville and Delly Ranx on it too of 2007.

From the others I only own the Morgan Heritage, which I like, but imo they released better tunes this year. The others I either didn't hear or didn't get after hearing the samples. Is that Mark Wonder on the Graduation Of Zion riddim (of Kiddus I fame)?

A bunch of the tunes from this list can be heard in various episodes of my podcasts at bmc.podomatic.com .

[lankou2]

As much as i wouldn' wake up at night to listen to Capleton, I'd say that Prophet Rides Again (Ink A Link Records) is definitely one of the very best modern tunes i 've heard in 2007.
The A - Lone and Irie Ites tunes would also appear in a sort of top 50, though i'd be hard-pressed to find 50 songs i enjoyed.
I'll be glad to hear he lastest installment of your Podcast, maybe i'll find a few more top tunes.
Kingston Town by Alborosie will be there, i think.