Trojan Presents ‘Freedom Sounds’ is a box set that honours the most important names in Jamaican music in the last five decades
It’s an impressive collection – 108 songs spanning 5 CDs. It features some big well known names that are familiar to music lovers around the world, including Bob Marley & The Wailers, Jimmy Cliff, Dennis Brown, Desmond Dekker, Toots & The Maytals and Gregory Isaacs as well as a whole host of other artists and producers who over the years have shaped the sound of Jamaican music.
Around half the tracks are new to CD and there are many tracks here which are being released outside Jamaica for the first time, including ‘Fa Fa Fa Fa’ (Toots & The Maytals), ‘Brothers‘ (The Heptones), ‘It’s In The Plan’ (the Planners), ‘People Get Ready‘ (The Carib Beats), ‘A Taste Of Reggae‘ (Ska Campbell), plus a previously unissued version of the Pioneer’s hit single, ‘Let Your Yeah Be Yeah‘.
As if there wasnt enough music here, fans purchasing the box set will also receive an additional free download album, when they register on the Trojan Appreciation Society website.
The box set includes a 52 age booklet with a history of Jamaica and its music, as well as some A5 cards and a sticker.
This is an impressive collection and one that has taken me a long time to review, simply because of the sheer volume of material here. It has a total running time of well over six hours, and some of the songs are so good that it would be a shame to just listen to them once. As a result I’ve probably spent close to 10 or 12 hours listening to the album.
It’s hard to pick out individual tracks when there are so many, so instead I’ll just say this – if you’re a fan of artists such as Bob Marley, Jimy Cliff, Desmond Dekker or any of the other bands featured here then I’d definitely recommend that you buy this box set. There are lots of tracks from artists you may not know, but when you listen to them then like me you’re sure to find a whole load of songs that you love, and end up with a long list of bands you’d like to hear more from.
This is a very impressive box set, packed full of great music – highly recommended.
Track listing:
DISC 1: FREEDOM SOUNDS
1. Freedom Street – Eric Donaldson & The Keystones
2. (This Is) My Country – Cornel Campbell
3. Rainbow Country – Bob Marley & The Wailers
4. Stepping Free – Bob Andy
5. Love And Unity – Michael Prophet
6. I Shall Be Released – The Heptones
7. Trod On – Culture
8. Keep Life Table Turning – Tyrone Taylor
9. Freedom Song – Third World
10. Shout It Out – Burning Spear
11. One People – Pablo Moses
12. My My People – Judy Mowatt
13. Born Free – Michael Rose & Black Uhuru
14. If I Could Rule This World – Alton Ellis
15. (We The People Who Are) Darker Than Blue – Lloyd Charmers
16. Get Up (extended version) – Jackie Edwards
17. Jamaica’s National Heroes – Prince Far I
DISC 2: JAMAICAN HITS
1. Forward March – Derrick Morgan
2. You’re The One (I Love) – Winston Samuels
3. Carry Go Bring Come – Justin Hinds & The Dominoes
4. 007 (Shanty Town) – Desmond Dekker & The Aces
5. Rock Steady – Alton Ellis & The Flames
6. 54 46 That’s My Number – Toots & The Maytals
7. (Poor Me) Israelites – Desmond Dekker & The Aces
8. Wear You To The Ball – U Roy & John Holt
9. Cherry O Baby – Eric Donaldson
10. Trench Town Rock – Bob Marley & The Wailers
11. The Harder They Come – Jimmy Cliff
12. Marcus Garvey – Burning Spear
13. Two Sevens Clash – Culture
14. Police And Thieves – Junior Murvin
15. Uptown Top Ranking – Althea & Donna
16. Steppin’ Out Of Babylon – Marcia Griffiths
17. Your Love’s Gotta Hold On Me – Dennis Brown
18. Night Nurse – Gregory Isaacs
19. World A Music – Ini Kamoze
20. Girlie Girlie – Sophia George
21. I Wanna Wake Up With You – Boris Gardiner
22. Murder She Wrote – Chaka Demus & Pliers
23. Slam – Beenie Man
DISC 3: PIONEERS
1. Rise Jamaica (Independence Is Here) – Al T. Joe
2. Confucius – Don Drummond & The Skatalites
3. Thunderball – Bobby Aitken & The Carib Beats
4. Wait For Me – The Vibrators
5. I Was Born A Loser – The Sensations
6. Bus Dem Shut – Bob Marley & The Wailers
7. Music Flames – Errol Brown
8. Flaming Rock Steady – Ernest Ranglin
9. I Really Love You – Clancy Eccles
10. Falling In Love (With You) – Rupie Edwards & The Virtues
11. Rhythm Hips (extended version) – Roland Russell & Eric Barnett
12. The Freedom Song – The Uniques
13. No Business Of Yours – George Williams
14. Love And Unity – Ken Boothe
15. Sound Of The Reggae – Richard Ace
16. Love Of The Common People (Jamaican mix) – Nicky Thomas
17. No Man Is An Island – Derrick Harriott
18. Tye Tye (aka Fatty Fatty) – The Chuckles
19. Scout Call (extended version) – King Khouchi with Tommy McCook & Bobby Ellis
20. Blood And Fire (extended version) – Niney & The Big Youth
21. Freedom Train – The Gladiators
22. Jordan River (extended version) – Maxie & Glen with Dennis Alcapone
23. Midnight Confessions (extended version) – Phyllis Dillon
DISC 4: INNOVATORS
1. Brothers – The Heptones
2. None Shall Escape The Judgment (extended version) – Johnny Clarke & King Tubbys
3. Big May – Bunny ‘Rugs’ Clarke
4. Natty Jestering – Carl Malcolm
5. Last Of The Jestering – Augustus Pablo
6. Treating Me So Bad -Toots & The Maytals
7. Going Back To Ethiopia – The Righteous Foundation
8. Bionic Dread – Dillinger
9. I’m So Proud – Pat Kelly
10. Weep And Mourn – Israel Vibration
11. Sea Of Love – Horace Andy
12. Free Up (The Ghetto Children) – Mystic Eyes
13. Skylarking (extended version) – Barrington Levy
14. Man Next Door – The Paragons
15. Rock And Come On – Johnny Osbourne
16. Your Heart’s Desire – The Mighty Diamonds
17. Blood A Go Run – Leroy Brown
18. Respect Due – Charlie Chaplin
19. Never Give Up My Pride – Luciano
DISC 5: FORGOTTEN TREASURES
1. It’s In The Plan – The Planners
2. Lord A Massie Massie – The Spanishtonians
3. People Get Ready – The Carib-Beats
4. I’m In A Rocking Mood (alternate version) – Austin Faithful
5. Travelling Man (alternate version) – The Techniques
6. I’m A Soul Sufferer – Lloyd Williams
7. What You Gonna Do – Johnny Melody & The Slickers
8. Whip Them – The Little Wonder All Stars
9. Song Of The Year – The Sparkers
10. People Talking – The Starlighters
11. Frying Pan – The Slickers
12. Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday – Trevor & The Maytones
13. West Board Jungle – Paul Madden
14. A Taste Of Reggae – Ska Campbell
15. Live It Up – Hopeton Lewis
16. Bawling Baby – Glen Adams & The Upsetters
17. Let Your Yeah Be Yeah (Jamaican mix) – The Pioneers
18. Royal Cord – The Melodians
19. My Happy Home – The Prophets
20. Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song) – Toots & The Maytals
21. Socialism Train – The Ethiopians
22. (Ode To) Billy Joe – Tommy McCook & The Specialists
23. What Kind Of World – Keble Drummond & The Cables
24. Chase The Devil (extended version) – Max Romeo & Prince Jazzbo
25. Jerusalem – Devon Irons
26. (It Looks Like) I’ll Never Fall In Love Again – Delroy Wilson
PLUS DIGITAL DOWNLOAD ALBUM UPON REGISTERING WITH THE TROJAN APPRECIATION SOCIETY
1. Barnyard Boogie – Roland Alphonso & The Duke Reid All Stars
2. All In One – The Valentines
3. Beauty Is Only Skin Deep – The Soul Leaders
4. Hound Dog Special – Val Bennett
5. (I Am A) Free Man – The Ethiopians
6. Pablo At Home – Augustus Pablo
7. Jah For All – Barrington Spence
8. My Brother – John Holt
9. Tell Me The Truth – Jah Thomas with Alton Ellis & The Supersonics
10. Teach Reality – Little Lenny
