News Flash: The Very Best Of Leo Graham & The Bleechers

News Flash! The Very Best Of Leo Graham And The Bleechers! Finally we have a round up of Leo Graham's finest Singles and B-sides gathered together in this fantastic 3 cd collection!

The album starts with a number of sides by The Overtakers, the first vocal trio in which Graham began his recording career during the Rocksteady era, before showcasing his years with The Bleechers and later solo recordings for producers Joe Gibbs and Lee "Scratch" Perry.

This expanded edition includes some rare singles and b-sides alongside some wonderful dub and deejay versions from the likes of The Upsetters, The Mighty Two, U-Roy, Prince Jazzbo and King Tubby.

It's hard to believe that there is still no official reissue or compilation of Leo Graham's recordings, although a handful of these songs can be found on numourous compilations by various artists, no definitive collection of these incredible songs has ever been released!

We hope you enjoy this collection of really great Reggae from a truly underated artist of the genre :-)
                                                                                                                                                     
  
Leo Graham began his recording career in the mid-sixties as a member of the Rocksteady vocal trio The Overtakers. Graham has a really distinctive vocal style, high yet thin with a rural quality that's totally unique and The Overtakers have a great harmony collectively.
 
The Overtakers released a number of fine singles during the mid to late 1960's including "The Big Take Over", "That's The Way You Like It", "Girl You Ruff" and the rude-boy warning "Beware".

  

The Overtakers recorded for producer Joe Gibbs and Graham would maintain strong ties with Gibbs for much of his career. Further releases such as "Right Now" and "Unresistable You" continued to show off the talents of the group but failed to sell in high numbers.

  

Although Graham had performed lead vocals for a number of The Overtakers songs he started to become more of a harmony singer on others and so left to form a new group, The Bleechers, in late 1968.

Taking the name from late-night Kingston ravers who would stay out to the early hours seeking a good time, a practice known as 'Bleeching' in Jamaica, The Bleechers was made up of Leo Graham alongside Wesley Martin and another vocalist known only as Sammy (Formerly of The Mellotones).
  
The Bleechers had intended to record for Joe Gibbs but eventually moved on to work with the legendary Lee "Scratch" Perry. This would be the start of a partnership between Perry and Graham that would continue for many years to come.

Lee Perry had just recently opened the Upsetter Record Shop on Charles Street, Kingston, just off the famous Orange Street, when Graham approached with a song he had written advertising the newly opened store. The song "Check Him Out" gave directions to Perry's place, as well as referring to the many hits the lable had produced recently with lyrics such as "Seek him out...everything gone on top...the Upsetter shop, where music hot".

   

   

The Bleechers went on to record some fantastic tunes with Perry including "Ease Up", "Everything For Your Fun", "You're Gonna Feel It", "Come Into My Parlour" and "Jump And Rale" which was an updated version of The Overtakers' "Girl You Ruff".

  

  
The Bleechers and Perry also recorded a Reggae version of the nursery rhyme "Farmer's In The Den" as well as two songs that Perry would also cut with The Wailers, "Adam And Eve" and "Pound Get A Blow".
Another release from this period was "Ram You Hard", a rude, slack Reggae, tune most likely penned by Scratch that was weirdly credited to John Lennon And The Bleechers! Possibly to increase sales.

  

The b-side to "Ram You Hard" was entitled "Soul Stew" and credited to The Medetators but it's quite obviously The Upsetters with an instrumental cut of "Check Him Out" in fine style.

Another 'slackness' release appeared entitled "Want A Whine" which features one of Perry's most popular rhythms of the time and was utilized for The Upsetters' "Double Wine" and U-Roy's "Stick Together".

  

 
In 1971 The Bleechers released the single "Put It Good" which credits producer J.J. Johnson and appeared on the 'Duke' label in the UK, it's another cracking track, as is the groups cover of the American Country standard "Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On" which was cut for Lee Perry.

  

  
By 1972 The Bleechers had split, with Leo Graham citing difficulties with fellow band member Sammy, who had taken over the group. Graham began to perform as a solo artist and again recorded for Joe Gibbs before returning to Lee Perry who had by now just opened his legendary Black Ark recording studio at his home in Washington Gardens.
  
In fact Leo Graham was one of the very first artists to record at The Black Ark when he cut the single "Black Candle", an anti-obeah song warning people not to meddle in the Black Arts, which became one of Graham's biggest selling singles in Jamaica.

  

The rhythm for "Black Candle" was entitled "Bad Lamp" and was used for further releases including "Doctor Demon", a back and forth vocal between Leo Graham and Prince Jazzbo which was also released as "Pampas Judas", "Big Tongue Buster" which features an uncredited vocal from Charlie Ace, as well as further dub takes from The Upsetters, "Black Bat" and "Bus A Dub".

  

  
Another popular rhythm cut at The Black Ark and used first by Leo Graham was for his single "Jump It", a wicked driving bass led track that he later re-recorded as "We Have Got A Date", it was also the basis for the Lee Perry / Jerry Lewis deejay cut "Burning Wire" and Prince Jazzbo's "Good Things".

  

  
Probably the best known rhythm that Graham cut with Perry was for "Three Blind Mice", another Reggae take on a nursery rhyme, it quickly became a rhythm that Perry would reuse many times both dubwise ("Mice Skank" / "Lizard Tongue Rock") and deejay versions including I-Roy's "Dread In The West". Max Romeo later recorded his own take of the song whilst King Tubby also crafted a dub mix entitled "Three Times Three".

  

  
  
Leo Graham had a great run of tunes for Perry during the early years of the Black Ark studio's operation, further examples include "Dig Pit", "Double Attack", "Greedy Gal" and the amazing track "News Flash", another rhythm that Perry would re-use many times.

  

 
By the mid to late 1970's Leo Graham returned once more to producer Joe Gibbs for whom he cut the singles "I'm Not Giving Up", "Destruction Deh Yah" and the highly popular "A Win Them" which received a 12'' single issue featuring I-Roy that also contained the strange instrumental side "Chipmunk's Rockers" credited to Errol Thompson, Joe Gibbs And The Professionals.

  

   
By the end of the 1970's Leo Graham's recording output had slowed down and very little appeared except a few singles cut at The Black Ark with Lee Perry such as "Revelation Time" (the b-side of which finds Perry conversing with Bunny Lee), "My Little Sandra" (a wild Ark rhythm that also received extended mixing and epic dub issues) and the mighty "Voodooism" with it's wonderful Upsetter dub mix aptly named "Dubism".

  

   
Only two other songs appeared from Leo Graham, these being cut for Joe Gibbs, "Perilous Times" and "Hard Times" both with nice dub b-sides including The Professional's "Bwoy It Rough".

  
  

  
Despite never really breaking into the mainstream and remaining largely unknown Leo Graham really has a crucial part to play in the Lee "Scratch" Perry story, having recorded for Perry throughout the progressing of Perry's Jamaican recording career, both before and during the Ark years.
  
During the late 1970's, when all of Jamaica was feeling the pressure of political violence and a constant military presence, those that were gathering in and around the Black Ark were feeling the pressures too.
Perry was losing the plot as he headed towards his notorious and well documented breakdown and it seems Leo Graham was fairing no better.
  
After cutting those incredible tunes at the Black Ark, "Voodooism" and "My Little Sandra", Leo decided to depart from the music scene after suffering an emotional breakdown, most likely caused by the ongoing social situation of the time.

It would be a long time before Leo Graham would record again, missing out on the 80's roots era and the digital breakthrough of the later 80's and early 90's.

In recent years Leo Graham has once again begun recording and touring, he has a large fan base in Latin America, especially Brazil and has performed shows in several countries down there.
 
Included in this album is a recent recording entitled "Deliver Me From My Enemies" which finds Leo on great form, it's as tho he has never been away.

A great artist, songwriter and performer, this collection proves just that. Leo Graham may not have received the recognition he truely deserves but as he says on "A Win Them": "It's not the size of the gun, but it's the effect from the bullet" 

Enjoy these bullets :-)

Tracklisting

Disc One:

1) The Overtakers - The Big Take Over
2) The Overtakers - That's The Way You Like It
3) The Overtakers - Girl You Ruff
4) The Overtakers - Right Now
5) The Overtakers - Beware
6) The Overtakers - Risk You A Run
7) The Overtakers - Unresistable You
8) The Bleechers - Check Him Out (The Upsetter Shop)
9) The Upsetters - Soul Stew
10) The Bleechers - You're Gonna Feel It
11) The Bleechers - Ease Up
12) The Upsetters - Squeeze Up
13) The Bleechers - Everything For Your Fun
14) The Upsetters - Wolf Man
15) The Bleechers - Come Into My Parlour
16) The Bleechers - Jump And Rale
17) The Bleechers - Pound Get A Blow
18) Roland Alphonso & The Upsetters - Roll On
19) The Bleechers - Adam And Eve
20) The Bleechers - Farmer's In The Den
21) The Bleechers - Want A Whine
22) The Upsetters - Double Wine
23) U Roy - Stick Together
24) The Bleechers - Put It Good
25) The Bleechers - Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On
26) The Bleechers - Ram You Hard
  
Disc Two:
  
1) Leo Graham - Jump It
2) Lee "Scratch" Perry And Jerry Lewis - Burning Wire
3) Leo Graham - We Have Got A Date (Jump It Part Two)
4) Prince Jazzbo - Good Things
5) Leo Graham - Three Blind Mice
6) The Upsetters - Mice Skank
7) Leo Graham And I Roy - Dread In The West
8) The Upsetters - Lizard Tongue Rock
9) King Tubby - Three Times Three
10) Leo Graham - Black Candle
11) The Upsetters - Bad Lamp
12) Leo Graham And Prince Jazzbo - Doctor Demon {aka Doctor Demand}
13) The Upsetters - Black Bat
14) Leo Graham And Charlie Ace - Big Tongue Buster
15) The Upsetters - Bus A Dub
16) Leo Graham And Prince Jazzbo - Pampas Judas
17) The Upsetters - Pampas Version
18) Leo Graham - Dig Pit
19) Leo Graham - Double Attack
20) Leo Graham - News Flash
21) The Upsetters - Flashing Echo
22) Leo Graham - Greedy Gal
23) The Blue Jay All Stars - Greedy Skank
24) Leo Graham - I'm Not Giving Up
25) The Mighty Two - I'm Not Giving Up (Version)
  
Disc Three:
  
1) Leo Graham - A Win Them
2) The Mighty Two - The Winner
3) I Roy - News Carrier
4) Leo Graham And I Roy - A Win Them (12'' Single Mix)
5) Joe Gibbs And The Professionals - Chipmunk's Rockers
6) Leo Graham - Destruction Deh Yah
7) Leo Graham - Revelation Time
8) Lee "Scratch" Perry And Bunny "Striker" Lee - Labrish
9) Leo Graham - My Little Sandra (7'' Single Mix)
10) The Upsetters - Dubbing Party
11) Leo Graham - My Little Sandra (Disco Mix) (aka 12'' Extended Mix)
12) The Upsetters - Dubbing Sandra
13) Leo Graham - Voodooism
14) The Upsetters - Dubism
15) Leo Graham - Perilous Time
16) The Mighty Two - Perilous Version
17) Leo Graham - Hard Times
18) Joe Gibbs And The Professionals - Bwoy It Rough
19) Leo Graham - Deliver Me From My Enemies


News Flash! The Very Best Of Leo Graham And The Bleechers  -- 
  
                                                                                                                                                     

Let us know what you think of this collection, leave a comment below or email us:

pipecockjackxonrrm@gmail.com

Please be aware that all download links are currently unavailable as of January 2023.

UPDATE 2016:

News Flash! - The Very Best Of Leo Graham And The Bleechers has been given quite the makeover since our previous edition, it has expanded to three discs with additional singles, b-sides, dubs and versions  :-)