The Congos - Heart Of The Congos (Black Art First Edition) + Expanded Editions

A real gem of a find here for you today Reggae fans, the Original First Edition Black Art pressing of the phenomenal album "Heart Of The Congos" by The Congos, produced by Lee 'Scratch' Perry at the Black Ark Studio.

The Congos, Roy Johnson and Cedric Myton, recorded what has become a landmark in roots reggae and the benchmark for all who came after, when they collaborated with master producer Lee Perry at his Black Ark studio in Kingston Jamaica in 1977.

We have also added the "classic" second mix released on the Go-Feet label in 1980, the remastered second mix which appeared on the Blood And Fire labels' wonderful re-issue in 1996 and an expanded compilation of work featuring The Congos' members Watty Burnett and Cedric Myton recorded at the Black Ark and produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry between 1974 and 1979.

   
Cedric Myton began his music career as a member of the rocksteady era group The Tartans with Devon Russell and Lincoln Thompson in the mid-sixties but he was largely inactive throughout much of the seventies, only recording sporadically with The Royal Rasses.

Myton had met Lee Perry during this early period when Scratch was working at Studio One and then again in the mid-seventies when The Tartans cut the single "Woman Is A Contradicition" at The Black Ark with Perry on production.

Roydel Johnson also had history with Lee Perry, having grown up in the same small town, Kendal in Hanover, Roy remembers seeing Scratch and recalls his dancing skills of the time.

Roy moved to Kingston at the age of 16 and would hang around the music studios meeting the likes of Gladdy Anderson, Winston Wright and Ernest Ranglin who taught Roy to play guitar.
After a stint in the US Navy, stationed in the now infamous Guantanamo Bay, Roy returned to Kingston in the early seventies and again began hanging around studios in the hope that someone would record him.

Lee Perry gave him an early chance by inviting the singer to record the track "Standing On The Hill" but Scratch was unhappy with the final sound and recorded the track with Chenley Duffus instead.
Roy went off to improve his guitar skills in the hope that maybe he could make it as a session musician rather than a singer. He briefly joined The Rightful Brothers band where he improved on his guitar playing and learned to become a skilled hand drummer.

The story then goes that some six years later, while Roy was sitting in the gardens of his home strumming his guitar, Lee Perry turned up to purchase a bread-fruit tree and overheard him singing.
The song went "Row fisherman row...keep on rowing your boat" and an impressed Scratch told Roy to come by his studio to maybe record the song.

Cedric Myton had by this point (mid-seventies) become a devout Rastafarian and was a member of a Nyabinghi religious order in Kingston. Roy Johnson also joined this order and the two of them would sell clothing items to dreads to make some cash.

When Lee Perry invited Roy to come by the Black Ark the pair arrived as a duo around the summer of 1977 and set to work on the song "Fisherman".
The first version however was considered poor by all involved and so Scratch arranged for the two of them to return the next day with a different set of musicians.

It was during the sessions that followed that The Congos would record some of their greatest songs and Scratch would help shape one of the finest albums he ever created at the Black Ark.

Songs like "Open Up The Gate", "Sodom and Gomorrow"and "Solid Foundation" are all powerful Rasta statements. The Congos would tackle issues ranging from the forces of Babylon, Christianity and the political workings of both in their songwriting, incorperating Biblical references to emphasize the work.

The production from Scratch draws out the power of the songs, this was the Black Ark sound at it's peak in creativity and Scratch would work non-stop for days to get what he wanted from the music.
Lee Perry saw something in the Congos and in the songs they had written and he truely wanted to get the best out of the group and push the message given by the songs lyrics.

Watty Burnett, a regular figure at the studio, joined the group at this point as Perry thought his deep barritone vocal would help add a further dimension to the overall sound of The Congos.
Watty had recorded a number of singles with Perry but none of them were selling in numbers until his cover of a Brook Benton tune adapted to become "Rainy Night In Portland" sold well.

Watty had asked Scratch if he could remain a solo singer but Perry told him to stick with The Congos as he felt this could be the album that would break big like Perry's previous hit albums from Max Romeo (War Ina Babylon), The Heptones (Party Time), Junior Murvin (Police And Thieves) and George Faith (To Be A Lover) which had all been picked up by Chris Blackwell's Island Records and given widespread distribution.

To further shape the vocal sound of the album Perry brought in members of The Heptones and The Meditations to provide harmonies and also the late great Gregory Isaacs, who was also recording at the Black Ark during this period and appears on the song "La La Bam Bam Bam".

The Congos album was coming together and Scratch would spend more time on this production then any of his previous efforts.

As The Congos were spending more and more time around Lee Perry they began to influence him and other people at the studio with their deep Nyabinghi religious beliefs. Watty Burnett became a member of the order and Scratch himself had begun to knot up his hair, eat more healthy foods and excerise.

More and more dreadlocked members of the Nyabinghi also began to assemble around the Black Ark, conducting rituals. smoking large quantities of herb and having long discussions into the night.

Lee Perry issued the first few singles by The Congos, some of which on his new ‘disco-cork’ imprint with extended dub versions and Island Records picked up on these. Chris Blackwell is said to have been particularly fond of the song "Congoman" and expressed an interest in a full album release by the group despite getting mixed reviews from the British press.

Island records released a number of singles for Perry during this period by other Black Ark artists of the time such as George Faith, Keith Rowe and Lord Creator. Island even sent British rock artist, the late Robert Palmer, to the Black Ark to record some songs, although Palmer is said to have been troubled by the menecing presence of the seemingly anti-white Nyabinghi members who were hanging around the studio during his time there.

Indeed the influence of the Nyabinghi Order at the Black Ark was growing strong and Lee Perry was unable to do much about the many unwanted visitors to his home. It was starting to frustrate him and more importantly interrupt his recording sessions.

In late 1977, many months after the first recording sessions with the Congos, "Heart Of The Congos" was finally released in very small quantities on Perry's Black Art label. The cover of these first editions had a picture of Cedric Myton and Roy Johnson (Watty Burnett was not present during the photo-shoot) and some had hand-painted yellow stripes down the borders covering the blue stripes printed on the covers.

This first edition contained 10 of what Perry believed were the best of the songs recorded by The Congos and the mix is noticeably different from the version most of us know as the definitive second edition.

The vocals have been left untouched, there is more emphasis on Keith Sterling's wonderful piano work which stands out and there is minimal echo, delay and reverb added. The most noticeable aspect is the lack of phasing and sound-effects that had been present on Perry's previous albums.

It could be that these first edition, early pressings were kind of like a demo of what was to come, just basic mixes of tracks that Lee Perry would put a great deal of effort into remixing for it's official release. After all Perry had done this before, releasing "Scratch The Super Ape" before it's official Island release "Super Ape" with a slightly differing mix and George Faith's "To Be A Lover" was released as "Super Eight" before it's international Black Swan Island subsidiary issue.

                                      

Chris Blackwell travelled to Jamaica to discuss the terms of a full "Heart Of The Congos" album release on Island Records but eventually left empty handed. It's not really known what happened during this discussion but Blackwell has later said that he just didn't think it was good enough!

So Lee Perry went back to the studio and began to dramatically change the mix of the album, adding excessive amounts of echo, reverb, his trademark phasing techniques and all kinds of sound-effects, crashing symbols and of course the haunting 'mooing' cow noises!

Perry became obsessed with getting the album right which began to effect his work with other artists. Ill-fated projects such as a full album by resident Black Ark female trio Full Experience and a solo album by member Candy McKenzie didn't receive Perry's full attention. Second albums by Junior Murvin and George Faith failed to gain momentum and Lee Perry's own "Roast Fish, Collie Weed and Cornbread" album feels unfinished and Perry seems under pressure.

Indeed Lee Perry was under pressure, after completing his final mix of "Heart Of The Congos" he sent the tapes to Island Records, along with Candy McKenzie's solo album and his own solo effort "Roast Fish Collie Weed and Cornbread" but Chris Blackwell made his decision and Island refused to release any of the material Perry had sent.

It's unclear what made Island turn their back on Perry, although it's said that the quality of the tapes Perry sent to Island were not brilliant, it's doubtful that this reason alone is cause enough and since it's eventual release "Heart Of The Congos" has sold in incredible numbers worldwide on labels such as Go-Feet, VP and the definitive release on Blood And Fire.
   
Many reasons have been suggested including that Island records were more concerned in promoting Bob Marley and would shelve albums by other reggae artists, this claim is made by The Congos as well as Max Romeo and others who's follow up albums were poorly promoted by the label.
Some claim that albums by Junior Murvin, George Faith and others recorded at the Black Ark are still languishing in the vaults of Island headquarters.

Either way when Island refused to release the album it certainly caused problems for The Congos and Lee Perry who had a major falling out. The Congos left the Black Ark and Perry blamed the influence of the Nyabinghi dreads for casting an evil spell on his studio and began to drive them out with his crazy antics including driving around with pork on his car roof and scrawling "Satan the devil lives here" on the walls of his entrance.

The Congos would go on to record for other producers and of course Perry would go on to burn down his studio to 'cleanse it from evil spirits'.

The time they spent together gave us this remarkable album, a piece of reggae history and one of the greatest albums of all time.

This is the original first edition of "Heart Of The Congos", the first mix that had only a very small release on the Black Art label in 1977. It remained elusive and incredibly difficult to find for many years but thankfully it was given a much needed and very much appreciated reissue by VP / 17 North Parade in 2017 on both vinyl and double CD, adding some addition session material.
  
The more familiar second mix (with the extraordinary and powerful production added by Lee Perry) has been issued a number of times on labels such as Go-Feet (UK), Congo Ashanty (Jamaica/US), Jah Live (France) and VP Records (International). The best and most definitive is available on the Blood And Fire label.
   
But here we have the simplistic, beautiful and under-produced Black Art original.

Enjoy! : )

The Congos - Heart Of The Congos (Black Art First Edition)

1) Fisherman (6:03)

2) Congoman (6:39)

3) Open Up The Gate (5:14)

4) Children Crying (4:14)

5) La La Bam Bam (3:14)

6) Can’t Come In (6:03)

7) Sodom And Gomorrow (5:17)

8) The Wrong Thing (3:06)

9) Ark Of The Covenant (3:21)

10) Solid Foundation (3:11)

For those who wish to compare the difference in the mixes of "Heart Of The Congos" we have below a link to an expanded collection which offers the original 'Black Art' label first edition alongside the 'classic' second mix released on the 'Go-Feet' label in 1980 and the re-mastered 1996 'Blood & Fire' re-issue which has been expanded to include a bonus disc of material recorded by The Congos with Lee "Scratch" Perry at The Black Ark studio between 1977 and 1979.

We have also included a compilation of The Congos' member Watty Burnett's recordings from the Black Ark between 1974 and 1979, this includes singles, b-sides, versions and an appearance from Cedric Myton (with The Tartans).

The Congos - Heart Of The Congos (Go-Feet Second Edition)

1) Fisherman (5:20)

2) Congoman (5:25)

3) Open Up The Gate (4:13)

4) Children Crying (3:48)

5) La La Bam Bam (3:02)

6) Can’t Come In (5:38)

7) Sodom And Gomorrow (4:13)

8) The Wrong Thing (2:57)

9) Ark Of The Covenant (3:37)

10) Solid Foundation (3:40)


The Congos - Heart Of The Congos (Deluxe Edition)

Disc One - "Heart Of The Congos (Second Mix Remastered)

1) Fisherman (6:05)

2) Congoman (6:39)

3) Open Up The Gate (4:29)

4) Children Crying (4:13)

5) La La Bam Bam (3:55)

6) Can’t Come In (5:52)

7) Sodom And Gomorrow (6:11)

8) The Wrong Thing (5:35)

9) Ark Of The Covenant (6:19)

10) Solid Foundation (5:58)

Disc Two - "Heart Of The Congos - Album Sessions, Singles, B-Sides, Dubs And Versions

1) At The Feast (Of The Passover)

2) Nicodemus (12’’ Single Mix)

3) Open The Gate (12” Single Mix)

4) Don’t Blame It On I

5) Play On Mr. Music {With The Upsetter Revue}

6) Chances (Album Mix) {aka Too Late}

7) Rainy Night In Portland

8) Bring The Mackaback

9) Congoman (12” Single Mix)

10) Congoman Chant

11) Noah Sugar Pan

12) Solid Foundation (Disco Cork Mix)

13) Nicodemus (7” Single Mix)

14) Nicodemus Dub

15) Open The Gate (7” Single Mix)

16) Open The Gate Dub

17) Chances (12” Single Mix)

18) Rainy Night In Portland (Disco Mix)

19) Rainy Night Dub

20) Fisherman Dub


Watty Burnett & Friends - I Man Free (Black Ark Sessions 1974 - 1979)

Disc One

1) Watty Burnett - I Man Free
2) The Upsetters - Free Man
3) Watty Burnett - Dash I Pon Him
4) The Upsetters - Dash It Pon Him (Version)
5) Little Joe - Jacket
6) The Upsetters - Jacket (Version)
7) Watty Burnett - River Bank
8) The Upsetters - River Bank (Version)
9) Augustus Pablo Meets The Upsetter - Is Him
10) Little Joe - Psalm 54
11) Augustus Pablo Meets The Upsetter - Version In Bed
12) Watty Burnett - What A War
13) The Upsetters - What A Dub
14) Watty Burnett - Babylon A Fall
15) The Upsetters - Cripple Skank {aka Babylon A Fall Version}
16) Watty Burnett & Tony Fearon - Rise And Shine
17) The Upsetters - Shining Dub
18) Watty Burnett - Where Can I Rest My Weary Head
19) Watty Burnett - Come By Yah
20) King Tubby - Come By Yah (Version)

Disc Two

1) Watty Burnett And Cultured Stars - Perfidia
2) Watty Burnett And Cultured Stars - Perfidia (Version)
3) The Tartans - Woman Is A Contradiction
4) The Tartans - It's True
5) Watty Burnett - Open The Gate (7'' Single Mix)
6) The Upsetters - Open The Gate Dub
7) Watty Burnett - Open The Gate (12'' Single Mix)
8) Watty Burnett - Rainy Night In Portland (7'' Single Mix)
9) The Upsetters - Rainy Night Dub
10) Watty Burnett - Rainy Night In Portland (12'' Single Mix)
11) Watty Burnett - Rainy Night In Portland (Disco Mix)
12) Watty Burnett - Too Late (7'' Single Mix)
13) The Upsetters - Too Late (7'' Version)
14) Watty Burnett - Chances {aka Too Late - Album Mix}
15) Watty Burnett - Too Late (12'' Single Mix)


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

 

   
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