Ras Michael & The Sons Of Negus - Love Thy Neighbour (Original Full Length Album) (1979)

A great album on offer here Reggae fans and one of the last full albums recorded at Lee "Scratch" Perry's legendary Black Ark studio. Ras Michael & The Sons Of Negus and their brilliant album "Love Thy Neighbour" in all it's full length re-mastered glory.

Originally released on the Jah Live label in 1979 and then again in the USA on the Live & Learn label in 1983 only 7 tracks appeared. The remaining Black Ark sessions then featured on the groups 1981 album "Disarmament".

Finally the full 10 song album is here for your enjoyment with a couple of bonus Black Ark cuts : )

Ras Michael, real name Michael George Henry, was born in St. Mary, Jamaica in 1943 and grew up in a Rastafarian community. In his teens he moved to the Waterhouse district of Kingston where he would join a group of Rastafarian bredren in the compound of elder Nyahbinghi drummer Solomon Wolfe.

 
Here he learned the music and drumming of the Nyahbinghi, a form of Rastafarian music in which hand drumming and chanting were part of the religious meditation experience and groups would gather for days on end, reasoning (debating) on a degree of philosophical subjects.

In the mid-60's Michael created the Zion Disc label with the intention of showcasing and distributing Rasta inspired music, a practice that was uncommon at this period of time as most labels refused to promote Rastafarian music.

 
Michael also got a job at the famed, Coxsone Dodd run, Studio One as a hand drummer and worked on a variety of sessions using the money earned to fund the first ever Rastafarian radio program in Jamaica entitled "The Lion Of Judah Time" on JBC in 1967.

Although Michael had been recording since the mid-60's the first recordings crediting the Sons Of Negus didn't start to appear until the early 70's. The group was made up of various Nyahbinghi drummers and chanters including Sydney Wolfe (Solomon's son), I-Marts (aka Brother Martin) and Brother Jack.

 
They would mix the natural drumming of Nyahbinghi with the electric sounds of reggae to great effect and released a number of fine albums throughout the early to mid-70's occasionally under the alternative group name of Dadawah.

Ras Michael had known Lee Perry from his early days in the Reggae industry and towards the end of the 70's had begun to frequent Perry's studio in Washington Gardens, the Black Ark, with a number of other Nyahbinghi members, predominantly during the time The Congos were recording their glorious "Heart Of The Congos" album in 1977.

 
The group also provided some hand drumming on Junior Murvin's album sessions and were also present during Bob Marley's recordings at the studio in 1978.

It was at this point, late 1978, that Lee Perry agreed to produce an album by the group, a Black Ark Nyahbinghi hybrid that would transcend genres and help to push the Rastafarian message.

 
The group recorded 10 tracks at the studio with Lee Perry on production providing massive quantities of echo, delay and reverb to the hand drumming, chanting style of the Sons Of Negus. The instruments coming in and out of the mix at random intervals, the vocals echoey and haunting, everything just adding to the power and menace of the highly religious Nyahbinghi works being created.

It was at this time that the Black Ark and Lee Perry were beginning to fall apart and little did the group realise (or maybe they did?) that the album they had recorded would be one of the last created at the studio.

Ras Michael managed to secure the master tapes before the studio fell into disrepair and the album was given a limited vinyl release on the Jah Live label in 1979 entitled "Love Thy Neighbour".

This first edition included the songs "Long Time", "Do You Know?" and "Dreadlock" but was missing "Perfect Love" and "London Bridge Has Fallen Down" despite being named on the tracklist.

Then in the early 1980's Ras Michael & The Sons of Negus headed to the USA and struck a deal with the Live & Learn label who issued a second edition of the album.

 
This second edition however did not include the songs "Long Time", "Do You Know?" or "Dreadlock", A very confusing thing for those who purchased this edition or the previous Jah Live issue.

Later editions included "Perfect Love" and "London Bridge Has Fallen" but were missing the three final tracks, this edition has become the standard and was re-issued on cd.

 
Other tracks from the album sessions appeared on the groups 1981 album "Disarmament".

This edition includes the full 12 songs from the Black Ark album sessions, re-mastered for the first time on one disc and includes bonus extra Black Ark sessions.

Enjoy!   : )

Tracklisting:

1) Don't Sell Daddy No Whiskey
2) Times Is Drawing Nigh
3) Hear River Jordan Roll
4) Wicked Got To Go
5) Little David
6) Perfect Love
7) London Bridge Has Fallen Down
8) Do You Know?
9) Long Time Ago (aka Wicked Man)
10) Dreadlock (aka Jesus Christus Is The King)
11) Unity
12) Stop Pay The Price For Sin
13) Midnight Hour
14) Midnight Hour (Version) {I-Roy}

Recorded at the Black Ark studio, 1978, produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry

Ras Michael & The Sons Of Negus - Love Thy Neighbour (Original Full Length Album) 

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