Answer Riddim Clash – John Eden round

answer cassette

Here is my contribution to this week’s big news.

John Eden – Answer riddim mix clash by Johnedenuk on Mixcloud

45 minutes of prime reggae, rocksteady and dancehall – on varied (but all excellent) cuts of the Answer Riddim.

A one take live mix, with a few exclusive contributions from Hackney’s best female MC.

Tracklist:

1 Slim Smith – Never Let Go (Studio One)
2 Lone Ranger – The Answer (Soul Jazz)

Starting out with a foundation selection because building a mix without a foundation is like building a house on sand.

3 Brigadier Jerry – Pain (Roots Tradition)
4 Little John – What is Katty (Roots Tradition)

“Pain” is dedicated to my wrists. “What is Katty” is dedicated to Paul’s wrists.

5 Sister Nancy – Transport Connection (Techniques)

Moving nicely with Sister Nancy while other selectors stand still.

6 Carlton Livingstone – Rub a Dub Session (Roots)
7 Early B – History of Jamaica (Roots)

Carlton’s off to dance the night away while Early B educates certain people who are new to all this and perhaps don’t know the full story beyond tunes and warring.

8 Tippa Irie & The Colonel – Just A Speak (UK Bubblers)
9 Daddy Rusty – No No Way (UK Bubblers)
10 Daddy Sandy – Riddle Bubble (UK Bubblers)
11 Tannoi – Gunshot Salute (UK Bubblers)

Bringing it back to mid 80s London with the cream of Saxon Studio International in full swing. Meanwhile the enigmatic Tannoi has had enough of the macho warring in the dance ‘cos it’s ruined his date.

12 Peter Metro – Police In Jamaica (Jah Life Time)

Peter Metro also did Police Inna England for Jammys. On this tune he ends up in the nick with Nicodemus and is concerned that his sparring partner is cracking under the pressure whilst he remains calm and righteous. No further comment needed!

13 Paul Blake and The Bloodfire Posse – Rub a Dub Solider (Revue)

Paul Blake brings the digital vibe pre-sleng teng. Goes out to the all the 9 to 5 soldiers!

14 Dennis Brown – I Can’t Stand It (Joe Gibbs Music)
15 Junior Vibes – The Man In Me (Joe Gibbs Music)
16 Little U Brown – Locomotion (Joe Gibbs Music)
17 U Mike – Loving Galore (Joe Gibbs Music)

Everyone raves about Junjo in the 80s but Joe Gibbs’ stuff is just as good in my opinion. Proper! Little U Brown may or not be related to U Brown, but he is right about being “Big Inna London”. Surprisingly I haven’t been able to find any tunes about MCs being “big inna Sheffield” but I guess Paul has cornered the market on those with his mix.

18 Earl Sixteen – Batman + Robin (S.C.O.M.)
19 Jah Screechy – Walk & Skank (Blacker Dread / S.C.O.M.)
20 version (S.C.O.M.)
>> Stephen Marley feat Damian Marley + buju banton – The Traffic Jam (Tuff Gong)
21 Eek A Mouse – A Wah Do Dem (Blacker Dread)
22 Capleton – Punchline (Blacker Dread)
23 Super Cat – Vineyard Party (Wild Apache)

Possibly the definitive post- Studio One version of the riddim – and it was recorded in London! Credited to Blacker Dread at Easy Street studios with a line up including Jackie Mittoo, Horsemouth and Peter Chemist. Nice bit of rave crossover with Earl 16 going on to work with Leftfield and Jah Screechy forming the basis of SL2’s “On A Ragga Tip”.

At some point Blacker seems to have recorded a mentalist cross-fader dominator version which seriously does the business anywhere. I first heard the Capleton cut on the Still Blazing LP and, well, blimey.

Traffic Jam is dedicated to Droid. Shout out to all the pedantic posse!

24 Smiley Culture – Police Officer (Fashion)

Classics? I hate to belabour the point, but it’s a London/JA thing. Failsafe party stormer which still gets hands in the air when dropped by The Bug.

25 Marcia Griffiths – I Shall Sing (Penthouse)

Marcia’s singing and so am I. Because I only sing when I’m winning.

You can check out Paul’s absurd attempt to outdo me here .

Once you have listened to both you can vote for which mix is the best (i.e. for me) over at Dissensus. (You will have to register if you are not a poster there already. It’s easy to do and you should check out Dissensus if you like this blog in any case.)

38 Comments

  1. LOL – my souljahs are always given their proper reward, let me assure you! Although I guess it’s possible that this is what Capleton is on about in “Punchline” when he talks about “geneva convention took dem by surprise”

  2. Some interesting cross over in the track listings.

    Rubadub soldier is a tune but there are better.

    Quite a conservative selection though. Lot of very familiar tunes.

    All of which I would have put on my mix if I had, in fact, possessed them. 🙂

  3. An admission of defeat there? 😀

    Think youre missing a tune in your tracklist john:

    20 version (S.C.O.M.)

    >> Stephen Marley feat Damian Marley + buju banton : The Traffic Jam

  4. Eh? Surely it’s about entertaining the people, NOT transcribing the tracklist correctly or playing a load of obscure stuff that nobody knows or likes! 🙂

  5. Nah – thats soooo last century. Its all about accurate transcription of the tracklisting these days. That and how you look wiith your top off (still waiting for the pics btw).

  6. Ah – but my vote is meaningless as Im sure youve noticed.

    I shall be airing my REAL opinion in a series of convuluted, ultra-detailed and hyper-critical essays – 1 a week for the next 18 months.

  7. One thing Im worried aboutthough John – what about the human cost of all this mayhem? Sure, it may feel good strutting cocksurely over the opposition, but it might be the start of a sllipery slope of dejection, despair and self-loathing for the loser…

    Could this be the end of Messrs Meme & Eden? :O

  8. I know, it’s a tricky one. When Paul first suggested this I was all for a more collaborative effort, but he was fairly insistent about the war bizness, so… 🙂

  9. Nom – I can re-up when it goes, just let me know. Title? No just the small matter of one’s reputation I think, LOL!

    Ailsa – yeah it is a bit samey! It’s all based around the same rhythm and bassline…

  10. STOP PRESS – Daddy Rusty or Daddy Sandy are guilty of homophobic lyric-slinging – check the part after he mentions he’s a ‘casanova’.

  11. So the scores so far are

    HOMOPHOBIA

    Eden 1
    Meme 1

    ABILITY TO SEND ME MIX IN THE POST WITHIN THREE WORKING DAYS

    Eden 1
    Meme 0

  12. HOMOPHOBIA

    Eden 1
    Meme 1

    ABILITY TO SEND MARTIN MIX IN THE POST WITHIN THREE WORKING DAYS

    Eden 1
    Meme 0

    USE OF EMBARASSING YOOT TXTSPK BY AGEING FATHER

    Eden 1
    Meme 0

    like, ‘LOL’

  13. YOu forgot to put Yellowman’s “Body Move” on this tape, this song was one of the most popular songs on the Answer riddim.

  14. real nice compilation… not familiar with the saxon studio tracks as per usual so a big thanks for that….

    bless,
    rez.

  15. Wicked to hear this fun riddim ridden so well. But what about Principal’s “Answer” or Brigadier Jerry’s Jamaica Jamaica?? Selassie-I

  16. Just came across this and really enjoyed John’s round. Any chance someone could post a current link to Paul’s mix or re-up it? Thanx in advance

Comments are closed.