Soundtrack

Original Soundtrack LP


Released in 1980 by Chrysalis: CHR1294

(Also released in the USA on Takoma)

Tracks on this LP are:

Yabby U – Deliver Me From My Enemies
Michael Prophet – Turn Me Loose
Yabby U – Free Africa
I Roy – Whap’n Bap’n
Cassandra – Thank You For The Many Things You’ve Done
Aswad – Hey Jah Children
Aswad – Warrior Charge
Dennis Bovell – Beefy’s Tune
Dennis Bovell – Manhunter
Dennis Bovell – Jazterpice

The press pack also credits:

Jeff Wayne Music – LBC Theme
Janet Kay – Can’t Give It Up

Ital Lion dubs by Aswad – Warrior Charge & Hey Jah Children

and the Shaka tracks

CD version

Released February 2005 on EMI. Tracklisting as above, with the following extras:

Dennis Bovell’s Dub Band – School Skanking
Dennis Bovell – Living In Babylon
Dennis Bovell – Runnin’ Away
Dennis Bovell’s Dub Band – Chief Inspector
Dennis Bovell’s Dub Band – B Flat Reggae Concerto
Dennis Bovell – Jazterpiece (Reggae Version)
Dennis Bovell – Beefy’s Tune (Long Version)

See Yabby U’s thoughts on the film in the features section.

Further information on music from the film

Richard J writes:

“It took me a few years to track down a second-hand vinyl copy of the soundtrack, yet my elation was tinged with dissappointment at how little of the music I’d heard on the film actually made it on to the album. The recent cd re-issue has re-dressed the balance though, […].

It’s a bit of a shame that the dub versions of “Beefy’s Tune” still didn’t make it on to the album (they’re out there somewhere, gathering dust!). Anyway, since seeing the film, I attempted (in vain) to track down other Dennis Bovell recordings, and it was only after moving to London a few years ago that I achieved success, and it seems that more of his music was used in the film than was credited.

The first track Fat Larry plays in his office is a dub called “Jazzz”, and when Beefy and Spark obtain the tannoy from the school, a dub called “Electrocharge” can be heard in the background. Both these tracks are on Dennis Bovell’s “I-Wah Dub” album. The re-issue of the soundtrack contains extra music, said to be in the film, though I’ve yet to locate some of it. But the tracks “Living In Babylon”, “Runnin’ Away”, and “Chief inspector” can all be found, slightly re-mixed, on Bovell’s “Brain Damage” album.”

Thanks to Richard.

Original press advert for the soundtrack

More:

We now have a page on records the use samples from the film.

NME Review of the Soundtrack LP

Jah Shaka’s release of Johnny Clark’s “Babylon”

Singles released to promote the film by Chyrsalis