A new kind of Canada Day special featuring a variety of reggae shout-outs to Canada and places Canadian. Almost every song on this playlist features at least one mention of Canada or a Canadian place name.
The two exceptions are a couple tracks from Windsor's own new-wave-reggae ex-wunderkinds Contradance. Their Black Preppies EP is kind of iconic round these parts, and here in Canusa we always knew exactly what they were singing about. So for example, when they sing "My girlfriend wears purple plaid skirts," we knew that meant she went to Assumption High School.
The Sattalites: Canada Calling from MySpaceShabba Ranks: Trailer Load A Girls -- Steely & Clevie: Digital Revolution (Greensleeves 2011)
Cocoa Tea: I Am The Marshall -- The Marshall LP (Jammy's 1991)
Cutty Ranks: Stopper -- Dancehall 101 Vol. 3 (VP Records 2002)
Burning Spear: The Invasion/Black Wa-da-da -- The Best Of Burning Spear (Millennium Collection) (Island 2002)
Martyn: Vancouver -- Great Lengths (3024 Records 2009)
I Roy: Monkey Fashion -- Dubbing With The Royals (Pressure Sounds 2004)
The Melodians: Last Train To Expo 67 -- Rocksteady Soul: The Original Cool Sound Of Duke Reid's Treasure Isle (Metro 2001)
Brigadier Jerry: Dance In A Montreal (Studio One 1985) This track is found somewhere among the incredible and vast collection of Studio One singles downloadable here. Be warned: it's vast. Systemwide: Reclame (Deadbeat's Montreal Winter Dub Remix) -- Impurely Replied: Systemwide Remixed (BSI 2003)
Trip The Off: Clark Street -- Street Music (Clark Street 2007)
Jackie Mittoo: Toronto Express -- Now (Bamboo 1970) Thanks to Jaaaaaah for this tasty slice of CanCon from the keyboard king. Lillian Allen: Rub A Dub Style Inna Regent Park -- Revolutionary Tea Party (Verse To Vinyl 1998)
Snow: Informer -- 12" Of Snow (East West 1993)
Clifton Joseph: Scenes/Seen! -- Oral/Trans/Missions (Verse To Vinyl 1989)
Contradance: Black Preppies -- Black Preppies EP (Dancing Note 1982)
Contradance: Trouble In The Darkness -- Black Preppies EP (Dancing Note 1982)
Kojak: Nice Up Jamaica -- Trojan Jamaica Box Set (Trojan 2004)
Bim Sherman: Slummy Ghetto -- Reggae Archive (On-U Sound 1994)
Peter Tosh: African -- Super Hits (Sony 2001)
Johnny Clarke: Moving On To Zion -- Trojan Roots Box Set (Trojan 2002)
Chet Singh: Dem Arrest -- Recessionary Revolutionaries (Ind. 2010)
Derrick Laro & Trinity: Don't Stop Till You Get Enough -- Hustle! Reggae Disco (Soul Jazz 2002)
The strangest Canadian shout out of them all in this week's episode comes courtesy of the mighty poet I Roy. In the course of Monkey Fashion (which includes a round-up of Jamaican place names), the name of one of our least Caribbean provinces is dropped purely for the love of rhyme and metre.
MONKEY FASHION – Lyrics by I Roy (deciphered to the best of my ability -- please feel free to correct me in the comments!)
Wow!
Some cats really deal with rival war
But I say man if you deal with war
You got to stay far
Cause if you deal with violence
You shall go down in silence
Be in abscondance all oh-over the fence
Tell you bout this kind a thing called self-defence
Really me (?) with no pretense
You gotta have some kinda patience y’know
And hear about this kinda thing called the monkey fashion
Monkey won’t do
I don’t know what to say the monkey won’t do
Don’t know what to say the monkey make me feel so blue
More power to this monkey must be some kinda baddy-boo
Went uptown monkey went up too
Went downtown monkey was down deh too
Standing on the corner
Monkey on the corner too
Try to light my cigarette
Monkey light him too
I tell you monkey man
Got to understand this sound’s from Saskatchewan
Kinda monkey in the jungle
Tell you the monkey got to really mungle
Hunnnh…
The monkey won’t do
I don’t know what to say the monkey won’t do
Went uptown monkey went up too
Went to Meadowbrook the monkey was there too.
Went to Jacks Hill monkey was there too.
Went to Beverly Hills the monkey was up there too.
Went to ‘arbour Heights y’know the monkey was down there too.
Say the monkey won’t do
Went to St. Jago de la Vega the monkey was there too.
People call it Spain Town y’know
Got to gather round don’t be no clown
Hunh!
Say the monkey won’t do
I don’t know what to say this monkey won’t
I don’t know what to say this monkey wasn’t capable of doin’
So baby come an’ try your thing before we get a-wooin’.
This kinda monkey dangerous a travellin round town
So brothers and sisters you got to be brown (?) and be no clown
Hear what the king of sound and blues a-puttin’ down
Some a them a Ras without the I
Some a them a try’n’ ‘rass I
Some a them a bad like Superfly
Some a them a really spy
Unnnhn
Music hit you got to get high, y’know?
The monkey man
I don’t know what to say the monkey won’t do
Oh look at that the monkey got the flu – unnh
Say the monkey won’t do
I don’t know what to say the monkey won’t do
I don’t know what to say the monkey won’t do
Went down to Seaside monkey come down there too.
Went to Portland yes the monkey was there too.
Went over Port Royal monkey was there too.
Went to Gunboat monkey was there too.
Went to Mo’Bay monkey was there to stay.
What to say the monkey
Scabadoobadoobadey unnh
Bebadoobambadey
Aloobadoombangdey
Bomp she bay henh
Don’t know what to say the monkey won’t do
As I would tell you
Come on down with me and swing along
As I would tell you
Play it on strong cause I could never go wrong
I tell you ‘bout this kinda monkey…
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