Day-O: Playlist for July 8, 2011

The New Age Steppers 1st LP, cover designed by Bill Bell.

On-U Sounds LP #1, released in 1981; re-released with four bonus tracks on CD in 2011.

30 years of beautiful post-punk reggae.

Ruts DC: Rhythm Collision (RSD aka Rob Smith Remix)-- King Size Dub Chap. 15 (Echo Beach 2011)

Edric Connor: Day Dah Light -- Songs From Jamaica (Saland 2008)

Deadbeat: First Quarter -- Drawn & Quartered (BLKRTZ 2011)

The Aggrolites: Complicated Girl -- Rugged Road (Stomp 2011)

Johnny Clarke: Do You Love Me? -- Real Authentic Reggae Vol. 2 (BBE Records 2009)

African Head Charge: Mysterious Happenings -- Voodoo Of The Godsent (On-U Sound 2011)

The Senior Allstars: Stage Rocker -- Red Leaf (Grover 2006)

The Senior Allstars: Stage Rockers Dub (Avatar Remix) -- In Dub (Skycap 2011)

The Process Meets Ghetto Priest: The Lion Of Judah Hath Prevailed (Congo Natty Well Toasted Mix) (Temple Gong 2011)

Louise Bennett: Day Dah Light -- Jamaican Folk Songs (Folkways 1954)

The Techniques: Day-O -- Run Come Celebrate: Their Greatest Reggae Hits (Rounder 1995)

Alkaline: Skull Dubbery -- ExtraLongLife (Universal 2000)

Jamaram: End Of the World Dub -- Jamaram In Dub (Echo Beach 2011)

New Age Steppers: Singing Love -- New Age Steppers (On-U Sound 2011)

Errol Dunkley: Black Cinderella -- Keep The Pressure Down (Prestige Elite 2004)

Augustus Pablo: Cinderella In Black -- Keep The Pressure Down (Prestige Elite 2004)

I Roy: Sound Education -- Don't Check Me With No Lightweight Stuff 1972-75 (Blood & Fire 1997)

Jimmy Radway & The Fe Me Time Allstars: The Best Big Youth Version -- Dub I (Pressure Sounds 2008)

Tack>>Head: Black Cinderella Version -- King Size Dub Chap. 15 (Echo Beach 2011)

Tappa Zukie: Black Cinderella -- Man Ah Warrior (Trojan 2003)

Smoke: Ken Saro Wiwa -- Routes (Echo Beach 2009)

Federico Aubele feat. Natalia Clavier: Ojala -- Berlin 13 (ESL 2011)

Slim Smith: Turning Point -- Real Authentic Reggae Vol. 1 (BBE Records 2008)

Dubmatix: Deep Dark Dub (TVS Remix) -- King Size Dub Chap. 15 (Echo Beach 2011)

Jolly Boys: Nightclubbing -- Great Expectation (Geejam 2010)

Harry Belafonte: Banana Boat Song (Day O) -- Calypso (RCA Victor 1956)

Click here to listen to this show. Or right-click to download (ctrl+click if you're a Mac). For a limited time only!

"Day-O," aka the "Banana Boat Song," aka "Day Dah Light" ruled tonight's show in honour of the chart successes of two songs, Jason Derulo's "Don't Wanna Go Home" and Lil Wayne's "Six Foot Seven Foot," both of which quote Harry Belafonte's own massive hit. Belafonte's LP Calypso was the first album to sell a million copies. So, basically, Jamaican music is the most popular music in the world. Or something like that.

SOUND EDUCATION: Lyrics by I-Roy (deciphered to the best of my ability -- please feel free to correct me in the comments!)

Hey!

From the college

Where you get your musical knowledge

As I would say, knowledge is power

As I shower down the shower on the hour

Each and every hour

Education ’appen to be the topic

And when I tell you this brothers & sisters it’s terrific

As I would say I don’t mean to play you no funny trick

But if you’re young or old

You gotta come on out and bring your walking stick

Hold there Bro’ B

Le’ we hear what Bro’ T have to say

Bro’ B: You want gun, I

Bro’ T: No, I! Gun too hot for I!

Bro’ B: Then what the man want then, I?

Bro’ T: Education for I and I!

Together: I!!

That’s what the brothers say

And you can hear them tell you each and every day

Literacy means a lot

So when you grow up you’ll be cream of the crop

Cos I-man will tell you this

Literacy is something no one in the world can resist

For the heights by great men reached and kept

Were not attained by sudden flight,

But they, while their companions slept,

Were toiling upwards through the night*

And when I tell you this is gonna be all right

For when I tell you baby I will say that’s out of sight

Hey!

Musical song’s called literacy

Learn as you earn

And I will tell it to you

And you will never regret

And when I tell you brothers and sisters

You can never fret

For literacy is the theme

And that’s exactly how it seems as I will tell it you

Baby you gotta make my scene

And baby You cannot be no jellybean

For literacy is the topic

And when I tell you this is really really really terrific

Hey!

As I would tell you ‘bout the sound’s called literacy

Shout it in the neighbourhood

So all the people can live good

MUSICAL INTERLUDE

So if you’re young or old

And I would say brothers and sisters

You got to have some soul

For in this land of nationhood

You gotta love one another and be very good

Literacy is the theme

And as I would tell you that’s exactly how it seem

And brothers and sisters

You can let your little light shine

Help one another writin’ down the line

As I would tell you musical sound that you can find

Literacy is the thing we need today

Brothers and sisters

Each and every day

As I would tell it to you ‘bout this

I will lead the way

Hey!

As I tell you literacy is what we need today

In this land of nationhood that’s what I say

So we can go on hand in hand

To help Jamaicans to build a better land

Hey!

Musical sound’s called Literacy, y’know

You gotta keep on coming through the door

As I will give you just a little little bit o’ more

* a quote from "The Ladder of Saint Augustine" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. These lines must have been drilled into every Jamaican schoolchild, because they appear in a large number of songs, from "The Great Wuga Wuga" by Sir Lord Comic to "The Heights of Great Men" by Beenie Man. Also: "My Mission is Impossible" by the Viceroys (aka "Nothing Is Impossible" by the Interns).