The version I've known for years is this one: http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000003LSO.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg
I assumed it was the real thing, but I'm assured by those who know better that it bears little relationship to the original (some shared rhythms, I think). The original version, I think, was this one: http://www.upsetter.net/scratch/images/sleeves/slv-blackboard.jpg
(More detail on this version here: http://www.upsetter.net/scratch/disco/upsetters/upsetters_blackboard.html including reference to another (CD) version witha different name containing all the stuff.)
I know there was a CD reissue a few years ago (on VP? Maybe, nasty computer designed blu-ish ) which called itself "Original Blackboard Jungle Dub" and seemed to be making a case for itself being the real thing but I never worked out what relationship it bore to any of the other pressings. I mean, there are only so many Scratch records one can consider buying.
Haven't seen the version you've bought, but I do get a bit sick of the constant re-cycling and re-selling of Perry stuff. This page: http://www.upsetter.net/scratch/disco/bogus.htm gives a fairly amusing account of some of the bogus Upsetter business being sold.
I like the sound of rounded edges.
― Tim (Tim), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 10:24 (nineteen years ago) link
"The second album from the new Auarlux label is the benchmark Upsetters 14 Dub Blackboard Jungle, produced by Lee Perry and mixed by both King Tubby and Perry. Recorded in 1973, Blackboard Jungle was one of the first dub albums ever to be released and one of Perry's finest to date... this record received only a 300 copy Jamaican pressing at the time, but has since been issued in various guises to differing levels of quality. As no tapes exist -- their whereabouts being the subject of much speculation -- Auralux acquired a mint copy of the original pressing which they dubbed and mastered for this release. In addition to the Blackboard Jungle album. Also included are four unreleased treasures from the Black Ark studio. Extensive sleeve notes written by David Katz, author of the Lee Perry biography."
Most reissues only have 12 tracks and those were remixed by Brad Osbournne at Clocktower Records - somewhat akin to paintin over the Mona Lisa I'd have thought!
― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 10:32 (nineteen years ago) link
― ryan kuo (ryan kuo), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 10:37 (nineteen years ago) link
― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 10:41 (nineteen years ago) link
"Definitive" is a tricky business in Scratch's case, of course: one look at the history of "Heart of the Congos" shows that very clearly, with rumours of at least 5 different versions of the LP, all down to Scratch.
The sleeve I liked to first is a Clocktower version, the one with an actual Blackboard on the cover is - I think - Perry's own work.
Good to see people apparently taking care over this stuff, though.
― Tim (Tim), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 10:42 (nineteen years ago) link
Amen to that!
― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 10:46 (nineteen years ago) link
*ruffles own hair*
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 10:47 (nineteen years ago) link
― ryan kuo (ryan kuo), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 10:47 (nineteen years ago) link
― bugged out, Tuesday, 6 April 2004 10:54 (nineteen years ago) link
― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 10:55 (nineteen years ago) link
― bugged out, Tuesday, 6 April 2004 10:56 (nineteen years ago) link
― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 10:57 (nineteen years ago) link
― bugged out, Tuesday, 6 April 2004 11:05 (nineteen years ago) link
A great great album, nonetheless!
― bugged out, Tuesday, 6 April 2004 11:06 (nineteen years ago) link
― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 11:10 (nineteen years ago) link
― Mr Mime (Andrew Thames), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 11:13 (nineteen years ago) link
― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 11:15 (nineteen years ago) link
I dunno, maybe it is something different, I'd definitely like to check it out. (Maybe if Steve Barrow sez so, tee hee). Just tend to be sceptical about this stuff for reasons given by others above.
― bugged out, Tuesday, 6 April 2004 11:15 (nineteen years ago) link
― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 11:17 (nineteen years ago) link
If the sound is significantly better that would be worth something in itself. Although there was always a certain charm about the invariably warped and highly crackly Clocktower vinyl, seemed to be appropriate to the lurching, raggedy rhythms.
― bugged out, Tuesday, 6 April 2004 11:18 (nineteen years ago) link
Dadaismus, the point is that Perry released things and then carried on working on them (or at least had multiple 'finished' versions, none of which was necessarily definitive). This is why I think it's best not to be too trenchant about 'original', and certainly not about 'definitive'.
― Tim (Tim), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 11:19 (nineteen years ago) link
― Mr Mime (Andrew Thames), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 11:21 (nineteen years ago) link
Of course, so let's agree that this a re-issue of an album called "Upsetters 14 Dub Blackboard Jungle", which was released in Jamaica in 1973. Not the definitive or final "Blackboard Jungle" perhaps but the first.
― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 11:23 (nineteen years ago) link
― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 11:57 (nineteen years ago) link
― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 13:06 (nineteen years ago) link
(just testing)
― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 13:17 (nineteen years ago) link
Exactly! I have the Lion w/ Helmet version on vinyl and the hiss and cracks are insane on some tracks yet they actually do seem to make sense in that whole hazy Perry sound.
― Omar (Omar), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 13:21 (nineteen years ago) link
― zebedee (zebedee), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 13:34 (nineteen years ago) link
― Beta (abeta), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 14:38 (nineteen years ago) link
― Tim (Tim), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 14:41 (nineteen years ago) link
― Tim (Tim), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 14:43 (nineteen years ago) link
― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 20:22 (nineteen years ago) link
― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 20:46 (nineteen years ago) link
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Thursday, 8 April 2004 07:28 (nineteen years ago) link
(btw, Sounds of the Universe has Wailing Souls at Channel One if you're still looking for this, PJM)
― zebedee (zebedee), Thursday, 8 April 2004 09:09 (nineteen years ago) link
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Thursday, 8 April 2004 09:19 (nineteen years ago) link
― zebedee (zebedee), Thursday, 8 April 2004 09:23 (nineteen years ago) link
― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 8 April 2004 09:40 (nineteen years ago) link
― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 8 April 2004 09:43 (nineteen years ago) link
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 13:23 (nineteen years ago) link
― Tim (Tim), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 13:27 (nineteen years ago) link
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 13:31 (nineteen years ago) link
trojan have bunged out Blackbd Jungle themselves as part of a 2CD set with Cloak and Dagger and Revolution Dub.
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 13:34 (nineteen years ago) link
I understand that BJD is a recognised classic but I love C&D more.
PJM: how's the mastering on that Wailing Souls comp? What I know of the content (I suppose about a third of it) is tremendous.
― Tim (Tim), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 13:51 (nineteen years ago) link
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 13:56 (nineteen years ago) link
― Dadaismus (Dada), Wednesday, 5 May 2004 09:46 (nineteen years ago) link
― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 5 May 2004 09:54 (nineteen years ago) link
― Dadaismus (Dada), Wednesday, 5 May 2004 09:57 (nineteen years ago) link
I don't usually moan about this sort of thing in case it makes me look less hardcore.
It's still nice to listen to, though.
You can get it on vinyl too, which saves you the trouble of knackering your own. It looks nicer on vinyl.
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 5 May 2004 09:57 (nineteen years ago) link
― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 5 May 2004 09:59 (nineteen years ago) link
― Dadaismus (Dada), Wednesday, 5 May 2004 10:01 (nineteen years ago) link
― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 5 May 2004 10:14 (nineteen years ago) link
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 5 May 2004 11:08 (nineteen years ago) link
― zappi (joni), Wednesday, 5 May 2004 14:24 (nineteen years ago) link
this is a fantastic record
i've been digging into reggae lately, after really taking a liking to the studio one soul jazz comps from this year and last year, and figuring out where to find sounds i like, how to steer clear of too-ploddy roots reggae.
and i've listened to some dub before, late 90s, early 00s, on the back of mad professor dubbing 'protection' probably, and i could like it some and understand the appeal -
but this record actually sounds like all the stuff you read about dub, the playing-the-studio stuff, instruments popping in and out of the soundfield, drum hits given their own little moments of presence - not just watery echoing and big bass. but what i like most is that you can hear all these little scraps that sound like early 70s-mid 70s playing, highlighted for their lyricism.
― j., Sunday, 14 September 2014 22:26 (nine years ago) link
it's really good. my copy is hard panned left and right though
― monoprix à dimanche (dog latin), Sunday, 14 September 2014 22:40 (nine years ago) link