TOMMY McCOOK - “THE ROOSTER” / “THE SAINT” (7")

Harlem Shuffle

£16.18

Format: 7" Vinyl
Catalogue No.: HSRSS0022
Barcode: 7141095211728
Release Date: 30 Jun 2023
Genre: Reggae Classics/Ska

ABOUT THIS RELEASE:

These two tracks were initially released on separate singles, “The Rooster” was released on Duke (a Trojan sublabel) in 1970 whilst

“The Saint” was released on Trojan the same year in 1970. This is the first time these two MCCook’s Boss tracks are released together and it is also the first re-release on

7inch vinyl single of these two rare and in demand Skinhead hits.

Attention: This is a special limited edition - strictly limited to 500 copies - one release only.

Tommy McCook

Cuban born Tommy moved to Jamaica when he was a little boy and became a pupil at the Kingston’s Alpha School where he took up tenor saxophone at the tender age of 11.

The Alpha School was run by Catholic nuns and renowned for its outstanding musical education. After a stint in the US where he discovered the sounds of Coltrane,

he went on to form the Skatalites in 1964 with Rolando Alphonso, Johnny Moore, Lester Sterling, Don Drummond, Lloyd Knibb, Lloyd Brevett, Jerry Haynes, and

Jackie Mittoo. McCook, Drummond, Moore and Sterling were all students from the Alpha School.

The Skatalites played their last show in August 1965 after Don Drummond's imprisonment for the murder of his girlfriend, Margarita.

The break-up resulted in the formation of two studio bands, Rolando Alphonso & The Studio One Orchestra and… Tommy McCook & The Supersonics.

The Supersonics were the house band for Arthur "Duke" Reids' label Treasure Isle. Its members came from The Skatalites with the addition of top new musicians.

They were one of Jamaica's most talented and productive bands and covered successfully many genres from Ska and Rocksteady to Reggae and Dub.

Jeff Barnes

Jeff Barnes was a “DJ” or a toaster a s they wer also called; they were very popular in Jamaica by the end of the 60s.

He recorded a dozen of singles, had duets with U-Roy (“Wake The Nation” ) and Pat Kelly (“Peoples Version”).

He is also famous for his risqué songs with sexual innuendos such as “Jeff Barnes Thing” and the infamous “Rooster” featured here…

Produced by Duke Reid
Pounding dancing track on which Jeff Barnes toasts about this… cock.
“This is the rooster that never crows. It gets red hot and it grows and grows”
The crowd replies with boisterous laughter and bam… the pounding starts. A hymn for the boots.
Besides this, it is also an amazing piece of instrumental Reggay, a real unique track for the dance floor…

Produced by Duke reid

After the turpitude, the redemption… To balance out the rude A side, we chose another Boss dance track but quite different in meaning. The very much in demand “The Saint” is an up-tempo saxophone and organ instrumental cover of the very traditional gospel song “ When The Saints Go Marching In”… The saint and the cock make for a perfect single together!