Various Artists - MIDNIGHT TO SIX…FIRST TIME FROM JAMAICA [CD]

KINGSTON SOUNDS

£12.58

Format: CD
Catalogue No.: KSCD075
Barcode: 5060135762520
Release Date: 14 Oct 2022
Genre: Reggae

“Midnight to Six Man...For the First Time From Jamaica….Dillinger and Leroy Smart…An’ Delroy Wilson Your Cool Operator”
“White Man In Hammersmith Palais”
The Clash

The legendary gig that Joe Strummer, singer from the Punk Rock band “The Clash” attended and inspired his writing their classic ‘White Man In Hammersmith Palais’ took place on the 05th June 1977.
At the Hammersmith Palais venue on Shepherd’s Bush Road W6, London during the height of Punk Mania. The full line up for the show were all Jamaican artists Dillinger, Leroy Smart, Delroy Wilson (all the first time from Jamaica) and Ken Boothe.

“Ken Boothe for UK pop reggae” who had already scored some hits with ‘Everything I own’ and ‘Crying Over You’ in 1974. Joe Strummer was expecting Roots, Rock, Reggae but the Sound System this evening ‘Admiral Ken Sound’ was playing ‘Four Tops all night’ as in soul and northern soul that were staple crowd pleasers at the time to warm up the audience, but in Joe’s eyes the music should have reflected more Jamaican roots based music. The song also deals with bigger issues of black and white unity, but some people including the Punk Rockers.

“They’re all too busy fighting, for a good place under the lighting”. Joe Strummer himself was looking for fun. “I’m the Whiteman in the Palais….Just Looking for Fun”

The artwork supplied by Punk Artist MAL-ONE has used the two posters that were made for this gig, the reggae promoters ‘Star Promotions’ poster, that contained a picture of Ken Boothe and the venue’s own poster that used text to announce it’s line up for that evenings performance. Alongside these lost relics he has also combined the groups own poster for the ‘White Man In Hammersmith Palais’ single that incorporated the use of rifle target sights, perhaps enhancing the air of violence contained in the songs message.

MAL-ONE has collaged these together joining the two stories as indeed the song lyrics reflected. People often forget that the songs release was in fact as year after the actual gig, we have tied this release to the 40th anniversary of the song’s release. Joe Strummer was one of the few voices from the Punk Era that used his lyrics as a weapon to tell the events that were happening around him and their relevance to those times.

The song itsel a Clash Classic and also a Punk Anthem, released on the 16th June 1978. We have compiled this album with songs by these artists, most of which you would have heard that night. As a post script to this story when the Hammersmith Palais sadly closed its doors for the last time after 82 years’ service in 1999, the owners thought it fitting to present Joe Strummer with a sign from the venue’s entrance. Mr Strummer’s understated reply “I guess I’ll have to send a man with a van round to pick it up”.
Hope you Enjoy the set….

Tracklisting
A)
Track 1 COOL OPERATOR- DELROY WILSON
Track 2 MR SMART- LEROY SMART
Track 3 IM NOT FR SALE- KEN BOOTHE
Track 4 BABYLON YARD- DILLINGER
Track 5 BETTER MUST COOME- DELROY WILSON
Track 6 LEGGO VIOLENCE- DILLENGER
B)
Track 7 MR RICH MAN- LEROY SMART
Track 8 ( MASH UP ILLITERACY) MASH IT UP- DELROY WILSON
Track 9 YOU’RE NO GOOD- KEN BOOTHE
Track 10 GOD HELPS THE MAN- LEROY SMART
Track 11 CAN I CHANGE YOUR MIND- DELROY WILSON
Track 12 ANSWER ME QUESTION - DILLINGER
Track 13 PRIDE AND AMBITION- LEROY SMART
Track 14 YOU MUST BELIEVE ME
Track 15 SEE AND THE BLIND- DILLINGER*
Track 16 GET READY- DELROY WILSON*
Track 17 NATTY DREAD A THE RULER- DILLINGER*
Track18 (LOVE ME FOREVER) TILL I DIE- DELROY WILSON*
*CD Bonus Tracks