Errol Bellot

Errol Bellot is one of the best kept secrets in British reggae with a career spanning more than thirty years, he has released dozens of high quality records and become a singer of choice for reggae connoisseurs worldwide. The fact that his name is barely known beyond the hardcore reggae audience, is symptomatic of a career focused on one off singles for small independent reggae labels unable to give Errol's talent the support and exposure it so deserves. [From notes on "Youthman – The Lost Album (Errol Bellot meets Jah Bunny & Ras Elroy Ina 80’s Style)". Reggae Archive Records is all about showcasing the wealth of talent that the UK scene has in abundance; working with Errol was high on our wish list. We originally hoped to compile a best of package, an idea we hope to return to, but when we discovered that there was an entire unreleased album he had recorded in collaboration with the legendary Jah Bunny and Ras Elroy, our plans changed. We were given full access to the session tapes recorded between 1983 and 1985 and selected a standout mixture of 16 vocals, dubs and extended disco mixes to which we've added Errol's first self-production, the excellent, expensive and very sought after “The Wicked Them” which is sequenced together with its previously unreleased dub version discovered on the original master tape. The only other track on the album to have previously surfaced is “Rootsman” which saw a belated and limited issue on 10” in 2006. The bulk of the tracks were recorded to four track and have the raw feel of dubplate mixes with an emphasis on the bass line and sound system play. Rather than try and tame them we've embraced that authentic sound. The tracks were transferred at the famous Conscious Sounds studio and where necessary, were then edited together by Rootikal's David Hill giving us four extended disco mixes that only add to the genuine eighties vibes. Five of the vocals are paired with full dub counterparts with Jah Bunny showing his mastery of the dub version and giving speakers a real workout with tracks like “Do What You Have To Do Dub” pushing your woofers to their limits. This entire album is definitely sound system friendly. The emphasis is heavily towards roots with the majority of tracks having a heavy roots theme, whilst even those songs that aren't ostensibly roots have a seriousness in their delivery that belays their more mundane themes. Even the soul song dealing with relationships, “Reason and Chat”, is about as far removed from lovers rock as one could imagine. Although recorded thirty years ago using contemporary rhythms and sounds, these tracks sound totally fresh and are a revelation. Perhaps we should have called this album a best of after all as the calibre of the music is that high. It is the fact that the majority of tracks are previously unreleased that denies them that accolade. The package is completed by full sleeve notes telling the story of Errol and Jah Bunny and how they came to collaborate, in their own words, as well as a selection of rare archive photographs. This really is an essential slice of British reggae history featuring many of the key players from the scene. Released on 22ND July 2013 on limited edition vinyl, CD and digital download via Reggae Archive Records. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.