Black Roots is a 1979 album by Sugar Minott. It was the first to appear on Minott's Black Roots label, and was described in the book Reggae: 100 Essential CDs – The Rough Guide as a "classic, which catches the singer on the cusp of the roots and dancehall phases, and with total control over his music."Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (1999) Reggae: 100 Essential CDs – The Rough Guide, Rough Guides, , p.111-112 The album includes contributions from some of Jamaica's top session musicians including Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, Noel "Scully" Simms, Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont, Gladstone Anderson, Larry 'Professor Bassie' Silvera and Ansell Collins, with harmony vocals provided by Don Carlos, Lacksley Castell and Ashanti Waugh. Two of the tracks on the album had previously been issued as singles – "Hard Time Pressure" and "River Jordan". The album was described by Dave Thompson in his book Reggae & Caribbean Music as a "deeply dread collection...time has bestowed a stately uniqueness to it".Thompson, Dave (2002) Reggae & Caribbean Music, Backbeat Books, , p.191 Alex Henderson, writing for AllMusic, said of the album: "If you combined Stax's raw production style with the type of sweetness that characterized a lot of Chicago, Detroit and Philadelphia soul and added a reggae beat, the outcome might sound something like Black Roots."Henderson, Alex "[ Black Roots Review]", AllMusic, Macrovision Corporation
Release history The album was first issued in limited quantities in Jamaica on Minott's Black Roots label in 1979. It was issued in the United Kingdom on the Island Records subsidiary, Mango, in 1980, and also on the Gorgon label.Black Roots , Roots Archives It was issued on compact disc in 1990 by Mango Records.
Track listing All tracks by Sugar Minott except where noted.
"Mankind" – 2:17 "Hard Time Pressure" – 3:24 "River Jordan" – 3:10 "Jail House" – 2:15 "I'm Gonna Hold On" – 2:38 "Oppressors Oppression" – 3:49 "2 Time Loser" – 3:07 "Black Roots" – 2:31 "Clean Runnings" – 3:02 "Mr. Babylon Man" (Minott, Morris) – 2:48
Personnel Sugar Minott – vocals, production Noel Bailey – guitar Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont – guitar Tony Chin – guitar Gladstone Anderson – piano Ansell Collins – organ Steely Johnson – organ Eric "Fish" Clarke – drums Junior Dan – bass guitar, rhythm guitar Michael "Ras Star" Ashley – bass guitar, rhythm guitar Albert Malawi – drums Noel "Scully" Simms – percussion Everton "Youth" Carrington – percussion Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace – drums Don Carlos – backing vocals Lacksley Castell – backing vocals Glenmore "Ashanti" Waugh – backing vocals Johnny "Jah" Lee – backing vocals Mixed by Prince Jammy and Stanley "Barnabas" Bryan Engineered by Anthony "Crucial Bunny" Graham & Stanley "Barnabas" Bryan
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