First Attempt

U-Roy - Chalice in the Palace

Today’s special Diamond Jubilee edition of the Saturday Morning Skank Spot is a 1975 tribute to Her Maj from the great pioneer of the art of toasting. 

Judge Dread - The Biggest Bean You’ve Ever Seen

This 1972 track is the late Judge’s second appearance on the Saturday Morning Skank Spot. As I’ve pointed out before, his early 70s records were always banned by national radio stations so it was assumed that his songs must be full of the most depraved filth. Indeed, the only person I knew who owned any of his records was my friend Stu, who was also well-known for his large collection of pornographic magazines. Anyway, one listen of this will show that the Judge’s records weren’t really filthy at all, but were instead a series of slightly lame double entendres which were “toasted” over a rhythm track in a an accent that was a curious mix of his native cockney and the Jamaican drawl of his musical heroes. 

This track is typical Dread and I should point out that the title probably doesn’t refer to a member of the legume family. I was always puzzled by the chant at the end of the song. For nearly 40 years I thought that they were chanting “Slugland” which I thought could be a mythical place in which the Judge set his ribald tales. However, in the course of researching the Judge’s life and work for the Skank Spot, I’ve discovered that they’re actually chanting “Snodland”, which is the Kent town in which the Judge (real name Alexander Hughes) spent most of his life. I’m delighted to report that there is now a street in Snodland called Alex Hughes Close, named in honour of the town’s most infamous resident.

The Mighty Diamonds - Pass the Kutchie

As any “Duchesses” amongst you already know, the rules of etiquette demand that a decanter of port should always be passed to the left at formal gatherings. According to today’s Saturday Morning Skank Spot, the same rule applies when passing the “kutchie”, which is a Jamaican term for a large ganja pipe. Now that you’re aware of this rule, you’ll be able to avoid making any embarrassing faux pas should you ever find yourself partaking of the sacred herb with a group of Rastafarians.

First released in 1981, this track was covered the following year by Musical Youth as Pass the Dutchie, which went on to reach number 1 in the UK charts. As the members of Musical Youth were all of tender years, all the ganja references were excised and replaced by culinary terms, with a “dutchie” being a large cooking pot. The Mighty Diamonds’ version also features the sound of someone inhaling from a “kutchie”, a factor which is missing from Musical Youth’s bowdlerised version.

Janet Kay - Silly Games

There’s a lot of “firsts” with this record. To start with, it’s the first track by a female artist to be featured on the Saturday Morning Skank Spot. It’s also the first reggae single by a black British woman to be a top 10 hit in the UK (the London-born Ms Kay reached number 2 in the UK charts with this in 1979). This record was co-written and produced by the versatile Dennis Bovell, who produced the Slits’ debut album in the same year.

This track remains the most famous example of Lovers Rock, the first reggae sub-genre to originate in the UK. At the time of its release, I refused to like this song as I thought it was too slick and commercial to have any credibility. In the intervening decades I’ve found myself taking a more relaxed view on that sort of thing, to the extent that I now think that this is a truly wonderful record.

The Harry J. Allstars - Liquidator

The Saturday Morning Skank Spot today features some of the catchiest Hammond organ work that’s ever been recorded. This record reached no. 9 in the UK charts in 1969.

Richard Burton and King Tubby - Under Dub Wood

I was listening to Cerys Matthews’ BBC 6Music show last Sunday and I couldn’t help but notice that she has a regular item called the Sunday Morning Reggae Rinse Out, in which she plays a classic reggae track. This seems to bear an uncanny resemblance to my Saturday Morning Skank Spot feature, but I lack the financial resources to be able to sue her for the theft of my intellectual property. However, my burning sense of injustice at this brazen plagiarism has prompted me to revive the Saturday Morning Skank Spot for the next few weeks. 

I’m kicking off this new run of the Skank Spot with a truly extraordinary recording. It’s a mash-up of Richard Burton performing in Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood with King Tubby’s I Trim the Barber. It was put together by one Dave Rofe, who used to be a DJ at The Haçienda. Richard Burton turns out to be a most compelling reggae toaster and he has the posthumous honour of being the first Welshman to feature in the Skank Spot.

The Heptones - Christmas Time is Here

Here’s another seasonally-appropriate tune for the Saturday Morning Skank Spot. Released in 1968, it will add a welcome rocksteady element to your festive playlist.

I will be giving the Skank Spot a rest for a while after today. This much-loved (in Alabama) feature will return some time in 2012, at a time when I feel I can be bothered to do it.

Prince Buster - Wreck a Pum Pum

As regular followers will know, the Saturday Morning Skank Spot endeavours to be seasonally-appropriate whenever possible. As the festive season is now in full swing, I thought it was time a Christmas number was featured. This 1968 track is ideal as it uses the tune of the Christmas classic “Little Drummer Boy”. However, I must warn you that Prince Buster has given the tune some disgracefully inappropriate new lyrics. You’ll have to listen to the song to work out what the phrase “Wreck a Pum Pum” means as I have no intention of explaining it here.

Toots & the Maytals - Time Tough

Today’s Saturday Morning Skank Spot is a track from Toots’ classic 1973 album Funky Kingston. 

Patrick & Lloyd - Return of the Pollock

Today’s Saturday Morning Skank Spot is a bit of a mysterious one. I mean, who or what, in the context of this song, is a “pollock”? I’ve no idea, but I’m sure you’ll agree that this is a bizarrely great record.