U Roy – Version Galore (1970) (16/44 Vinyl Rip)

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U Roy – Version Galore (1970) (16/44 Vinyl Rip)

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Review from Allmusic:
"Versions galore, you can hear them by the score, I could give you some more for sure," U-Roy shouts out on the title track of Version Galore, and indeed he could and did, recording scores and scores of versions of classic Jamaican hits. This album gathers up a dozen of some of his earliest, all cut for Duke Reid at Treasure Isle studio between 1969 and 1970. Included is one of his chartbusters, a version of the Paragons' "Wear You to the Ball." Paragon vocalist John Holt was responsible for bringing the DJ to Treasure Isle, and U-Roy repaid the singer by versioning a clutch of classic Paragons' songs, five of which appear here. The DJ was obviously a fan, and chatted along to the songs as one would to an old friend, most noticeably on "The Tide Is High" (Blondie would later have a hit with a cover of the original) and "Happy Go Lucky Girl." There again, on "Flashing My Whip," a version of the group's "Only a Smile," U-Roy demands that the trio put a smile on their face, a bit difficult considering the song's intrinsic heartbreak. The DJ's ease with these golden oldies allowed him to adeptly sing along, call out for the vocalists to sing on cue, wander off in other lyrical directions, and still find the perfect spot for his catch phrases. But this talent didn't end with the Paragons and rocksteady, "True Confessions," for example, was a ska-fired, doo wop-inspired hit for the Silvertones, and U-Roy motors away on this with equal ease. Interestingly enough, though, it's evident that without the vocals as a lyrical launch pad, the DJ is rather at a loss. Thus the two instrumentals here are actually the weakest tracks. But it was early days, and U-Roy's verbal gymnastics would fill in the gaps soon enough.

Biography from Allmusic:
Known as the Originator, U-Roy wasn't the first DJ, nor even the first to cut a record, but he was the first to shake the nation and he originated a style so distinctly unique that he single-handedly changed his homeland's music scene forever. Born Ewart Beckford in Jones Town, Jamaica, in 1942, he received his famous moniker from a young family member unable to correctly pronounce Ewart and the nickname stuck.
U-Roy's rise to fame was slow, and took almost a decade. He began back in 1961, DJing at the Doctor Dickie's Dynamite sound system. Eventually, he moved onto the Sir Mike the Musical Thunderstorm outfit, and then in 1968 to the Sir George the Atomic sound system. The DJ was then lured away by Coxsone Dodd; however, soon tiring of playing second fiddle to longtime veteran King Stitt, he returned to Sir George. Around this same time, he met up with another royal figure, King Tubby, then working as a disc cutter at Duke Reid's studio. The mechanic was just beginning his musical experiments that eventually led him to develop dub, and at the moment he was giving his proto-dub experimental discs to a handful of his favorite DJs. The following year, King Tubby launched his own Hi-Fi sound system and brought in U-Roy as his top DJ. By then, the DJ had established himself as one of the premier talents of the sound system scene. Producer Keith Hudson was the first to recognize the possibilities and took U-Roy into the studio in late 1969 to cut the song "Dynamic Fashion Way." However, the tape lay in the studio while the producer went off on a trip to the U.S. and the DJ went off to try his luck elsewhere. Lee Perry paired U-Roy with Peter Tosh and recorded "Selassie," a version of Ras Michael & the Sons of Negus' "Ethiopian National Anthem." The single was originally credited to the Reggae Boys and on its subsequent reissue, under the title "(Earth's) Rightful Ruler," it was then credited to Peter Tosh and Hugh Roy, a spelling the DJ would adhere to for the next several years. U-Roy cut one more single with Perry ("O.K. Corral") then moved on to Keith Hudson, for whom he recorded "Dynamic Fashion Way," and Bunny Lee, with whom he cut "King of the Road." He next linked with producer Lloyd Daley for two singles, "Scandal" and "Sound of the Wise," which like their predecessors, created a stir amongst the grassroots sound system crowds, but barely registered beyond them.
John Holt would change all that. One night early in 1970, he attended a sound system party and caught U-Roy DJing. The singer was blown away, not least of all because the chatterer was exhorting the enthusiastic crowd over Holt's own hit "Wear You to the Ball." The next day the singer went around to see Duke Reid and adamantly stated that the producer must record the DJ. Reid was convinced and U-Roy was promptly put into the studio to cut two songs, over classic Treasure Isle singles, of course. The first release, "Wake the Town," did exactly that and an aroused Jamaica swiftly sent the single to the top of the charts. That song was a version of Alton Ellis' "Girl I've Got a Date"; the next, "Rule the Nation," was cut over the Techniques' "Love Is Not a Gamble," and that single was as prophetic as the first. It, too, slammed up the chart, as did its follow-up, "Wear You to the Ball." For a month and a half, all three singles boldly stood astride the top three spots in the Jamaican charts. U-Roy went on to cut another 29 songs with Reid, all versions of Treasure Isle's most beloved singles. The Frontline label's 1970 compilation Version of Wisdom bundled up much of the DJ's classic work for Reid, bringing together two previous albums: Versions Galore, initially released by Trojan in 1971, and Frontline's own 1979 compilation With Words of Wisdom. The British Attack label also sports a slew of this material on 1974's U-Roy, while Trojan's Ace From Out of Space grabs up 30 of them. The definitive collection comes from France's Esoldun label and Super Boss boasts all the classic cuts the DJ recorded for Reid. "Versions galore, you can hear them by the score," U-Roy exclaimed on "Versions Galore," and indeed you could.