SIP A CUP RECORDS

Music:

Member Since: 6/29/2007
Band Members: Dub Review - May 2007SIP A CUP MEETS NEGUS ROOTSFIREHOUSE ROCK VOLUME 1GUSSIE P CDNegus Roots was a Jamaican label from the early eighties, a vehicle for releases from Locksley Castell, Horace Martin, Don Carlos and Voice of Progress, a group featuring the young Junior Reid, now operated by Robert and Michael Palmer out of London with the original material are being digitally remixed by Gussie P at Kalabash Studios London. Too often overlooked in the list of key UK based reggae and dub producers, Gussie 'P' Prenton's Sip A Cup imprint has built up an impressive catalogue, mainly 10" plates of pure modern roots. Here Gussie is let loose on archive material recorded at Channel 1 and Tuff Gong by Crucial Bunny Tom Tom and Errol Brown amongst others. Unusually Gussie leaves no traces on the vocal tracks, but the mixes are really special, check the opener Conductor of Dub where a clean filleted Mini Bus Driver (Voice of Progress) is laid out strip by strip before the track is rebuilt or the intro to Dub of Love, the dub wise version to Don Carlos' I Love Jah Jah, with a separated guitar line out of John Martin's Compass Point textbook.
Influences: OUR MAIN INFLUENCES ARE THE RIDDIM & THE MELODYTHERE ARE FAR TO MANY INFLUENCES FOR US TO START INDIVIUALY NAMEING PEOPLE.

Myspace Layouts - Myspace Editor - Image Hosting

The passing of several older musicians and artistes in recent times has been cause for concern, especially in light of their tremendous contribution to our musical heritage. Some have given a lifetime of service and impacted the lives of Jamaicans and the world in ways only music could. For these reasons we would love to have them here with us in the flesh for a very long time. At least, long enough for them to enjoy their lives, as they have made us enjoy ours, after they have stopped working and their music continues to resonate.The recent passing of Mr. Rocksteady, Alton Nehemiah Ellis, after battling with cancer in England, brought the issue into focus for me. Then just a day after he was buried in Jamaica, news broke that pioneer producer and reggae/calypso icon Byron Lee from Byron Lee & the Dragonaires was no longer with us, and cancer was to be blamed. The similarity in the causes of death of these cornerstone legends is consistent in what seems to be an emerging pattern – with quite a few of these veterans succumbing to cancer or heart failure. Alton and his sister Hortense, who was also a pioneer in Jamaican music, both died of cancer. They gave us music that made us laugh and cry and are remembered for gems like ‘Weeping Willow’, ‘Cry Tough’, ‘Cry Together’ and ‘If You Knew’. What is it about the rigours of a musical career that leads to these diseases? Hortense and Alton both resided in the cold, humid climate of London, England and both were smokers who worked hard to hone their craft. Byron Lee, who died of cancer at the age of 73, was also an avid worker who travelled the globe in various climatic conditions to represent Jamaica. He was involved in a lot of partying, consistent with the demands of his trade and he also drank and smoked. The conditions most of these veterans lived under are another consideration. Most have spent extended periods living and working in harsh, cold conditions, very different from their native tropical country. Call it an occupational hazard. Other contributing factors to their ill health and subsequent death include smoking, drinking, insufficient rest and poor nutrition from being on the road all the time and hardly finding time for a proper meal. So with the creators of some of our best music leaving us, is there anything that can be done to prolong their stay with us? Medical doctors attest that through early detection of illness and proper health care, the common causes these stalwarts usually die from could have been prevented. With proper eating habits, sufficient rest, less smoking and drinking, regular check ups and just being better health aware, things can be different. Daddy U-Roy, who had his early break on sound system Down Beat owned by the late foundation producer Clement Sir Coxsone Dodd, found his health ailing terribly during his residency in California, USA during the eighties. Following a return to Jamaica, he is now enjoying a new lease on life. A controlled diabetic, Daddy U-Roy told the XNews in an earlier interview that his health began to deteriorate after spending much time in the cold and always being on tour working hard. “Is a whole lot of things, like when you bleach and out there in the cold on the road eight to four, it start get to you. You need to take care of you. When a car do X amount of a journey you have to put in the things it need to stay on the road – water, oil, tyres, you know. And stress has a lot to do with it too. Sometimes stress can mash you up but you can’t worry bout certain things you can’t do nothing about. The next thing is yuh have to be clean inna yuhself and have to be clean towards one another. Mi grow as a likkle gangsta and we learn to share and no envy. You don’t want to see your bredrin sink, those things help to defile yuh structure and mi a tell yuh what good for all of us even me,” U-Roy said. Diabetes is a family trait in U-Roy’s family and his 87-year-old mother is also a diabetic who has controlled her condition and as a result is going strong. The pioneer DJ is doing well by practicing a lifestyle he knows will keep him going on for a long time. “I eat a lot of vegetable, I eat flesh too but I eat more vegetables and drink a lot of juice. I have a juicer and when I ready I just throw in some carrots, fruits and extract me juice, no water just straight juice. When I go out and work and come in I get my fair share of rest,” Daddy U-Roy tells. Jamaica and the rest of the world continue to be inspired by the works of some foundation singers/entertainers who have left us. Among them are Ainsworth Roy Rushton Shirley aka the ‘High Priest of Reggae’, who migrated to England where he enjoyed some success under the cold, wet conditions. Known for hits such as ‘Hold Them’ and ‘Feel Good’ , he died on Thursday, July 17, 2008 in Britain and the cause of death is still a mystery. Hortense Ellis was only 59 when she died of cancer. Dennis Emmanuel Brown, the Crown Prince of Reggae, died on July 1, 1999. Pneumonia and a collapse lung were given as the cause of his death. Delroy Wilson, known to put fans in a dancing mood, died March 6, 1995 at the University Hospital from complications due to cirrhosis of the liver, commonly caused from excessive drinking of alcohol. He was 46 years old. Phyllis Dillon had one life to live, as her song said, and left it at the age of 60 in New York after battling cancer. She was said to have had cancer in her brain, breast and all over. Reports are that Dillon was touring the US, Canada and Japan just before falling ill. Clancy Eccles, accredited for coining the term “streggae” which was later modified to “reggae” and who delivered songs like ‘My Leader Born Here’ and ‘River Jordan’, died at 64 after suffering several strokes. Clancy was known to both drink and smoke heavily and had been touring the world since the sixties. Regarded as a musical genius, trombonist Don Drummond died tragically at Bellevue Hospital in 1969. A member of Skatalites Band, he composed songs such as ‘Addis Ababa’, ‘Man In The Street’, ‘Ball Of Fire’, ‘Far East’ and ‘Let George Do it’, among several others. Desmond Decker had some of the biggest ska hits such as ‘Israelites’, ‘Honour Your Mother & Father’, ‘Mount Zion’, ‘Get Up Adina’ and ‘Soldering’, to name a few. Keith Hudson, like Ken Boothe, Delroy Wilson, The Heptones and The Wailers, produced his first record at age 14 with the Skatalites. He died in 1984 and very little of his music is available. He produced ‘Old Fashion Way’ by Ken Boothe, ‘Shades Of Hudson’ by Dennis Alcapone, ‘Never Will I Hurt My Baby’ by John Holt, ‘Run Run’ and ‘I’m Gonna Get You’ by Delroy Wilson, ‘Big Bad Boy’ by Alton Ellis and ‘S90 Skank’ by Big Youth. Our most recent legend passing is bandleader Byron Lee. The dragon of Dragonaires lost his battle with cancer on November 4. The soca icon died at the University Hospital of the West Indies at the age of 73. “The Dragon”, as he was called, had been fighting transitional cell cancer and was being treated in Miami, Florida. As if that wasn’t enough, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer two years ago. Byron returned to Jamaica, by air ambulance, on Saturday, October 25. He was being treated at The Tony Thwaites Wing. “He fought a very brave battle with cancer and was in hospital surrounded by his family and close friends. He will be remembered not only as an excellent musician, but as a very kind, generous, humble and talented man who was always working to use music to unite persons of all ages, races and people from all walks of life,” his daughter Julianne Lee-Samuels was reported to have said. We wish the best of health for all the living legends as they continue to give us great music. And hope they take good care of themselves. Last Revised: 11/19/2008
Sounds Like:
Record Label: Unknown Indie
Type of Label: Indie