Clancy Eccles - Kingston Town (2020)

Though not nearly as well known as Duke Reid or Coxsone Dodd, producer and sometime vocalist Clancy Eccles made a lot of rocksteady in the late '60s and early '70s, much of it on his Clandisc label. As a singer, Eccles had started recording back in the late '50s, when he cut some ska for Dodd. After bouncing around the ska and early reggae scene for a while, he became more active in the studio in the late '60s, overseeing tracks by Alton Ellis, Joe Higgs, Beres Hammond, and several less-famed artists. Not as distinctive as the works of Reid or Dodd, Eccles' oeuvre nonetheless included some solid and enjoyable material that contributed to the peak of the rocksteady movement. The record label he started in 1967, Clandisc Records, helped pave the way for greater recording independence for Jamaican musicians. Perhaps his greatest achievement took place outside of the studio: in the early '70s, he organized a traveling stage show to contribute to the successful campaign of Jamaican socialist politician Michael Manley. Clancy Eccles passed away in 2005 at the age of 64, leaving behind a legacy of fine recordings both as a singer and as a producer. ~ Richie Unterberger

Tracklist:
01. Lord Creator - Kingston Town (3:12)
02. Merlene Webber - Stand By Your Man (3:30)
03. Clancy Eccles - Hallelujah Free At Last (3:10)
04. The Fabulous Flames - Hi De Do (2:55)
05. The Dynamites - Joe Louis (2:54)
06. The Silvertones - Tear Drops Will Fall (2:29)
07. Clancy Eccles - John Crow Skank (3:19)
08. Mello - Haile Selassie (3:08)
09. Winston Wright - Going Up West (Quarter Master) [Riding West] (7" Mix) (2:59)
10. Honey Boy Martin - If You Were Mine (2:59)
11. Clancy Eccles - Ganja Free (2:57)
12. The Fabulous Flames - Livitis (Love Itis) (3:08)
13. The Dynamites - Red Moon (Blue Moon) (3:00)
14. Stranger Cole - (Where Will You Be) Tomorrow (3:27)
15. Clancy Eccles - Uncle Joe (3:02)
16. Jackie Bernard - Winey Winey (3:06)
17. The Fabulous Flames - Growing Up (2:45)
18. Lord Creator - That's How I Need You (2:27)
19. Michael Manley - Power for the People (Pt. 2) (3:22)
20. Beres Hammond - The Wanderer (Hard to Believe) (2:38)
21. Larry McDonald - I Fe Layo (3:29)
22. Honey Boy Martin - Single Man (3:25)
23. Barry Wilson - Live and Love (2:39)
24. The Dynamites - Sha La La (To the End) (2:59)
25. Clancy Eccles - What Will Your Mama Say (Strings Version) (3:05)