VA - Darker Than Blue: Soul From Jamdown 1973 - 1980 (2001)

Darker Than Blue: Soul From Jamdown, 1973–1980 is a compilation album released in 2001. It consists of soul and R&B-styled songs recorded by Jamaican reggae artists, including a number of covers of contemporary American singles.

David Dacks of Exclaim! wrote that "the songs of Darker than Blue favour socially conscious American tunes as interpreted by a more diverse selection of artists than Blood and Fire usually covers."

With so many hip-hop headz and funk nostalgists digging deeper into the record crates for the real thing, labels such as the U.K.'s Soul Jazz have begun packaging dancehall for the new generation. On the other hand, premier reggae historian Steve Barrow--whose career of repackaging reggae for American and British audiences includes the landmark four-CD Tougher Than Tough box set--uses Darker Than Blue: Soul from Jamdown to turn the mirror around, examining Jamaican bands covering American funk. The fine selection includes covers of songs written by Americans already indelibly influenced by reggae, including Carl Bradney's cover of War's "Slipping into Darkness" and Tinga Stewart's cover of Timmy Thomas's "Why Can't We Live Together?" Others are completely Jamaicanized versions of the originals, as in the Tamlins' cover of Randy Newman's "Baltimore" and the unforgettable title track, Lloyd Charmers's dubwise rendering of Curtis Mayfield's classic. Welton Irie's "Hotter Reggae Music" borrows generous helpings of "Rapper's Delight," a case of history coming full circle. Highly recommended.