Ranking Dread was as much of a myth and enigma as he was a music man and badman. But today he remains the connoisseur’s Dee Jay, admired for his slick style and delivery and compared to other noteworthy DJ’s of the time, can be seen as crucially underrecorded, having only released 4 albums and a handful of singles in his recording career.
Born in 1956 in the Kingston slum of Rema, Dread spent his early career divided between being an enforcer for the JLP as well as learning his trade as a toaster on local sound systems. Trouble with the law instigated his move to London where his recording career began.
Girls Fiesta is Ranking Dread’s first album, originally released in 1978 and contains some tough Linval Thompson rhythms taken from various Linval productions, most notably his “Love Is The Question” album.
This album stands at the crossroads of the Dee Jay phenomenon linking the eras between the might of I Roy and U Roy and the Dancehalls ruled by the Roots Radics rhythms. This is Rub A Dub at its finest.
After the early 80’s Dread’s recording career faded away as he got swept away into a serious life of crime, see the sleeve notes for an eye opening account of Dread’s life.
This is the first ever reissue of Girls Fiesta and is licensed direct from Linval Thompson.
Rhythms laid down at Channel One Studios by Sly & Robbie (amongst others) and Dread’s material voiced at Chalk Farm Studios Camden, engineered by Sid Bucknor.