I’ve heard other great dub covers of popular music, most famously Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band by Easy Star All Stars and the VP Records tribute to Michael Jackson as well as Reggae Spirits, who cover Police tracks.

I was intrigued by the Mos Def angle, so I took a listen and loved it. I asked Max to tell me a bit more about his creative process, and he sent me this information:

Max’s explanation of the Mos Def dub album

I’ve been listening to reggae for a long time, but only recently began listening to dub music. I had heard the term “dub” before, and knew that it was a offshoot of reggae in a way, but never really understood it. Curiously, I began with some of the dub heavyweights like King Tubby and Lee Perry, and before long got into a number of other artists like Scientist (my favorite), Dennis Bovell, Black Uhuru, Horace Andy, Easy Star All-Stars, Prince Jammy, and many more. I loved the mystical and sometimes spooky sound, and was fascinated by the technical aspect of dub creation. The use of delay, reverb, sound effects, and editing always catches my ear.

Being a remixer myself, I wanted to do something with my favorite dub tracks, and I always thought many would sound great as hip-hop tracks. Dub of course heavily features drums and that infectious bass – similar to hip-hop. As a big Mos Def fan and supporter, I’ve wanted to create something with him for a while. When his last album The Ecstatic came out, I realized I could create new “dubs” and lay him over them. It was important to respect the original tracks of both artists. Remixing classics like “Johnny Too Bad” and “007 (Shanty Town)” is not something to be done lightly. This project is an homage to this incredible music, I want to turn more people on to dub and classic reggae tunes.

That being said, I think this project works well because dub music is so heartfelt, its another form of soul music, and Mos Def’s raps are often socially conscious and interesting…he is really saying something. It felt natural to put them together, and I hope you enjoy it.

-Max Tannone

More Dub work from Max

You can hear and download the Mos Dub remix at www.mosdub.com.

Max’s other works include:

• Jaydiohead, a Radiohead dub remix
• Double Check Your Head, a Beastie Boys dub remix

You can follow Max on Twitter at http://twitter.com/maxtannone.

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• Buy any 4 CDs for £20
• Buy any 10 CDs for £40
• Buy any 14 CDs for £50

This offer includes the critically acclaimed brand new CD from Pama Intl, Outernational, featuring Lynval & Horace from The Specials)! Critics are digging this latest work from Pama:

“Pama Intl continue their inexorable rise” ****  Mojo

“hook-filled, vintage rocksteady spiked with soul” Q

Check out the Rockers Revolt online shop now, before the sale ends.

All orders also require shipping and handling fees. For overseas orders please email enquiries@rockersrevolt.com for prices. Payment is by Paypal only. Send payment via paypal to enquiries@rockersrevolt.com. Please remember to include:

• Your name
• Your mailing address
• What CDs you’d like to purchase

You can choose from dub and reggae hits including:

• Charlie Chaplin – DJ Roll Call (Ras)
• The Clash – London Calling
• Easy Star All-stars – Dub Side of The Moon
• Easy Star All-stars – Radiodread
• I Jah Man – Are We a Warrior (Island Records)
• Mungos Hi Fi – Sound System Champions (Rockers Revolt)
• Pama Intl – Float Like A Butterfly (Do The Dog)
• Pama Intl - Highrise Campaign (Rockers Revolt)
• Pama Intl - Outernational (Rockers Revolt)
• Pama Intl - Love Filled Dub Band (Rockers Revolt)
• The Pietasters – All Day (Rockers Revolt)
• Ed Rome – A Life In Minutes (Rockers Revolt)
• The Slackers – Boss Harmony Sessions (Rockers Revolt)
• Toots & The Maytals – Funky Kingston (Island Records)
• Topcats – Mr.Donkey Paradise
• Yellowman – New York (Ras)

Rockers Revolt is also offering these compilation albums:

Is It Rolling Bob? Reggae Tribute To Bob Dylan (Trojan)
ft. Gregory Isaacs, Mighty Diamonds, Toots, Beres Hammond, Michael Rose, Bob Dylan & more

Sucka Punch (Trojan)
19 tracks ft. Big Youth, Dennis Alcapone, Harry J, Upsetters, Derrick Morgan, Aggrovators & more

Tighten Up Vol. 5 (Trojan)
25 tracks ft. Clancy Eccles, Delroy Wilson, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Maytals, Judy Mowatt, Dynamites & more

Trojan DJ Box Set (triple CD) (Trojan)
50 tracks ft. I Roy, King Stitt, U Roy, Big Youth, Scotty, Dennis Alcapone, Winston Williams, Dave Barker & more

Trojan Jamaican R&B Box Set (triple CD) (Trojan)
50 tracks ft. Laurel Aitken, Blues Busters, Theo Beckford, Rick, Owen Grey, Derrick Morgan, Roland Alphonso & more

Trojan Tribute To Bob Marley Box Set (triple CD) (Trojan)
50 tracks ft. Prince Far I, Joe Gibbs, Max Romeo, Ken Boothe, Augustus Pablo, Jackie Edwards, Upsetters,
Jackie Mittoo & more

Trojan Roots Box Set (triple CD) (Trojan)
50 tracks ft. Abbyssinians, Peter Tosh, Mighty Diamonds, Heptones, Ethiopians, Johny Osbourne, Horace Andy & more

You can also get several free Pama Intl MP3 downloads while you’re there.

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Like a mystic traveler searching for the legendary king Prester John, the Sessions track list wanders pretty widely through Ethiopian culture, resulting in sounds that range from funky dub reggae to more traditional instrumentals.

Prester John is really a tribute album to the varied history of Ethiopian music, beginning with the rich album art and details of the Prester John story and liner notes describing the roots of each track. Tommy explains, “The Prester John Sessions will give people an idea about the musical diversity of Ethiopia, which includes influences and ideas borrowed from the sounds of the 70′s with the added bonus of up-to-date production values … In the 70s, funk, wah-wah pedals, and jazz had a huge impact on Ethiopian music.”

Tommy wrote, arranged, and played bass and other instruments throughout The Prester John Sessions, which also include his debut vocal recordings. Tommy is backed by The Abyssinian Roots Collective on the album. “They are sometimes known as The ARC, which coincidentally ties into the Ark of the Covenant and the Prester John story,” says Tommy. Victor Van Vugt (Nick Cave, Gogol Bordello) handled production for most of the album.

The Prester John Sessions album review

Last week I was lucky to receive a review copy of The Prester John Sessions and haven’t stop listening to Tommy T’s funky Ethiopian dub since then.

It should come as no surprise that a bassist’s solo debut is an album that rewards a good sound system. Tommy’s compositions work all the scales, with solid bass textures punctuated by sharp brass and minor-key instrumentals that create an aural experience as rich as a mythic medieval king’s tapestries. The standout tracks really perk ears and bob heads, attracting jaded jam banders and exploratory dubbers alike. Tommy T’s live show (tour dates here) is no doubt a foot stomping body shaking affair.

The Prester John Sessions 11-song track listing includes improvisational jams on melodies from traditional Ethopian folk music as well as original compositions based on “a 6/8 beat called chikchika” that typifies popular Ethopian music, according to Tommy T.

The album opens with all guns blazing on Brothers, an easy funk melody that dives right into layered instrumentals and sets a kind of vibrant overture melody for Tommy and his artists to jam on. Tommy then settles into a groove with The Call, a meditative track with friendly, confident vocals, simple skank guitars, and brassy counterpoints. It’s another great tune to hear in a live venue, when the musicians will have room to really jam on it.

Tommy gets more traditional with The Response, which introduces Gigi for the first time on the album, accompanied by a folksy Ethiopian guitar and a melody that’s reminiscent of Ali Farka Toure.

The Eighth Wonder is one of the first standout tracks on a generally strong album. The brass is more present on this funky jazz melody, balanced by the powerful voices of traditional Ethiopian instruments. Tommy doesn’t bother with vocals in this composition, letting the rolling, interlocking melodies speak for themselves as various instruments rotate through center stage.

Tommy keeps the heat on with Oromo Dub (Cushitic Dub), a straight-up dub anthem that starts with a basic melody and builds quickly. This one will be another crowd pleaser at live shows, as will East-West Express, which starts with a smooth jazz call and layers on additional instruments with a languid power.

Tribute To A King is a personal favorite on the album: dense dub with brass so strong it questions the boundaries of reggae before sonorous folk instrumentation and dub effects lure the listener away on a mental journey of clashing guitars and tripping high hats.

Beyond Fasiladas returns to the overture with a summertime rhythm’s running beat and clean dub effects that create an ambient dub backdrop while keeping the focus on the instrumentation (Tommy’s bass is a clear heartbeat, never far from the surface).

The next 2 tracks, September Blues and Eden are closer to jazz than reggae or funk. Great stuff but not really my cup of tea. Gigi returns on Eden for a smooth production that sounds like the last track you put on before a lover takes everything off.

Tommy won’t let anyone walk away from his album when they could be dancing, hands in the air. He closes out with Michael Goldwasser‘s Easy Star remix, the body-moving Lifers. Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hutz plays Ras Dracula, lending his powerful vocals alongside Pedro Erazo on a track that starts with Michael G’s signature crisp dubs and then breaks out into a dancehall-inspired party.

The Prester John Sessions album tracks

Here’s the full track list:

1. Brothers
2. The Call
3. The Response (featuring Gigi)
4. The Eighth Wonder
5. Oromo Dub (Cushitic Dub)
6. East-West Express
7. Tribute To A King
8. Beyond Fasiladas
9. September Blues
10. Eden (featuring Gigi)
11. Lifers (Michael G Easy Star Remix featuring Eugene Hutz and Pedro Erazo)

About Tommy T

Tommy demonstrates his musical chops and Ethiopian heritage throughout the album. Born Thomas Gobena in Ethopia and raised in Addis Ababa, in 2006 Tommy became the bassist for Gogol Bordello, the gypsy punk band that build a fan following on their ability to blend global influences, dub sounds, and energetic stage shows.

“I believe in music without boundaries,” Tommy says. “Music should be inclusive, not exclusive. People who love music know the best music is created without boundaries and limitations. The Prester John Sessions take that idea to the next level.”

About Easy Star Records

The album was released by Easy Star Records, which has been reinvigorating the reggae scene with new indie recordings and rereleases of classic reggae recordings from Jamaican artists. Easy Star is perhaps best known for their dub reimaginings of classic rock albums by the Easy Star All-Stars, including 2003′s hit Dub Side of the Moon, the 2006 release of Radiodread (a personal favorite), and most recently Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band in 2009 (which I’ve reviewed in greater detail here). Easy Star is also releasing albums by John Brown’s Body, Ticklah, The Black Seeds, The Meditations, and Sugar Minott.

“We are extremely excited to be working with Tommy,” says Easy Star co-founder Lem Oppenheimer. “He’s made an incredible record. The way he integrates reggae and dub into Ethiopian music fits right into what we have been releasing for the past decade – music that expands on a reggae foundation, taking the genre in new directions.”

Buy The Prester John Sesssions from Easy Star Records and tell them we sent you!

More links to Tommy T and The Prester John Sessions

Looking for more information about Tommy T and The Prester John Sessions? Check out these links:

• Buy the album and download a free track
• Tommy T on Myspace
• Follow Tommy T on Twitter
• Tommy T’s Facebook Fan Site
• Easy Star Records
• Tommy T’s fan site

(Also, if anyone has more information about The Abyssinian Roots Collective, please let me know – I’d like to link to them but I couldn’t find anything online.)

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Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band is all over these other Billboard charts:

#2 on the Top Heatseekers Chart
#9 on the Top Independent Label Releases Chart
#26 on the Top Current Digital Chart
#29 on the Top Internet Chart
#30 on the Top Overall Digital Chart

Dub & Reggae has a full review of Easy Star All Stars‘ Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band here.

Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band Track Listing

1. With A Little Help From My Friends (feat. Junior Jazz)
2. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (feat. Frankie Paul)
3. Getting Better (feat. The Mighty Diamonds)
4. Fixing A Hole (Extended Dub Mix) (feat. Max Romeo)
5. She’s Leaving Home (feat. Kirsty Rock)
6. Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite! (feat. Ranking Roger)
7. Within You Without You (feat. Matisyahu)
8. When I’m Sixty-Four (Extended Dub Mix) (feat. Sugar Minott)
9. Lovely Rita (feat. Bunny Rugs & U Roy)
10. Good Morning Good Morning (feat. Steel Pulse)
11. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Reprise
12. A Day In The Life (feat. Michael Rose & Menny More)

You can also listen to the full album on imeem.

Easy Star All Stars Tour Schedule

(Also available on their website.)

About Easy Star All Stars

The Easy Star All-Stars are a collective family of some of the finest reggae musicians in the New York area. The band features a rotating cast drawn from a talented pool of players, meaning that every show has its own nuances and its own life. The masterminds behind the All-Stars are Easy Star musical director Michael Goldwasser (a.k.a. Michael G), frequent production partner Victor Axelrod (a.k.a. Ticklah), and Easy Star execs Eric Smith and Lem Oppenheimer. These four were the team behind the album Dub Side of the Moon (2003), the complete reggae re-vision of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and one of the most successful reggae albums of the 21st century. It has spent over 5 years on Billboard’s Top Reggae Chart and Reggae Catalog Chart.

In 2006, Easy Star All Stars followed up with Radiodread, a complete reggae re-vision of Radiohead’s OK Computer. That record has also been a huge success, sparking great reviews, and even garnering praise from Radiohead. The band’s vocalists and instrumentalists have toured and recorded with Burning Spear, Toots and the Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, Gil Scott-Heron, The Toasters, The Meditations, and many others.

Read more about Easy Star All-Stars here.

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With got Mojo?, Mojo Morgan has crafted an alternative rasta rock album infused with heavy reggae, hip hop, and R&B flavors. The lyrics maintain the conscious messages common to previous Morgan Heritage albums, with a heavy dose of rock and soul to keep audiences grooving. Mojo has been compared to voices as unique as Jack Johnson, 311, and Bob Marley, the original roots rocker.

Mojo Morgan continues the trend of many recent conscious reggae albums such as Sizzla‘s Ghetto Youth-Ology with a varied track list on got Mojo? that includes socially conscious tracks like Petrified (which addresses domestic violence) and ranges from the party track Tonight to the far mellower, soulful lover’s tune Till the End which features Mischu Laikah & Laza. Mojo even channels a little Easy Star All-Stars vibe with his reggae cover of The Police classic, Roxanne.

got Mojo? reflects Mojo Morgan‘s myriad life experiences, from his youth in Brooklyn, New York, to later life in Massachusetts, and finally a return to Jamaica as 1 of 5 sibling members of internationally-acclaimed “reggae royalty” group Morgans Heritage. Morgan Heritage’s most recent album, 2008′s Mission In Progress, included the singles Faithful and Raid Rootz Dance. Morgan Heritage‘s hits were regularly played on national and international radio as well as music television stations BET, VH1, and MTV. Surrounded by sessions of intensive vocal and instrumental training, Mojo was exposed to everything from the godfathers of roots reggae to Top 40 American Radio.

Born Memo Morgan and later called Mr. Mojo, Mojo is one of legendary reggae artist Denroy Morgan‘s 30 children. Mojo’s album release follows shortly after Denroy Morgan’s recent solo reggae album, Theocracy Reign.

Mojo Morgan‘s Jamaican roots were always an important part of his style, and got Mojo? chronicles hiss evolution from reggae to his own new definition of Rasta-Rock.

You can preview Mojo Morgan’s roots rocker music on MySpace: www.myspace.com/mrmojomorgan
You can hear a stream of Mojo’s tracks on imeem: www.imeem.com/mojomorgan

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This is an ambitious choice for the Easy Star All Stars: the Beatles’ tracks feature fast tempos and layered melodies that offer less room for versioning than Easy Stars’ previous covers. The Beatles devoted 4 months to creating Lonely Hearts Club Band, widely considered to be their magnum opus and described by Rolling Stone Magazine as the greatest rock album of all time. Every track on Lonely Hearts Club Band is instantly recognizable and studded with enough of the Beatles’ unique creative touches to make any versionist run for the hills. But the Easy Stars arrive well prepared for this massive undertaking, combing their years of experience as reggae hitmakers and studio musicians with a knockout lineup of featured reggae vocalists including U Roy, Luciano, Matisyahu, Sugar Minott, and more.

While past Easy Star albums have all included similarly strong lineups by guest vocalists, Lonely Hearts Dub Band trades much of the sound engineering found on their previous releases for heavier emphasis on the singers’ performances. Lonely Hearts Dub respectfully maintains much of the Beatles’ original song structures with relatively clean recordings and tight keyboard, brass, and percussion counterpoints. Fans expecting more of the heavy dub instrumentals found on Dub Side of the Moon, will be in for a surprise. This new album pushes fewer boundaries and feels more reggae than dub; an open air festival instead of a smoky den, it will appeal to reggae fans and Beatles fans alike.

The Easy Stars Lonely Hearts Dub Band journey begins with the CD’s vibrant packaging, a trifold cardboard sleeve saturated in colorful images that are reminiscent of the Beatles’ original cover with some fresh reggae touches including a red, green, and gold color scheme and fields of ganja instead of flowers (see a sneak peek of Easy Stars Lonely Hearts Dub Band album art here). The music begins with the classic Beatles background noises, but quickly brings a dub flavor reminiscent of Dub Side of the Moon‘s Money with sounds of bubbling and coughing, interrupted by an air horn that sounds straight out of Black Ark.

The first track sets the album’s overall tone with Junior Jazz singing Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band over a reggae melody, with light dub effects and some toasting thrown in for a fun song that retains much of the Beatles’ original sound. Luciano follows on With A Little Help From My Friends, a track that is miles away from the reggae artiste’s recent troubles with his “friends” Andrew “Shooty Shooty” Senior and Freckles Trench. Jah Messenger finds new friends in his backup singers and a rollicking track that continues the album’s uplifting tone and culminates with a chorus so joyful that the listener cannot help but smile and bob along.

Frankie Paul takes the baton with Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, the album’s second single. The Easy Stars turn up the dub on this trippy, mellow track with stronger overdubs and skanky keys and guitars infusing the core melody. Getting Better follows with a loose, repetitive structure that gives room for more overdubs and a simple dub track sound behind The Mighty Diamonds harmonious vocals.

Easy Star fans who were hoping to find some pure dub versions reminiscent of the 4 bonus dub tracks on Dub Side of the Moon will enjoy Fixing A Hole, the first of 2 extended dub mixes on Lonely Hearts Dub. The dub effects that have flown beneath the previous tracks’ melodies burst the levee and engulf Max Romeo‘s smooth voice as the band’s low key instrumentals take center stage. The next track,She’s Leaving Home was the album’s first single, with good reason. Kristy Rock‘s smoky, smiling voice dives right back into the dub sounds that made Easy Star famous in their previous releases, flowing effortlessly to create a warm, nostalgic vibe that’s well-suited to the lyrics. Rock flexes her talents effortlessly and the sound engineer is unafraid to get dubby, resulting in a meditative masterpiece.

Ranking Roger follows with Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! At its outset, this track continues the mellow dub tone set by its predecessors while getting closer to the Beatles’ orignal melodies. Things suddenly get interesting when it cuts to a brash dancehall infused bridge, complete with toasting and raucus brass instrumentation. Then, just as suddenly, the track returns to the mellow dub sound counterpointed this time with jangling samples of carnivals and bells.

Within You Without You is another highlight, in part because the light vocals and recursive melodies provide ample room for dubbing. Young Hasidic reggae star Matisyahu voices the perfect cover for George Harrison‘s original lyrics, bringing his own spirituality and incredible talents to create a version that in many ways outshines the original. Sitar and tabla stylings from Roger Lipson and Loren Oppenheimer, respectively, create a rich sound that flows over and alongside Matisyahu’s ecstatic beatbox whispers. The only thing missing from this track is Matisyahu’s now-famous hip hop toasting that brought new dimensions to his version of The Police‘s Message in a Bottle.

When I’m Sixty-Four is the second extended dub music mix on the album, and it’s as good as the first. Sugar Minott‘s voice lends itself to overdubbing while preserving the original song’s melodies. The trombone’s toasting that jumps in and out, culminating in a long dub instrumentation that deconstructs the whole piece into an echoing riddim. U Roy‘s toasting pairs well with Bunny Rugs’ singing on Lovely Rita, where the duo slyly suggest that Rita, the buttoned up meter maid, join them to smoke some tea, and the track wanders into dub territory in its second half with U Roy musing on his love for Rita.

Steel Pulse bring us back to the opening tracks’ cleaner tone on Good Morning Good Morning, a faster paced song that drops most of the dub effects in favor of a straightforward reggae cover. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) provides a quick interlude that also remains similar to the original track before cutting to A Day In The Life. Michael Rose and Menny More trade vocal responsibilities on this last track with singing that brings drama to the song’s opening verses and urgent humor to the second half. This closer also wavers between close reggae cover and wandering dub expression, showcasing Easy Star All Stars’ fluency with both ends of the spctrum.

While Dub Side of the Moon will no doubt retain its status as Easy Star All-Star’s greatest work and Radiodread remains a personal favorite, Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band complements its predecessors and has arrived just in time for summer music festivals and backyard sound systems. The release is Easy Stars’ most approachable to date, an album that invites the listener to join the fun, first humming along and finally singing and dancing. While the album opens and closes with relatively lightweight tracks, it peaks with several excellent versions in the middle that will continue Easy Star’s legacy on the dub reggae scene.

Want to hear the album yourself? You can preorder Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band from Amazon.com today and save $2 or hear it live: the band’s tour schedule is posted on their website. You can also hear the album’s singles on the Easy Star All-Stars website.

You can also find the Easy Star All Stars online:

• Easy Star All Stars MySpace page
• Easy Star All Stars on Facebook
• Easy Star All Stars on imeem
• Follow Easy Star All Stars on Twitter
• Order Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band album from Amazon.com

See our prerelease story for more information about the Easy Star All Stars band.

What’s next for the Easy Star All-Stars? No doubt another cover of a concept album from a famous rock band. While I’ll continue to enjoy Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band, I’m more of a dubber than a straight reggae fan, so I hope they’ll follow with a slower album that gives them more room to rub a heavier dub… perhaps The Flaming Lips‘ Soft Bulletin?

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Easy Star All-Stars are lining up to release another dub reggae hit with their reinvention of The Beatles‘ classic Lonely Hearts Club Band album. The 12-track album will be titled Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band. The hotly-anticipated release is scheduled for April 14, 2009.

Lonely Hearts Dub Band follows Easy Star Allstars 2 earlier chart-topping dub albums: 2003′s Dub Side of the Moon (a dub reggae tribute to Pink Floyd’s psychadelic rock concept album Dark Side of the Moon) and 2006′s Radiodread (a dub version of Radiohead‘s OK Computer, another concept album). Both of the previous album were subjects of critical acclaim: Pitchfork called Dub Side of the Moon a “smashing success” and Rolling Stone magazine noted that Radiodread was “again impressive”. Dub Side of the Moon lived on Billboard’s Top Reggae Chart for over 5 years, becoming one of the most successful modern reggae albums, and Radiodread continued to impress with 18 months on the same reggae chart.

Order Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band from Amazon.com and save $2.

After the dub reggae band’s first 2 releases, The Beatles classic was an obvious next step. Easy Star All Stars cofounder and musical director Michael Goldwasser explained that the group has “focused on re-envisioning concept albums as reggae and it’s really important that the source material works as a whole and is not just a collection of songs. So, what better to take on next than the mother of all concept albums?”

The Lonely Hearts Dub Band track listing includes:

1. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
2. With A Little Help From My Friends featuring Luciano
3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds featuring Frankie Paul
4. Getting Better
5. Fixing A Hole
6. She’s Leaving Home featuring Kirsty Rock
7. Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite!
8. Within You Without You featuring Matisyahu
9. When I’m Sixty-Four (Extended Dub Mix) featuring Sugar Minott
10. Lovely Rita featuring Bunny Rugs and U Roy
11. God Morning Good Morning
12. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
13. A Day In The Life

In true ego-free rasta tradition, Easy Star All-Stars are an organic collective of dub and reggae artists based in the New York City area. The cast of Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band is made up of Easy Star veteran and cofounder Michael Goldwasser (AKA Michael G) on guitar, cofounder and frequent producer Victor “Ticklah” Axelrod on keyboards, Victor Rice on bass, and Patrick Dougher & Eddie Ocampo on drums and percussion. Goldwasser also handled production, arrangement, and engineering for the album. As with the collective’s previous 2 releases, Lonely Hearts will feature extensive guest vocals from the greatest names in reggae, dub, and dancehall music today, including:

• Matisyahu
• Steel Pulse
• Black Uhuru‘s Michael Rose
• Luciano
• U Roy
• Third World‘s Bunny Rugs
• English Beat‘s Ranking Roger
• Sugar Minott
• Frankie Paul
• Max Romeo
• The Mighty Diamonds

Other members of the Easy Star All Stars collective also contributed to individual tracks, including Ras I Ray on bass and vocals, Jennifer Hill on sax and flute, Buford O’Sullivan on trombone, Ivan Katz on drums, Kirsty Rock, Tamar-kali on lead and backing vocals, Junior Jazz on guitar and vocals, and Menny More on lead and backing vocals.

The Easy Stars’ publicist has confirmed that the band will release a dub reggae track for download in the near future; it will also be available here at Dub & Reggae. At our suggestion, they are also considering releasing an Easy Star ringtone similar to the Mavado ringtones released by VP Reggae.

The dub album’s release will be supported by The Easy Star All-Stars touring group. Easy Star’s collective nature leads to varied lineups of top reggae talent at different shows, which in the past have blown out shows at festivals and headlined shows around the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Chile, Poland, Turkey, Mexico, Argentina, Israel, Croatia, Ireland, Egypt, Brazil, and beyond. Unlike the studio lineup, the touring group has remained nearly unchanged, gelling through repeated performances together with Ras I Ray, Junior Jazz, Ivan Katz, Tamar-kali, Jenny Hill, and Menny More joined by Jeremy Mage on keyboards. The experience is made truly unique through a live mix by a dub engineer, usually Marcos Ferrari or Jocko Randall of John Brown’s Body.

Other members of Easy Star All Stars join the touring group wherever possible for shows, leading to surprise appearances by Ticklah and Michael G as well as reggae legend Ranking Joe, Victor Rice of the Version City All-Stars, Pam Fleming of the Burning Brass, Groove Collective’s Jay Rodriguez, singer Stephanie McKay, Antibalas’s Stuart Bogie, John Brown Body’s Josh Driscoll. This unique chemistry leads to different sounds at every show, allowing the Easy Star All-Stars to consistently deliver an inspiring, invigorating performance time and again.

Order Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band from Amazon.com.

Easy Star All Stars‘ tour schedule is posted on their website.

Easy Star was founded by Goldwasser, Axelrod, and executives Eric Smith and Lem Oppenheimer in 1997. Like many reggae production bands in the past, The Easy Star All-Stars functioned primarily as a studio recording group until they released Dub Side of the Moon 6 years later. Dub Side’s runaway success led Goldwasser and company to form a touring group to take their unique brand of dub versions to the people. The All Stars truly live up to their name, having toured and recorded with Burning Spear, Toots and the Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, Gil Scott-Heron, The Toasters, The Meditations, Bernie Worrell, DJ Logic, MC Solaar, King Django, Antibalas, The Scofflaws, Diana King, Dennis Brown, Monty Alexander, Sister Carol, and others.

You can learn more about Easy Star All Stars online:

• Easy Star All Stars MySpace page
• Easy Star All Stars on Facebook
• Easy Star All Stars on imeem
• Follow Easy Star All Stars on Twitter
• Order Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band album from Amazon.com

In the meantime, if you’re interested in more dub reggae covers of popular music, check out Reggae Spirits, whose album, Spirits in the Material World: A Reggae Tribute to The Police includes performances by Toots & The Maytals, The Wailing Souls, UB40‘s cofounder and former frontman Ali Campbell, Joan Osborne, Junior Reid and Lee “Scratch” Perry. 4 Spirits tracks are available on Dub & Reggae:

• One World (Not Three)
• Invisible Dub
• Synchronicity I
• Can’t Stand Losing You

We’ll keep you posted on the Easy Star All Stars release.

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