Big Ship, by Freddie McGregor

Big Ship

by Freddie McGregor

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1.	Big Ship 05:53	buy track
2.	Sweet Lady 03:11	buy track
3.	Peaceful Man 03:45	buy track
4.	Stop Loving You 03:09	buy track
5.	Get Serious 03:06	buy track
6.	Don't Play The Fool 03:15	buy track
7.	Get United 03:21	buy track
8.	Let Me Be The One 03:27	buy track
9.	Roots Man Skanking 03:19	buy track
10.	Holy Mount Zion 03:15	buy track

about

R&B has long been a major influence on reggae (just as it influenced ska and, before that, mento). In the early 1980s, different reggae artists were being influenced by different types of R&B -- some were getting into slick, keyboard-driven urban contemporary sounds, while others maintained their devotion to 1960s and 1970s soul. On 1982's Big Ship, Freddie McGregor's love of African-American soul music comes through loud and clear -- even though many of the more Rastafarian-oriented lyrics are very much a product of the Jamaican experience. True to form, the singer provides a variety of political and apolitical songs. While gems like "Holy Mount Zion" and "Get United" underscore his political/spiritual beliefs as a Rastafarian, McGregor favors more of a lovers rock approach on "Let Me Be the One," "Stop Loving You," and "Sweet Lady." In reggae circles, the term lovers rock refers to reggae that chooses romantic themes over social or political topics -- essentially, it is the reggae equivalent of romantic R&B. And any soul lover who has spent a lot of time savoring the romantic sweet soul of the Delfonics or Brenton Wood should have no problem getting into the lovers rock on this album. For that matter, McGregor's more sociopolitical songs have just as much classic soul appeal. Reissued on CD in 2001, Big Ship is among the best and most consistent albums that McGregor provided in the 1980s. - Alex Henderson

credits

released January 1, 1982

Steven Angel - Mastering
Gregory Isaacs - Composer
Tony McDermott - Artwork, Design
Freddie McGregor - Composer, Primary Artist, Vocals
Timothy O'Sullivan - Photography
Roots Radics - Performer, Primary Artist
Scientist - Mixing
Steelie - Composer
Linval Thompson - Composer, Producer

Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Greensleeves Records Ltd.
Copyright © – Greensleeves Records Ltd.
Copyright © – Greensleeves Records
Published By – Greensleeves Publishing
Published By – Sparta-Florida Music
Recorded At – Harry J's Recording Studio
Recorded At – Channel One Recording Studio
Mixed At – Channel One Recording Studio
Mastered At – Utopia Studios
Backing Band [Backed By] – Roots Radics*
Cover – Tony McDermott
Mastered By – Steve Angel
Mixed By – Scientist
Photography By – Tim O'Sullivan
Plated By – PAG
Producer – Linval Thompson

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VP Records Queens, New York

Miles Ahead

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With origins in Kingston, Jamaica in the late 1950s as Randy’s Record Mart, Vincent and Patricia Chin’s small used record business would grow to become one of the world’s largest independent record labels, with a catalog of 35,000 recordings. ... more