Various Artists - Midnight To Six Man… First Time From Jamaica LP
"Midnight to six man, for the first time from Jamaica / Dillinger and Leroy Smart / Delroy Wilson, your cool operator” - White Man In Hammersmith Palais, The Clash.
The legendary gig that Joe Strummer, singer from the Punk Rock band The Clash attended and inspired his writing their classic White Man In Hammersmith Palais took place on the 05th June 1977. At the Hammersmith Palais venue on Shepherd’s Bush Road W6, London during the height of Punk Mania. The full line up for the show were all Jamaican artists Dillinger, Leroy Smart, Delroy Wilson (all the first time from Jamaica) and Ken Boothe. Boothe had already scored some hits with Everything I Own and Crying Over You in 1974.
Joe Strummer was expecting Roots, Rock, Reggae but the Sound System this evening Admiral Ken Sound was playing Four Tops All Night as in soul and northern soul that were staple crowd pleasers at the time to warm up the audience, but in Joe’s eyes the music should have reflected more Jamaican roots based music. The song also deals with bigger issues of black and white unity, but some people including the Punk Rockers: “They’re all too busy fighting, for a good place under the lighting”. Joe Strummer himself was looking for fun. “I’m the Whiteman in the Palais... just looking for fun”.
The artwork supplied by Punk Artist Mal One has used the two posters that were made for this gig, the reggae promoters Star Promotions poster, that contained a picture of Ken Boothe and the venue’s own poster that used text to announce it’s line up for that evenings performance. Alongside these lost relics, he has also combined the groups own poster for the White Man In Hammersmith Palais single that incorporated the use of rifle target sights, perhaps enhancing the air of violence contained in the songs message. Mal One has collaged these together joining the two stories as indeed the song lyrics reflected.
People often forget that the songs release was in fact as year after the actual gig, Kingston Sounds have tied this release to the 40th anniversary of the song’s release. Joe Strummer was one of the few voices from the Punk-era that used his lyrics as a weapon to tell the events that were happening around him and their relevance to those times. The song itself a Clash classic and also a punk anthem, released on the 16th June 1978.
Kingston Sounds have compiled this album with songs by these artists, most of which you would have heard that night. Nice cuts from Delroy Wilson, Leroy Smart, Dillinger and Ken Boothe.
Tracklist:
1. Cool Operator [Delroy Wilson]
2. Mr Smart [Leroy Smart]
3. I'm Not for Sale [Ken Boothe]
4. Babylon Yard [Dillenger]
5. Better Must Come [Delroy Wilson]
6. Leggo Violence [Dillenger]
7. Mr Rich Man [Leroy Smart]
8. (Mash Up Illiteracy) Mash It Up [Delroy Wilson]
9. You're No Good [Ken Boothe]
10. God Helps the Man [Leroy Smart]
11. Can I Change Your Mind [Delroy Wilson]
12. Answer Me Question [Dillenger]
13. Pride and Ambition [Leroy Smart]
14. You Must Believe Me [Delroy Wilson]
About this product: this release is pressed on black vinyl.