The Beat Is Blue

You folks are in for a treat tonight.

Regular readers may remember that a few weeks back we featured some selections from a jumbo compilation of all the songs that made the British Top 50 in 1962, which had been put together by some bright spark taking advantage of the fact that music licensing rights expire after 50 years. Well, now someone has decided to do the same with Jamaican music.

"The Story of Blue Beat 1962 Part 1" features all A and B sides of singles released on the legendary Blue Beat Records that year (or at least it will when Part 2 comes out very shortly). At £7.50 for 58 tracks that is a great deal by anyone's standards, especially when they are as good as this. Here are a few to whet your appetite, after which I am sure you will want to splash out on the whole thing.

In 1962 Jamaican music was still very heavily influenced by r&b, and in particular New Orleans r&b, but you also see a more distinctive local sound beginning to emerge. And how nice to hear tributes to Mabel and Enid, two names that you don't hear often enough any more.

"Never Never (South Virginia)" - Bobby Aitken

"Mabel" - Laurel Aitken & Hyacinth

"Walking Down King Street" - Theo Beckford

"Please Enid" - Rudy Grant & Sketto Rich

Here is a Mabel, and then an Enid. But they appear to both be men! What a shame - they were lovely names until "they" spoilt them.