Want to talk about "Funky Kingston" album?

[iosumarti]

Hello people:
Its monday and I have to work. I was a little bit slow until I decided to play Funky Kingston Toots and the Maytals album, 1975 american release...
I love the sound, the vibes, the arrangements...
I havent find too much information in the net about it... I know it was recorded in Dynamics and maybe they added some string in UK?

What do you know?

[django]

There's some cross-over with the Slatyam Stoot album as I recall, although I don't remember if the tracks in question are different mixes. It's a great album, although I think In The Dark is a superior set from around the same time.

[99thfloor]

The US release is more like In The Dark anyway, it has six songs from it, but only three from the UK Funky Kingston. The tenth track is "Pressure Drop", which was on Slatyam Stoot (which also shares half of it's tracks with the UK LP), so it's like a distilled compilation of all three those.

[django]

Thanks for the info 99th. So the US is:
A1 Time Tough 4:21
A2 In The Dark 2:46
A3 Funky Kingston 4:55
A4 Love Is Gonna Get Me Down 3:14
A5 Louie Louie 3:30
B1 Pomp And Pride 4:30
B2 Got To Be There 3:04
B3 Country Road 3:21
B4 Pressure Drop 3:43
B5 Sail On 3:32

UK is:
A1 Sit Right Down 4:42
A2 Pomp And Pride 4:30
A3 Louie Louie 5:45
A4 I Can't Believe It 3:29
B1 Redemption Song 4:12
B2 Daddy's Home 5:44
B3 Funky Kingston 4:55
B4 It Was Written Down 3:40

Then of course there is Slatyam Stoot which has 5 tracks same as UK Funky Kingston, the UK In The Dark which as you pointed out has some of the US Funky Kingston tracks and finally Roots Reggae on Dynamic which is the Jamaican issue of In The Dark using the cover art of Funky Kingston.

[jb welda]

Never heard of this Slatyam Stoot release! I know I could look it up but anyone got a cover shot handy?

I had the funky Kingston USA LP since it was released but never really dug it that much...think I also had In the Dark which I preferred. Hard to recall back to those days, one thing I do remember is how tough and militant Peter Tosh sounded on Equal Rights. That got me into reggae heavy after merely dabbling in it from 73 or so until then.

one love
jb

[Donovan]

To me, Funky Kingston is the US Mango release. That UK version ... I wouldn't even recognize it.

In fact, I'll have to get me a copy of In The Dark so that I have those tracks.

[99thfloor]

Never heard of this Slatyam Stoot release! I know I could look it up but anyone got a cover shot handy?

Here: http://www.discogs.com/Toots-The-Maytal ... se/2225030

Slatyam Stoot and Roots Reggae are the Jamaican albums that I guess you could say were roughly the equivalents of Kingston and Dark.

[django]

To me, Funky Kingston is the US Mango release. That UK version ... I wouldn't even recognize it.

In fact, I'll have to get me a copy of In The Dark so that I have those tracks.

Whereas my UK perspective is exactly the opposite. The problem I have with the UK is that some tracks are just too long, Louie Louie in particular outstays it's welcome by a couple of minutes. I guess the shorter US mix is the same as that on Slatyam Stoot.

The reason I would argue that the UK feels more "official" is the US bastardisation of In The Dark tracks. Those tracks were originally issued in Jamaica as part of the Roots Reggae set, which is the same as the UK In The Dark. Also Pressure Drop doesn't belong anywhere near Funly Kingston IMHO, it's totally out of place.

Just a shame that Island/Mango didn't use all the Slatyam tracks I guess.

[99thfloor]

...Pressure Drop doesn't belong anywhere near Funly Kingston IMHO, it's totally out of place.

I guess it was added because it was their most well known song in the US, having been on The Harder They Come. Since it is on Slatyam Stoot, and several other songs from that album are also included, one could make a case that it does belong.

[django]

...Pressure Drop doesn't belong anywhere near Funly Kingston IMHO, it's totally out of place.

I guess it was added because it was their most well known song in the US, having been on The Harder They Come. Since it is on Slatyam Stoot, and several other songs from that album are also included, one could make a case that it does belong.

That's a fair point. To me it jars as it's 2 or 3 years older than the other tracks at a time the music was changing stylistically at an incredible pace. I would add that the US version looks a more enjoyable listen overall than the UK set.

[iosumarti]

Thank you for your answers!
Something about the arrangements?
I feel a big production work: lots of guitars, pianos, organs, strings, backing vocals...
It makes a very full arrangement but without been busy...
And the sound also it is very punchy and clear...

[Donovan]

So I was looking at buying the Funky Kingston/In The Dark combo CD, but I would still be missing out on a few songs from the uber-expensive Slatyam Stoot LP:

- The Same Thing
- Coolie Baby
- Come Reggae
- If You Act This Way

I'll have to rely on Youtube for those cuts.