One of the most significant collections in Trojan’s immense catalogue, the “The Trojan Story” album dramatically changed the perception of Jamaican music among the general British public outside of the country’s Afro-Caribbean population. Prior to its release in 1971 there had never been an attempt to present a comprehensive anthology of the island’s musical development, with vintage ska, rock steady and reggae widely regarded as obsolete and of precious little merit. The treble disc set, which became an instant best-seller, had been the brainchild of Trojan’s label manager and Black Music fan, Rob Bell, who, assisted by Trojan stalwarts, Dandy Livingstone, Webster Shrowder, Des Bryan and Joe Sinclair, produced arguably the most significant Jamaican music retrospectives of all time.
Now, 50 years following its original release, this hugely influential album has been revisited by Bell, along with reggae musician, Rusty Zinn, who have succeeded in improving what was already an almost perfect collection. Presented in the original eye-catching artwork, the 3CD set is further enhanced by a highly illustrated 28-page booklet in which Bell and Zinn reveal the stories behind the release and the 50 tracks featured on the compilation.
Track Listing
CD 1
1. Invitation To Jamaica – Lord Tanamo
2. Fat Man – Derrick Morgan
3. Tell Me Darling – Jackie Edwards
4. Running Around – Owen Gray
5. Miss Jamaica – Jimmy Cliff
6. Housewife’s Choice – Derrick And Patsy
7. Give Me All Your Love – The Continentals
8. Darling Patricia – Owen Gray
9. Rough And Tough – Stranger Cole
10. Man To Man – Kentrick Patrick
11. Uno-Dos-Tres – Stranger & Ken
12. Slow Boat – Al T. Joe
13. Rude Boy – Duke Reid’s Group
14. Gone Is Yesterday – Higgs & Wilson
15. I’m In The Mood For Ska – Lord Tanamo
16. Virginia Ska – The Baba Brooks Band
17. Satan – Justin Hinds & The Dominoes
CD 2
1. One Eyed Giant – Baba Brooks & His Band
2. Every Night – Joe White and Chuck
3. King Size – Baba Brooks & His Band
4. Syncopate – The Astronauts
5. Keep The Pressure On – Winston & George
6. Oh Babe – The Techniques
7. Train To Skaville – The Ethiopians
8. Rudy, A Message To You – Dandy Livingstone
9. Dreader Than Dread – Honey Boy Martin & The Voices
10. It’s Raining – The Three Tops
11. The Whip – The Ethiopians
12. Pretty Africa – Desmond Dekker & The Aces
13. Rock Steady – Alton Ellis & the Flames
14. Rock Steady Train – Ewan & Jerry
15. King Without A Throne – Sugar Simone
16. Perfidia – Phyllis Dillon
CD 3
1. Musical Train – Roy Shirley
2. Do The Beng Beng – Derrick Morgan
3. Way Of Life – Lynn Taitt & The Jets
4. Second Fiddle – Tommy McCook & The Supersonics
5. People Funny Boy – Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry
6. I’ve Got To Get You Off My Mind – The Tennors
7. Do The Reggay – The Maytals
8. Nana – The Slickers
9. Tell Me Baby – Delano Stewart
10. Mama Look Deh – The Reggae Boys
11. Hong Kong Flu – The Ethiopians
12. Pressure Drop – The Maytals
13. Them A Laugh And A Ki ki – The Soul Mates
14. Walking In The Rain – The Melodians
15. Satisfaction – Carl Dawkins
16. Black And White – The Maytones
17. Rasta Never Fails – The Charmers
