17 tracks new to CD First ever compilation of J.J. Johnson’s productions Features some of the biggest Jamaican hits from 1968 to 1972By the close of the Sixties, record retailer and jukebox businessman Karl ‘J.J.’ Johnson was firmly established as one of Jamaica’s leading record producers, having released a string of best-selling rock steady and proto-reggae 45s by such noted local acts as Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, the Rulers, Carl Dawkins, the Kingstonians and the Ethiopians.Early in 1969, a lucrative agreement with British record label, Trojan, emboldened the ambitious entrepreneur to release an album comprising a dozen of his latest recordings in the new reggae style. Entitled “Reggae Power”, the LP was dominated by regular hit-makers, the Ethiopians, whose recent singles had proved so popular in Britain that the group had been prompted to make a promotional tour of the country. Their trip led to Trojan dramatically reworking the ‘Reggae Power’ long-player for its UK release, replacing all but two non-Ethiopians tracks with further J.J.-produced works by the trio, before issuing it in new artwork.But with the Ethiopians collection already available on the Doctor Bird CD, “Reggae Power & Woman Capture Man”, it is the Jamaican version of the album that provides the inspiration for this exciting double-disc compilation, which collects the bulk of J.J. Johnson’s output from 1968 to 1972, including numerous reggae hits and 17 recordings new to CD
