Sis Jendayi
Feel It (10")
10" limited edition of 500 copies. Some years ago, whilst compiling our Bristol Reggae Explosion series, I was approached by Mike Taysum who told me of a great unreleased reggae track which he'd played guitar on back in 1982. Unfortunately, he'd lost his cassette copy of the song long ago and at that time, Rob Smith (Smith & Mighty) who also played on and produced the track, had no idea as to the whereabouts of the masters. Earlier this year Rob Smith happened to mention that he'd been transferring his old recordings and had come across the masters for "Feel It". Without hesitation I suggested we release the song a mere 37 years after it was recorded, with the added bonus of three original dub mixes he'd also found on the tapes. The recordings originate from a session one afternoon in late 1982 when three members of Bristol's Arts Opportunity Theatre set about recording a track they'd written. With just three people and limited equipment, they made a strength of their limitations and in doing so came up with something unique for the time. In many ways "Feel It" pre-empts the small studio, no budget DIY approach that from the late eighties which would see a UK led roots reggae revival spread as an antidote to the direction Jamaican dancehall reggae was then travelling, further and further away from the seventies roots sound.