Saturday evening in a roots style Knowledge - Hail Dread A Tappa Zukie production Natty gone outernational - this one was released on a major label. A&M Records, the same label The Carpenters were signed to ✊🏾🇯🇲 #reggae #music #Jamaica #vinyl

Hard to believe now, but once upon a time I did this for a living. Not only is that me riding that Beemer for the cover shot - but I also edited the entire magazine and wrote many of the tests and features in it. They were very special times (before #AI) ❤️ #motorcycles #journalism #photography

More Sugar Minott sweetness. Still on the Black Roots label. Minott absolutely blasts out his cover of this pop standard on this recording. I love everything about this disk. #reggae #reggaesky #vinylsky #vinyl #musicsky #Jamaica

Saturday Night Jamboree on the Dub Irator label. Wayne Jarrett sings the A side, and someone called 'Silver Fox' toasts on the flip ahead of the dub finale. It's a definitive example of how perfect the 12 inch 45 rpm format is for reggae music. #reggae #reggaesky #vinylsky #vinyl #musicsky #Jamaica

Another 12. Another Sugar Minott masterpiece. It's called 'Mix Up', and this particular version is on his own Black Roots label #reggae #reggaesky #vinylsky #vinyl #musicsky #Jamaica

Playing this foot-long forty-five by Michael Prophet, produced by Vivian Jackson on the Black Roots label, and reminding myself what an absolute gem this record is. #music #vinyl #reggae #Jamaica

I had an R65LS for many years. Originally owned by my kid brother, I got it with about 20k miles on it. I used it for despatch riding, raising the mileage to 185,000. I rode it in all seasons through sunshine, rain, Storms and snow. Reliable, fun and much missed.

Today is the final day these paintings are on show in London’s Mall Galleries. View them online - buyart.mallgalleries.org.uk/laura-andrew...

Keith Poppin is a marvellous #Jamaican singer, but may be missing from some #reggae vinyl collections. I have three Keith Poppin LPs, including this one ‘Pop Inn’. It’s finest roots reggae, so don’t be fooled by the title. ‘Envious’ and ‘More of Keith’, the other two LPs, are both superb.

Lots of long-tailed tits in the hedgerows today. Here’s are two artworks depicting these fluff balls, one in watercolour and one in oil. Both are available framed, please DM for details, or comment below. www.lauraandrew.com #lincolnshire #lincolnshirewolds #birds #birdart

PayPal being radio silent over their instant transfers being down 😒

Bullfinch lovers! A selection of available bullfinch paintings & prints currently in my studio ➡️ Some are not on my website so please send me a DM or comment below for more details. All can be dispatched today and with you by tomorrow… (UK Special Delivery)

My first motorcycle, as opposed to moped. In this exact colour. Bought just after my 17th birthday. I wanted an RD250 but my dad forced me to buy his mate’s CB200 because ‘a Honda is more reliable’. It wasn’t, far from it. I even had to pass my test with it stubbornly refusing to select first gear 😡

Timeless styling. Doesn’t look in the least bit dated 50 years later.

Hot dog utilises the Victorian version of air conditioning (aka Minton Tiles), post park run on a very warm English morning. #whippet #sighthounds #dogsofbluesky #dogs #Victorian #summer

This.

There might be some better live albums than ‘Johnny Cash Live at San Quentin’ - but I doubt there’s any with as much atmosphere. I’ve loved this recording since my mum first played it to me back in 1969. One of the best things she ever gave me was an appreciation for great music. #music #country

Over the last 24 hours I’ve begun to suspect that there’s a organised and concerted campaign being carried out on BlueSky to ensure that Farage and Reform have no opposition in the next British General Election. Fartrage is possibly behind it, but I suspect Putin is his partner-in-crime here.

You’re probably not interested in photos of my dog Stevie (girl). But here’s some anyway. #dogs #whippets #sighthounds

Exactly. They are not getting a budget greater than the most countries spend on their armies just to bully immigrants. This is merely rehearsal for when they are called upon to oppress anyone in America who opposes GOP. They will enforce the cancellation of USA’s democratic elections.

Many Americans refused to vote for the Democrats because they were perceived as supporting genocide. Q: And how did that work out for them? A: Exactly how it will work out for us if we make the same mistake - except it will get us Faraged instead of Trumped.

I prosecute and defend the most serious sexual offences in our courts. The overwhelming majority of offenders are British-born. Overwhelmingly the victim is someone known to them, either a partner or relative. Anybody purporting to care about protecting women might start there.

Nothing is worse than being hired to bring positive change at a place that doesn’t want to change. It’s frustrating and depressing. I’ve only been here 4 months and I’m afraid it’s already time to go.

Ken Boothe & Lloyd Charmers LP Everything I Own. The Jamaican mix. No strings on this. Trojan added them for the UK release. Boothe viewed the overdubs as a sign of Trojan’s faith in him. Faith well placed - in 1974 the title track reached number 1 in the UK charts. #vinyl #reggae #pirateradio

The originals always deliver. This consignment of top tier early reggae vocals is by the OG himself, Mr Alton Ellis, and is on the famous Coxsone or Studio One label - right where it belongs! #reggae #vinyl #weekend #tunes #pirateradio

Sold this rare original Jamaican pressing of King Tubby. It’s the work of a genius. The record was like new. Painful letting it go but I’ll console myself with the UK pressing on the Grounation label. More reggae vinyl gems like this in my Discogs shop, link in my profile. #reggae #vinyl #pension

Just what the doctor ordered… #Friday #Vinyl #Weekend #Reggae #Dub

Spotted this morning. The veritable FS1. Or FS1-E in its UK learner-legal form. A blast from my past, although I had a Garelli Tiger Cross. The Italian mini-stallion would outpace the Japanese mopeds of the day - but only until the alternator rotor inevitably flew off its shaft 🤣

Mickey Dread enjoyed UK success with his Dread At The Controls label, aka DATC. MD’s own albums on the label include the much-sampled African Anthem, and the best selling World War 3. I’m playing Reggae Sounds, by Earl Sixteen, on the DATC label. #PirateRadio 🏴‍☠️ #Reggae #NowSpinning #vinyl #Music

Freddie McGregor again and the LP 'Bobby Babylon'. This one produced by the legendary Coxsone Dodd at Studio One. Pictured is a very well cared for 1980s re-release of this classic solo vocal album. #PirateRadio 🏴‍☠️ #Reggae #VinylSky #NowSpinning #vinyl #Music

Freddie McGregor sailed into British living rooms in 1982 when Greensleeves released the ‘Big Ship’ LP. It features Freddie’s wonderful voice on hard Roots Radics riddims. This is the JA pressing on producer Linval Thompson’s own label. #PirateRadio 🏴‍☠️ #Reggae #VinylSky #NowSpinning #vinyl #Music

Here's a couple of 12" Joe Gibbs Disco 45rpm sleeves from the late 1970s for the #12inchtuesday crew... #reggae #reggaesky #vinylsky #musicsky

One hit wonders abound in reggae, just as in pop. Pancho Alphonso wasn't exactly a household name back in the 70s, or have a chart hit - but he did release this corker on the London-based Trojan label. #PirateRadio 🏴‍☠️ #Reggae #VinylSky #ReggaeSky #NowSpinning #vinyl #Music #VinylCommunity #Nowplaying

One of the greatest live LPs ever made. It also gave us an alternative to the ‘tennis girl’ poster for our bedroom walls - which is why they are now so hard to find with the poster. #PirateRadio 🏴‍☠️ #Reggae #VinylSky #ReggaeSky #NowSpinning #vinyl #Music #VinylCollection #VinylCommunity #Nowplaying

Jamaican label art has an endearing DIY vibe. That same DIY vibe means labels are often misprinted. Labels also got recycled and used on different releases. This one merely has two B side labels 🤷🏽‍♂️🙄🥰 #PirateRadio 🏴‍☠️ #Reggae #ReggaeSky #VinylSky #NowSpinning #vinyl #Music #VinylCollection #Nowplaying

Falsetto vocalist Slim Smith has been described as “the greatest vocalist to emerge in the rocksteady era”. This LP, Memorial, was originally released in 1973. This copy on Brad Osbourne’s Clocktower Records is from 1980s. #PirateRadio 🏴‍☠️ #Reggae #VinylSky #NowSpinning #vinyl #Music #Nowplaying

Waybe wade’s ‘Fire Fire’. From 1978. Another Yabby You production, on the Prophets label. The title track tells us about the divisive political violence tearing through Jamaica in the 1970s. #PirateRadio 🏴‍☠️ #Reggae #VinylSky #NowSpinning #vinyl #Music #VinylCollection #VinylCommunity #Nowplaying

Producer Vivian Jackson aka Yabby You met singer Wayne Wade in 1974. This collaboration, Evil Woman, was released in Jamaica, USA and UK on Yabby You’s own Prophets label - way back in 1978. #PirateRadio 🏴‍☠️ #Reggae #VinylSky #NowSpinning #vinyl #Music #VinylCollection #VinylCommunity #Nowplaying

Peak 1970s style in this Doug Mitchenall designed body kit, produced for tuning legend Paul Dunstall. The fearsome Kawasaki KH500 2t triple looked fabulous when stock but it wears this fairing and tank/seat combo well, and the extra weight over the front wheel possibly tamed the KH’s wild wheelies.

I have collected vinyl for decades. I tell people it is my pension, and the best sounding pension anyone could ever have (all true). 🥰 Now, I’m at the age where I begin to cash in that pension. Hence my little record store on Discogs: www.discogs.com/seller/leggo... #vinyl #reggae #music

Sorting through my archive. I think this was my first article for the recently launched Bike Sport News, a proper newsprint paper publication. It’s dated April 2000. It’s good to read these old British Superbike race reports in all their analog glory. #motosky #motorcycles #motorsport #writing

I went to a party with Bez from the Happy Mondays who, at the time, I was ghost writing for. We met Jarvis Cocker there. He had a cool lighter shaped like an alien, which I borrowed and then point blank refused to return - telling Jarvis he was rich enough to buy himself another. 🏴‍☠️

I was chatting to @houseofreggae.bsky.social recently about the Claudette / Nathaniel Natty reggae collection. And how many of us seem to have records with their tags on them. Here’s one from my Discogs sales box, now on its way to a new owner to add to their own vintage vinyl collection.

Playing with CD players. Philips CDR775 versus a new Technics SL-G700 streamer/player. The SL-G has the edge on detail but the older machine has an engaging sound. The state-of-the-art signal processing by the superb SU-R1000 amplifier is playing a big part in helping the Philips sing. #music #HiFi

Won’t you take me down to Funky town #vinyl #disco #boogieshoes

It’s up to the ‘45 Room’ now to bring you some #WeekendSingles featuring original music from Jamaica. Starting off with some ska and rocksteady on the King Edwards label. #vinyl #reggae #music #ska #rocksteady #bluebeat #Jamaica

I haven’t used the an MC cart on the SL1200G for a while. It’s kept premounted in a spare headshell so it only took a few minutes to get up and spinning with it. The AT33EV MC sounds lovely. Lots of detail and clarity, with plenty of mid range punch and a heap of solid bass. #vinyl #HiFi #audiophile

Starting the weekend with: Cornell Campbell - Inspector General on the Imperial Label out of Canada. Campbell’s sweet falsetto voice rides 10 riddims that sound like they have the hand of Lloyd Barnes on them. Sadly, no info on sleeve about engineers or backing band. #reggae #vinyl #Jamaica

Still digging among the Cs of my dub crates. This one is a set of dubs of songs by the harmony group ‘Culture’. So, naturally, it’s called ‘Culture Dub’. A great snapshot of the 1970s Jamaican #reggae dub sound.

A rare one and an oldie but goodie. It features a toast on Rivers of Babylon by U-Roy - and lots of solid, vintage dub. Cultural Dub, engineered by Sylvan Morris and released in Jamaica in 1978 Harry J on the Harry J label. An old favourite of mine #reggae #vinyl