Culture & the Deejay's At Joe Gibbs (1977-79)

The great Joseph Hill, leader of the legendary reggae trio Culture, possessed one of the purest and most affecting voices in reggae music. The exceptional clarity of his high tenor voice, which combined the immaculate phrasing of Sam Cooke with the playful virtuosity of John Holt, was matched only by his inventiveness as an arranger and songwriter. Songs like “Two Sevens Clash” and “I’m Not Ashamed” combine the impassioned harmonies of deep gospel with the nodding, sweat drenched cadences of roots reggae. VP Records’ collection Culture & the Deejays At Joe Gibbs revisits these classic recordings with a twist, featuring 11 extended disco mixes of much beloved Culture tunes. Around the three-minute mark on each of these tracks the rhythms are abruptly stripped back to rough-hewn dub, and the rough-throated voices of DJs like I-Roy, Trinity and Bojangles replace Culture’s impeccable harmonies. Culture and the Deejays gives listeners a chance to explore the world of the street-corner DJ and to renew their appreciation for some of reggae’s greatest material.