Lee Perry's crossover/radio mix of "Merry Christmas, Happy New Year"
is only
available on cd on MIDNIGHT DREAD's all-time holiday compilation NATTY &
NICE.
NATTY & NICE A Reggae Christmas
Was Available at Rhino
online
Midnight Dread takes you to the islands every holiday season with "Natty
& Nice" A Reggae Christmas
TRACK LISTING
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year (The Crossover/Radio Mix) -- Lee
Perry, featuring Sandra Robinson
Happy Christmas -- Toots & The Maytals
Rudolf The Reggae Reindeer -- Bolivar
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) -- John Holt
Wish You A Merry Christmas -- Jacob Miller
Santa Claus Is Skaing To Town -- Granville Williams Orchestra
Happiness -- N.T. Washington
Happy Christmas -- Washington & Clarke
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus -- Johnny Clarke
Love Child -- Kiddus I
Merry Christmas -- The Kingstonians
All I Want For Christmas -- Ini Kamoze
Merry, Merry Christmas -- Alton Ellis & The I Listicks
Ding Dong Bell -- The Ethiopians
Brave Bells/Scot The Brave -- The Trojans
Gee Whiz It's Christmas -- Frankie Paul
The Christmas Song -- Beres Hammond
Have A Happy Christmas -- Heavy Beat Crew: Jimmy Riley, Tyrone Taylor, Hopeton
Lindo, Michelle Lindo & Kashchief Lindo
The 18 tracks on NATTY & NICE feature many of the top reggae stars.
These selections by producer Doug Wendt show the depth of warmth, talent
and richness in Jamaican music. Further, The NATTY & NICE liner notes-
a rememberance of Christmas time in Jamaica- were penned by Phil Chen- who
has played bass with Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff as well as rock noteables
Eric Clapton and John Fogerty. The result is a refreshing look at the Jamaican
people's" Yule-tide spirit". Where the warm breezes sway the Christmas
lights on the palm tree and the sound system plays in the hearth.
This is the first release ever on Midnight Dread. As producer Doug Wendt
writes in the liner notes: "In the spirit of incongruity that brought
us the Jamaican bobsled team, here's a fantastic collection of Christmas
music from the tropics. It was this irony that first attracted me to holiday
season reggae. Christmas is a big deal on the Caribbean island that brought
us Rastafarianism, and even though not all reggae artists are Rastas, the
sight of devout dreadlocked ones singing songs of Christain cheer seems...
well, unusual. This compilation is a spin-off of my long-running commercial
reggae radio show MIDNIGHT DREAD and many custom Christmas cassettes made
for family and friends. These excellent tracks cover the best of more than
30 years of natty & nice reggae and ska." It's received favorable
reviews in ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, THE WASHINGTON POST, CMJ, BEAT MAGAZINE, FULL WATTS and many other places.
Mick Sleeper's Lee Perry web-site put it in his Top Ten and Swedish
National Radio placed it in heavy play. Midnight Dread's second release
(this time through Pow Wow Records) Motown Meets Trenchtown or REGGAE CELEBRATES THE DETROIT SOUND is also available now.