V/A: Funk The Reggae Beat [BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT]

Why you'll love it

Eleven tracks from the moment Jamaican musicians fell for American funk, gathered from the Trojan vaults on one LP. Lee "Scratch" Perry and Lloyd Charmers, the producers who pioneered the sound, are all over it.

This edition

• Compilation
• Stereo

About the album

When funk went global at the end of the 1960s, Jamaica's best players were listening closely. They took the tight drums and chicken-scratch guitars of James Brown and The Meters, ran them through the island's own rhythm, and came up with a hybrid that sold on both sides of the Atlantic. Producers Lee "Scratch" Perry and Lloyd Charmers led the way, and this set gathers their finest moments alongside the British-based Marvels.

Lloyd Charmers & The Hippy Boys open with a strutting "Look-Ka-Py-Py," The Marvels take on Aretha Franklin's "Rock Steady," Dave Barker turns in a loose-limbed "Groove Me" and Lloyd Charmers gives "Shaft" a rocksteady swagger. Carl Dawkins tackles "Cloud Nine," Ken Boothe sings "Is It Because I'm Black" with real conviction, Nicky Thomas brings "Soul Power," and Lee Perry & The Upsetters close each side with the wiry instrumentals "Kill Them All" and "Jungle Lion."

Our own Abé picked it for the staff wall and called it "an immaculate blend of sonic worlds," soul classics with a reggae twist. We've tried listening to it sitting still. For the record, it can't be done.

Also at Kops: more Various Artists on vinyl · browse Reggae & Caribbean

Tracklist

Listen

On Trojan Records / BMG (cat# 964215691), the 2026 compilation.