Health Is Wealth Macka B SKU: VPGS70611 Barcode: 0054645706117 11.99 £11.99 Genre: Reggae / Dub / Ska Label: Greensleeves Released Date: 20th August 2018 Buying Format: 1LP Out of stock Back Order Add to your Wishlist Description Product Info Macka B was one of Britain’s most influential dancehall toasters, pushing the music back toward a Rastafarian political consciousness. His rough, gravelly vocals gave him an instantly identifiable sound, and his production — chiefly handled by Mad Professor — updated dub reggae techniques for the dancehall age, proving that the two sounds weren’t mutually exclusive. Although the vast majority of Macka B’s material was devoted to spiritual and social messages, he did lighten the mood with occasional humorous novelty material. He shunned any aspirations for a commercial crossover, however, staying true to the sound and spirit of reggae’s roots. His 1986 album Sign of the Times still remains a milestone of British reggae, and he continued to record for Mad Professor’s Ariwa label into the new millennium. Macka B was born Christopher MacFarlane in the West Midlands town of Wolverhampton, England, near Birmingham. As a youth, he played violin and sang in the school choir, but reggae remained his first musical love. He studied engineering and served an apprenticeship, but company factory closures resulted in his being laid off. Instead, he worked on honing his toasting skills, influenced by early reggae DJs like U-Roy, I-Roy, Big Youth, and especially Prince Far I. He started a sound system called Exodus with several friends, and also converted to Rastafarianism. In 1982, he made a trip to Jamaica to take in the exploding dancehall scene, and returned to England with a new commitment to his craft. The next year, he won a competition for aspiring DJs, which led to several radio appearances and a gig with a band called Pre-Wax; their single “Maggie’s Letter” was a local hit. Macka B also performed regularly for local sound systems, particularly Wassifa; a tape of one Wassifa sound-system battle found its way to the London-based Fashion Records, who gave him the chance to make his first solo record. “Bible Reader” was released in 1985, and did respectably well on the national reggae singles chart. Macka B subsequently signed with Mad Professor’s Ariwa label, and issued his debut album, Sign of the Times, in 1986. An immediate hit among British reggae fans, it went on to top the reggae album charts; it was even hailed as a masterpiece in some quarters, both for its imaginative production and for the vocalist’s nimble rhymes and hard-hitting social commentary. A series of similar and generally consistent albums followed, starting with 1987’s We’ve Had Enough. 1988’s Looks Are Deceiving spawned the single “Unemployment Blues”; also that year, Macka B traveled to Jamaica for his first recording session there, which resulted in the tracks “Love It in Jamaica” and “Slow Down Driver” under producer Black Scorpio. Returning to England for 1989’s Buppie Culture, he scored a huge hit with “Dread a Who She Love,” a duet with female singer Kofi that topped the British reggae singles chart. He duplicated the feat with “Proud of Mandela,” a post-apartheid celebration that appeared on 1990’s Natural Suntan. His prolific output continued apace with 1991’s Peace Cup and 1992’s Jamaica, No Problem?, which earned him Best Male DJ awards in Britain both years, and 1993’s live set Roots Ragga, an accurate description of his sound by that point. 1994’s Here Comes Trouble gave Macka B one of his biggest hits with the internationally popular “Squeeze Me,” which was hugely successful in Hawaii of all places. The 1995 follow-up, Discrimination, was a strong set, and it was succeeded by Hold On to Your Culture and Suspicious. 1999’s semicompilation Roots & Culture mixed some of Macka B’s greatest hits with previously unreleased material. It was followed by a new studio set, Global Messenger, in 2000. ~ Steve Huey Artist Macka B Genre Reggae / Dub / Ska Label Greensleeves Buying Options 1LP Format 1LP Condition New Country United Kingdom Track Listings A1 Health Is Wealth A2 Gangster A3 Wha Me Eat (Remix) A4 Natural Herb A5 Legendary Reggae Icons B1 70’s Legendary Reggae Icons B2 Cucumba B3 Speaker Pon Fire B4 Jah Jah Children Featuring – Maxi Priest B5 Our Story B6 Lyrical Chef Share this On Facebook On Twitter Via Email More from Reggae / Dub / Ska View Product Quick View Various Artists Treasure Isle Ska Rarities: The 7 Reggae / Dub / Ska | Treasure Isle | 7", Box Set Released 27th October 2017 £53.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Various Artists Treasure Isle Ska Rarities: The 7 £53.00 Genre: Reggae / Dub / Ska Label: Treasure Isle SKU: 4050538305869 Formats: 7", Box Set Released Date: 27th October 2017 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Augustus Pablo Rockers Comes East Reggae / Dub / Ska | Greensleeves | 1LP Released 31st July 2020 £13.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Augustus Pablo Rockers Comes East £13.00 Genre: Reggae / Dub / Ska Label: Greensleeves SKU: 0601811010617 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 31st July 2020 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Madness Can’t Touch Us Now Reggae / Dub / Ska | UMC | 1LP Released 26th October 2016 £18.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Madness Can’t Touch Us Now £18.00 Genre: Reggae / Dub / Ska Label: UMC SKU: 5710906 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 26th October 2016 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Upsetters, The Double Seven Reggae / Dub / Ska | Music On Vinyl | 180g, 1LP Released 18th August 2023 £28.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Upsetters, The Double Seven £28.00 Genre: Reggae / Dub / Ska Label: Music On Vinyl SKU: MOVLP1912 Formats: 180g, 1LP Released Date: 18th August 2023 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Laurel Aitken Calypso Rock And Roll Early Mento Recordings Reggae / Dub / Ska | Rumble Records | 1LP Released 9th January 2012 £16.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Laurel Aitken Calypso Rock And Roll Early Mento Recordings £16.00 Genre: Reggae / Dub / Ska Label: Rumble Records SKU: RUM2011020LP Formats: 1LP Released Date: 9th January 2012 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Rhoda Dakar Version Girl Reggae / Dub / Ska | Sunday Best | 1LP, Coloured Vinyl Released 26th May 2023 £25.00 Select options Rhoda Dakar Version Girl £25.00 Genre: Reggae / Dub / Ska Label: Sunday Best Formats: 1LP, Coloured Vinyl Released Date: 26th May 2023 Read More Select options View Product Quick View Gentleman's Dub Club On A Mission Reggae / Dub / Ska | Easy Star | 1LP, Coloured Vinyl Released 9th June 2023 £18.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Gentleman's Dub Club On A Mission £18.00 Genre: Reggae / Dub / Ska Label: Easy Star SKU: ES1105V Formats: 1LP, Coloured Vinyl Released Date: 9th June 2023 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Papa Michigan and General Smiley Downpression Reggae / Dub / Ska | Greensleeves | 1LP Released 12th May 2014 £9.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Papa Michigan and General Smiley Downpression £9.00 Genre: Reggae / Dub / Ska Label: Greensleeves SKU: GREL42 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 12th May 2014 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Big D And The Kids Table Strictly Rude Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | Side One Dummy | 2LP, Coloured Vinyl, Gatefold Sleeve, Includes Download Code Released 16th December 2015 £21.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Big D And The Kids Table Strictly Rude £21.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Side One Dummy SKU: SD1328-1 Formats: 2LP, Coloured Vinyl, Gatefold Sleeve, Includes Download Code Released Date: 16th December 2015 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Upsetters, The Return Of The Super Ape Reggae / Dub / Ska | Music On Vinyl | 180g, 1LP Released 29th April 2022 £25.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Upsetters, The Return Of The Super Ape £25.00 Genre: Reggae / Dub / Ska Label: Music On Vinyl SKU: MOVLP2893 Formats: 180g, 1LP Released Date: 29th April 2022 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders See more in Reggae / Dub / Ska Start again
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