PSCD52 11.00 PSLP52 12.75

Compilations seem to come and go at an alarming rate these days but this one really is straight from the fridge and feels a bit different and quite special.

After singing with The Jamaicans in their hit making heyday, Tommy Cowan began working with Byron Lee at Dynamic Sounds where, as Sales & Marketing Manager, he was in charge of releasing music in Jamaica from the U.S.A. on the Atlantic, Motown and Columbia labels. Tommy felt that the music of Jamaica was seen as secondary to that coming from overseas and so, in 1975, he founded an organisation known as The Talent Corporation with Warwick Lyn and Gayman Alberga. Talent Corporation gave the same type of promotion and exposure to local music that had previously only been given to 'foreign' product and it became a focal point, catalyst and facilitator in the Jamaican music business for the remainder of the seventies.

Pressure Sounds have gathered together a unique collection of music dating from 1974 to 1979 that demonstrates the range and brilliance of Talent Corporation's output from this incredibly creative period with innovative artists such as Jacob Miller, Dennis Brown, The Devon Irons and the utterly compelling Abyssinians. Ironically enough, and typically enough too, this remarkably modest and self-effacing man felt that he was "just dabbling" in record production but with this Pressure Sounds release Tommy stated "it's all coming together now to make sense."

For forty years Tommy Cowan has never stopped making and promoting the music and the culture that he loves. Talent Corporation managed to bridge the gap between 'uptown' and 'downtown' and were instrumental in helping to cross the music of Jamaica over to the rest of the world in the seventies. He has always worked tirelessly to promote the music but has preferred to stay in the background. We hope that this cracker of a release will start to change this.

PS52 (CD & LP)

1. Devon Irons- Jerusalem (Extended Version)
2. The Abyssinians- Love Comes And Goes
3. The Abyssinians- Love Comes and Goes Version
4. Jacob Miller- Ghetto On Fire
5. Little Madness- Mother Country
6. Little Madness- Mother Country Dub Side
7. Desi Roots- School Tonight
8. Augustus Pablo- The Way
9. Earl Zero- City Of The Weak Heart
10. Circles & King Tubby- Dub The Weak Heart
11. Leroy Smart- The Road Is Rough
12. Dennis Brown- Life Goes In Circles
13. Two Rasta Man- False Rumour
14. King Tubby- False Rumour Version
15. Earl Zero- Please Officer
16. Talent Crew- King Tubby's Version
17. Ken Boothe- Speak Softly Love
18. Roman Stewart- Hit Song
19. Dillinger- Natty Sings A Hit Song
20. Dillinger and King Tubby- Dub Songs

PSS013 Devon Irons- Jerusalem 7"- 3.00 incl. P&P