The Gladiators ...underappreciated?

[ras_gaks]

See Mi Yah is one of the best reggae LPs of the past 5 years, easy. Absolutely brilliant everything in their. Masterpiece.

Mi Deh Yah?

[kalcidis]

Personally, I don't like Trenchtown Mix Up at all; I think Proverbial Reggae is a stronger set.

Proverbial Reggae is a beautiful set too! But I must admit I'm a bit surprised of you not liking TTMU since I feel that Proverbial Reggae has very similar vibe. It's the same producer plus more or less the same musicians and studios used on both albums. Would even guess Errol T mixed both sets. But I can't see any credit on TTMU so it's more of a guess.

[Bellyman]

Jackie Knafo is the French guy who produced the album...
I met Jackie and he let me release Back to roots...

I love to be corrected by some original source, thank you Guillaume.

[blackarkrock]

They´re not underappreciated by me...

Here are my records:
(which i think is a complete album discography up to 1985, except for the not-so-good 1980 "crossover" Virgin LP Gladiators)

Clement Dodd/Studio One-productions:
Presenting the Gladiators (1979, recorded ca 1968-1977/78) Studio One LP & CD(remix)
Bongo Red (1998, recorded ca 1969-1975, 2 tracks prod. Lee Perry 1974) Heartbeat CD
Studio One Singles (2007, recorded ca 1969-1978) Heartbeat CD

Tony Robinson-productions:
Trenchtown Mix Up (1976) Virgin LP & CD
Proverbial Reggae (1978) Front Line LP & CD
Naturality (1979) Front Line LP

Later:
Sweet So Till (1979) Front Line LP
Back To Roots (1982) Stunt Sound LP & Tabou.1 CD(4 extra live-tracks) aka Babylon Street
Symbol Of Reality (1982) Nighthawk LP & CD
Reggae To Bone (1982 or 1983) Jam Rock LP
Serious Thing (1984) Nighthawk LP & CD
Country Living (1985) Hearbeat LP
Full Time (1993, recorded ca 1981-84) Nighthawk CD

After 1985 I sort of lost interest in reggae - didn´t like the production/sound anymore...

[Bellyman]

@blackarkrock
Hey, that's almost my collection:)
You are right, this is the complete album discography until 1985 with some slight errors concerning release dates but that is quite normal.
Naturality is 1978
Reggae to Bone is 1982

You should give 'In Store for you'(Heartbeat 1987) another chance though, this ones my "latest" release and quite enjoyable.

Are you sure you missed out 'Showdown Vol.3' (Empire/JJ/Channel One 1984)?

[blackarkrock]

Thanks, Bellyman!
I forgot to list the 1984 Showdown Vol. 3 split LP w/Don Carlos & Gold,
also the Live At Reggae Sunsplash (recorded 1982, released 1983?) shared w/Israel Vibration.

Naturality:
The cover states P 1978, the label P 1979. I bought this in April 1979 when it was newly released by Front Line UK. Don´t think there was an earlier JA pressing. The first date for Naturality in the weekly Sounds reggae charts was March 10, 1979. http://tapirs.home.xs4all.nl/1979.htm

Reggae To Bone:
Label states P 1982, but it first showed up on import here in Sweden in late 1983 - bought my copy in December 1983. No appearance in the Sounds charts.

As for In Store For You - I do have my favourite tracks from this (and the following On The Right Track-1989 and Valley Of Decision-1991) on CDr...which is fine with me!

[vtov]

in building a complete discography don't forget the 1983 U.S. Tour E.P. on clear vinyl from Nighthawk:

http://www.discogs.com/Gladiators-1983- ... se/3084965

[giant panda]

I love the harmonica in No Disturbance. It's very Brian Wilson, which is not something you hear much of in reggae. It's not a bass harmonica, but it's played in a low octave. Performed by Jimmy Becker, who isn't credited with much. 3 Big Youth albums, Dennis Brown, Black Uhuru, a few others.

[Jason Allen]

Gladiators are my favorite band (not just reggae) as well. Albert has a way of saying things so plainly and with such a good heart that I wish they were more known by the people who tend to get a lot from listening to the Wailers.

Their Studio 1 sides thru to their mid 80s work for Nighthawk are albums that I have in many formats and can't live without.
I do have all their LPS after this time and also Clinton's Boogie Brown stuff which are very good but not quite up to the earlier material.

HOWEVER, I would offer that Valley of Decision is an incredibly good but somehow poorly regarded album. It comes across as a newer budget priced collection but has better tunes than any reggae album from around that time period. The song "Consciousness" from it should be a classic regardless of era. That tune ranks up there with any of their material.

[gbougard]

Gladiators were a topatop band until Clinton Fearon left. The only great albums afterwards were a live album in 1995 or so recorded at Elysee Montmartre in Paris.

I always loathed how the record companies presented the albums as Albert Griffiths and the Gladiators. To me, it stunk. It sounded like they were trying to do the same thing Blackwell did with the Wailers. Except Albert, however talented he was, was no Bob Marley.

Clinton is probably the coolest guy and very "together" after all these years. I strongly recommend his solo albums. His last one was Mi deh yah unless his unplugged album came after... Boss albums.