Dance Hall Vibes Vol.1 – World Enterprise Records

DANCE HALL VIBES VOL.1 – WORLD ENTERPRISE RECORDS 1986

King Kong’s “John Crow Work On Sunday” gives Dance Hall Vibes Vol. 1 its roughest edge, but it’s the whole 1986 World Enterprise set that captures the moment when dancehall was moving hard out of roots territory and into a leaner, speaker-rattling style. The lineup leans on heavyweight names like Charlie Chaplin, I Roy and David Isaacs, with Andy Williams and Frankie Jones adding sweeter phrasing and a touch of cheek to the cuts, while Black Roots Band keep the instrumental version pressure in place. There’s a clear Bunny Lee fingerprint here too, with the riddim carried by a stripped-back, late-80s pulse that leaves plenty of room for deejay chatter and melody to cut through. “Soca Rumba” and “Time Ruff” sit right beside the more straight-ahead singers, which is exactly what gives this volume its snap and keeps the whole thing moving with that vintage Kingston-to-London dancehall swing.

Dance Hall Vibes Vol.1 Tracklist:

1. Andy Williams – Youre The One
2. Black Roots Band – Versions
3. Charlie Chaplin – Move Out The Way
4. Colour Man – Only Richous Live It Up
5. David Isaacs – What One Dance Can Do
6. Frankie Jones – Soca Rumba
7. I Roy – Time Ruff
8. King Kong – John Crow Work On Sunday