Put It On Riddim – Micron Music Canada

By 1978, roots reggae was deep into its heavyweight era, and this tiny Micron Music Canada/Gorgon release taps straight into that moment with just two cuts hanging off the “Put It On” rhythm. Dill and Collie’s title tune has that warm, steady late-’70s feel, all glide and pull rather than hurry, while I Roy turns “The First Commandment” into a sharp deejay talkover, the kind of performance that keeps the groove moving without crowding it. The interesting part is how compact it is: no filler, no long roll call, just a producer using a proven old melody and letting two very different voices work it from opposite angles. The riddim itself traces back to the 1960s “Put It On” line, so this 1978 version sits right in that reggae habit of recycling a classic and giving it fresh life for the era.