Shan-A-Shan Riddim – Fashion, Black Scorpio

Shan-A-Shan Riddim first surfaced in 1984 on Fashion/Black Scorpio, produced by Maurice Johnson, and it comes as a tight little four-track set with just three artists across the selection. The package links dub versions with vocal cuts from Lord Sassafrass, whose Tek A Set arrived in 1985, and Smiley Culture on Shan-A-Shan, giving the riddim a neat balance between deejay energy and melodic cut. Fashion and Black Scorpio both sit firmly in the classic era of UK-Jamaica reggae imprinting, and Johnson’s production work here keeps the rhythm spare and direct, with Dub Slate and Shan-A-Shan Version helping define the release’s stripped-back feel.