The Trojan Story – Trojan Records

THE TROJAN STORY – TROJAN RECORDS 1987

Trojan’s catalogue usually gets remembered for the early ska-to-reggae story, but this 1987 set folds those years into a sharper dancehall-era package, pulling together foundation cuts and later crowd-pleasers in one sweep. The run from Alton Ellis’ “Rock Steady” and Jimmy Cliff’s “Miss Jamaica” to Big Youth’s “Screaming Target, ” I Roy’s “Black Man Time” and Peter Tosh’s “Them A Fe Get Beatin” gives the compilation real range, and the sound moves with that classic Trojan touch: bright horns, skanking guitar, tough toasting, and plenty of room for the bassline to sit deep. It’s also a neat snapshot of how the label framed Jamaican music for a wider audience, with 32 tracks and names like Dennis Brown, John Holt, Ken Boothe and the Heptones anchoring the set.

The Trojan Story Tracklist:

1. Alton Ellis – Rock Steady
2. Big Youth – Screaming Target
3. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires – Elizabethan Reggae
4. D3-Desmond Dekker-007 (Shanty Town)-Sfe
5. Dandy Livingstone – Reggae In Your Jeggae
6. Dennis Alcapone – Cassius Clay
7. Dennis Brown – Silhouette
8. Desmond Dekker – Pretty African
9. Diamonds – Just Can’t Figure Out
10. Freddie Notes & The Rudies – Montego Bay
11. Heptones – Save The Last Dance For Me
12. I Roy – Black Man Time
13. Jimmy Cliff – Miss Jamaica
14. John Holt – Mr. Bojangles
15. Johnnie Clark – Enter Into His Gates With Prai
16. Judge Dread – Big Eight
17. Ken Boothe – Crying Over You
18. Ken Parker – Jimmy Brown
19. Mariene Webber – Stand By Your Man
20. Maytals – Do The Reggae
21. Peter Tosh – Them A Fe Get Beatin
22. Pioneers – Long Shot Kick De Bucket
23. Pioneers – Mama Look Deh
24. Roland Alphonso – Phoenix City
25. Skatalites – Guns Of Navarone
26. Techniques – Oh Ba-A-By
27. Tito Simon – Time Is The Master
28. Tony Tribe – Red Red Wine
29. Toots & The Maytals – Take Me Home Country Roads
30. U. Roy – Version Galore
31. Upsetters – Return Of Django
32. Zap Pow – Nice Nice Time