Rhythm Twins Sly and Robbie sit with Sinead O'Connor (centre) at the launch of her album, 'Throw Down Your Arms' held at the Liguanea Club, Knutsford Boulevard, New Kingston last year. - WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
Speaking of Sly and Robbie, the long-time production partners have begun releasing compilation albums showcasing hits from their Taxi label.
The first of these collections, Ini, singer Ini Kamoze's first album from the early 1980s, was released recently through All Access Records. Ini contains the smash hit, World a Reggae which drove Junior Gong's smash hit, Welcome To Jamrock.
Drummer Sly Dunbar said last week that the second of the releases will be Taxi Trio, which features songs from Dennis Brown (Revolution, Hold On To What You've Got), Gregory Isaacs (Soon Forward, What A Feeling) and Sugar Minott (Herbman Hustling).
After collaborating with big-name acts like Grace Jones, Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan, Dunbar says it was time to get the Taxi releases out to old and new fans.
"Wi jus' taking time to put the stuff out on CD. It's important for the home base to hear from you," he said. Other Taxi releases scheduled for release this year are The Taxi Gang Collection Volume 1 (instrumentals);Bounty and Beenie (featuring songs from Bounty Killer and Beenie Man) and Love And Devotion, with songs on the beat from Jimmy Riley's 1979 hit song of the same name.
Dunbar and Shakespeare were part of The Revolutionaries, the legendary house band at the Channel One studio during
the 1970s. They resurrected the Taxi label in the mid-1970s; Dunbar launched Taxi with bass player, Ranchie McLean, in the mid-1970s.
