ABOUT THIS ITEM

Dug Out is a new label devoted to reggae reissues, run by Mark Ainley (Honest Jon's, London) and Mark Ernestus (Hard Wax, Berlin). The label will be centred on high‐quality vinyl reissues, especially from the digital era. First up on this new imprint comes King Kong's "He Was A Friend". This record follows on from the string of mid‐80s hits for Firehouse, Jammy’s, Ujama and co, for which Dennis Thomas aka King Kong is most celebrated. Originally released in 1988 as a tribute to his friend Tenor Saw, killed that year in suspicious circumstances in Houston, Texas, at the age of twenty‐two, it came as a 12" on Thomas’ own Concious Music label (then re‐locating from Canada to London), and as a 7" (without "Try Not I") on Jah All Mighty in New York. For sure this is the great dancehall singer at his most powerful. His grieving, heartfelt vocal is woven through with the haunted quotation of Saw’s finest moments. Both vocals come with dubs, and the rhythm is driving, hard and sombre, with nervous, grubbing synths and ringing claps, and a lethal bassline.