‘Rockers & Scorchers’ is a 2CD deluxe double album compiling two critically acclaimed albums released by Horace Andy in 2022, as well as previously unreleased bonus tracks.

‘Midnight Rocker’ has been approached in a similar fashion to the late-career quality that producer Adrian Sherwood coaxed out of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry with the ‘Rainford’ and ‘Heavy Rain’ albums, assembling a crack team of players and spending many months perfecting performance, arrangements and mixing.

The result is a remarkable suite of tracks that sparkle with superb musicianship, carefully crafted production and Horace’s beautiful vocals. ‘Midnight Scorchers’ is Adrian Sherwood’s ‘sound system’ take on the original ‘Midnight Rocker’ sessions.

Featuring new tracks; radical dancehall re-works with MC interjections from Daddy Freddy and Lone Ranger; and stripped back instrumental version excursions in classic dub reggae style.

TRACK LISTING

CD1
1. This Must Be Hell
2. Easy Money
3. Safe From Harm
4. Watch Over Them
5. Materialist
6. Today Is Right Here
7. Try Love
8. Rock To Sleep
9. Careful
10. Mr Bassie
11. My Guiding Star (Bonus Track)

CD2
1. Come After Midnight
2. Midnight Scorcher
3. Away With The Gun And Knife
4. Dirty Money Business
5. Sleepy’s Night Cap
6. Feverish
7. Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City
8. Dub Guidance
9. More Bassy
10. Hell And Back
11. Careful (Instrumental) (Bonus
Track)

On-U Sound are proud to present a new album from longtime friend and associate of the label, Jeb Loy Nichols. Produced by Adrian Sherwood, with careful arrangements framing twelve beautiful, acoustic-based songs. The album features contributions from the likes of Martin Duffy (Primal Scream/Felt) and Ivan “Celloman” Hussey, fresh from his work on the massively acclaimed duo of Horace Andy albums, Midnight Rocker and Midnight Scorchers, both of which featured songwriting contributions from Jeb Loy.

Jeb Loy comments: "The United States Of The Broken Hearted has been forty years in the making. I’ve known Adrian, and considered him one of my closest friends, for that long. During that time we’ve spent more hours listening, and talking about, music than anything else. Reggae, Country, Folk, Jazz, Soul; it’s been the backdrop to our friendship. Adrian introduced me to some of my favourite music; Count Ossie, Culture, Harry Beckett, Mulatu Astatke. Through the years we’ve listened to Sun Ra, Lee Perry, Ornette Coleman, Johnny Cash, Woody Guthrie. A couple years ago, on a visit to Adrian, I mentioned Gram Parsons’s concept of ‘American Cosmic Music’, the melting mix of musical genres that constitutes a uniquely American sound. We talked about recording a record that incorporated all the influences I’d gathered, from Bluegrass to Jazz to Reggae to Soul. The United States Of The Broken Hearted is that record. We wanted to include Folk (Deportees), Country (Satisfied Mind), protest songs (I Hate The Capitalist System), and songs of my own that bore the marks of those that had gone before. I sang the songs and played guitar; Adrian brought in friends and fellow travellers to finish them. It’s all there, Soul, Jazz, Country, Folk; and underlying everything, Adrian’s Reggae infused production.”

Adrian Sherwood adds: “This is Jeb’s ‘Great American Songbook’, he’s become such a great singer and songwriter over the years. This is a beautiful piece of work reminiscent of our mutual love for the Miracle album I made with Bim Sherman. I’m really proud of this record and it’s a fitting follow-up to Long Time Traveller.”

STAFF COMMENTS

Andy says: A lovely pensive selection of acoustic pieces, brimming with feeling, from downbeat cosmic country to more swinging jazzy numbers. there are echoes of dub and jazz, and all topped with JLN's distinctive vocals. Brilliant.

TRACK LISTING

Monsters On The Hill
Big Troubles Come In Small Doors
Fold Me Up
I Hate The Capitalist System
No Hiding Place For Me
What Does A Man Do All Day
United States Of The Broken Hearted
I’m Just A Visitor
I’ve Enjoyed As Much Of This Good Life
Deportees
Looking For Some Rain
Satisfied Mind

‘The Pounding System’: The debut Dub Syndicate set from 1982, pre-dating the involvement of mainstay Style Scott. This features various members of Creation Rebel and African Head Charge turning out a wild dub set, with hard-hitting rhythms and FX-mutated melodies phasing in and out of the mix. Recorded quickly with track titles cheekily poking fun at the contemporary series by The Scientist which pitted him against various b-movie foes. The tunes themselves however are deadly serious, with version excursions on some classic On-U vocal cuts such as ‘Bedward The Flying Preacher’ and ‘Across The Red Sea’ and a continuing commitment by producer Adrian Sherwood to take his love of reggae and filter it through his exploratory and uniquely English approach. Re-cut at Dubplates & Mastering in Berlin. Includes download card with bonus track and sleevenotes by Steve Barker.

TRACK LISTING

Pounding Systems
Hi-Fi Gets A Pounding (Pts. 1 & 2)
“African Head Charge” Don’t Care About Space Invader Machines (Pts. 1 & 2)
Fringe On Top Dub
Humourless Journalist Works To Rules
10k At 0VU - 60 Hz - Mind Boggles!
Crucial Tony Tries To Rescue The Space Invaders (With Only 10p)
Hi-Fi Gets A Pounding Pt.3
Return To Stage One
Gather At The River *
* = Bonus Track Available Via Digital Download Card