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Tighten Up - The Story of Trojan Records - Episode 2

Don Letts continues the story of the influential UK-based record label that helped Jamaican music reach a wider audience.

Don Letts continues the story of the influential UK-based record label that helped Jamaican music reach a wider audience.

Trojan Records is known as reggae's Motown and had a huge hand in introducing Jamaican music to the British public. In it's hey-day of the late 60's to the mid 70's, Trojan chalked up nearly 30 hit singles, released the legendary Tighten Up compilation series and launched Jamaican acts in the UK such as Jimmy Cliff, John Holt, Ken Boothe, Bob and Marica, and Dave and Ansel Collins. The huge volume of records they released in this period made the name Trojan synonymous with classic rocksteady and reggae cuts. In 1970 alone, Trojan released 500 singles, selling over 1.5 million records.

This series tells not just the story of Trojan Records, but also reveals how Jamaican music arrived in the UK. Discover how it all began with Duke Reid's Trojan sound system in Jamaica, and how the influx of young Jamaicans into post-war Britain kickstarted a reggae scene in the UK. Find out how the British skinheads then made ska and reggae popular in the British charts (when the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ wasn't listening!) and how the music adapted to UK tastes to become number one sellers. We reveal why the whole empire inexplicably came crashing down too, only for punk and Two-Tone to give it a resurgence, helping confirm Trojan as one of the coolest and most important labels for reggae music.

With contributions from Ken Boothe, Bunny Lee, BB Seaton, Derrick Harriot, Dandy Livingstone, John Holt, Ansel Collins, Rico Rodriguez, Bob Andy, Derrick Morgan and many more.

First broadcast in 2006.

30 minutes

Last on

Wed 10 Jul 2024 02:00
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 6 Music

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Music Played

  • Joya Landis

    ANGEL OF THE MORNING

    • YOUNG GIFTED & BLACK (VARIOUS).
    • TROJAN.
    • TJDDD-006.

  • Hugh Hendricks

    Full Up

  • The Upsetters

    Mellow Mood

  • Desmond Dekker

    007

    • Reggae Classics.
    • Capital Gold.
    • 9808538-1.

  • Toots & The Maytals

    PRESSURE DROP

  • The Upsetters

    Night Doctor

  • The Upsetters

    Eight For Eight

    • Eight For Eight.
    • Upsetter.
    • US-300.

  • ALI BABA

    • ROCKSTEADY SOUL.
    • METRO.
    • METRCD-061.

  • Return Of Django

    • Million Sellers Vol.10 - The Sixtie.
    • Disky.
    • MSCD-1910.

  • The Upsetters

    Return Of Django

    • Million Sellers Vol.10 - The Sixtie.
    • Disky.
    • MSCD-1910.

  • The Upsetters

    Drugs and Poison

  • Desmond Dekker & the Aces

    Israelites

    • DANCING ON SUNSHINE.
    • VIRGIN/POLYGRAM TV.
    • 515-519-2.

  • SKINHEAD TRAIN

    • REGGAE EXPLOSION.
    • ACE OF CLUBS.
    • SCL-2032.

  • A Message To You Rudy

    • THE ULTIMATE REGGAE PARTY ALBUM.
    • SANCTUARY RECORDS.
    • TLSAN-006.

  • Carl "Cannonball" Bryan

    Red Ash

  • Lester Sterling

    Forest Gate Rock

    • Dawning of a New era.
    • Trojan.
    • TJDDD-252.

  • Dandy Livingstone

    Reggae In Your Jeggae

  • Derrick Morgan

    MOON HOP

    • MOON HOP - BEST OF THE EARLY YEARS 1960 - '69.
    • TROJAN.
    • TJDDD-099.

  • Symarip

    SKINHEAD MOONSTOMP

    • ONE STEP BEYOND.
    • VIRGIN.
    • VTDCD-546.

  • Harry J. Allstars

    Liquidator

    • Rhythm & Blues Beat Volume 2.
    • Island.
    • 524-394-2.

Broadcasts

  • Wed 18 Apr 2012 00:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 6 Music
  • Wed 15 Aug 2012 00:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 6 Music
  • Wed 22 Jul 2015 02:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 6 Music
  • Wed 24 Aug 2016 02:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 6 Music
  • Wed 29 Aug 2018 02:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 6 Music
  • Wed 10 May 2023 02:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 6 Music
  • Wed 10 Jul 2024 02:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 6 Music