Irie Greatest Hits/ Various - Irie Greatest Hits / Various

Two CD set. As the '70s drew to a close, Joel Augustus Gibbs had precious few serious challengers to his status as Jamaica's premier record producer. Over the preceding decade, he had released a succession of best-selling 7" singles, with almost every performer of note on the island having worked for him during this time. The willingness of top performers to record for Gibbs is evidenced by the selection on the United Reggae album, which first saw issue in 1979 and finally receives it's CD debut more than 40 years later. In traditional Doctor Bird style, the original track-listing has been significantly bolstered by additional Joe Gibbs-produced recordings from the period, with the bonus material offering the very best of his pre-Dancehall output from 1978 and '79. Included here are an array of Jamaican chartbusters, alongside lesser-known material, much of which is available on CD for the very first time, ensuring a hugely enjoyable and enlightening listening experience for fans of late '70s Jamaican roots and lovers sounds.