Merritone Rock Steady 2: This Music Got Soul

The birth of rock steady portrayed in a consummate collection from the vaults of Federal Records. Most of them drawn directly from Ken Khouri's master tapes this miscellany of cool rock steady includes marvelous music from the originator of the genre, the one and only Lynn Taitt, alongside an array of Jamaica's greatest singers and vocal harmony group. In 1966, the Merritone label was founded as a subsidiary of Federal Records when the Ska beat was slowing down it's tempo to take a next musical form called Rocksteady. From the sons of Ken Khouri, Paul and Richard, engineers at the Federal Records to even employees at their pressing plant - everybody involved at the label followed the Merritone productions with passion. They recorded many songs under the Merritone label. However, those only appeared on vinyl records in limited quantities in Jamaica and a small bunch of titles were released on the Island label in UK. Some of the recordings never saw the light, some became hardly known and many of them are now considered being ultra rare records. Thus the label became a mysterious Rocksteady production in the Jamaican musicology. This essential album showcases a stunning selection of well known hits, and not so well known rarities, from the vast Federal catalogue. All tracks have been transferred direct from the master tapes and assembled with the invaluable assistance of Ken Khouri's son, Paul Khouri, who generously gave Dub Store unlimited access to the Federal tape vaults. The extensive liner notes feature extracts from extensive interviews with Paul Khouri. The set presents an insight into the birth and growth of Federal Records and the Jamaican recording industry and is integral in understanding the real roots of reggae music.