Earth & Stone — Kool Roots (Remaster 2014) | Full Album | Roots & Dub Vault

It started with a chance connection. Clifton Howell and Albert Bailey — raised on the harmonies of Delroy Wilson and The Impressions, both shaped by church choirs in the way that so many Jamaican singers were — had been performing together as The Officials when a mutual friend introduced them to the Channel One orbit.

Their first session produced "Jailhouse Set Me Free," a track that Jo Jo Hookim felt was good but needed reimagining. He reworked the concept, retitled it "Jah Will Cut You Down," changed the duo's name to Earth & Stone, and watched it become a massive roots hit across Jamaica.

Between 1972 and 1978, working first briefly at Studio One before settling into Channel One as their creative home, Earth & Stone built a catalogue of singles that were consistently outstanding and consistently overlooked in equal measure. Their songs addressed social and political realities — "False Ruler," "Don't Let Them Fool You," "Run Home" — with a directness and lyrical intelligence that placed them firmly in the conscious roots tradition, while their vocal chemistry gave the material a warmth and humanity that pure militancy sometimes lacks.

The musicians behind them were the finest available. The Revolutionaries — Channel One's formidable house band — provided the rhythmic foundation: Sly Dunbar on drums, Ranchie McLean on bass, Sticky Thompson on percussion, Ansel Collins on keyboards, and a rotating cast of guitarists that included Dougie Bryan at various points.

The Channel One sound in the mid-to-late 1970s was arguably the most powerful in Kingston — crisp, heavy, driving — and it suited Earth & Stone's harmonies perfectly, giving the sweetness of the voices something hard and real to push against.

Kool Roots, originally released in 1978 on the UK Cha Cha label, was remarkable even by the standards of an era that produced remarkable things. The decision to release it as a proper double album — vocals on one LP, dub counterparts on the other, housed in a gatefold sleeve with artwork of genuine quality — was an almost unheard-of expense for a reggae release at the time, and one entirely initiated by the label rather than the artists themselves.

The duo later confirmed the album was never even released in Jamaica, where only three of its tracks had previously appeared as singles. A masterpiece that didn't exist in its own country of origin.

After a handful of further recordings for Joe Gibbs and Ossie Hibbert — the latter controversially releasing a combined album featuring Earth & Stone material without the duo's consent — both singers relocated to the United States in the early 1980s, and Earth & Stone effectively ceased to exist.

Pressure Sounds reissued the album in 1996, the 2014 remaster brought new sonic clarity to already essential material, and the music quietly accumulated the devoted following it had always deserved. Songs like "In Time to Come" hit, as one Jamaican interviewer put it, "like a musical fist in your ears from the first time you hear it."

Jo Jo Hookim recognised what he had — but never quite gave Earth & Stone the platform that would have made them household names.

They deserved better. The music makes the case without any help.

____________________________________________________________________________

If you're vibing with these roots reggae sounds and want to hear more classic or rare roots recordings, hit that subscribe button and turn on notifications. I'm digging through my archives and other rare compilations to bring you the music that's been lost to time.

Disclaimer: This upload is for promotional and educational purposes only, celebrating the legacy and preserving the history of early Jamaican music. All rights belong to the original copyright holders. If you love this music, support the official labels by purchasing official releases when available.

Drop a like if these early recordings move you, and let me know in the comments what other rare tracks you want to hear.
One love!

TRACKLIST & TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - False Ruler
03:39 - Holy Land Of Home
06:52 - Devil Must Of Made You
10:13 - Free Black Man
13:30 - Jail House Set Me Free
16:54 - That's The Way You Fell
19:54 - Don't Let Them Fool You
22:57 - In Time To Come
25:23 - Three Wise Men
28:19 - Once Bitten Twice Shy
31:30 - Dub Ruler
35:00 - Holy Land (Dub)
38:14 - Devil Wise
41:31 - Black Roots
44:46 - House Of Dub
47:57 - Feelings
50:51 - Wester Not
54:08 - Future
56:12 - Knowledge
59:15 - Wiser Dub

VAULT SPECS:
🎵 Artist: Earth & Stone
📀 Album: Kool Roots (Remaster 2014)
📅 Year: 2014 (Originally 1979)
🏷️ Label: Pressure Sounds / Channel One
🎚️ Style: Roots Reggae, Vocal Harmony
🎛️ Backed By: The Revolutionaries

#EarthAndStone #KoolRoots #ChannelOne #RootsReggae #VocalHarmony #ReggaeClassics #RootsDubVault

💬 Drop your memories of this album in the comments
🌐 Channel: youtube /@rootsdubvault

Видео Earth & Stone — Kool Roots (Remaster 2014) | Full Album | Roots & Dub Vault канала Roots & Dub Vault