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7"
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VPGS 7115EP
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"Eek-A-Mouse in full bang bang biddy beng beng effect on this 1981 hi-grade ganja anthem. Roots Radics given full on Dub treatment on the reverse to deliver one highly desirable double sider. Limited 7" press housed in a smokers choice illustrated sleeve and pressed on the iconic Volcano label. Produced by Henry 'Junjo' Lawes at Channel One."
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LP
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GREL 041LP
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2022 repress. 2012 release, originally released in 1982. "Eek-A-Mouse sent the dancehalls raving in 1979 with his very first DJ single, the Joe Gibbs produced 'Once a Virgin.' The rodent linked up with Henry 'Junjo' Lawes soon after, but surprisingly, Lawes was slow to release Eek's recordings, and so the mouse scurried off to work with Linval Thompson. Their first single together, 1980s 'Modeling Queen,' hit, as did 'Bubble Up Your Hip,' the latter titling Eek's Thompson-produced debut album which arrived before the year was out. Two years later, the U.S. Shanachie label released the set as Skidip!, a fast follow-up to Wa-Do-Dem which had hit American shelves that same year. Confusingly, Shanachie retitled over half the album's tracks: 'Skidip' itself, for instance, was actually 'Bubble Up Your Hip'; 'Walking Sexy' became 'Looking Sexy'; 'Need Your Loving' was enigmatically renamed 'Always on My Mind' (even though it bore no relation to the Willie Nelson hit of that title); and 'Every Girl Is a Virgin' became the presumably more acceptable 'Fat and Slim.' 'Do You Remember Those Days' was shortened but oddly, 'Reggae Music' was lengthened to 'You Na Love Reggae,' and 'My Girl' was expanded to 'Na Make Mi Girl Go Away.' The set itself was increased as well, with the addition of 'Sensee Party.' But regardless of what the songs were called, they were a devastating group. Only a few -- 'Queen,' 'Remember,' and 'Bubble' spun at 45, but the rest of the set was filled with tracks that could have done the same. From the good-times vibe of 'Sensee Party' and 'You Na Love Reggae,' across the romantic 'Always on My Mind,' and onto the heart aching 'Where Is My Baby,' everyone was equal in strength to the hits, all driven by Thompson's mouth-watering productions and the Roots Radics spine-tingling riddims." --AllMusic
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GREL 031LP
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2022 repress. 2012 release, originally released in 1981. "The meeting of studio genius and rodent, overseen by a man in a lab coat, a monarch, and a missionary, Wa-Do-Dem insured the DJ was no one-hit wonder. Eek A Mouse had hooked up with producer Henry 'Junjo' Lawes in late 1980 on a pair of singles which barely served notice of what was to come. A re-recording of 'Wa-Do-Dem' (originally produced by Linval Thompson), rocketed the DJ to the top of the dancehall rat pack, leading to a string of hits. 1982's Wa-Do-Dem gathered up a clutch of these, with the Greensleeves reissue adding two more cuts from the period. The Roots Radics lay down the kind of deep roots sound that was swiftly becoming Lawes trademark, while Scientist, King Tubby, and Barnabus took their places behind the mixing desk. The result was one of the most astonishing DJ albums of ever recorded. Eek had one of the most distinctive, and oddest, styles of the time, although today, it's a bit difficult to see what all the fuss was about. But that merely proves his impact upon the scene, his innovative 'sing-jay' style, a perfect blend of singing and DJ-ing, was so quickly imitated that it was soon the norm. An aneoidal vocal quality, clipped delivery, and a propensity for strung out nonsense syllables gave Eek a decidedly non-Jamaican sound, and surrounding it with minor key rootsy melodies and a dubby mix, accentuated an unusual oriental-esque atmosphere. It's no wonder then that the DJ was originally dismissed as a novelty act (or perhaps it was sheerly down to the mouse costume), but underneath the jokey, furry exterior was a man with a message. 'Operation Eradication' was inspired by the death of Eek's friend, DJ Erroll Scorcher, while 'Ganja Smuggling' takes a serious look at this very subject. From the religious to the lovelorn, beyond the silly syllables, the DJ was full of intelligent and pithy observations. And when he wasn't, รก la the title track, those same syllables made for infectious sing-alongs that reverberated across Jamaica and beyond. For too long, Eek has been dismissed as one of the more bizarre tangents of an underrated subgenre. Wa-Do-Dem, with its seething rhythms, simmering melodies, and spot on toasts in a unique fashion, proves otherwise." --AllMusic
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