Version Excursion - Selected By Don Letts (2LP) [Late Night Tales]

Format: 2x12".

Cultural polymath: pop star, filmmaker, radio broadcaster, pundit, Grammy winner. Oh, and DJ. Take your pick from the many hats worn by our selector, Don Letts AKA The Rebel Dread.

Born in Brixton, son of the Windrush Generation, Letts’ slippery and unorthodox career path is hard to define without taking a few detours through London, New York, and Jamaica. He began his working life running the imposingly cool Acme Attractions on Kings Road, Chelsea, where he made his mark with his attitude, dress sense, and most of all, with the booming dub reggae that rattled the shop’s walls. His earliest DJing gig at the short-lived Roxy on Neal Street became legendary for turning a generation of punks on to reggae. They in turn passed on their DIY ethic to him, which resulted in his reinvention as a filmmaker. This led to him directing a host of music videos (Linton Kwesi Johnson, The Clash, Bob Marley), as well as documentaries on figures such as Gil Scott-Heron, George Clinton, and Sun Ra.

In the 1980s he was part of Mick Jones’ new venture Big Audio Dynamite, their groundbreaking use of samples being central to their sound. Listeners to his weekly 6 Music show are taken on a musical safari that effortlessly moves between time, space and genre. It’s called Culture Clash Radio for a reason. So this new communiqué from Letts HQ is just one face of a multi-faceted personality – his take on the Jamaican tradition of versions.

The history of Caribbean music is indebted to R&B, with many early releases on the island being covers of US 45s. The commercial breakthrough for ska, Millie Small’s ‘My Boy Lollipop,’ was originally recorded by Barbie Gaye in 1950s New York. Versions became commonplace in Jamaica and Don, following in that tradition, has dug deep to deliver a selection of intriguing covers given the dub treatment, including thirteen exclusives.

“A disciple of the sound system, raised on reggae and bass culture, my preferred sound was dub. Besides being sonically expansive and adventurous, its most appealing aspect was the space it left for you to ‘get in the mix’ supported by Jamaica’s gift to the world: bass. But that's only half the story as the duality of my existence meant I was also keeping an eye on what the Caucasian crew were up to, not forgetting the black music explosion coming out of America. So this versions journey cruises through time, space and genre: from The Beach Boys to The Beatles, Nina Simone to Marvin Gaye, The Bee Gees to Kool & The Gang, The Clash to Joy Division and beyond. It might seem impossible to draw a line between all of them, but not in my world. Luckily, the ‘version’ has played an integral part in the evolution of Jamaican music and dub covers were just a natural extension.”

The selection combines classics and new blood, with legendary figures such as John Holt, The Tamlins, and Cornell Campbell mixed in with UK veterans like Mad Professor and the irrepressible Dennis Bovell, whilst (relatively) young talents such as Kiko Bun, Emily Capell, and Prince Fatty deliver the goods, along with laid back Texans Khruangbin who also provide an exclusive bass heavy delight.

The songs chosen are varied, from French outfit OBF’s take on ‘Sixteen Tons’, the miners’ anthem popularised by Tennessee Ernie Ford in the 1950s, through Ash Walker’s refix of Omar’s classic ‘There’s Nothing Like This’, and ‘All I Do Is Think About You’, immortalised by the ill-fated Tammi Terrell and preserved here by Quantic (the latter two being exclusives). As is to be expected on a Rebel Dread compilation, there is a version (by Wrongtom Meets The Rockers) of The Clash’s ‘Lost In The Supermarket’, whilst Don’s own exclusive is, naturally, a reworking of the Big Audio Dynamite debut track, ‘E = MC2’, produced by Gaudi.

“The truth is, I’ve always wanted to work with the Late Night Tales team from the very start. We’re talking almost two decades of attraction to their musical aesthetic, exemplified by curators like Nightmares on Wax, The Flaming Lips, MGMT, Trentemøller, Khruangbin and many more. Now, being the same age as rock and roll (I was born in ‘56) and with nearly 20 years of Culture Clash Radio under my belt, I thought I was ready to musically mix with the best. But I wanted to carve out a space that was clearly mine: something that reflected my musical journey and the cultural clash that has made me the man I am today.”