The British reggae group Black Slate originates from Hackney, East London and formed way back in 1972. Their debut single "Sticks Man" was inspirated by racial tension in the UK and was released in 1976 when conflict was rising between Jamaican immigrants, black British people and the police. The single made it to a few West-European pop charts reaching the status of a hit in 1976/1977.
The succes gained by this hit was followed by touring the UK in 1978 and backing Dennis Brown when he played live in the UK, and setting up their own record-label TCD to release their debut album "Amigo", built around their second break-through, the massive hit "Amigo" from 1980 that made them well-known to the reggae and also pop and rock audiences.They were signed to major record companies and released more albums, but after 1985 the band had a more than ten-year hiatus and returned to the international scene by releasing further albums in 2001 and later on from 2013 to 2016.
Over at a friends' house I was introduced at the age of fifteen to their double album "Six Plus One + Six Plus One Dub" from 1982, which he had bought for sale at a local record store. My friend had a relaxed attitude that I liked a lot and so had the reggae music. At the same time personally I got to know Rasta reggae and my first real enthusiasm for this tropical music was initiated by the album "Original Rockers" by Augustus Pablo, which while playing at home even my classical orientated father had ears for, enjoying notably the profound track "Cassava Piece".
Following the introduction to Black Slate, and also Augustus Pablo and Burning Spear, their next album that came to my attention was "Sirens In The City". Together with "Six Plus One + Dub" my relaxed friend and I enjoyed this music on summer vacations at campings, also playing Bob Marley, Chalice, Charlie Chaplin and some more reggae.
These tropical vibes made sense to me, because apart from the relaxing vibes it also felt mystical and in hindsight it was a help to ease up my nervous mind in a musical way and getting to know more about religion. On the other side some of the music was too lazy, too stoney to listen to for my harmonically oriented ears, but the lyrics of the music had more in store than I could comprehend while being a youth. Anyway it felt liberating listening to these irie vibes and later on my enthusiasm for roots rock reggae expanded by buying albums of Black Uhuru, Burning Spear, Lee Scratch Perry, The Heptones, etc...
This Black Slate discography was made by request. While making it my memory returned to the days of my youthness and also now I got to know some more albums that I skipped before of this unique reggae group.
Their discography in chronological order:
Helsinki, Finland live concert 1977
Amigo (TCD label release) 1980
Amigo (Mercury label release) 1980
Black Slate 1980
Paris Theatre, London live concert 1980
Sirens In The City 1981
Rasta Festival 1981
Ogima Dub Slate 1981
Six Plus One + Six Plus One Dub 1982
Black Slate 1985
Get Up And Dance 2001
Midnight 2013
World Citizen 2014
Peaceful Demonstration 2016
Singles and 12 Inches 1976-1984
Pictures
