Donald Manning, Linford Manning, Bernard Collins


Abyssinians Albums:

Foward To Zion
(Satta Massagana)

Declaration Of Rights (Collins)
Good Lord (D Manning, Mortimor Planner)
Forward To Zion (Collins)
Know Jah Today (Collins)
Abendigo (L Manning)
Yi Mas Gan (L Manning)
Black Man Strain (B Collins)
I & I (L Manning)
African Race (D Manning)
Satta Massagana (Collins, L&D Manning)


Note: When this was issued by Heartbeat in the U.S., it was titled Satta Massagana and had four extra tracks, Leggo Beast, Peculiar Number, Reason Time, and There Is No End. It has also been issued as a pirate copy on the Azul label in the US (AZ 2000) distributed by Magic Fire Record, Bronx, N.Y.

Arise

Oh Lord (D Manning)
This Land Is For Everyone (Collins)
Mightiest Of All (L Manning)
Meditation (D Manning)
Wicked Men (a.k.a. Leggo Beast) (Collins)
Jah Loves (L Manning)
Dem A Come (D Manning)
South African Enlistment (Collins)
Hey You (L Manning)
Let My Days Be Long (Collins)


Also issued by Virgin Front Line, CDFL 9010 (1990). Same tracks, but different order than the Blue Moon Productions edition. "Wicked Men" and "Let My Days Be Long" are earlier recordings remade for this set. The original release is on Virgin (matrix ???).

Forward

Forward Jah (Collins)
Prophesy (Collins)
This Is Not The End (L Manning)
Satta Massagana (D & L Manning, Collins)
Mabrak (D & L Manning, Collins)
Forward Onto Zion (Collins)
Praise Him (Collins)
Peculiar Number (D Manning)
Peculiar Dub (D Manning)
Jerusalem (D Manning)

The third album in reality, though the second legit release. This is a collection from different periods, similar to the next piece listed. "This Is Not The End" and "Peculiar Number" are presented in beautiful discomix style. "Satta Massa Ganna" and "Forward Onto Zion" are from the "Clive Hunt sessions." This was their first legit appearance after the Azul pirate album. "Mabrak" is an important track as Donald Manning explained, they recut it to correct the misused Amharic on the original. It is presented in a spoken word format -- very unusual. The Musidisc cd is well mastered with a superphat bass eq.

Best Of The Abyssinians

Leggo Beast (Collins, 1972)
Let's My Days Be Long (Collins, 1971)
Satta-Amassa-Gana (Collins, D Manning, 1969)
Jason White (D Manning, 1976 )
Reason Time (L Manning, 1972)
Crashie Sweeps (Collins, 1974)
Jerusalem (Collins, D & L Manning, 1969)
Satta-Me-No-Born-Ya (Collins, 1976)
Love Comes And Goes (Collins, 1976)
Tenayistillin (L Manning, 1976)

A somewhat rare and absolutely crucial disc. Note that "Let My Days Be Long" sounds so similar to "Jason White" that it could easily be taken for a re-voicing of the same master tape. However, differences subtle yet clear indicate that it is an almost identical retake of the rhythm. According to the notes, the first cut was released in 71 and the second in 76. The are obviously the same session. I assume by the style and year of release that "Leggo Beast" and "Reason Time" are the same session as well. Clearly, "Crashie Sweeps" is a revoicing of "Jerusalem," and "Satta-Me-No-Born-Ya" is a revoice of "Satta." This is still the only place to get the original vocal of "Satta" on cd.

19.95 + Tax

Come Along (L Manning) *
Do Good (D Manning) *
Ethiopia (D Manning) *
Power Over Evil (D Manning)
Arise (L Manning) *
Holy Man (D Manning)
Wolves (L Manning) *
Child Abuse (D Manning)
Smokey Joe (L D Manning) *
In A Kalda (D Manning)
Kalda (version)
19.95 + Tax (D Manning) *
A No So (D Manning)
The Right (Abba)

Reissued as REUNION by Artists Only Records (AOR5, 1998). It does not contain the tracks "Come Along," "Do Good," "A No So," and "Kalda Version," but has a track "Say It Again," not on the original. Sadly, neither of these CDs has "Last Days," "Swing Low" or "African Princess," which are the last uncollected tracks of the original Abyssinians and could have been used with those marked* for an all Linford, Donald, Bernard album. All of the * tracks were recorded for the 1989 reunion.

Declaration of Dub

Heartbeat CD HB 180
USA 1998

Declaration of Dub

Good Lord Dub

Zion I

Know Jah Dub

Dub Abendigo

Y Mas Gan Dub

Meditation In Dub

Thunderstorm (Satta Massagana Dub)

I And I Dub

African Dub

Mark of the Dub

Peculiar Dub

Reasonable Dub

There is No End

Satta Dub

TABOU.1

Jah CD 7

France 1998

Thunderstorm

Mandela Version

African Dub

I 'N' I Dub

Good Lord Dub

Know Jah Dub

Y Mas Gan Dub

Jah Loves Dub

Zion I Dub

Peculiar Dub

Meditation Dub

Dem A Dub

There Is No Dub

Mandela

Mandela Part 2

These two dub collections arrived around the same time in a thunderstorm of controversy. The bulk of the new dubs were recently mixed by the great Karl Pitterson, who now lives and works in the Miami area. The dubs include the bulk of what I call the "Clive Hunt sessions" (see the above listed Forward To Zion and Satta Massa Ganna sets). However, the master tapes for "Declaration of Rights," "Satta Massa Ganna," and "Black Man Strain" were damaged in a fire and are were not suitable for remixing. This is a tragedy of epic proportions, as those are among the most crucial reggae recordings ever made, if I may take the liberty of saying so. The Heartbeat release has a 90s remake of "Declaration of Rights" which is sorely out of place on this collection and drives the purists a little crazy. The Heartbeat album includes "Mark of the Dub," a dub of the 1972 recording of "Leggo Beast." It also includes "Reasonable Dub," a dub of the 1972 recording "Reason Time." Both of these are presumably from the same session, as previously mentioned. The TABOU.1 set contains several tracks not on the Heartbeat set, most notably a dub of "Jah Loves," which originally appeared on the Virgin set, Arise. Also, "Them A Dub" is from the same session as "Jah Loves" and appears on the TABOU.1 set as "Dem A Dub." "There Is No Dub" and "Peculiar Dub" previously appeared in dub form (disco style) on the Forward collection (Alligator). The four Satta versions on the TABOU.1 set are of the 69 rhythm and have some interesting Tommy McCook horn work. Too bad someone didn't dub up "Forward Jah," "Prophesy," "Praise Him," or the epic "Tenayistillin."

Last Days (Bernard Collins)

Clinch CRA21284A/B

1998

Jah Marley
Soon We'll Be Free
African Princess
Young Wings
When You're Down
Jahoviah
Keep On
Tell Me
Wareika Hill
Too Young
Swing Low
Last Days

Last Days was recorded between 1988 and 1994. It contains "Last Days" and "African Princess" from the last sessions of the original Abyssinians in 1988. The more recent cuts feature harmonies by George Henry, who sang harmony on the original "Declaration of Rights," recorded for Coxson Dodd's Studio One in 1970.

The album is arranged and produced by Bernard Collins and Andy Bassford. It was recorded at HC&F Studio, Free Port, Long Island, USA and Tuff Gong Intl, Kingston, JA.

Musicians: Andy Bassford, Familyman Barrett, Val Douglas, Lloyd Parks on bass; Mikey Boo Richards, Devon Richardson, Bernard Powell on drums; Cat Coore, Chinna Smith, Andy Bassford, Dalton Browne on lead guitar; Harry T Powell, Junior Wedderburn, Bongo Herman, Job, Jah Tess on repeater drum; Bernard Collins, Andy Bassford, Howard Brown, Winston 'Bo Pee' Bowen on rhythm guitar; Harry T Powell and Bongo Herman on other percussion; Andy Bassford, Bubbler Waul, Diavallan Fearon, Robbie Lyn, Wire Lindo on keyboards; Robbie Lyn & Diavallan Fearon on vibraphone; Bobby Ellis & Dave Madden on trumpet; Glen DaCosta on tenor sax; Everton Gayle on alto sax; Vin Gordon & Barry Bailey on trombone; Dean Fraser on soprano sax; Glen DaCosta on flute; Anthony Forrest, George Henry, Melvin Trusty, Susan Wallace, Lauren Bradt, Susan Hochstein on harmony vocals.

Abyssinians Singles:

African Princess/Version *
MM11620A/MML1620B
approx 1989

Crashey Sweeps/Socialisem(Dillinger)
BC1930A/BC1930B

Decraration Of Rights/Version
CR-2802-A/7253-1
DECLARATION OF RIGHTS STUDIO I SO 0057A 69
approx 1970

Forward Jah/Version
BC-7828-A/BC-7828-B

Good Lord/Version
BC-DM-3326A/BC-DM-3326B

Last Days/Version
MML1373-A/MML1373B
approx 1989

Let My Days Be Long/Version *
DSR-LM-4563-1/7AB-7770-B

Leggo Beast/Version
7AB-7983-A/7AB-7983-B

LOVE COMES AND GOES -- CLINCH MML 2402A 1975
Love Comes And Goes (released on Tommy Cowan's Arab-label in 1975)

Mabrak/Issat Version
BC4056-1/BC4057-1
approx 1970/71

Poor Jason White/Version
DSR-LM4564-1/DSR-LM-4565-1

Prophecy/Version
BC-3633-A/BC-3633-B
PROPHESY CLINCH BC 3033-A

REASON TIME -- CLINCH MML 2403A 75
Reason Time (Federal Records 1974)

SATTAMASSAGANNA -- CLINCH FLM 7806
approx 1969

Satta Massagana/Charming Version
CR2851-A/CR2853-B

Satta Amassa Gana/Version
BC78677A/CR2853-B

Satta Me No BornYa/Version
BC1804/BC3769

Swing Low -- CLINCH *

This Land For Everyone/Version
DSR6743-A/DSR6744-B
This Land Is Foe Everyone (Clinch) 7"

Tenayistillin -- CLINCH
Tenayistillin (Abyssinians Roots) Disco 45 US 12" pressing bw/ "Disco Beat" (Jam Sounds All Stars)
Tenayistillin -- Wandimae (recorded for Geoffrey Chung/Clive Hunt in 1975 and probably released in the same year too)

Y Mas Gan --- Matador (released in 1973 on Matador's Secret Agent-label in Jamaica, and on the Harry J-label in the UK)

> Jerusalem -- Music City 7" ??
> Mabrak -- Music City 7" ??
> Satta A Massa Gana -- Music City 7" ??

Click here for Clinch Records catalog, as provided by Bernard Colllins

* The Last Days, African Princess, and Swing Low are among a set of tracks recorded in the late 80s as the last of the original Abyssinians. The rest, to my knowlege, have been collected on the Donald Manning released album 19.95+Tax. The album Reunion has some, but not all of the same.

Swing Low/Buck You Toe
MML1621A/MML1621B

Big Youth:
I Pray Thee/Dreader Than Dread
BC5128A/BC51288B

Dillinger:
I Saw Esaw/Version
BC-3519-A/BC-3769-B

Tommy McCook:
Mandella/Tennayistilen(The Abbysinians)
CR-2688-B/CR-2688-A

Cool It - Tony Tough
Dreader Than Dread - Big Youth *
I Saw E Saw - Dillinger *
I Pray Thee - Big Youth *
Mabrak - Abyssinians *
Mandela - Tommy McCook *
Night In Ethiopia - Jackie Mittoo


Thanks to Remco Andringa in the Netherlands for contributing to this list.