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'''''Anthem''''' is an album by [[Black Uhuru]], released in 1984. In 1985, the album won Black Uhuru the [[Grammy Award]] for [[Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album|Best Reggae Recording]].<ref>{{Allmusic|class=album|id=r103367|tab=charts-awards/grammy |label="''Anthem'' > Charts & Awards > Grammy Awards" |accessdate={{date|November 12, 2010}}}}</ref> Produced by [[Sly and Robbie]], the album was 'resequenced and remixed' for the European and American releases by record company [[Island Records]].<ref name="Campbell">Campbell, Howard (2014) "[http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Black-Uhuru-makes-an-Anthem-_15757245 Black Uhuru makes an Anthem]", ''[[Jamaica Observer]]'', 10 January 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2014</ref>
'''''Anthem''''' is an album by [[Black Uhuru]], released originally in 1983 and internationally in 1984. In 1985, the album won Black Uhuru the [[Grammy Award]] for [[Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album|Best Reggae Recording]].<ref>{{Allmusic|class=album|id=r103367|tab=charts-awards/grammy |label="''Anthem'' > Charts & Awards > Grammy Awards" |accessdate={{date|November 12, 2010}}}}</ref>

==History==
Lyrically, ''Anthem'' retains the trenchancy of its predecessors, criticizing social injustice and [[economic materialism]] and extolling [[Rastafarian]] values such as [[Afrocentrism]], [[Rastafari#Equality|social equality]] and [[ital]] diet. Musically, it fuses [[roots reggae]] and [[Dub music|dub]] with "synthetic", [[electropop]] instrumentation and effects, resulting in an "ambiance of pop-reggae futurism".<ref name="box">Katz, David (2004) Liner notes, ''The Complete Anthem Sessions'', [[Hip-O Records#Hip-O Select|Hip-O Select]].</ref> Originally produced by [[Sly and Robbie]], the album was resequenced and remixed for the European and American releases by record company [[Island Records]],<ref name="Campbell">Campbell, Howard (2014) "[http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Black-Uhuru-makes-an-Anthem-_15757245 Black Uhuru makes an Anthem]", ''[[Jamaica Observer]]'', 10 January 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2014</ref> omitting gaps between songs and further emphasizing the electropop aspect, particularly on the US version.<ref name="box"/> The UK and US editions respectively omitted "Party Next Door" and the [[Sly and the Family Stone]] cover "Somebody's Watching You", substituting a cover of [[Steven Van Zandt]]'s "Solidarity", a charting non-album single from late 1983.

The album's success led to tensions between Duckie Simpson and [[Michael Rose]], resulting in Rose's departure from the group. Rose has stated that the album "came before its time".<ref name="box"/>

==Legacy==
''Anthem'' won the [[Grammy Award]] for [[Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album|Best Reggae Recording]] in 1985, the first year the category was offered.
{{Expand section}}

==Releases==

In 2004, a limited-edition, four-disc [[box set]] entitled ''The Complete Anthem Sessions'' was released by [[Hip-O Records#Hip-O Select|Hip-O Select]]. Included were the following, along with bonus tracks:
* The original full-length version, restoring "extended, dubwise portions"<ref name="box"/>
* The original dub remix (previously unreleased)
* The UK remix
* The US remix


==Track listing==
==Track listing==
Island ILPS 9769 (UK), originally released November 1983. Track lengths are for the original, uncut versions. Bonus tracks are from UK 12-inch single Island 12IS133, released August 1983.<ref name="box"/>
{{Track listing
| writing_credits = yes
| title1 = What Is Life?
| writer1 = Simpson
| length1 = 5:42
| title2 = Party Next Door
| writer2 = Rose
| length2 = 3:06
| title3 = Try It
| writer3 = Rose
| length3 = 5:28
| title4 = Black Uhuru Anthem
| writer4 = Simpson
| length4 = 5:28
| title5 = Botanical Roots
| writer5 = Rose
| length5 = 4:58
| title6 = Somebody's Watching You
| writer6 = [[Sylvester Stewart]]
| length6 = 5:47
| title7 = Bull in the Pen
| writer7 = Rose
| length7 = 5:23
| title8 = Elements
| writer8 = Simpson
| length8 = 3:51
| title9 = Party Next Door <small>[bonus track]</small>
| writer9 = Rose
| length9 = 5:55
| title10 = Party In Session <small>[bonus track]</small>
| writer10 = Rose
| length10 = 5:53
}}

==Track listing (original dub remix)==
Exclusively released on ''The Complete Anthem Sessions''.
{{Track listing
| writing_credits = yes
| title1 = What Is Life?
| writer1 = Simpson
| length1 = 5:42
| title2 = Try It
| writer2 = Rose
| length2 = 5:23
| title3 = Black Uhuru Anthem
| writer3 = Simpson
| length3 = 5:35
| title4 = Botanical Roots
| writer4 = Rose
| length4 = 10:36
| title5 = Somebody's Watching You
| writer5 = Stewart
| length5 = 6:28
| title6 = Bull in the Pen
| writer6 = Rose
| length6 = 5:59
| title7 = Elements
| writer7 = Simpson
| length7 = 4:52
}}

==Track listing (UK remix)==
Island ILPS 9773 (UK), originally released July 1984. All tracks remixed by Paul "Groucho" Smykle. Bonus tracks are from UK 12-inch single Island 12IS150, released July 1984.<ref name="box"/>
{{Track listing
{{Track listing
| writing_credits = yes
| writing_credits = yes
Line 39: Line 120:
| title4 = Try It
| title4 = Try It
| writer4 = Rose
| writer4 = Rose
| length4 = 4:58
| length4 = 4:59
| title5 = Botanical Roots
| title5 = Botanical Roots
| writer5 = Rose, Simpson
| writer5 = Rose
| length5 = 3:31
| length5 = 4:14
| title6 = Somebody's Watching You
| title6 = Somebody's Watching You
| writer6 = [[Sylvester Stewart]]
| writer6 = Stewart
| length6 = 4:32
| length6 = 4:32
| title7 = Bull in the Pen
| title7 = Bull in the Pen
| writer7 = Rose, Simpson
| writer7 = Rose
| length7 = 4:09
| length7 = 4:08
| title8 = Elements
| title8 = Elements
| writer8 = Simpson
| writer8 = Simpson
| length8 = 4:22
| length8 = 4:36
| title9 = Party Next Door
| title9 = What Is Life (Francis Kevorkian remix) <small>[bonus track]</small>
| writer9 = Simpson
| writer9 = Simpson
| length9 = 3:59
| length9 = 6:42
| title10 = Solidarity (Zeus B Held remix) <small>[bonus track]</small>
| writer10 = Van Zandt
| length10 = 4:11
| title11 = Party Next Door (ET Thorngren Remix) <small>[bonus track]</small>
| writer11 = Rose
| length11 = 5:27
}}

==Track listing (US remix)==
Island 90180-1 (US), originally released July 1984. All tracks remixed by Paul "Groucho" Smykle except as indicated. Bonus tracks are previously unreleased and are from sessions in December 1983.<ref name="box"/>
{{Track listing
| writing_credits = yes
| title1 = What Is Life? (ET Thorngren US Remix)
| writer1 = Simpson
| length1 = 5:05
| title2 = Solidarity
| writer2 = Van Zandt
| length2 = 4:28
| title3 = Black Uhuru Anthem
| writer3 = Simpson
| length3 = 5:17
| title4 = Try It
| writer4 = Rose
| length4 = 4:59
| title5 = Botanical Roots
| writer5 = Rose
| length5 = 3:31
| title6 = Party Next Door (ET Thorngren US Remix)
| writer6 = Rose
| length6 = 5:49
| title7 = Bull in the Pen
| writer7 = Rose
| length7 = 4:09
| title8 = Elements
| writer8 = Simpson
| length8 = 4:35
| title9 = Somebody's Watching You (Bruce Forest remix) <small>[bonus track]</small>
| writer9 = Stewart
| length9 = 8:20
| title10 = Somebody's Watching You (Bruce Forest dub mix) <small>[bonus track]</small>
| writer10 = Stewart
| length10 = 5:02
}}
}}


Line 72: Line 195:
* [[Bernie Worrell]] – clavinet on "Somebody's Watching You"
* [[Bernie Worrell]] – clavinet on "Somebody's Watching You"
* Chris "Sky Juice" Blake – percussion on "Party Next Door"
* Chris "Sky Juice" Blake – percussion on "Party Next Door"
* [[Sly and Robbie]] - producers (original and dub releases)
* Black Uhuru, [[Steven Stanley]] and Paul "Groucho" Smykle - producers (UK and US remixes)
* [[Chris Blackwell]] - executive producer (UK and US remixes)
* Noel Hearne, [[Steven Stanley]] – engineers
* Noel Hearne, [[Steven Stanley]] – engineers
* [[Lynn Goldsmith]] – photography
* [[Lynn Goldsmith]] – photography
Line 81: Line 207:
[[Category:1984 albums]]
[[Category:1984 albums]]
[[Category:Black Uhuru albums]]
[[Category:Black Uhuru albums]]
[[Category:Reggae albums]]
[[Category:Mango Records albums]]
[[Category:Mango Records albums]]
[[Category:Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album]]
[[Category:Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album]]

Revision as of 10:13, 25 December 2015

Untitled
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Robert ChristgauA[2]

Anthem is an album by Black Uhuru, released originally in 1983 and internationally in 1984. In 1985, the album won Black Uhuru the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Recording.[3]

History

Lyrically, Anthem retains the trenchancy of its predecessors, criticizing social injustice and economic materialism and extolling Rastafarian values such as Afrocentrism, social equality and ital diet. Musically, it fuses roots reggae and dub with "synthetic", electropop instrumentation and effects, resulting in an "ambiance of pop-reggae futurism".[4] Originally produced by Sly and Robbie, the album was resequenced and remixed for the European and American releases by record company Island Records,[5] omitting gaps between songs and further emphasizing the electropop aspect, particularly on the US version.[4] The UK and US editions respectively omitted "Party Next Door" and the Sly and the Family Stone cover "Somebody's Watching You", substituting a cover of Steven Van Zandt's "Solidarity", a charting non-album single from late 1983.

The album's success led to tensions between Duckie Simpson and Michael Rose, resulting in Rose's departure from the group. Rose has stated that the album "came before its time".[4]

Legacy

Anthem won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Recording in 1985, the first year the category was offered.

Releases

In 2004, a limited-edition, four-disc box set entitled The Complete Anthem Sessions was released by Hip-O Select. Included were the following, along with bonus tracks:

  • The original full-length version, restoring "extended, dubwise portions"[4]
  • The original dub remix (previously unreleased)
  • The UK remix
  • The US remix

Track listing

Island ILPS 9769 (UK), originally released November 1983. Track lengths are for the original, uncut versions. Bonus tracks are from UK 12-inch single Island 12IS133, released August 1983.[4]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."What Is Life?"Simpson5:42
2."Party Next Door"Rose3:06
3."Try It"Rose5:28
4."Black Uhuru Anthem"Simpson5:28
5."Botanical Roots"Rose4:58
6."Somebody's Watching You"Sylvester Stewart5:47
7."Bull in the Pen"Rose5:23
8."Elements"Simpson3:51
9."Party Next Door [bonus track]"Rose5:55
10."Party In Session [bonus track]"Rose5:53

Track listing (original dub remix)

Exclusively released on The Complete Anthem Sessions.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."What Is Life?"Simpson5:42
2."Try It"Rose5:23
3."Black Uhuru Anthem"Simpson5:35
4."Botanical Roots"Rose10:36
5."Somebody's Watching You"Stewart6:28
6."Bull in the Pen"Rose5:59
7."Elements"Simpson4:52

Track listing (UK remix)

Island ILPS 9773 (UK), originally released July 1984. All tracks remixed by Paul "Groucho" Smykle. Bonus tracks are from UK 12-inch single Island 12IS150, released July 1984.[4]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."What Is Life?"Simpson4:21
2."Solidarity"Steven Van Zandt4:22
3."Black Uhuru Anthem"Simpson5:17
4."Try It"Rose4:59
5."Botanical Roots"Rose4:14
6."Somebody's Watching You"Stewart4:32
7."Bull in the Pen"Rose4:08
8."Elements"Simpson4:36
9."What Is Life (Francis Kevorkian remix) [bonus track]"Simpson6:42
10."Solidarity (Zeus B Held remix) [bonus track]"Van Zandt4:11
11."Party Next Door (ET Thorngren Remix) [bonus track]"Rose5:27

Track listing (US remix)

Island 90180-1 (US), originally released July 1984. All tracks remixed by Paul "Groucho" Smykle except as indicated. Bonus tracks are previously unreleased and are from sessions in December 1983.[4]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."What Is Life? (ET Thorngren US Remix)"Simpson5:05
2."Solidarity"Van Zandt4:28
3."Black Uhuru Anthem"Simpson5:17
4."Try It"Rose4:59
5."Botanical Roots"Rose3:31
6."Party Next Door (ET Thorngren US Remix)"Rose5:49
7."Bull in the Pen"Rose4:09
8."Elements"Simpson4:35
9."Somebody's Watching You (Bruce Forest remix) [bonus track]"Stewart8:20
10."Somebody's Watching You (Bruce Forest dub mix) [bonus track]"Stewart5:02

Personnel

References

  1. ^ Gonsalves, John. "Black Uhuru: Anthem > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  2. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Black Uhuru". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  3. ^ "Anthem > Charts & Awards > Grammy Awards" at AllMusic. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Katz, David (2004) Liner notes, The Complete Anthem Sessions, Hip-O Select.
  5. ^ Campbell, Howard (2014) "Black Uhuru makes an Anthem", Jamaica Observer, 10 January 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2014
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