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Discography Index
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| This section of the website is dedicated to cataloguing as comprehensively as my information will allow the releases by the individual artists and groups associated with Adrian Sherwood and his On-U Sound label, as well as his other off-shoot labels and production work. |
1: Overview
The discography listings are grouped primarily by artist name and label but also include coverage of On-U dedicated compilations, compilation appearances and remix work by Adrian Sherwood for non On-U Sound acts.
Most of the extensive research that these discographies are based on was done by Culf and Richard Davies 6-12 years ago; Culf's well known series of highly detailed discographies at one time being available by ftp and on the web (sadly not at present). What's presented here (with permission of Culf) is information from those original discographies re-processed and re-formatted by myself with my own updates and corrections as found.
The task of documenting On-U Sound related product is a somewhat daunting one due to the sheer complexity of the job. The large collective of musicians that make up the On-U stable of singers and players is particularly diffuse and over the years have released material on a wide variety of record labels in many countries outside the UK and On-U Sound Records itself. Due to lack of money to promote releases itself (due to lacking sales because of no money to promote - the classic vicious circle!) to best market some of its artists many On-U Sound releases have been licensed to other labels (e.g. Mute for Mark Stewart, Gary Clail to BMG then Yelen / Sony).
From the late 1980s until 2004 On-U 'home grown' releases in the UK were mostly released through EFA Medien of Germany rather than directly by On-U as was the case in the early days. The artists have also often been involved in other non On-U projects before, during or after their time recording for AMS. Keith LeBlanc is a classic example - he being being a remixer, drummer and session musician in his own right and for many other artists and has done so for around 25 years.
In summary this means that trying to compile definitive lists is especially hard. Irregular distribution, relatively small production runs of many releases, reissues, unavailable, inconsistent or simply mis-information mean that getting hold of many of the early releases is especially hard. This means there is probably more to know than is appears here! Perversely it is perhaps the 'thrill of the chase' that makes the quest all the more fun! If you can fill in the gaps or provide suggestions, corrections or constructive comment please contact me.
2: The Rhythm Directory
The Rhythm Directory collates many of the tracks that have appeared by artists on On-U Sound releases and other labels associated with Adrian Sherwood's 'home' production work. It is designed as a way of cross-referencing tracks of similar basis in a way that is independent of artist, label, track name or mix name. Clearly then the Rhythm Directory is intimately connected with the Discography section and fundamentally a part of effective navigation around it. Links to appropriate parts of the Rhythm Directory occur extensively using the annotated notation [Rhythm xxx] that appears in many discography release listings.
As both the Discography section and Rhythm Directory are complex, multi-part, interconnected resources, it could be easy to 'get lost' by following links within or between them, and then forget how you 'arrived' at the page you are on. This can be alleviated by clicking any Back Arrow button (pictured) found in each Rhythm Directory listing and discography entry. This button will take you one URL back in your Internet browser's history - hopefully back to the discography or Rhythm Directory entry you came from! Note: The Back button facility will only work if your browser is JavaScript enabled.
3: Image Bank material
Photo galleries of sleeve artwork are linked to each other in the sequence they appear in the discographies that include them. For act discographies this is usually chronological order, for record label discographies - catalogue number order and other discographies - alphabetical order. A JavaScript-enabled browser is also required to open each individual gallery.
4: General abbreviations
The table below lists most of the abbreviations and symbols commonly used in this section.
| AMS |
Adrian Maxwell Sherwood |
(?) |
Information unknown or uncertain |
(-) |
Information does not apply in this case |
| UK |
United Kingdom |
US / (USA) |
United States (of America) |
JA / Ja |
Jamaica |
| BS |
Boxed set |
D/T/Q |
Double / Triple / Quadruple. e.g. DLP = double vinyl album (2 discs) |
PD |
Picture disc or coloured disc (i.e. non-black) |
| LP |
Long Play record album (or just meaning 'an album') |
WL |
White label promotional release |
CLP |
Cassette album |
| CD |
Compact disc album |
CDS |
Compact disc single |
CS |
Cassette single |
| EP |
Extended play single |
Promo |
Item released for promotional purposes |
7"/9"/10"/12" |
Vinyl single disc format sizes in inches |
| rpm |
Revolutions per minute |
Ca |
Canada |
Ge |
Germany |
| Gr |
Greece |
Jp |
Japan |
Nl |
Netherlands |
| It |
Italy |
NZ |
New Zealand |
Fr |
French |
| Bz |
Brazil |
Au |
Australia |
Sp |
Spain |
| Be |
Belgium |
SA |
South Africa |
Euro |
Europe |
| DL |
Download |
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5: Act abbreviations
| 2BC | 2 Badcard |
AMS | Adrian Sherwood |
AHC | African Head Charge |
| A | Akabu |
AF | Andy Fairley |
LA | Little Annie Anxiety |
| AA | Audio Active |
BA | Barmy Army |
BS | Bim Sherman/Shieman etc |
| CEF | Charlie "Eskimo Fox" |
CR | Creation Rebel |
DH | Deadly Headley |
| DW | Doug Wimbish |
DS | Dub Syndicate |
GC | Gary Clail (w or w/o On.U S.S.) |
| GP | Ghetto Priest |
HB | Harry Beckett |
J | Jalal |
| JLN | Jeb Loy Nichols |
JR | Jesse Rae |
JN | Judy Nylon |
| JD | Junior Delgado / Jux |
KLeB | Keith LeBlanc |
LASM | Little Axe / Skip McDonald |
| LP | Lee Perry |
LR | Little Roy |
LU | London Underground |
| MS | Mark Stewart (w or w/o Maffia) |
MB | Missing Brazilians |
MM | Mothmen |
| NAS | New Age Steppers |
NHD | Noah House Of Dread |
PG | Playgroup |
| PFI | Prince For/Far I |
RDW | Revolutionary Dub Warriors |
SF | Samia Farah |
| SP | Singers And Players |
StP | Strange Parcels |
THFC | Tackhead or Fats Comet |
| TC | The Circuit |
TD | Tribal Drift |
VOA | Voice Of Authority |
| V/A | (Various Artists) |
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6: Recent additions
Work is going on behind the scenes all the time to keep the discographies section up to date and as accurate as possible, but it's not practically possible to provide a comprehensive list of all the changes and improvements as they are made. Listed here though, in no particular order, are some of the more recent completely new additions with links to the discography which now contains them.
- Compilation: Various Artists - 'Sample Some Okra'
- Album: Horsepower Productions - 'Quest For The Sonic Bounty'
- 7" single: Danta - 'Cee Cee'
- 7" single: New Age Steppers - 'Fade Away'
- Album: 1-Stop-Experience - 'Peeping Tom'
- Compilation: Various Artists - 'The Reggae Years: Reggae Classics'
- 7" single: Augustus Pablo - 'Credential Instrumental'
- 7" single: Augustus Pablo - 'A Java Dub'
- 7" single: Augustus Pablo - 'Ammagiddeon Dub'
- Compilation: Augustus Pablo - 'Message Music: Augustus Pablo's Digital Productions 1986-1994'
- Compilation: Various Artists - 'King Size Dub Special: On U Sound 30 Years Anniversary'
- Album: Little Axe - 'If You Want Loyalty Buy A Dog'
- Remix album: Lee "Scratch" Perry - 'On-U Sound presents Nu Sound & Version'
- (?): FORCEofTWO - (?)
- Promo EP: 1-Stop-Experience - 'Bring It On'
- Promo compilation: Various Artists - 'On-U Sound Classic Re-issues Sampler # 1'
- Documentary: Mark Stewart - 'On/Off (Pop Group To Maffia)'
- Download album: Sandman - 'Code Of The Road Runner'
- Album: Deeder Zaman aka Rebel Uprising - 'Pride Of The Underdog'
- 7" single: Overnight Players - 'Shaka The Great'
- 7" single: Horace Hinds - 'Black Man's Country'
- 7" single: Phil Pratt & Hemsley Morris - 'Little Things'
- 7" single: Hemsley Morris - 'Love Is Strange'
- 7" single: Phil Pratt & Ken Boothe - 'Sweet Song For My Baby'
- 7" single: Carl Moore - 'My Forefathers Died In The Sand'
- Album: Phil Pratt - 'Dial M For Murder'
- 7" single: Tackhead - 'Exodus'
- 7" single: Mark Stewart - 'Children Of The Revolution'
- Promo 7" single: King Cry Cry - 'The Great Bugga Wugga'
- 12" single: Peaking Lights - '936 Remix 12"'
- Download album: The New Banalists Orchestra - 'The Politics Of Envy'
- 7" single: Jeb Loy Nichols - 'Hard Times'
- 7" single: The Ethiopians - 'Awake'
- 7" single: Jimmy & The Inspirations - 'Ain't No Love'
- 7" single: Count Sticky - 'Rockfort Psychedelion'
- 7" single: The Upsetters - 'High Plains Drifter'
- 12" single: George Faith - 'Guide Line'
- Compilation: Lee Perry & The Upsetters - 'High Plains Drifter'
- Album: New Age Steppers - 'Love Forever'
- Album: Jeb Loy Nichols - 'The Jeb Loy Nichols Special'
You're welcome to suggest additions and corrections to this section; just get in contact with me.
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