Willi Williams - Unification: From Channel One To King Tubby's (September 2014)

 Tracklist

01. Rock On (4:19)
02. Home (3:58)
03. Daughter’s of Zion (3:12)
04. Children (2:34)
05. Unification (2:51)
06. Armagideon Man (3:25)
07. Natty Natty (2:50)
08. One Destiny (4:19)
09. Rally (3:37)
10. Righteousness (2:41)
11. Free Dem (2:40)
12. Any Day (3:16)

Veteran American reggae re-issue label Shanachie released this excellent collection of Willi Williams tracks back in September last year. This Album is the result of sessions with the great Yabby U. Recorded between 1977-1979 (though some say 1978) at Channel One and King Tubby's studios in Jamaica and featuring the likes of Sly and Robbie, the Revolutionaries, the Gladiators and the Soul Syndicate, tracks such as Armagideon Man and Rally are relatively well known, but much of this material has not been widely circulated, and much of it has never before appeared on CD. Some of the tracks had appeared before on Limited Release Singles or turned up on Pirated Albums.

I got hold of this last year mainly on the strength of the opening track 'Rock On', and it was great to be surprised by how good the rest of the album is.

Willi (or Willie) Williams is of course known for the song Armagideon Time that was covered by The Clash on the B-Side of their hit single London Calling back in 1979.

Williams was born in Jamaica and attended school with Sly Dunbar at Trenchtown Comprehensive High School. He had begun recording with Studio One in the late 1960's when he was still at school. In '67 he started his own Sound System and by '69 had set up his own record label Soul Sounds for which he had recorded Delroy Wilson and The Wailers (under the name of Rhythm Force).

He is still performing live these days as well and has now been in the business for more than 50 years!