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Sexually explicit (or "slack") lyrics have a long history in calypso and reggae music. But slackness never found a more devoted or bizarre exponent than Alex "Judge Dread" Hughes, a British singer who made a number of albums in the early '70s that were considerable hits in the U.K. Toasting and singing over instrumental tracks that were either created in Jamaica or imitations of classic Kingston rhythms, Judge Dread brought a distinctly English sensibility to the genre. Wordplay and double-entendre that sounded sly and subversive in the mouths of Caribbean artists like Prince Buster and Lord Kitchener came across as schoolboy toilet-talk when delivered by Judge Dread -- reggae for the Benny Hill crowd. One of the interesting things that this retrospective collection reveals is that Judge Dread was actually not a bad singer, when he bothered to sing; his (inevitable) rendition of the Chuck Berry novelty song "My Ding a Ling" is nicely done, as is "Blue Cross Code," a refreshingly non-slack number (unless these American ears are missing a piece of distinctively British double-entendre). But for the most part, this stuff is musically derivative and will only be funny to those who are in regular touch with their inner ten-year-old boy.
© Rick Anderson /TiVo
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Muzio CLEMENTI, Composer - Judge Dread, MainArtist - Alex Hughes, Composer - Joe Sinclair, Producer - Webster Shrowder, Producer - Alvin Ranglin, Composer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1972 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Judge Dread, MainArtist - Joe Sinclair, Producer - Webster Shrowder, Producer - Desmond Bryan, Producer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1972 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Edwards, Writer - Lemon, Writer - Judge Dread, Composer, MainArtist - Alex Hughes, Composer - Edward Lee, Composer - Ted Lemon, Composer - Joe Sinclair, Producer - Webster Shrowder, Producer - J. H. Heldt, Writer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1972 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Judge Dread, MainArtist - Alex Hughes, Composer - Ted Lemon, Composer - Joe Sinclair, Producer - Webster Shrowder, Producer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1972 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Judge Dread, MainArtist - Edward Lemon, Composer - Alex Hughes, Composer - Joe Sinclair, Producer - Webster Shrowder, Producer - Desmond Bryan, Producer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1972 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Judge Dread, Arranger, MainArtist - Alex Hughes, Composer - Ted Lemon, Composer - Joe Sinclair, Producer - Webster Shrowder, Producer - Desmond Bryan, Producer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1972 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Judge Dread, MainArtist - Joe Sinclair, Producer - Webster Shrowder, Producer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1972 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Judge Dread, MainArtist - Alex Hughes, Composer - Ted Lemon, Composer - Joe Sinclair, Producer - Webster Shrowder, Producer - Desmond Bryan, Producer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1972 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Judge Dread, MainArtist - Alex Hughes, Composer - Ted Lemon, Composer - Joe Sinclair, Producer - Webster Shrowder, Producer - Desmond Bryan, Producer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1972 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Judge Dread, MainArtist - Alex Hughes, Composer - Ted Lemon, Composer - Joe Sinclair, Producer - Webster Shrowder, Producer - Desmond Bryan, Producer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1972 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Hughes, Composer - Lemon, Composer - Muzio CLEMENTI, Composer - Judge Dread, MainArtist - A Bush Production, Producer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1973 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Judge Dread, MainArtist - Joe Sinclair, Producer - Webster Shrowder, Producer - Des Bryan, Producer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1973 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Hughes, Composer - Lemon, Composer - Muzio CLEMENTI, Composer - Judge Dread, MainArtist - Edward Lemon, Composer - Alex Hughes, Composer - Joe Sinclair, Producer - Webster Shrowder, Producer - Des Bryan, Producer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1973 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Judge Dread, MainArtist - Joe Sinclair, Producer - Eccles, Composer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1973 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
C. Blackwell, Composer - Judge Dread, MainArtist - I. Roberts, Composer - Joe Sinclair, Producer - Webster Shrowder, Producer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1973 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Hughes, Composer - Lemon, Composer - Judge Dread, MainArtist - A Bush Production, Producer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1974 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Judge Dread, MainArtist - Alex Hughes, Composer - Ted Lemon, Composer - A Bush Production, Producer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1974 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Judge Dread, MainArtist - Alex Hughes, Composer - Ted Lemon, Composer - A Bush Production, Producer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1974 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Judge Dread, MainArtist - Joe Sinclair, Producer - Webster Shrowder, Producer - Peter Sarstetd, Composer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1974 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Judge Dread, MainArtist - Alex Hughes, Composer - Ted Lemon, Composer - An Alted Production, Producer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1974 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Judge Dread, MainArtist - Edward Lemon, Composer - An Alted Production, Producer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1974 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Judge Dread, MainArtist - Alex Hughes, Composer - Ted Lemon, Composer - Joe Sinclair, Producer - Webster Shrowder, Producer - Desmond Bryan, Producer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1974 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Judge Dread, MainArtist - Edward Lemon, Composer - Alex Hughes, Composer - An Alted Production, Producer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1974 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Judge Dread, MainArtist - An Alted Production, Producer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1975 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Judge Dread, MainArtist - An Alted Production, Producer
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1975 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Album review
Sexually explicit (or "slack") lyrics have a long history in calypso and reggae music. But slackness never found a more devoted or bizarre exponent than Alex "Judge Dread" Hughes, a British singer who made a number of albums in the early '70s that were considerable hits in the U.K. Toasting and singing over instrumental tracks that were either created in Jamaica or imitations of classic Kingston rhythms, Judge Dread brought a distinctly English sensibility to the genre. Wordplay and double-entendre that sounded sly and subversive in the mouths of Caribbean artists like Prince Buster and Lord Kitchener came across as schoolboy toilet-talk when delivered by Judge Dread -- reggae for the Benny Hill crowd. One of the interesting things that this retrospective collection reveals is that Judge Dread was actually not a bad singer, when he bothered to sing; his (inevitable) rendition of the Chuck Berry novelty song "My Ding a Ling" is nicely done, as is "Blue Cross Code," a refreshingly non-slack number (unless these American ears are missing a piece of distinctively British double-entendre). But for the most part, this stuff is musically derivative and will only be funny to those who are in regular touch with their inner ten-year-old boy.
© Rick Anderson /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 25 track(s)
- Total length: 01:14:54
- Main artists: Judge Dread
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Trojan Records
- Genre: World Reggae
© 2003 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 2003 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
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