Fashion

Chris Lane - Fashion Records

Fashion

V/A - Fashion Records Revives Vol 1 Lovers - Fashion 1988

Lovers Rock 1 is very much mood music. How you respond to it greatly

on how you feel Its sound is also very highly defined, make it too

rough and it becomes roots or ragga, make it to soft and it becomes

soul or R&B. On this album the better tracks tend to be the rougher

ones. Keith Douglas's 'I Specialize In Good Girls', Dee Sharpe -

'Swing & Dine' and Junior Brown's 'Long Time Me Call You', all have a

certain style to them that makes them very enduring.

V/A - Fashion Records - Revives Vol 2 - More Classic Lovers - Fashion

- 1988.

The same mix as Volume 1. except this time the softer Soul/R&B tunes

tend to sound the better tracks. Tunes likes 'Cool Down Amina' Keith

Douglas, which was a big hit, plus the very popular 'Try Love Again'

also from Keith. Both released in the early eighties. From the same

time comes Fenton Smith's 'Girls'. Harder material comes in the form

of Dee Sharpe's 'Pablo/Perry' like 'Follow Your Heart' and Nerious

Joseph's insight into modern lifestyles 'Easy Living'.

V/A - Fashion Records - Revives Vol 3 - The Jamaican Connection -

Fashion - 1989

.

Pat Kelly, Al Campbell, Alton Ellis, and Carlton & His Shoes have over

the years made some really wonderful love songs. When reggae music

went truly international in the eighties with studios in places like

New York, Miami Toronto and of course London. The artists listed above

and many others found themselves working in those studios. For Fashion

Records to work with such talent was inevitable. The results of this

fruitful co-operation are here on this set to be enjoyed.

V/A (Fashion) - The Fine Style Collection Volume One - Fine Style.

By the mid eigthies the Fashion label and studio was at the very

forefront in the creation of Lovers Rock. Other labels also made

significant contribution to the sound, but in terms of records

released - Fashion was No.1. It made perfect sense them to form a new

label for a sound that was so strong, and Fine Style was it. Included

on this album are artists like Peter Spence, Aston Esson and Michael

Gordon, and some of their successes to date.

V/A (Fashion) - Jamaica's Finest Vol 1 - Fashion - 1989

Although a lot of Fashion's success as come from DJ's and Lovers Rock.

Another element is the Ragga side, which in many respects they are the

most respected for - yet at the same time strangely gets overlooked.

The reason for this is probably due to the sheer quantity of ragga

records from Jamaica. To keep up with that and the all the current

trends can be very expensive. This set though shows Fashion doing ska

and without any problebs. Keeping up with the latest Fashion's is

after all one of the reasons for the label's very exisitance.

V/A 1RLP - Raw Groove - Fashion - 1990

It took a long while for Fashion to get around to finally releasing

their first one rhythm album, typically for the label it had to be a

bit different. Usually a big hit rhythm is the inspiration behind the

album, in this case the idea was to build a rhyt?m to fit a

collectionainl_ reggae and soul standards. Of these female vocal

group? Zuruchi's 'Tossin' and Turnin' works the very best.closely

followed by Nerious Joseph's 'Shinin' Star' and Winsome's 'Hold On'.

An interesting idea, very well done.

V/A (Fashion) 1RLP - Funky Punany - Fashion - 1990

Fashion second one rhythm set is much more traditional in the sense

that it's all based on a massive hit rhythm - Cutty Ranks'_ 'The

Stopper'. The 'Punany' rhythm although popular now for a number of

years, always sounded a bit basic to me Fashion's introduction of a

bongo/congo lick was just what the rhythm needed. Cutty's cut still

sounds the best, but Top Cat's 'Nah Let Me Spliff' works very well and

so does Wayne Fire's 'Whe You Get It From'. While Wayne Wonder's title

is the best singing cut.

V/A (Fashion) Great British MC's - Fashion

This is an album that is just full of great MC's and well forward

lyrics. Present on the album is Philip Levi with 'Mi God Mi King'

produced by Paul Robinson for Level Vibes. Fashion came to the fast

style with Smiley Culture and his 'Slam Bam' is here as well. Peter

King was the originator of the fast style, and 'Me Neat Me Sweet' is

one of his first recordings. A fast style in combination is another

first - 'It's Coming Down' from Smiley and Asher. While the tale of

the 'Fare Dodger' is told by Papa Benjie.

Albums Still Available from Fashion - In Stock - Jan 2002

FAD LP 003 - Junior Delgado - It Takes Two To Tango (no sleeve)

FAD LP 004 - Asher Senator - Born To Chat

FAD LP 005 - Nerious Joseph - Love's Gotta Take Its Time

FAD LP 007 - Rock With Me Baby (The Fine Style Collection) - Various

Artists

FAD LP 015 - Phillip Leo - Lover Of Music -

FAD CD 016- Barry Boom - The Living Boom

FAD LP 021 - Various Artists - Ragga Clash Vol One (Sound Boy vs Rude

Boy)

FAD CD 022 - Various Artists - Ragga Clash Volumes One and Two

FAD LP/CD 023 - Nerious Joseph - Guidance

FAD CD 024 - General Levy - The Wickeder General

FAD LP 025 - Frankie Paul - F.P.The Greatest

FAD LP 026 - Various Artists - The Heat

FAD LP/CD 027 - Poison Chang & Top Cat - Ja to UK MC Clash 3

FAD LP/CD 029 - Various Artists - Ragga Clash Volume Three (60's Meets

90's)

FAD CD 030 - Janet Lee Davis - Missing You

FAD LP/CD 032 - Various Artists - Not Just Ragga Vol One

FAD CD 033 Various Artists - Lovers Fashion Volume One

FAD LP/CD 034 - Various Artists - Lovers Fashion Volume Two

FAD LP/CD 035 - Various Artists - Cultural Fashion

FAB LP/CD 001 - Various Artists - Ragga Mania

FAB LP/CD 002 - Starky Banton Meets The Dub Organiser

JFCD 001 - Top Cat v General Levy - Rumble In The Jungle Vol One

JFCD 002 - Cutty Ranks v Poison Chang - Rumble In The Jungle Vol Two

CFDLP 001 - Bush Chemists Meet The Dub Organiser

DIG LP 001 - Mikey General & Andrew Paul - Sound Bwoy Burial

RUB LP 001 Rubble Dub (MC's Choice)

WALP 005 - Joseph Cotton - No Touch The Style

WALP 006 - Supercat, Nicodemus and Junior Demus - Cabin Stabbin

WALP 007 - Wayne Fire - Sexy Body

SID LP 001 - Various Artists - Sin Badda Than Them

SID LP 002 - Cobra - Mercyless Bad Boy

SID LP/CD - Various Artists - Romantic Ragga

SID LP 005 - Various Artists - Romantic Ragga Vol Two

Out LP 001 - Various Artists - Joe Frasier - Knocked Out