Jamaican recording of Take Five

April 7, 2017 4:57 PM

I'm looking for a Jamaican recording of Take Five. I think it must be from around the seventies. It is not the Lester Sterling or King Tubby version. I recall it had more of the traditional rhythm than reggae. I think the primary musician's name began with an "O," like Ozzie or Oscar maybe. I think it is pretty rare. I don't think it was ever that popular even at the time. Thanks.
posted by Golden Eternity to Media & Arts (14 answers total)

Possibly Rico Rodriguez, in 1977?
posted by Nerd of the North at 5:05 PM on April 7, 2017

Val Bennett, but he called it "The Russians are Coming".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqrSo-uN2A4
posted by at at 5:06 PM on April 7, 2017 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Neither. I had it on a youtube playlist but it was deleted. I recall youtube showed the album cover which was off white or yellow. The track was long - maybe up to 8 minutes or so.

Also, I think I may have came across it from an article written about several Jamaican versions of Take Five and how the different producers (Studio One and Bunny Lee possibly) considered them a mark of pride. I would love to find this article again as well.
posted by Golden Eternity at 5:28 PM on April 7, 2017

Is it Ozzie Hall? I did a search on WFMU's playlists, and came up with a Charlie Lewis show back in 2007 that aired it.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:30 PM on April 7, 2017

Response by poster: Sigh. No.
posted by Golden Eternity at 5:38 PM on April 7, 2017

List of "Take Five" covers from WhoSampled. Maybe something will ring a bell?
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:45 PM on April 7, 2017

Response by poster: Ah. I don't see it. The thing I remember most on it was the drums. The drums were intense. And drums are not that prominent in most of these. Weird. Maybe there is a small possibility it was an obscure Val Bennett version or something.
posted by Golden Eternity at 6:09 PM on April 7, 2017

Could it be The Specials? More drums, yellowish album art.
posted by moonmilk at 6:44 PM on April 7, 2017

Best answer: This YT list includes a [now deleted] version of "Take Five" by Ossie Scott. Looks like it was produced by Bunny Lee.
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:49 PM on April 7, 2017 [3 favorites]

Best answer: And could this be the blog post you're thinking of? Roots from the Yard: Take Five.
posted by MonkeyToes at 7:14 PM on April 7, 2017 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: YES! That's it. Thank you! I guess it was recorded in 2010. Hah. Way off. Clearly I had conflated it with an older recording.

Ossie Scott - Take Five

Although I'm still not quite positive this is the exact version. It was definitely Ossie Scott.
posted by Golden Eternity at 7:14 PM on April 7, 2017 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: I think this the album cover I was thinking of. More likely recorded in the early eighties I guess. Thanks!
posted by Golden Eternity at 7:20 PM on April 7, 2017

Response by poster: Hah. Yes that's the article as well. Thanks MonkeyToes.
posted by Golden Eternity at 7:23 PM on April 7, 2017

Thanks for the groovy tune! This seems to be an older version, but does seem hard to lay your hands on.
posted by Ian Scuffling at 7:30 PM on April 7, 2017 [1 favorite]