Following on from the Pampidoo - Synthesizer Voice entry, I can at last report on the closure of a personal quest that has dogged my sleep for many years.
The trilogy of mystery Dancehall tracks is at last complete. That long lost cassette of delights, first plied by PF in 1991, has finally been decoded.
The first was easy - Big Belly Man by Admiral Bailey. Yes, we all know that one. See the Pampidoo post for number 2. Slightly harder (it did take about 14 years longer to find than the Belly beats).
But what of number 3? The track who's lyrics, when Googled, revealed no more than frustration. The elusive track, my cack-mouthed rendition of which fell on deaf ears of every reggae enthusiast in my circle of associates. Step up to the (dub)plate, Mr IC, the genial host of House of Reggae podcast. I'd been enjoying his selections while wasting my time at the gym for a few weeks when the lightbulb flashed above my sweating bonce. He seemed to know his stuff, and I had nothing to lose. An email, a day of hand-wringing in anticipation, and POW! An answer. But that was only the start. No amount of Googling or Limewiring threw up an mp3 to check the authenticity of my distant memory. Bullet-bitten, my hard earned (yes, ok, stop laughing all those who know and love my lazy ways) cash went bleeping down a copper wire to a seller on GEMM.com. One of only three copies of the 12" I could find worldwide. A week and several email prods later, no record. Just a refund. Bugger. OK. Don't panic. There's still that slightly knackered copy in Belgium. But wait! S&EH are taking a long haul jaunt from LA to Toon in a few weeks. SH owes me big time (you know why, mofo). There's a copy in Florida available on ebay. NEAR MINT! The deed was done. All there was to do was wait. And wait. Here they are. Hugs. Drinks. Record? Lost luggage. BAAAAAAAH!
What's another 24 hours in 17 years? Next eve, while being all grown up and social without being in the pub, there was the square envelope of delights. I was nervous, perspiring like a swine and not entirely sure I wanted to play the contents, for fear the quest was not over and the tunes thereon didn't correspond to my mind's recollection.
Dibi Dibi Girl by Bruce Lee and Lideay, on Yammie Records, 1986.
Oh yes.
Thank you IC@HOR. Thank you everyone who has been kind enough to keep their hands from my neck as I bang on and on again about this bloody record I can't find over the years.
And thank YOU Bruce Lee, wherever you are.
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