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Motion
Records
Motion Records was active as a label from 1996 to 2007. A small
independent UK music label run by enthusiasts, activities have now been
suspended because of the pressure of other commitments and significant
changes in the nature of the music industry.
Currently there are no plans for any further releases
of any kind.
Motion Records' speciality was vintage reggae & dub, where the approach
was one of quality rather than quantity. Our Legendary Skatalites In
Dub album remains an eternal classic.
Our most recent reggae back catalogue is still available, but most of
our releases are now out of licence, and only obtainable second hand,
where the prices they fetch are testament to their quality.
Punk-era legend Vic Godard and his band Subway Sect released several
albums with Motion, including the Subway Sect Singles Anthology. Although
not widely known to the public, Vic was hugely influential within the
music industry - Edwyn Collins, The Libertines and even the late Kurt
Cobain being among his devotees.
Vic is still actively writing and recording, but is now working with
other record labels. The Vic Godard section of this site will remain
here, archived, for information.
 The
Skatalites: Rolling Steady
(Motion FAST CD019)
Both the CD and limited blue vinyl versions of Rolling Steady are
still available, as are King Tubby Meets Jacob Miller, The Legendary
Skatalites in Dub and The Motion Dub Special.
The Rolling Steady album has its own dedicated
page with lots more in-depth information.
This was a crucial release for Skatalites fans - nine genuine original
studio recordings made by all bar one of the original Skatalites on
their home soil in 1983 . One song, Big Trombone, had been heard before
(live on the Stretching Out album). One other, Devils Triangle, was
available on Skamania, but the version here is completely different.
As far as we can determine, the remaining tracks had never been heard
before.
Musicians on the album: Jackie Mittoo - Piano. Tommy McCook - Sax.
Lester Sterling - Sax. Roland Alphonso - Sax. Johnnie Moore - Trumpet.
Lloyd Knibb - Drums. Lloyd Brevett - Acoustic Bass. Jah Jerry - Guitar.
Calvin Cameron - Trombone. Lord Tanamo (Joseph Gordon) - vocal on Big
Trombone.
King Tubby Meets Jacob Miller In A Tenement Yard  We
initially made the decision not to release this album on vinyl, but
CD only, with an advance download promotion via our digital
partners.
Current trends in the music industry led to this decision, which so
far seems to have been the right one. We may still produce a vinyl version
later on, but this is an increasingly costly process, and we're finding
that more and more people are downloading their music, rather than buying
an actual physical product.
King Tubby Meets Jacob Miller In A Tenement Yard is the re-issue
of a real 'lost' dub classic from 1976. Known by collectors as E-E Saw
Dub, it originally came in a plain sleeve and was incorrectly labelled
as an E-E Saw 12-inch single 'City Of The Weak Heart' by Earl Zero.
In fact the album contains twelve killer Jacob Miller / Fatman Rhythm
Section riddims dubbed by King Tubby. The Moog synthesiser of Bernard
'Touter' Harvey floats through the mixes, giving the album a really
contemporary sound. The dubs are absolute killers and show King Tubby
on fine form. The riddims include Dreada Dread, Tenement Yard, City
Of The Weak Heart, Susie Wong, Tired Fe Lick Weed In A Bush and Roman
Soldiers Of Babylon. Two top Jacob Miller dubs are also included as
bonus tracks.
 Our
bargain-priced sampler The Motion Dub Special is now available from
all normal outlets and download
sites.
'....it’s one of those rare collections that you’ll find yourself returning
to whether or not you own the rest of the catalogue'.
Jo-Ann Greene writing in Goldmine
Also, check out our eBay
auction page, where we often sell our releases at bargain prices.
Further details are on the dedicated Motion
Dub Special page.
Motion has signed an incredible new duo from Derby called The Last
Starfighters. They are David Williams and Jamie Cattermole both
21 years old. They've been described as a cross between the Arctic
Monkeys and Simon and Garfunkel. The new album is ready to go and
it's called Happy Accidents. It's going to be tricky marketing
them as they won't play live or give interviews. In an era where bands
hire stylists and marketing consultants before getting signed we actually
find it quite refreshing. There is a reason why they're so reticent
but we can't give details here. The album probably won't be released
until the summer, but check here for updates and audio samples soon.
Motion Music Downloads - If you subscribe to any of the major
music download sites (there are now over 100 of them) you can obtain
legal paid-for downloads of pretty well the whole of the Motion catalogue.
This also includes releases where the CD or vinyl may have sold out,
plus there are a number of download exclusives - tracks we've never
made available on physical media. There's a page
of information about our music downloads, in partnership with digital
music distributors The Orchard.
 Also,
don't forget that following the closure of our online shopping service
in 2005, we still hold regular eBay
auctions of our releases. It's worth checking on these from time
to time as you can often pick up a rarity or a bargain.
The Legendary Skatalites in Dub - Limited Collector's Edition.
The heavy-weight red vinyl version of this classic LP is still available,
but stocks are going down all the time. Grab one now if you don't want
to be disappointed, as we won't be manufacturing any more in red. This
limited edition is to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original
recording sessions, when the core members of the Skatalites got back
together in Kingston Jamaica,
and laid down these classic cuts. Later re-mixed by King Tubby, originally
released by Motion to worldwide acclaim as Heroes
of Reggae in Dub, subsequently as The
Legendary Skatalites in Dub.
A strictly limited run of only 700 copies.
The sticker on the sleeve will help you identify the limited edition
if you're browsing in the shops - only the heavy red vinyl version has
the red sticker.
Out on a Funky Trip is a collection of rare funk and soul cuts
put together by some of reggae's finest musicians (with help from a
few of their friends).
Now available in addition to the CD is the limited edition collector's
LP in a gatefold sleeve and pressed on 180gm vinyl. It was cut using
the direct metal mastering process for optimum audio quality. There
is a dedicated page
for this album - take a look for the full details.
Hear a couple of tasters on our audio
samples page.
Out on a Funky Trip includes some hugely collectable rarities, much
sought after by DJs. Many of the tracks were recorded at Kingston's
legendary Randy's Studio, some produced by the late Vincent Chin, some
by Victor Chin, the rest by Clive Chin.
The Stepping Up EP and The Funky Trip EP - Both 10-inches from the
Funky Trip album are still available.
The Funky Trip EP:
1. Out on a Funky Trip - Lynn Taitt
2. Having a Party - Skin, Flesh & Bones
3. War - Generation Gap
4. Knock Three Times - King Cole
The
Stepping Up EP:
1. Stepping Up - Lynn Taitt
2. Who Knows Better (Version) - Toots & The Maytals
3. Soul Makossa - Jablonski
4. Cathy's Clown - Jimmy London
 The
Sound of Phase One comprises some of the best material from Roy
Francis' Phase One label (JA) and includes two previously unreleased
DJ cuts. As far as we know, this is the first time any of these recordings
have been on CD. Included are the massive 'Waiting In The Park', with
which The Chantells scored one of 1977's biggest non Marley reggae hits,
Steve Boswell's anthemic 'I Am Getting Bad', and the wonderful 'Help
Us Jah' by The Untouchables. For a full list of songs take a look at
the Phase One page.
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Vic
Godard News
The
Subway Sect Singles Anthology is a superb new 24-track CD which
is came out in April 2005. This is the definitive chronicle of
Vic Godard's remarkable and varied career, featuring the A-side of every
single he's ever released plus most of the B-sides too. The idea is
partly to fill the gap left by the deletion of 20 Odd Years, caused
by the bankruptcy of the original CD manufacturer and resultant loss
of the masters.
Tracklists, artwork and more details on this album are available on
this page,
part of the Vic Godard Microsite.
We're still working on the Blackpool project when time permits. Progress
is quite slow, but the tracks which have been completed so far are extremely
promising. This all started in a small studio in Teddington, where Vic
and the Bitter Springs laid down tracks for Vic's own interpretation
of songs from the 'Blackpool' musical which he co-wrote with Irvine
Welsh. Recording and mixing are now continuing at Motion Studios, but
this project is a work-in-progress so we don't yet have a completion
date. We're hoping to have some interesting guest vocalists on the album,
as well as Vic himself.
SANSEND BY SUBWAY SECT RECEIVES SUPERB REVIEWS
SINGLE AVAILABLE FROM THE ALBUM
Subway
Sect's Sansend has been chosed as one of the top 60 albums of 2002 by
Uncut magazine in
the UK:
'In a year
of comebacks from Punk's old guard, none was more welcome than that
Vic Godard's Sansend was hailed by Uncut as the album
of his career. Still 'opposing all rock'n'roll', the Sect of 2002 fuse
hip hop and even bhangra with Vic's usual lyrical drollness (and new-found
rapping skills!).
Further evidence, if need be, of his unsung genius'.
Uncut [original review 5 stars]
'a
set of typically pop-friendly gems'.
Q [4 stars]
'excellent
new album.... a thrilling mix of styles',
Record Collector
For more details
and reviews, take a look at the Sansend
page.
The Subway Sect
name returns for this release, because the many collaborations make
it much more than just a Vic Godard album. Sansend marks yet
another change of direction, being mainly a beats-and-samples based
album. The very modern sound, underpinned by Vic's legendary songwriting
talents, prove that the Mortlake maestro is not one for standing still
in his musical career.
There's also a single featuring 'Lazy So-and-So' and 'Everything's Crashing',
from the album, plus a killer club mix of 'Don't Take It All Out On
Me'.
Both the single and the album will be fully promoted in the new year,
as you can't sell anything before Christmas, unless it's by U2 or Britney
Spears.
'TWENTY ODD YEARS'
IN DEFINITIVE PUNK TOP TEN
The Good news:
Robert Elms of BBC London included Subway Sect's 'Twenty Odd Years'
compilation in his definitive guide to Punk.
The bad news: We had to delete this album because the original
manufacturer went bust and took with them the glass masters and the
artwork. Sought-after second-hand copies have fetched upwards of £40
on eBay.
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