Heads up! Starting with edition #51, you’ll see Double 12’ Spin dropping every other week. Unfortunately, things are getting a bit hectic with work, so a fortnightly schedule it is.
A1. Leroy Mafia – My Guiding Star
A2. Mafia & Fluxy – A Hot Version
B1. Sugar Black – Second Chance
B2. Mafia & Fluxy – Version
Label: Striker Lee – SLD 21291
Our 50th edition presents two platters from the 1990s, spotlighting celebrated artists Mafia & Fluxy and U Brown, along with lesser-known vocalists Joy White and Sugar Black.
Brothers David “Fluxy” Heywood and Leroy “Mafia” Heywood are widely recognized as the UK’s most celebrated riddim section. Their journey in music began in the latter half of the 1970s as part of the London band The Instigators, and they later enhanced their skills by serving as backing musicians for Jamaican artists touring the UK. In the 1980s, their career expanded internationally when they went on to record backing tracks for a variety of producers in Jamaica.
Over time, alongside making music, they expanded into production, launching their own Mafia And Fluxy label. Leroy also ventured into a solo career, as showcased on this 12” single. Although both remain incredibly active, they have already built an impressive legacy, having collaborated with reggae legends like Lee Perry, Gregory Isaacs, Jah Shaka, Sugar Minott, and John Holt, to name just a few.
Leroy delivers a smooth rendition of My Guiding Star, a tune covered by many reggae artists including Joe White and Freddie McGregor, although the original is credited to Charles Ross from Trinidad & Tobago. The backing is provided by the Heywood brothers themselves, with production led by reggae veteran Bunny “Striker” Lee.
On the B-side, Sugar Black delivers a solid effort with Second Chance, a lovers’ song in which he earnestly pleads with his (ex)lover for another opportunity. Not much is known about Sugar Black, whose birth name is Patrick Hall. He reached his peak in the 1990s, during which he was actively making waves in both Jamaica and the UK. A standout moment in his career was his collaboration with Lebanculah on the track Oh Jah over the Lallabella riddim, released on Tony Rebel’s Flames label.
A. Joy White – Another Chance
B. U. Brown – Dance Hall Music
Label: Roof International – VPRD5536
On the second 12” single, we encounter Joy White—also known as Christine “Joy” White—a soulful vocalist whose career began in the early 1970s and continues robustly today. Alongside her recordings for Studio One, she collaborated with renowned producers such as Lee Perry, Derrick Harriott, and Lloyd Campbell; with the latter, she secured a notable hit with Dread Out Deh.
Her album Sentimental Reasons marked Donovan Germain’s debut production in 1978 for his first label, Revolutionary Sounds. She also recorded several tracks for producer Courtney Cole, owner of Roof International Records in Ocho Rios—including the song Another Chance. In the late 1990s, she relocated to Germany, where her musical journey continued.
On the flip side of the record, listeners are treated to Dance Hall Music—a catchy deejay rendition of Joy White’s tune, delivered by U Brown. Huford Benjamin Brown, better known as U Brown, was born on June 8, 1956, in Kingston, Jamaica, and is celebrated as a prominent deejay. Like many of his peers, he got his start on renowned sound systems such as Silver Bullet and Sound of Music. Influenced by legends like U Roy, Dennis Alcapone, and Big Youth, he steadily honed his craft and eventually joined the illustrious King Tubby’s Hi-Fi system in 1975.
Collaborating with Bunny Lee, U Brown recorded several albums that consistently made their way onto the charts. In 1977, he launched the Hit Sound label, serving as a platform for his own releases and productions with other artists. An association with the British Front Line label resulted in two additional albums and strengthened his ties in the UK, where he became a regular feature with the Unity Hi Power sound system. In 1982, he achieved a notable hit with Tu Sheng Peng, his take on Dennis Brown’s classic If This World Were Mine.
With the emergence of digital riddims, U Brown’s output gradually decreased, prompting him to move to Miami and collaborate with producer Kenneth Black. Eventually, he returned to Jamaica to perform, record, and produce once more, though at a more measured pace. His enduring career is far from over, as evidenced by his latest album, Still Chanting Rub-A-Dub, released in partnership with the French label Irie Ites Records.
[These tracks were digitized directly from vinyl using a Technics SL-1210MK2 turntable equipped with an Ortofon cartridge. The recordings were captured in 24-bit/96kHz WAV format via SoundForge]