A. K.C. White/Dennis Alcapone – Throw Me Corn
B. K.C. White – Version Of Love
Label: Justice – Judis 131
Double 12’ Spin returns for its 51st edition, bringing you a fresh mix of two deejays and two singers. We kick things off with a remarkable 12″ single by K.C. White—born Morris White—a vocalist whose talent never quite received the recognition it deserved. His journey began in 1972 with Man No Dead, paving the way for hits such as No No No, Anywhere But Nowhere, and First Cut is the Deepest. Big Youth immortalized No No No by using it as the foundation for his hit Screaming Target. Relocating to New York in the mid-1970s, White became involved with Brad’s Records, Bullwackies, and Prince Douglas, but his releases dwindled over time. Still, among his four albums, Showcase on Love People Records stands out as a hidden gem.
On this 1979 12″ single, K.C. White breathes new life into Winston Shand’s 1969 tune Throw Me Corn—not to be mistaken for Larry Marshall’s Studio One hit! The instrumental, attributed to guitarist Ranford ‘Rannie Bop’ Williams, may well be the original take. Flip the record, and White offers Version Of Love, his take on The Uniques’ Lessons Of Love, written by Jimmy Riley.
Taking on the deejay version, Dennis Alcapone—born Dennis Smith—stands among Jamaica’s foundational deejays. His golden years came with Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid, yet it was producer Keith Hudson who first put him on record. Bunny Lee was another frequent collaborator. Between 1970 and 1973, Alcapone was incredibly prolific, releasing over 100 singles and three albums. His move to the UK in 1974 marked a quiet decline in output, but he remained active as a performer, with the occasional tune still making its way into circulation.
A. Louie Lepkie – Shake Your Titie
B. George Nooks – I Don’t Care
Label: Ricky Ticky Music
On the A-side of the second 12″ single, deejay Louie Lepkie brings his signature flair to the provocative Shake You Titie, produced by Leroy Francis and Steve Bennett. Though his time in the industry was brief, he left a lasting impression with a bunch of solid singles and two albums, Late Night Movie for Joe Gibbs and Willie Red with Niney the Observer. His distinctive style blended everyday themes, social commentary, a sharp sens of humor, and satire. He also performed for Jamaica’s top sound systems, including Gemini, King Sturgav, and Volcano. A move to New York seemed promising, but tragedy struck when he was fatally shot in 1987.
The B-side features George Nooks with I Don’t Care, an artist whose career has evolved across decades. Starting out as Prince Moham(m)ed, he carved a niche in the deejay scene, recording versions of Dennis Brown’s Money In My Pocket and Culture’s Zion Gate under Joe Gibbs, to name but a few. His international rise came alongside June Lodge with Someone Loves You Honey. By 1978, he had dropped his first album, a collaborative effort with General Echo, marking the beginning of his shift toward singing. The 1980s saw him at his most prolific, but after stepping away from music for years, he resurfaced in the late 1990s, reigniting his career. With over 20 albums and 400 singles to his name, Nooks continues to leave an imprint, recently appearing on the Jamaican reggae charts.
The foundation of both tracks on this 12’ single lies in Junjo Lawes’ reworked version of the classic riddim from Dennis Brown’s I’m Coming Home. Lawes, known for his keen ear, didn’t stop there—he gave the same riddim new life in hits such as Frankie Paul’s Worries In The Dance, Don Carlos’ I’m Not Getting Crazy, and Linval Thompson’s Look How Me Sexy.
[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]