Ken Boothe Black Gold & Green (Orange)

Limited edition of 500 numbered copies on orange coloured 180-gram audiophile vinyl. Black, Gold & Green was the first of three albums Ken Boothe would record together with producer Lloyd Charmers and takes his Memphis-via-Kingston aesthetic to the next level. Some of the best soul singing of his career can be heard here on numbers such as "Out of Love," "Missing You," and the gritty ballad "Second Chance." His singing as being in the same kind of soul groove as the late and great Otis Redding. Ken's tradition, though, is based in the powerful religious messages reflected in the native Jamaican religion. Black, Gold & Green includes some serious social-political material, and these heavy tones permeate every note of this album. It also includes his great cover version of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine."