Horace Andy / Ranking Buckers Them Never Tell I / Lie Teacher Gal / Materialist

• Horace Andy / Ranking Buckers – Them Never Tell I
• Horace Andy / Ranking Buckers – Lie Teacher Gal
• Horace Andy / Ranking Buckers – Materialist (Extended)

• 1. Them Never Tell I
• 2. Lie Teacher Gal
• 3. Materialist (Extended)

1977 Produced by Winston 'Niney' Holness Deeper Roots just dropped their seventh 12-inch, putting the spotlight right on Horace Andy. You know him as Sleepy, a man with a massive track record stretching back to his foundational Studio One days. By the middle of the seventies, he possessed one of the most captivating voices in the game. That haunting, piercing falsetto is something nobody else could ever truly duplicate, seen? This plate brings together two extended cuts from 1977, both helmed by the great Niney The Observer. Niney was already a certified heavyweight in Jamaican music by then, so it is no surprise that the production here feels incredibly tight and focused. Over on the A-side, 'Them Never Tell I' slides effortlessly into a deejay cut called 'Lie Teacher Gal' by Ranking Buckers. Horace sings a serious tune about being left in the dark, touching on systemic lies and how the powers that be keep information away from regular people. The rhythm section is pure class. Soul Syndicate laid down a clean, upfront bassline, while the drums get treated to some proper echo chamber vibes. Horace's singing rides way up high in the mix with nothing getting in its way. We do not know much about Ranking Buckers, but his toast is confident and locks perfectly into the track. Flip it over for 'Materialist' and the tempo stays steady, but Horace shifts into a more direct, upfront mood. He delivers a steady warning to anyone putting their faith in worldly things. Horace was a dedicated Rastaman, and that worldview shines through here. He treats material greed as pure Babylon corruption, but he keeps the message smooth without getting overly preachy. The rolling backdrop from Soul Syndicate stays sharp, direct, and driven. When the tune dissolves into 'Poor Man Style', which is the dub version, you can hear the master living up to his reputation. That version, mixed at King Tubby's Waterhouse studio, shows absolute wizardry. These two songs stands among the finest things Niney dropped in 1977. They do not need to flash or dazzle, they just stand completely solid on their own.