98339

    Pressure Drop Reggae in the SeventiesBy John Masouri


    A comprehensive account of reggae during its golden era, from the late sixties through the global breakthrough of Bob Marley in the seventies, and the genre’s popularity worldwide.

    Pressure Drop draws on original interviews with the scene’s key players of the last 40 years, as well as many of the musicians who were influenced by the reggae from this era.

    Interview subjects include Burning Spear, Augustus Pablo, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Gregory Isaacs, Toots & The Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, U Roy and Bunny Wailer.

    “Pressure Drop isn’t just for reggae lovers: it’s a must read for anyone with an interest in the evolution of popular music.” Billboard

    “John is one of reggae’s most respected and seasoned journalists with a profound knowledge of the music and the stars who made it. The 70’s was the most prolific period in Jamaica’s music history which makes this book an essential study for fans of the music worldwide.” David Rodigan

    “Nailed in great detail, Pressure Drop is a testament to bass - Jamaica’s gift to the world and the culture that came with it.” Don Letts

    “A must have reggae bible that takes a deep dive into the classic reggae period of the 1970s.” Alex Wheatle

    “Takes us on an exciting ride through the hills and gullies of Jamaican music & politics throughout the 70’s.” Pauline Black OBE DL, The Selecter

    “Jamaican music is so blessed to have had John Masouri become a fan when he was 11 years old. Thanks for another book John. ONE LOVE always!” Barbara Blake-Hannah, Author/Journalist/Director of the Jamaica Film Academy

    Other Releases on

    Punk: The Last WordBy Chris Sullivan and Stephen Colegrave
    'A thoroughly enjoyable compendium of appalling behaviour.' Nick Logan, Editor NME (1973-1978), founder of The Face 'From the shabby stowaways of the...
      • Book (900g)£30.00
        Expected 30 NovPreorder
      Freedom Rhythm and Sound EVENTThu 18 Dec 2025
      Gilles Peterson + Stuart Baker (Soul Jazz Records) + Special GuestsAn evening of conversation, music and visuals 7.30-10pm Thu 18 Dec 2025 at The American...
        • EARLY BIRD Live Event E-Ticket£10.00
          In stockAdd to Bag
        Rock Against Racism 1976-1981By Syd Shelton
        Rock Against Racism is a body of photographs that Syd Shelton produced for and about the British Rock Against Racism movement (RAR) of 1976–1981. For...
          Clarks in JamaicaBy Al Fingers, includes photos by Adrian Boot, Dave Hendley, David Corio, Mark Read, Beth Lesser
          Back in stock! Last copies!Superb brand new edition of this excellent deluxe 240 pages hardback, 100s and 100s of photos and text. New edition includes...
            • Book (1.5kg) 9780956777393£40.00 £35.00
              In stockAdd to Bag
            The Other Side : A Journey into Women, Art and the Spirit World
            In an illuminating blend of memoir and art history, The Other Side explores the lives and work of a group of extraordinary women artists. From the twelfth-century...
              Soul Jazz Records hoodie (navy)
              Brand new Soul Jazz Records Functional Outer Wear Product #1 Exclusive to Sounds of the Universe Limited edition navy hoodie (large) with design.
                Namba RoyNo Black Sparrows
                'A vivid portrait of Jamaica in the 1930s" Excellent social realist novel. Written by Jamaican Namba Roy in the 1950s in Britain. He died in 1961 and...
                  • Original Book (200g)£15.00
                    Original Pre-Owned Out of Print paperback copy in good condition
                    In stockAdd to Bag
                  Revolutionary Letters
                  By turns a handbook of countercultural living, a manual for street protest, and a feminist broadside against the repressive state apparatus, Revolutionary...
                    Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy presents 'Balearic Breakfast' Volume 4
                    “There are curators, and then there's Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy.” - Resident Advisor The sun has finally come out. It’s the first time something...
                      Sabroso Guaganco Vol. 10Sabroso Guaganco Vol. 10
                      Latin compilation
                        • Original CD£9.99
                          CD disc condition: VG+Case & booklet condition: VG+Original Pre-Owned CD in great condition
                          In stockAdd to Bag
                        Sabroso Guaganco Vol. 11Sabroso Guaganco Vol. 11
                        Latin compilation
                          • Original CD£9.99
                            CD disc condition: VG+Case & booklet condition: VG+Original Pre-Owned CD in great condition
                            In stockAdd to Bag
                          Sabroso Guaganco Vol. 12Sabroso Guaganco Vol. 12
                          Latin compilation
                            • Original CD£9.99
                              CD disc condition: VG+Case & booklet condition: VG+Original Pre-Owned CD in great condition
                              In stockAdd to Bag
                            The Blood of OthersSimone de Beauvoir
                            Potent and vividly emotional, Simone de Beauvoir’s captivating novel questions freedom and individual responsibility in the face of brutality‘These...
                              • Book (350g) 9780241696453£9.99
                                In stockAdd to Bag
                              Salsa Y Ache
                                • Original CD£4.99
                                  CD disc condition: VG+Case & booklet condition: VG+Original Pre-Owned CD in great condition
                                  In stockAdd to Bag
                                My Grandmother's Hands : Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodiesby Resmaa Menakem
                                THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'Insightful, thought-provoking and profound. I can't recommend highly enough' Sunny Singh'A revolutionary work of beauty,...
                                  • Book (350g) 9780141996479£10.99
                                    In stockAdd to Bag
                                  Nova Scotia House : A Novel
                                  Nova Scotia House takes us to the heart of a relationship, a community and an era. It is both a love story and a lament; bearing witness to the enduring...
                                    This Woman's Work : Essays on Music
                                    This Woman's Work: Essays on Music is edited by Kim Gordon and Sinead Gleeson and features contributors Anne Enright, Fatima Bhutto, Jenn Pelly, Rachel...
                                      • Book (600g) 9781474621472£20.00
                                        In stockAdd to Bag
                                      DJ Disciple & Henry KronkThe Beat, the Scene, the Sound : A DJ's Journey through the Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of House Music in New York City
                                      A thrilling and tumultuous, behind-the-scenes account of house music in NYC. The Beat, the Scene, the Sound follows DJ Disciple and his behind-the-scenes...
                                        James Kaplan3 Shades of Blue : Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans & The Lost Empire of Cool
                                        1959 saw Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans and the other members of Miles's sextet come together to record the bestselling jazz album of all time:...
                                          Nettleblackby Nat Reeve
                                          'To be blunt: I must escape.' 1893. Henry Nettleblack has to act fast or she'll be married off by her elder sister. But leaving the safety of her wealthy...
                                            Eros the Bittersweet : An Essayby Anne Carson
                                            Named one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time by the Modern LibraryAnne Carson’s remarkable first book about the paradoxical nature of romantic...
                                              Days at the Morisaki Bookshopby Satoshi Yagisawa
                                              The beloved Japanese bestseller: a tale of love, family, new beginnings, and the comfort that can be found between the pages of a good book. When twenty-five-year-old...
                                                • Book (300g) 9781786583239£10.99
                                                  In stockAdd to Bag
                                                Jacqueline CrooksFire Rush
                                                Yamaye lives for the weekend, when she can go raving with her friends at The Crypt, an underground club on the outskirts of London. Then everything changes....
                                                  We Were There:How Black culture, resistance and community shaped modern Britain
                                                  We Were There is about a Black Britain that for too long has been unknown and unexplored – the one that exists beyond London. **An Esquire and GQ best...
                                                    • Book (700g) 9781847927477£22.00
                                                      In stockAdd to Bag
                                                    Dr Maya AngelouI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
                                                    Maya Angelou's six volumes of autobiography are a testament to the talents and resilience of this extraordinary writer. Loving the world, she also knows...
                                                      Keith Gildart & Stephen CatterallKeeping the Faith : A History of Northern Soul
                                                      In the 1970s, Northern Soul held a pivotal position in British youth culture. Originating in the English North and Midlands in the late-1960s, by the mid-1970s...
                                                        Margo JeffersonNegroland : A Memoir
                                                        'Jefferson's eye for details yields some devastatingly honest and painful insights' The Times'Captivating... Charm is this book's watchword' Colin Grant,...
                                                          Kae TempestOn Connection
                                                          An authentically soothing, powerful, thought-provoker.'MATT HAIG'On Connection is medicine for these wounded times.'MAX PORTER'On Connection came to me...
                                                            Emanuele CocciaPhilosophy of the Home : Domestic Space and Happiness
                                                            A bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom - are these rooms all that make a home? Not at all, argues Emanuele Coccia. The buildings we inhabit are of immense psychological...
                                                              Jason OkundayeRevolutionary Acts
                                                              In this landmark work, Jason Okundaye meets an elder generation of Black gay men and finds a spirited community full of courage, charisma and good humour,...
                                                                Alex Haley (Author) , Malcolm X (Author)The Autobiography of Malcolm X
                                                                Malcolm X's The Autobiography of Malcolm X was written in collaboration with Alex Haley, author of Roots, and includes an introduction by Paul Gilroy,...
                                                                  Daft PunkWe Were The Robots: A Disco Pogo Tribute
                                                                  Featuring a new foreword by David and Stephen Dewaele, better known as Soulwax and 2manydjs. Daft Punk featured often in the formative years of Jockey...
                                                                    Friedrich NietzscheWhy I Am so Clever
                                                                    'Why do I know a few more things? Why am I so clever altogether?'Self-celebrating and self-mocking autobiographical writings from Ecce Homo, the last work...

                                                                      People also bought

                                                                      And The Roots of Rhythm RemainBy Joe Boyd
                                                                      ‘I doubt I’ll ever read a better account of the history and sociology of popular music than this one.' Brian Eno ‘Profound…and beyond.’...
                                                                        Studio One Power Mix!Soul Jazz Records
                                                                        Brand new collection of Studio One killer tunes, focussing on the late 70s, 80s and beyond. Since the early 1960s Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd had...
                                                                        • Otis Gayle – What You Won't Do For Love
                                                                        • Earl Sixteen – Love Is A Feeling
                                                                        • Alton Ellis – Back To Africa
                                                                        • Prince Jazzbo – Apollo 16
                                                                        • Johnny Osbourne – Eternal Peace
                                                                        • Errol Dunkley – Don't Do It
                                                                        • Omega – Bounty Hunter
                                                                        • Noel Bailey and Sound Dimension – Wiggle's Diggles
                                                                        • Freddie McGregor – I Am Ready
                                                                        • Prince Jazzbo – Imperial I
                                                                        • Jackie Mittoo – Lovers Rock
                                                                        • Devon Russell – Swing and Dine
                                                                        • Sugar Minott – Guidance
                                                                        • Dolly Man – Trigger Happy
                                                                        • Nana McLean – A Little Love
                                                                        • Tyrone Taylor – Rightful Rebel
                                                                        • Wailing Souls – All Alone
                                                                        • Sugar Minott – Revelation
                                                                        Energy Follows ThoughtThe Stories Behind My SongsWilliam Morrow
                                                                        £28 OFF!!!!! £10 CHEAPER THAN AMAZON!!! SUPER DELUXE USA HARDBACK Revealing, funny, whimsical, and wise, outlaw country legend Willie Nelson shares...
                                                                          • Book (2kg) 9780063272200£40.00 £12.00
                                                                            In stockAdd to Bag
                                                                          DionneCome Get My Lovin'Bigshot Records
                                                                          Officially remastered reissue of the vocal house classic ‘Come Get My Lovin’ by Dionne. Produced by Komix and presented here for the first time on...
                                                                          • – Come Get My Lovin' (Remix)
                                                                          • – Come Get My Lovin' (EZ Mix)
                                                                          • – The Second Coming
                                                                          Til Wrong Feels RightLyrics and More by Iggy PopClarkson Potter Publishers
                                                                          SUPER STYLISH USA HARDBACK BOOK £20 OFF!!! That's a £32 for £12!!! £6 cheaper than Amazon!!The Godfather of Punk and frontman for The Stooges offers...
                                                                            • Book (1.2kg) 0593135970£32.00 £12.00
                                                                              In stockAdd to Bag
                                                                            Jackie MittooMacka FatStudio One
                                                                            Jackie Mittoo's fifth and most popular album from 1972. Seminal reggae instrumentals with the famous Studio One heavy-bass sound. - Henry The Great, Lazy...
                                                                            • – Henry The Great
                                                                            • – Good Feeling
                                                                            • – Macka Fat
                                                                            • – Lazy Bones
                                                                            • – Fancy Pants
                                                                            • – Something Else
                                                                            • – Happy People
                                                                            • – Purple Heart
                                                                            • – Whoa Whoa
                                                                            • – Division One
                                                                            • – Ghetto Organ
                                                                            • – Dad Is Home
                                                                            Studio One Soul 2Soul Jazz Records
                                                                            New one-off pressing coloured vinyl 18th anniversary edition of the long-out-of-print Studio One Soul 2, the long-awaited second volume of one of the largest...
                                                                            • Jacob Miller – Westbound Train
                                                                            • Hortense Ellis – People Make The World Go Round
                                                                            • Horace Andy – Ain't No Sunshine
                                                                            • Soul Vendors – Swing Easy
                                                                            • The Heptones – Choice Of Colours
                                                                            • Jackie Mittoo & The Brentford Disco Set – Choice Of Music Part 2
                                                                            • Prinze Jazzbo – Fool For Love
                                                                            • Cornell Campbell – Ten To One
                                                                            • Winston Francis – Don't Change
                                                                            • Jackie Mittoo – Jumping Jehosophat
                                                                            • Tony Gregory – Get Out Of My Life Woman
                                                                            • Dub Specialist – Darker Block
                                                                            • Little Joe – Red Robe
                                                                            • Devon Russell – Make Me Beleive In You
                                                                            • Jerry Jones – Compared To What
                                                                            • Ken Boothe – Thinking
                                                                            • Anthony Creary – Land Call Africa
                                                                            • Jackie Mittoo – Fancy Pants
                                                                            • New 2×LP (Coloured Vinyl) + Download Code SJRLP556C£28.00
                                                                              In stockAdd to Bag
                                                                            • CD SJRCD556£12.00
                                                                              In stockAdd to Bag
                                                                            • MP3 Release SJRD128£9.99
                                                                              In stockAdd to Bag
                                                                            Red Rack'emItalo Disco BangerBergerac
                                                                            Red Rack’em returns with a surefire summer smash ‘Italo Disco Banger’ which immediately evokes the most euphoric festival vibes ever.The feedback...
                                                                            • – Italo Disco Banger
                                                                            • – Hotline
                                                                            Annette ClarkeSinner ManHarlem Shuffle
                                                                            Originally released on a B-side of a U.K. Techniques records from 1973 now paired with a very rare & hard to find dub from producer Lee Perry. Heavy backing...
                                                                            • Annette Clarke – Sinner Man
                                                                            • Lee Perry – Sinner Man Dub
                                                                            AbacusAnalog Trks Vol.1Phonogramme
                                                                            Phonogramme Is Thrilled to Announce a Special Reissue of the Iconic "Analog Trks 1" by Abacus Including the Original Tracks With an Exclusive Instrumental...
                                                                            • – We Cookin Now
                                                                            • – Opinion Rated R
                                                                            • – Black Thanxx (Instrumental)
                                                                            Reggae in London 1980-2004 PHOTOZINEPhotographs by David Corio
                                                                            Awesome small and beautiful photo-zine. 36 pages, staple-bound. 100% ESSENTIAL! Ships in about a week
                                                                              EmanativeAbstract IntuitionHome Planet Recordings
                                                                              Spacey, cosmic jazz ritual spread over four key tracks - another outthere listening experience from Emanative including a line-up of stellar guest spots:...
                                                                              • – Spice Routes
                                                                              • – Messimalism (Above Thought)
                                                                              • – Paradox
                                                                              • – Pathways To Presence
                                                                              CzarfaceCzartificial Intelligence (Instrumentals)Silver Age
                                                                              The ever-industrious trio of 7L, Esoteric and Inspectah Deck delivered their twelfth Czarface album Czartificial Intelligence at the back end of 2023,...
                                                                                Wayne SmithYouthman SkankingVP Records
                                                                                The early 1980s were the pinnacle of the 'youthman' style of reggae vocal, associated with the generation from Jamaica's Kingston 11 area, including Waterhouse,...
                                                                                  Rastafari (2024 Edition)The Dreads Enter BabylonSoul Jazz Records
                                                                                  Classic release ‘Rastafari – The Dreads Enter Babylon 1955-83’ in a new one-off pressing limited edition blue coloured double vinyl edition. The...
                                                                                  • Count Ossie & The Rasta Family – Africa We Want Fe Go
                                                                                  • Johnny Clarke – None Shall Escape The Judgement
                                                                                  • Laurel Aitken – Haile Selassie
                                                                                  • Count Ossie & The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari – Tales of Mozambique
                                                                                  • Mutabaruka – Say
                                                                                  • Bongo Herman & Jah Lloyd – African Drums
                                                                                  • Count Ossie & The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari – Sam's Intro
                                                                                  • Bongo Herman, Les and Bunny – Salaam
                                                                                  • Winston and Ansell – Zion I
                                                                                  • Techniques All Stars – Zion I Version
                                                                                  • Lord Lebby & The Jamaican Calypsonians – Ethiopia
                                                                                  • Hugh Mundell – One Jah, One Aim, One Destiny
                                                                                  • The Heaven Singers – Rasta Dreadlocks
                                                                                  • Count Ossie & Leslie Butler – Soul Drums
                                                                                  • Cornel Campbell – Conscious Rastaman
                                                                                  • QQ – Betta Must Come
                                                                                  • Roy Shirley – Israelites Leave Babylon
                                                                                  • Count Ossie & The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari – Narration
                                                                                  • Ronald Downer & Count Ossie – A Ju Ju Wa
                                                                                  • 1. Count Ossie & The Rasta Family – Africa We Want Fe Go
                                                                                  • 2. Johnny Clarke – None Shall Escape The Judgement
                                                                                  • 3. Laurel Aitken – Haile Selassie
                                                                                  • View full info and tracklisting
                                                                                  • 2xLP (Limited Edition Coloured Vinyl) + Download Code SJRLP544C£30.00
                                                                                    In stockAdd to Bag
                                                                                  • MP3 Release SJRD544£9.99
                                                                                    In stockAdd to Bag
                                                                                  Donn BoogalooThrough Time And SpaceRiddim & Culture Recordings
                                                                                  Limited press instrumental action from Dutch producer Domm Boogaloo on Riddim & Culture Recordings.
                                                                                    Hortense Ellis / Big YouthHell & Sorrow / Tribulation333
                                                                                    The outstanding original cut of the late Hortense Ellis' Hell & Sorrow, originally produced and released by Jimmy Radway for his Fe Me Time label in the...
                                                                                    • Hortense Ellis – Hell & Sorrow
                                                                                    • Big Youth – Tribulation
                                                                                    Pre-HistoriansFree YourselfPrehistoric Ancience Of Day
                                                                                    A cornerstone of the 70s golden era of Jamaican roots has been unearthed! The Pre-Historians’ legendary and deep “Free Yourself,” is finally getting...
                                                                                    • – Free Yourself
                                                                                    • – Fire Sticks
                                                                                    Vibrate Higher: A Rap Storyby Talib KweliPicador Paper
                                                                                    £10 CHEAPER THAN AMAZON! USA HARDBACK BOOK!From one of the most lyrically gifted and socially conscious rappers of the past twenty years, Vibrate Higher...
                                                                                      Michael RoseBorn FreeVivian Jackson
                                                                                      Five essential Yabby You productions on new 7" presses featuring Tommy McCook, The Melodians, Michael Rose, Michael Prophet and the man himself Yabby You....
                                                                                      • Michael Rose – Born Free
                                                                                      • King Tubby – Rock Vibration
                                                                                      Robert JohnsonLove In VainHallmark Music & Entertainment
                                                                                      Great Original still-sealed cassette tape !!!
                                                                                        • Cassette Tape HLMK305674£10.00
                                                                                          Original unplayed out-of-print sealed cassette
                                                                                          In stockAdd to Bag
                                                                                        100 Essential Dub AlbumsDavid Furgess
                                                                                        100 Essential Dub Albums features an overview of 100 classic dub albums as chosen by Autumn 66 Records.
                                                                                          Studio One Records Official GreyT-ShirtStudio One/Soul Jazz Records
                                                                                          Exclusive Studio One Official T-shirt!
                                                                                            Rrose x PolygoniaDermatologyEaux
                                                                                            Eaux proudly announces a new collaborative mini-album from label boss Rrose and Polygonia. The record focuses squarely on the dancefloor while infusing...
                                                                                            • – Ellipses
                                                                                            • – Stretcher
                                                                                            • – Inhaler
                                                                                            • – Haima
                                                                                            • – Diastole
                                                                                            • – Vena Cava