Slim Smith - Slipaway

Slim Smith - Slipaway
Unity [UN 520 (1) - 1969]

Slipaway is a good soul song by Clarence Carter in the Atlantic label (I´m not sure if this was the original), but here we have an improved and faster early reggae cover produced by Bunny Lee on Unity, one of many subsidiaries of Pama Records. Slim Smith had one of the most soulful voices in Jamaican music, always trying to emulate his idol, Curtis Mayfiled, and here is a good example of it singing over the same rhythm as, for example, Dave Barker's "Prisoner of love" wich was released after this one under Lee Perry's production.

Slim Smith was born in 1948 and died in tragic circumstances in 1973, when he was only 25. He started his career on Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label performing solo and then with The Techniques, to continue recording a few songs for Byron Lee. In 1965 he formed The Uniques, starting their work mainly with Coxsone Dodd and Prince Buster. Around 1967, The Uniques changed producer and put themselves in the hands of Bunny Lee, who will be the one to continue recording with when Slim Smith decides to go back to his solo career until his death.

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Slipaway es una buena canción de Soul del sello Atlantic, pero aquí tenemos una una versión más rápida y mejorada a ritmo de Early Reggae, producida por Bunny Lee en Unity, una de las muchas subsidiarias de Pama Records. La de Slim Smith es una de las mejores voces de la música jamaicana, siempre buscando emular a su ídolo Curtis Mayfield. Aquí lo podemos comprobar, cantando sobre el mismo ritmo que más tarde serviría a, por ejemplo, Dave Barker en "Prisoner of love", producida por Lee Perry.

Slim Smith nació en 1948 y murió a los 25 años, en 1973, en trágicas circunstancias. Tras empezar su carrera con Duke Reid en Treasure Isle, tanto en solitario, como en los Techniques, y con Byron Lee. En 1965 forma The Uniques y se pasan al enemigo de Reid, Coxsone Dodd, aunque también grabaron algo con Prince Buster. En 1967, los Uniques cambian de productor, poniéndose en manos de Bunny Lee, quien continuará grabando a Slim Smith en solitario hasta su muerte en 1973.