So there Original Gravity Records’ Neil Anderson is, heading back to the hotel with legendary boss reggae group The Pioneers’ Jackie and George with whom he’s just shared the German This Is Ska Festival stage. And it transpires that Jackie drops into the conversation that the band are in the UK for the whole of July and suggests they record something – not for the first time either since OG released the Jump Up! 45 back in ’23. Well, it would be rude(bwoy!) not to take up such an offer but what to record? It’s not until later when Anderson is drifting off for the night that it comes to him – as he put it, “wouldn’t it be cool to have them record Jackie Edwards’ northern soul classic I Feel So Bad…in an early reggae style?” Wouldn’t it? Hell, yeah it would! Anyway, long story short, Neil and the boys record not one but two versions of said classic: the raw Jamaican style ‘boss reggae’ version on the B-side and a horns and strings included in the style of Trojan slicking things up to be palatable for 60s UK pop pickers on the A-side. And both singers sound as fresh as they did five and a half decades ago. I Feel So Bad? I feel so good more like!
(Pre-order now/ Shipping October 2025 on Original Gravity Records)
