VARIOUS

One of the most significant collections in Trojan’s immense catalogue, the “The Trojan
Story” album dramatically changed the perception of Jamaican music among the general
British public outside of the country’s Afro-Caribbean population. Prior to its release in
1971 there had never been an attempt to present a comprehensive anthology of the
island’s musical development, with vintage ska, rock steady and reggae widely regarded
as obsolete and of precious little merit. The treble disc set, which became an instant
best-seller, had been the brainchild of Trojan’s label manager and Black Music fan, Rob
Bell, who, assisted by Trojan stalwarts, Dandy Livingstone, Webster Shrowder, Des Bryan
and Joe Sinclair, produced arguably the most significant Jamaican music retrospectives of
all time. Now, 50 years following its original release, this hugely influential album has been
revisited by Bell, along with reggae musician, Rusty Zinn, who have succeeded in
improving what was already an almost perfect collection. Presented in the original
eye-catching artwork, the set is further enhanced by a highly illustrated 50-page booklet in
which Bell and Zinn relate the stories behind the release life at Trojan in the 60’s and early
70’s and the 50 tracks featured on the compilation.