Rough Trade Records Brings Back The Groove For 45th Anniversary

Funky reggae classic 'Pablo Meets Mr Bassie' reissued for the ultimate blast from the past.

Exciting news from Rough Trade Records! They will be reissuing the second ever 7" single released by Augustus Pablo, the legendary roots reggae multi-instrumentalist and producer. The single, "Pablo Meets Mr Bassie", was originally released in 1978 and has been remastered and cut by Marco Perry (known for his work with Bjork, Dennis Bovell, and Massive Attack). The release will feature the original sleeve, sticker, and label artwork. The limited edition 7" single will be available on June 16th, 2023, with only 1,500 copies being released worldwide.

Geoff Travis (Rough Trade co-owner and founder) explains the importance of this record in Rough Trade’s history, “This is the re-release of our second ever Rough Trade single release. Richard Scott was working with us, developing a mail order and then a distribution company. He had deep Jamaican connections as he had been part of the management team for Third World. He made a deal with Joan Higgins a 15 year old relative of Augustus Pablo who worked the Saturday shift in Pablo’s Kingston Record shop. A man called Everton Da Silva was also involved, perhaps as a go between. I always maintain this is one of the best ever Rough Trade releases, if not actually the best. One of my very bad jokes is that it was all downhill from this point. In any case it’s a monumental record and very likely justification for the whole enterprise.”

Get your copy here.