Desmond Riley – Skinheads A Message To You / If I Had Wings

Description

Label: Harlem Shuffle Records – HSRSS-0034
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: 2025
Genre: Reggae
Style: Reggae

Tracklist:
A Skinheads A Message To You
B If I Had Wings

Notes:
First issued separately in 1969 on Downtown Records and produced by Dandy Livingstone (aka Brother Dan), this 7" recut remerges two much sought-after reggae cuts from the skinhead era. On the A-side is Desmond Riley's 'Skinheads A Message To You', a version of Dandy's own tune later revived in rudeboy form by The Specials, and delivered in Riley's understated yet insistent vocal style. The flip, 'Ain't That Loving You', finds him rework the Jimmy Reed classic into a strut-time early reggae rhythm, pairing raw soul sentiment with JA swing. Little is widely known about Riley beyond his handful of late 60s vocal singles, but his voice - clear, aching, unadorned - stands out among the countless one-shot singers of that time.
Box 19

Barcode and Other Identifiers
Barcode: 7141095212657
Matrix / Runout (Hand etched on Runout A Side): HSRSS-0034 A VDP
Matrix / Runout (Hand etched on Runout B Side): HSRSS-0034 B VDP