Akae Beka's inimitable style of rich, deep, multi-layered songwriting, uncompromising devotion to RasTafari and soulful healing melodies developed over decades performing with St. Croix based band Midnite and countless recordings. At the point of his untimely passing in 2019, he had released over 70LP's. He is without a doubt one of the most prolific reggae artists ever known.
The stellar production trinity that is Zion I Kings have been involved collectively and individually in creating some of the most highly regarded contributions to the vast Akae Beka catalogue. Beauty For Ashes was named as the best reggae album of 2014 according to iTunes. A monumental achievement for undiluted, uncompromising RasTafari roots reggae music this side of the millennium. Two of the LP’s tracks, Weather the Storm and Same I Ah One, have been catapulted into global notoriety in part due to the viral success of the YouTube video of the ‘Dub in the Rainforest’ session organised in St. Croix by Tippy I in 2014. The video offered an unparalleled audio visual insight of the powerful, captivating, energy of Vaughn Benjamin, Pressure Buss Pipe, Ras Batch, and many of the bredrin and sisterin of St. Croix rallying around the I Grade Dub living dub experience.
Following 8 years of anxious anticipation, for the countless Akae Beka fans that are also vinyl connoisseurs, this LP is now being released on as a 12" vinyl LP courtesy of Before Zero Records. This offers the listener not only the chance to enjoy this LP in an analogue form, but also the chance to hold the artwork as a 12" square masterpiece, created by the hands of Ras Marcus, the artist who gave the powerful visual presence that became synonymous to much of the I Grade / Akae Beka works over the years.
credits
released October 7, 2022
BEAUTY FOR ASHES - CREDITS
1. A Reminder (V. Benjamin, L. Alfred, D. Goldfine)
Drums & Percussion: Lloyd “Junior” Richards
Bass & Pick Guitar: JAH David
Skank Guitar, Keyboards: Tippy I
Lead Guitar: Padraic Coursey
Trombone & Horn Arrangements: Balboa Becker
Saxophone: Garrett Kobsef
Recorded by Tippy I at Aqua Sounds Studio, STX
2. When JAH Arise (V. Benjamin, A. Martin, L. Alfred, D. Goldfine)
Drums & Percussion: Lloyd “Junior” Richards
Bass, Pick Guitar, Kette & Cabasa: JAH David
Skank Guitar, Keyboards: Tippy I
Lead Guitar: Andrew “Moon” Bain
Lead Guitar: Padraic Coursey
Trombone & Horn Arrangements: Balboa Becker
Recorded by Tippy I at Aqua Sounds Studio, STX
3. Betterment Mouth (V. Benjamin, L. Alfred, D. Goldfine, P. Coursey)
Drums: Craig Taylor
Bass: JAH David
Skank Guitar & Keyboards: Tippy I
Lead Guitar: Padraic Coursey
Recorded by Tippy I at South Beach Studios, FL & Aqua Sounds Studio, STX
4. Beauty for Ashes (V. Benjamin, L. Alfred, D. Goldfine, A. Bain)
Drums & Tambourine: Lincoln “Style” Scott
Bass: JAH David
Keyboards: Tippy I
Guitar: Andrew “Moon” Bain
Trombone & Horn Arrangements: Balboa Becker
Saxophone: Garrett Kobsef; Kette: Scully
Recorded by Roland McDermott & Michael Howell at Tuff Gong Studio, JA & Tippy I at Aqua Sounds Studio, STX
5. Same I Ah One (V. Benjamin, D. Brown, L. Alfred, D. Goldfine, A. Bain)
Drums: Wilburn “Squidley” Cole
Bass, Pick Guitar, Kette: JAH David
Keyboards, Melodica, Percussion: Tippy I
Skank Guitar: Moon
Lead Guitar: Padraic Coursey
Trombone & Horn Arrangements: Balboa Becker
Recorded by Roland McDermott & Michael Howell at Tuff Gong Studio, JA & Tippy I at Aqua Sounds Studio, STX
6. Holy Mountain (V. Benjamin, L. Alfred, D. Goldfine)
Drums: Lloyd “Junior” Richards
Bass: JAH David
Skank Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion: Tippy I
Lead Guitar: Padraic Coursey
Kette: Scully
Trombone & Horn Arrangements: Balboa Becker
Saxophone: Garrett Kobsef
Recorded by Tippy I at Aqua Sounds Studio, STX
7. Same Boat We (V. Benjamin, L. Alfred, D. Goldfine)
Drums & Percussion: Lloyd “Junior” Richards
Bass: JAH David
Skank Guitar, Lead Guitar, Keyboards: Tippy I
Lead Guitar: Padraic Coursey
Recorded by Tippy I at Aqua Sounds Studio, STX
8. Generation Again (V. Benjamin, L. Alfred, D. Goldfine, A. Bain)
Drums & Tambourine: Lincoln “Style” Scott
Bass & Pick Guitar: JAH David
Keyboards: Tippy I
Guitars & Horn Arrangements: Moon
Trumpet: Grayson Farmer
Saxophone: Frank Moniz
Kette: Scully
Recorded by Roland McDermott & Michael Howell at Tuff Gong Studio, JA, Moon at Sonic Café, RI & Tippy I at Aqua Sounds Studio, STX
9. All i’s On You (V. Benjamin, L. Alfred, D. Goldfine, A. Bain, P. Coursey)
Drums & Percussion: Wilburn “Squidley” Cole
Bass: JAH David; Keyboards: Tippy I
Skank Guitar: Moon
Lead Guitar: Padraic Coursey.
Recorded by Roland McDermott & Michael Howell at Tuff Gong Studio, JA & Tippy I at Aqua Sounds Studio, STX
10. Weather the Storm (V. Benjamin, J. Cumberbatch, L. Alfred, D. Goldfine)
Drums & Tambourine: Lloyd “Junior” Richards
Bass, Pick Guitar, Kette: JAH David
Skank Guitar & Keyboards; Tippy I; Guitars: Padraic Coursey
Recorded by Tippy I at Aqua Sounds Studio, STX
11. Tried and Tested (V. Benjamin, L. Alfred, D. Goldfine, A. Bain, P. Coursey)
Drums: Wilburn “Squidley” Cole
Bass & Pick Guitar: JAH David
Keyboards: Tippy I
Skank Guitar: Moon
Lead Guitars: Padraic Coursey
Recorded by Roland McDermott & Michael Howell at Tuff Gong Studio, JA & Tippy I at Aqua Sounds Studio, STX
12. Hold On (V. Benjamin, L. Alfred, D. Goldfine, A. Bain)
Drums: Tyrone “T-Rock” Davis
Bass; JAH David
Guitars: Moon
Rhythm Keyboards: Tippy I
Lead Keyboards: Jazzique
B3 Organ: Eli Winderman
Recorded by Tippy I at Aqua Sounds Studio, STX
13. A Healing (V. Benjamin, L. Alfred, D. Goldfine)
Drums & Tambourine: Lloyd “Junior” Richards
Bass: JAH David
Skank Guitar, Keyboards & Melodica: Tippy I
Rhodes: Otis “Khadijo” Gibbs
Lead Guitar: Padraic Coursey
Recorded by Gary Woung at South Beach Studios, FL and Tippy I at Aqua Sounds Studio, STX
Founded in St. Croix, USVI during in 2001 by Laurent "Tippy I" Alfred along with partner Kenyatta Itola. The label's mission
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