Dandelion Radio: "A blast of broadcasting nonconformity" (Q Magazine)
Dandelion Radio
Dandelion Radio: "A sanctuary of thumping, spirited weirdness" (The Guardian)
Home page
Latest station news & Dandelion related events
Dandelion Radio's broadcast schedule
What you can hear in this month's shows
Profiles of our DJs
Tracklist archive for previous shows
Background info and history
Dandelion Radio's Festive 50 results
Dandelion Radio related compilations and releases
Photos of Dandelion staff and events
Sign our guestbook
How to get in touch
Recommended websites
Dandelion Radio is
fully licenced with:
PRS For Music - Performing Right Society PPL - Phonographic Performance Limited
Listen to Dandelion Radio - click here for web player or one of the links to the right to open the audio stream
Now Playing: Thomas Blatchford
Prince Far I - In I Father's House

'Broadcast One' - Dandelion Radio's 1st compilation album

NEWS:
Only three days left to hear our March stream - otherwise go to MixCloud to listen without detailed artist/gig info

Listen to Dandelion Radio on your iPhone and iPad: download our free app from here!

Here is what is currently playing on Dandelion Radio

Click here to visit Thomas Blatchford's pageThomas Blatchford
You'll have to excuse the state of your presenter's voice this month as Thomas (writing this in the third person) has a new disease called covid and has been languishing in bed listening to Damo Suzuki live recordings, which is why this show starts with Can from German telly in 1971.
Also from the seventies is Essential Logic whose Peel session is about to become available on 10” vinyl, otherwise it's largely new goodness from Aya, Emily Wurramara, Jess Ribeiro, Cerrot and the like.
There's a Record Store Day recommendation from Prince Far I and a record collecting life recommendation from the new split 7” by Hearts and Rockets and Cong Josie.

Now Playing:
Prince Far I - In I Father's House
Prince Far I
Image from Discogs
Powered by Audioscrobbler™Prince Far I was born Michael James Williams in Spanish Town, Jamaica in 1945. In his teens he assumed the role of lead DJ with the Sir Mike the Musical Dragon Sound System.

Bunny Lee first recorded Far I in the early 70's with a tune called "The Great Booga Wooga". He went on to cut tunes for Coxsone, notably "Natty Farmyard" and a version of "Queen of the Minstrel". In 1973 the Cordell's "Simpleton" appeared on the Lion label, with the flip being a strange half-sung half-chanted version by the Prince entitled "Simpleton Skank". In 1974 he voiced "Let Jah arise" for Enos McLeod at King Tubbys, and it is Enos who can be credited with renaming the DJ as Prince Far I. After some self-productions which appeared on Pete Weston's Micron outlet, Prince Far I hit a period which included two of reggae's greatest DJ albums. Firstly the "Psalms for I" collection, a straight chant of bible word. The second landmark album was "Under Heavy Manners" for producer Joe Gibbs, engineered by Erroll Thompson. It contained the Prince's first big Jamaican hit single, "Heavy Manners", on the rhythm of Naggo Morris' "Su Su Pon Rasta".

In 1976 Prince Far I set up his own label in Jamaica -- Cry Tuff. That label issued Far I's productions in Jamaica. His UK business ran through the fledgling label Hit Run, created by Adrian Sherwood. This arrangement was almost one of master and pupil, as the Arabs/Roots Radics became Dub Syndicate with Sherwood learning the studio craft as both producer and engineer. The rhythm tracks were laid in Jamaica by Style Scott & Co, the mix and overdubs taken care of in London. "Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter III" by Prince Far I and the Arabs was originally released in the UK by that most avuncular of record shop proprietors Keith Stone of Daddy Kool. It marked the handing on of the producer's baton from Far I to Sherwood, soon to launch On U Sound at a time when many critics considered reggae to be a finished force.

Prince Far I was shot dead in Jamaica, September 15, 1983.
Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
Artist biography from last.fm
Before that we played:
Disguised - Emergency Call
Y U QT - Pangaea Dub
Essential Logic - Quality Crayon Wax OK (John Peel Session 21.02.79)
Party Pest - Every Single Day
Cong Josie - Nocturne Baby
Hearts and Rockets - The Promise
Predator - Deadly ft. Street Warriors
Emily Wurramara - Magic Woman Dancing