Hi there,

Happy Friday!

Today marks the launch of the Trojan 50th Anniversary Box Set! The box includes 4x 12” LP, 6CD, 2 x 7” vinyl, an album covers book, 7” adapter, poster, patch and slipmat.

I've attached the press release with more information below. We'd love for you to have a look and if possible feature it in your publication.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Thanks and have a great weekend!
AK

TROJAN RECORDS TO RELEASE
50TH ANNIVERSARY BOX SET
OUT AUGUST 10th

PART OF TROJAN’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

 

Summer of Celebratory Activity Including a Documentary Film, Coffee Table Book and String of Live Events

 

This Is Trojan 50 - Watch HERE

 

Ska and Reggae Classics CD - out 25th May
‘Rudeboy: The Story of Trojan Records’ film to debut this year

 

(All Product Available to order HERE)

 

As part ofTrojan Records’50th anniversary celebrations, the label are proud to announce the release of their official Box Set, a definitive collector’s item which be dropping on August 10th, featuring 4x 12” LP, 6CD, 2 x 7” vinyl, an album covers book, 7” adapter, poster, patch and slipmat.

Watch the unboxing video here

2018 marks five decades since the iconic reggae label changed the British musical and cultural landscape, bringing a new sound and ethos to the world. To mark the occasion, Trojan Records are plotting a year long celebration of their unparalleled history, taking in a series of live events, catalogue music releases, a documentary and definitive coffee table book about this richest of histories.

 

Named after the flatbed truck that revered producer Duke Reid used to move his soundsystem around Jamaica, Trojan was launched in 1968 by London based, Jamaican expats Lee Gopthal and Chris Blackwell. Initially formed as a UK outlet for Reid’s releases, the label went on to bring the likes of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Desmond Dekker, The Pioneers, Bob Marley, Prince Buster and Jimmy Cliff to a mainstream audience.

 

Growing rapidly during its’ early years- due in no small part to the development of the skinhead working class youth movement that embraced Jamaican music as part and parcel of its culture - the Trojan bandwagon quickly rolled into the 1970’s with the likes of Desmond Dekker and The Maytals flying high in the UK  Pop Charts.Dave & Ansel Collins’ ‘Double Barrel’ provided Trojan with its first UK number one in 1971, while among further majorchart entries were hit singles byKen Boothe, John Holt, Bruce Ruffin, Greyhound and the Pioneers.

 

Aside from their overtly commercial output, the company also highlighted music by artists largely unknown outside Jamaica, many of which would later become major international recording stars - among these were Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacsand a Kingston-based vocal trio called Bob Marley & the Wailers.

 

As the turbulent seventies unfolded, the ‘Ska Revival’ brought a dramatic upturn in the labels fortunes.The crossover success of bands such as The SpecialsandMadnesssparked intense interest in vintage ska and reggae classics and Trojan Records thrived, with compilations selling particularly strongly. Unfortunately the good times were not to last and in 1985, with the ska boom long since over, Trojan shifted its primary focus to its formidable back catalogue. With the advent of streaming and curated playlists, the rejuvenation of Trojan’s back catalogue continues with hoards of new fans discovering the records their favourite contemporary artist reference and sample with continued regularity.

 

To celebrate Trojan Record’s half century, 2018 will see a broad selection of albums dropping from the legendary label’s back catalogue, catering for everyone from the casual fan to the deepest Trojan head. A new range of genre-themed double CD titles was unveiled on 23^rdFebruary, with the release of ‘This Is Trojan Ska’and ‘This Is Trojan Reggae’, with subsequent collections appearing on 27th April (‘This is Trojan Rock Steady’and ‘This is Trojan Boss Reggae’) and 22nd June (‘This is Trojan Roots’and ‘This is Trojan Dub’). 25th May sees the release of‘Ska & Reggae Classics’, a TV advertised3CD and digital release just in time to welcome the start of summer.

 

2018 will also draw attention to the overarching influence that Trojan continues to have across all forms of British culture. A coffee table book, ‘The Story of Trojan Records’written by Laurence Cane-Honeysett will be released in July as a joint venture between BMG Books and Eye Books. A fully illustrated coffee-table book, the book contains hundreds of photographs, record sleeves, labels and archive material, most of which has remained unseen for decades.

 

BMG and Pulse Films recently wrapped production on the new documentary Rudeboy: The Story of Trojan Records. The film chronicles the rise and impact of the legendary reggae, ska and rock steady label and its influence on music and subsequent cultural movement in Britain from the early 1960s through the late ‘70s. The film is expected to make its film festival debut this year.

 

Fans should continue to watch social channels and press for forthcoming details about Trojan Reloaded, a frontline label imprint set to release new music from the Trojan stable for the first time in over 25 years.

 

Trojan Records’ Laurence Cane-Honeysett says ‘Trojan’s place in the development of mainstream popular culture should never be underestimated. Often hailed as the Motown or Blue Note of reggae, the company introduced the sound of Jamaica to a global audience and by so doing was instrumental in forever changing the sound of popular music. A success story that is both British and Jamaican, its importance is reflected in the fact that after 50 years in business, Trojan continues to attract music fans the world over.’

 

Filmmaker, DJ, Radio Broadcaster and Trojan fanDon Letts says"This is the label that scored a shed load of chart hits and provided a soundtrack that united the youth, black and white on the dance-floor – I know I was one of them. Recognised by any fan of Jamaican music as a mark of quality Trojan holds a special place in the hearts, minds and feet of the people and will do for generations to come"

 

A busy year awaits. Much has changed since the summer of 1968, yet despite the rise and fall of innumerable music trends and the development of new formats on which music can be acquired, Trojan Recordshas consistently maintained a significant and relevant presence in an ever-evolving musical landscape. And with an unrivalled catalogue of music at its disposal there is no reason why it should not continue to do so for many, many years to come.

 

Trojan 50 Product Details

 

• 25^thMay: Ska & Reggae Classics (3CD / digital)
• 22^ndJune: This Is Trojan Roots & This Is Trojan Dub (2CD)
• 29^thJune: Trojan 50^thanniversary picture disc (LP)
• 5th July: ‘The Story of Trojan Records’ book released
• 6^thJuly: Ska & Reggae Classics (2LP)
• 10^thAugust: 50th anniversary box set (4LP, 6CD, 2 x 7", album covers book, patch, poster, 7” adapter and slipmat)

 

Trojan 50 Live Events

 

• Monthly club nights every 2nd Saturday of the month. The Social, London
• 25th May: 50th, Picture House, Sheffield
• 22nd June: Kala Festival, Albania
• 7th July: NASS Festival, Somerset UK
• 19th July: Dub Camp (Nantes) 50th special headline with Dawn Penn, Ranking Joe and Dennis Alcapone
• 27th July: Jazzaldia Fest (San Sebastian) 50th special with Dawn Penn and Dennis Alcapone
• 28th July: Lunar Festival (Birmingham)
• 5th August 2018: Eastern Electrics Festival (London)
• 5th August: London Craft Beer Festival
• 26th August: Festival Le Cabaret Vert, Charleville-Mezieres, France
• 8th Sept: Toots Fest at Alexandra Palace, (London)
• 14th September: The Globe, (Cardiff)