No Pop. No Style. Us strictly Roots.

Althea & Donna's Uptown Top Ranking might be my favorite Jamaican one off hit. It's also my favorite example of reuse of "rhythms" in Jamaican Popular Music. This tradition is certainly where "sampling" in American Pop Music finds its origins.

In 1967 Alton Ellis released the hit single I'm Still in Love. After others' attempts failed, 17 year old Althea Forrest and 18 year old Donna Reid found commercial success singing an entirely new song over a reworked instrumental of I'm Still... called Uptown Top Ranking. The rhythm hit the airwaves again last year when Sean Paul teamed up with Sasha to release remake of Alton Ellis' classic.

Alton Ellis - I'm Still in Love
Althea & Donna - Uptown Top Ranking
Sean Paul - I'm Still in Love