The Kingston Lions ADD

Review

Album Review: The Kingston Lions

08/15/2025

by Angus Taylor

July saw the release of 2009 project The Mighty Rootsmen where Toots Hibbert, Gregory Isaacs, Mykal Rose and Luciano sang classic rock and easy listening covers backed by members of Sly and Robbie’s Taxi Gang and Zap Pow Horns. August sees the issue of its companion piece, The Kingston Lions, where many of the same musicians revive classics from the Jamaican songbook.

California-based music producer screenwriter and soundtrack composer Ralph Sall had the idea to gather top session men including Robbie Lyn, Mikey Chung, Sly Dunbar, Boris Gardiner, Sticky Thompson and Bubbler Waul to rework some of the biggest anthems in reggae and rocksteady history. If the project hadn't sat on ice for 15 years, it would have followed 2008’s Rocksteady The Roots Of Reggae and predated reggae supergroups Kingston All Stars, the second version of Inna De Yard, and Roots Architects.

The source material is mainly drawn from the 60s and early 70s hits that reached European and US listeners via the Trojan distribution imprint and the Harder They Come movie. There are covers of Dandy Livingstone’s A Message To You Rudie, Bob and Marcia’s ‘reggaefying’ of Nina Simone’s Young Gifted And Black, The Slickers’ Johnny Too Bad, The Melodians’ Rivers Of Babylon, Desmond Dekker’s Israelites, The Heptones’ Book Of Rules, The Wailers’ Soul Shakedown Party, and their version of El Tempos’ Dream Island. Given the focus on songs that are widely known internationally, it’s interesting and pleasing that Alton Ellis’ Girl I’ve Got A Date was selected over its more famous offshoot Liquidator. The only forays into the roots era are Max Romeo’s War In A Babylon, and Willie Williams' Armagideon Time, the latter famously covered by The Clash. 

Another difference with the Lions is the vocals are handled by slightly lesser known but capable singers MitchdiSinga, Andrew Cassanova, and Karell Wisdom (celeb exceptions being The Beat's Dave Wakeling on War In A Babylon and 311’s Nick Hexum on Armagideon Time). This is fitting as the musicians are the stars here. 

Like the AOR cover themed Mighty Rootsmen, the sheer skill of the players makes these worthy revisits. It's akin to watching these greats who built so many of the foundation songs we love, assembled live in concert.

Again, as per the Mighty Rootsmen, the music gives pause for thought to consider how some of the key contributors are no longer with us. Sticky Thompson died of a heart attack in 2014. Drummer Mikey Boo Richards, and guitarist Mikey Chung, passed away in 2021. Karell Wisdom also left us in 2023. Giving exposure to their works, and possibly bringing in younger audiences who don’t know the originals, can only be a good thing. 

---

Release details