Mining More Jamaican Gold by Balford Henry Ad von der Hoek has made a life work of interviewing Jamaican music personalities and publishing the information in the booklets which come with the more than 50 CDs so far in the Dutch record distribution firm, Blaricum Music's Jamaican Gold series. The professor in biochemistry at the Polytechnic Faculty at Delft in the Netherlands, returned to the island recently on another of his welcome jaunts, which allow him to delve further into the history of Jamaican music and to coordinate the release of CDs featuring vintage Jamaican music through Blaricum's Jamaica Gold series. His many trips to Jamaica to interview the giants of early Jamaican music were inspired by a love of reggae developed over his younger years and have virtually cost him his teaching job at home. But, that has not stopped him from coming back to the land of his adopted music to learn more about the music and the people who make it. Natural guide Better known in local music circles as Dr. Buster Dynamite, Hoek has written volumes on the history of the music, which have enhanced the quality of the Jamaica Gold series to the extent where it is now internationally accepted as the natural guide to reggae's early years. Blaricum Music Group is an independent music production and distribution company in Naarden, the Netherlands, established in 1987. The company has experience in diverse areas of the music industry and handles a varied catalogue of music ranging from the classics to pop, jazz to oldies and now Jamaican vintage music ranging from early ska to 1970s reggae. Hoek is now working on the 53rd CD in the Jamaican Gold series, which is entirely of vintage Jamaican music. This latest project is a compilation of the music of the Jamaicans (Tommy Cowan, Martin Williams, Norris Weir and Owen Hilton) produced mainly by the late Duke Reid. This is expected to be followed by a compilation of some 20 songs from three albums made by Sonny Bradshaw and his Seven. Showing off his extensive and reliable knowledge of local music, Hoek explained that: "Bradshaw made three reggae albums - On Tour in 1969, Reggae Version in 1970 and Jamaican Roots, recorded in 1975, which will make up this compilation." Incidentally, while CDs in the Jamaican Gold series are usually 16 songs long, Bradshaw's will be the exception, with 20 songs. When he was here the last time, in 1995, Hoek had been working with veteran producer/singer Clancy Eccles on a 6-CD project, involving nearly all of Eccles' productions including some of his political songs, as well as the acts which appeared on his label including his backing band, the Dynamites and King Stitt. Probably, the most controversial of the six CDs from Eccles is CIancy Eccles: Joshua's Rod of Correction, which is really a compilation of songs on politics mostly supportive of Michael Manley in the 1 960s and 1 970s. On this CD Eccles comes across as being totally obsessed with Manley. So much so that he writes several songs in his honour including: Rod of Correction, Power For the People versions one and two, with version two actually featuring Manely himself speaking about his dreams as well as his assessment of his opposition; Hallelujah, Free At Last and Stop The Criticism. Incidentally, in the booklet which comes with one CD, From The Dynamic Treasury Volume One, Hoek tries to give the early beginning of Dynamic Sounds from which these hits emanate and ends up doing an interview with Edward Seaga who had originally founded the business as West Indies Records Limited (WIRL). In this interview Seaga points out: "Between 1952 and 1955, I did some field work under the auspices of the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) and I produced three albums for cultural purposes: Folk Music in Jamaica, Frats Quintet and The Silver Seas Calypso Band. The albums came mto demoed and I was asked to supply other songs of popular music And so I became involved in the music business - first as a distributor and then as a manufacturer.' Also included in the Jamaica Gold series is a double CD set titled Bob Marley and the Wailers: Rebel Revolution, featuring 27 songs recorded by Marley and the Wailers for Lee 'Scratch' Perry. These include extended mixes of Sun is Shining, Don't Rock The Boat, Put It On and Try Me " Quite interestingly Disc Two starts with Marley's Soul Almighty, which is also the name of the newest Marley album. released less than a month ago by Danny Sims's JAD Records in Los Angeies, California. But, Hoek is not just content to extend the catalogue of vintage Jamaican music. He has been instrumental in the establishment of the Jamaican Vibes label which should be operating within another two months, releasing more recent recordings. The First release on this label will be a double CD package featuring all the popular songs of Jimmy Cliff entitled Life and In The Studios, originally released by Rumm, Netherlands. This will be followed by Gregory Isaacs as produced by Alvin "G.G" Anglin. Very soon the label is expected to move to more contemporary music and instead of talking about the 53rd CD of reggae music from the Jamaican Gold series, we could well be talking about them in the hundreds as well as the story behind them, as Hoek explains: "The songs are always related to the research that I do." Hoek says that while the CDs in the Jamaican Gold series may not be selling in big figures, internationally, they are respected for the fine quality of recording and they ensure that some money comes back to the local industry.