The Vinyl Series - Volume 1: Exclusive Vinyl LP

Since its beginnings in Jamaica in 1959, the story of the pioneering Island Records label has been inextricably linked to the story of its founder, Chris Blackwell. Now, Blackwell has curated a series of compilation LPs, featuring his hand-picked tracks that correspond with his and Island’s legendary history.

On February 26, Island Records / UMe will release Volume One of The Vinyl Series, a 14-track album covering the years 1962 to 1969. Volumes Two and Three will follow later this year and explore Island’s history in the decades that followed. Available exclusively on uDiscover & The Sound of Vinyl, each will be sold separately as well as a bundle with a discounted price for all three.

The first volume of The Vinyl Series includes such groundbreaking hits as Millie Small’s “My Boy Lollipop” and “Israelites” by Desmond Dekker and the Aces—songs which introduced much of the world to the sound of Jamaican music. The context for these singles is set by several early singles by Toots and the Maytalls and “Forward March” by a teenage Derrick Morgan, the “first star of ska.”