Rico - That Man Is Forward (Vinyl LP | UK Original | 1981)

Rico – That Man Is Forward is an album by trombonist Rico Rodriguez (1934–2015) on 2 Tone (cat. no. CHR TT 5005), released in March 1981. Born in Havana and raised in Kingston, Rico learned the trombone from Don Drummond at the Alpha Boys School and played with The Specials from 1979. For this album he went to Jamaica: it was recorded at Joe Gibbs Studio in Kingston with Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare and other session greats, and mixed at the Townhouse in London. Rico and Dick Cuthell produced it. Alongside his own tunes he plays ska and jazz numbers such as “Easy Snappin” and “Red Top”. This copy is the 1981 UK original pressing.

Pressing details

• Label / Cat. no.: Two-Tone Records CHR TT 5005
• Format: Vinyl LP, Album
• Pressing: UK original
• Country: UK
• Year of this pressing: 1981
• Genre: Reggae, Ska, Roots Reggae, Rocksteady

Condition

• Condition: Second hand
• Media: NM-
• Cover: VG+

Graded to Goldmine standard (see Vinyl Grading). The images are our own scans of the actual copy for sale.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Easy Snappin (Theophilus Beckford)
2. Fiesta (Cal Massey)
3. Chang Kai Shek (Rico Rodriguez)
4. Stay Out Late (Lord Creator)

Side B

1. Red Top (Ben Kynard/Lionel Hampton)
2. X (Rico Rodriguez)
3. Ganja (Rico Rodriguez)
4. That Man Is Forward (Rico Rodriguez)

Personnel

Rico Rodriguez (trombone, percussion), Dick Cuthell (flugelhorn, cornet, percussion), “Deadly” Headley Bennett (alto saxophone), Glen DaCosta, Cedric Brooks (tenor saxophone), David Madden (trumpet, flugelhorn), Nambo Robinson (second trombone on Easy Snappin).

Rhythm section: Sly Dunbar, Carlton “Santa” Davis (drums), Robbie Shakespeare, George Fullwood (bass), Mikey Chung, Earl “Chinna” Smith, Jah Jerry (guitar), Ansel Collins (organ), Robbie Lyn, Winston Wright (piano), Scully (percussion). Produced by Rico and Dick Cuthell; engineer: Errol Thompson. Liner notes: Richard Williams.

FAQ

Is this the original pressing?
Yes, it is the 1981 UK first edition on 2 Tone with catalogue number CHR TT 5005. A 40th anniversary reissue followed in 2021.

Did Jerry Dammers produce the album?
No. According to the sleeve, it was produced by Rico himself and Dick Cuthell, who also plays flugelhorn. It was released on the 2 Tone label that Jerry Dammers founded.

What does Media NM- / Cover VG+ mean?
NM- (Near Mint minus) means the record is close to new with at most minimal signs of play. VG+ (Very Good Plus) means the sleeve shows light wear. All grades are explained on our Vinyl Grading page.

Do you have more Rico records?
This is currently our only Rico solo record. You can hear him with The Specials on, for example, The Specials – More Specials; more ska titles are in our Reggae, Ska & Dub collection.