Sly & Robbie – Language Barrier (Vinyl LP | VG+/VG+)

Sly & Robbie – Language Barrier is an album by Jamaican rhythm duo Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, produced by Bill Laswell (with Material) and released by Island Records in 1985. It was recorded at RPM Studios in New York, Compass Point in Nassau and in Kingston (Dynamic Sounds, Channel One), and mixed at the Power Station. The record mixes dub and reggae with electro and funk; guests include Herbie Hancock, Bob Dylan, Afrika Bambaataa and Manu Dibango. This copy is the 1985 European original pressing (Island 207 279) with inner sleeve.

Pressing details

• Label / Cat. no.: Island Records 207 279
• Format: Vinyl LP, Album
• Pressing: EU original
• Country: Europe
• Year of this pressing: 1985
• Genre: Dub, Electronic, Funk
• Extras: Inner sleeve

Condition

• Condition: Second hand
• Media: VG+
• 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. Make 'Em Move (Dunbar/Shakespeare/Aasim/Laswell/Worrell)
2. No Name on the Bullet (Dunbar/Shakespeare)
3. Miles (Black Satin) (Davis/Dunbar/Shakespeare/Laswell)

Side B

1. Bass and Trouble (Laswell/Dunbar/Shakespeare/Dibango)
2. Language Barrier (Badarou/Dunbar/Shakespeare/Chung/Reynolds)
3. Get to This, Get to That (Dunbar/Shakespeare/Fowler/Worrell)

Personnel

Sly Dunbar (drums, percussion), Robbie Shakespeare (bass). Keyboards: Wally Badarou, Herbie Hancock, Bernie Worrell, Robbie Lyn. Guitar: Eddie Martinez, Pat Thrall, Mike Hampton, Mikey Chung, Barry Reynolds. Vocals: Afrika Bambaataa, Bernard Fowler; human beatbox: Doug E. Fresh. Manu Dibango (saxophone), Bob Dylan (harmonica), Daniel Ponce (percussion).

Produced by Bill Laswell and Material; mixed by Jason Corsaro; mastered by Howie Weinberg (Masterdisk).

FAQ

Is this the original pressing?
Yes, in the sense of the European first edition: this record with catalogue number 207 279 was released in 1985, the year the album first came out. The back sleeve states it was printed in West Germany.

Who is Bill Laswell?
An American bassist and producer who, with his band Material, produced several Sly & Robbie albums in the mid-1980s, combining reggae with funk, hip-hop and electro.

What does Media VG+ / Cover VG+ mean?
VG+ (Very Good Plus) means both record and sleeve show light wear; the record may have faint surface noise that hardly affects playback. All grades are explained on our Vinyl Grading page.

Do you have more Sly & Robbie records?
Yes, for example Sly & Robbie – Rhythm Killers (German original 1987) and the UK reissue Sly & Robbie – Language Barrier (UK reissue 1986). More titles are in our Reggae, Ska & Dub collection.