Richard Ace

On first spin, this 1968 rocksteady classic by Richard Ace, 'Hang 'Em High', instantly catches the ear. The electrifying combo of low-pedalled piano, bass bubble and monoized Hammond organ, all brought together under a dusty recording palette, wafts off a distinctly spaghetti-Western-dub aura. A Trojan Records favourite in its earliest heyday, it did well to launch the career of Ace, a lesser-cited Jamaican pianist whose talents nevertheless cropped up countless times across the catalogues of many of the nation's most esteemed dub imprints, including Studio One, Tiger and Coxsone. Just as it did on the original Trojan release, the song appears alongside the anthem 'Candy Lady' by Hugh Black and George Ferris, also produced by Ace's confidant for 'Hang 'Em High', Harry J.