Love Joys All I Can See (1983)
In 2013, streetwear brand Supreme launched a collection called Wackies, which commemorates the legendary reggae label of the same name. Run by Lloyd “Bullwackie” Barnes out of the Bronx, New York, Wackies was only known by a chosen few back in the late 1970s and early 80s, but it would attain cult status over the years. A classic in the label’s catalog is Love Joys’ Lovers Rock Reggae Style. The seven songs sung by cousins Sonia Abel and Claudette—among them “All I Can See”—blend the two genres mentioned in the album title with lyrics told from a female perspective, which was exceptional in the male-dominated scene of the day. Lovers rock, the lesser known genre referred to in the album’s title, is a sound that developed in late-1970s Britain, where Sonia Abel and Claudette grew up, against a backdrop of racial tension. The music would allow young people to experience intimacy through dance at clubs—a means for coping with what was happening in the streets.
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