Disaster

The classic Harry J. All-Stars 1969 reggae instrumental, 'The Liquidator', is after thirty-three years no longer to be played at West Brom's home games because of the obscene chanting which often accompanies it. What makes this news particularly distressing is that Albion's great rivals W***** W********, who copied our use of the song, will continue to play it.

Harry J hit the UK charts in 1970, when reggae was big with rough white boys and Richard Allan's 'Skinhead' books were in every school playground. I got a lot of stick from my Led Zep and Neil Young-loving classmates for buying 'Reggae Chartbusters Vol 2'.

How long ago it all seems ... but you can revisit the charts at this Russian site, of all places. Ah, the Chairmen Of The Board, Bob and Marcia, 'Tears Of A Clown', 'the Green Manalishi' ! Though there was an awful lot of trash as well ...