Episode 2: Best Local Business

Writer Danny Robins talks about the music featured in episode 2 of Rudy's Rare Records

Best Local Business is quite a dramatic episode, with Rudy and his best friend Clifton falling out in a big way. We’re used to a bit of one-upmanship between the two old boys, but the local newspaper’s competition to find the best business in Handsworth takes them to a new level of rivalry. I wanted this conflict to be reflected in some of the music choices for between scenes, so we have the brilliant early Bob Marley track ‘Fussing and Fighting’ and the much more recent Beastie Boys collaboration with British singer Santigold, ‘Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win’. Our trio of ‘songs to fall out with your friend to’ is completed by one of my favourite tracks featured this series, No Friend by Delroy Williams – a recording artist in his own right who then went on to be the manager of Desmond Dekker (who also features this week with Get Up Edina) as well as starring in The Bill, Batman Returns amongst other things.

As well as playing lots of classic reggae and ska in the series, we like to feature one or two hip hop tracks each episode to reflect the spread of what gets played in Rudy’s shop. So, in addition to the Beastie Boys, this episode we get to hear the awesome Run This Town by the combined talents of Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West. I love the energy of this song. Since Adam’s son Richie (played by the talented Joe Jacobs) is back in town this week during a break from university and Richie is a big Jay Z fan, it felt appropriate to ‘drop this flavour’ as Adam might say in a terrible bid to be ‘down with the youth’.

Adam’s drama this episode comes from trying desperately to oversee a radical transformation of the shop before the imminent inspection by the competition judges so ‘Be Prepared’ felt like a good motto – sung here by Winston Samuels, a nice slice of brass-driven mid-sixties ska.

I hope you enjoy the music in the episode and if you want to hear the songs in full click on the song titles below to discover them on You Tube or listen to the Spotify playlist I have made for the episode here.

Episode 2 playlist

Miss Jamaica – Jimmy Cliff

Get Up Edina – Desmond Dekker & The Four Aces

Run This Town Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West

Fussing And Fighting – Bob Marley and the Wailers

Be Prepared – Winston Samuels

Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win – Beastie Boys Feat. Santigold

Do I Worry – Derrick Harriot

No Friend – Delroy Williams