Keith Hudson - Torch of Freedom 2xLP

On 14 August 2026, 17 North Parade proudly presents an album from one of Jamaica’s most unique and misunderstood talents, Keith Hudson, with his deeply personal sixth LP, Torch of Freedom, originally released in 1975. This definitive 2026 expanded double-disc set includes the rare original Jamaican mixes released on the Mamba imprint, alongside Hudson’s later remix for the Atra label, engineered by his friend Syd Bucknor at Chalk Farm Studios in London, following Bucknor’s critically acclaimed work on Bob Marley’s Natty Dread LP. This new collector’s edition also features Ian Mullin’s iconic artwork, originally created for Pick A Dub, as well as extensive liner notes by leading Hudson authority Vincent C. Ellis, author of Keith Hudson: An Illustrated Discography. Ellis is also currently working on a new in-depth biography, Black Morphology: The Life and Music of Keith Hudson.

Throughout 1975, Hudson divided his time between his home in Brownswood, Brooklyn, his offices at 127 King Street in downtown Kingston, around the corner from the Wailers’ Tuff Gong headquarters, and North London. Following the success of Flesh of My Skin and the landmark Pick A Dub albums in 1974, Hudson was at the peak of his creativity, boldly exploring new musical avenues. Built around rhythms recorded at Dynamic Studios in Kingston by The Soul Syndicate Band, as well as the legendary Barrett Brothers, Aston “Family Man” Barrett and Carlton “Carly” Barrett, Torch of Freedom continues Hudson’s fascination with thematic concept albums. The record follows the artist down a dark and introspective path, exposing his vulnerability and reflecting on life and death through his distinctive and idiosyncratic songwriting.

Among the album’s standout tracks is the ethereal “Turn The Heater On,” famously cited as the favorite reggae song of late Joy Division singer Ian Curtis. The song was later covered by New Order as a tribute to Curtis during a John Peel Session in 1982.

Within the album’s compact running time, these evocative songs maintain a striking emotional depth. Hudson lays bare his soul over blues-inspired roots reggae rhythms, complemented by wonderfully restrained yet hypnotic dub counterparts. Torch of Freedom stands among the very best works by the “Dark Prince of Reggae,” serving as a powerful testament to Hudson’s bold artistic vision. This new high-definition remastered double album finally tells the complete story of one of reggae’s most compelling and innovative voices.

As Hudson himself wrote:

“As he proceeds on the preamble of freedom, this album has been selected. Seldom does Keith find himself in this mood. Evolving through the precipice of death-love, towards the ultimate of his true self, true image. Through broken hearts and rejection, he moves to Torch of Freedom, the pinnacle of Black self-redemption. It describes burning of torches of freedom, of movement, of spirit, of speech.”