Rootsman

The Rootsman (John Bolloten) is a musician and DJ based in Bradford, England. His musical career began when he was living in Edinburgh, Scotland and taught himself to play guitar in 1978 at the age of 13 and formed his first punk band. After 3 concerts, he decided that being a guitarist in a band was not for him and he retired from that aspect of the music business. He moved to Bradford in 1983. He worked for over two years in the local Roots Record Shop, where he began to be known as "Rootsman".

(Read more at Wikipedia.)

Links to Peel
Peel played Rootsman material regularly for a decade from early releases on the Soundclash label in 1994, including collaborations with other artists supported by the DJ, notably Black Star Liner and Muslimgauze. Based in multi-ethic Bradford, a city close to Peel's heart, Rootsman labelled his sound "experimental global dub fusion," combining elements of dub, jungle and eastern music, while working with artists as diverse as medieval folk group Celtarabia and reggae artists such as Patrick Irie.

There was no Peel session, although one was trailed by the DJ on 23 November 1999. In June 2004, the final Rootsman track played by the DJ came from 'More Great Moments in Vinyl History' a compilation put together by Andy Kershaw, whom Rootsman had recorded a session for in February 1995.

The Rootsman is not the Tobago-born calypso artist Rootsman, who is not known to have been played by Peel.

Festive Fifty Entries

 * None

Sessions

 * None. See Sessions That Never Happened.

Other Shows Played

 * 1994
 * 12 November 1994: Junglist Dub (12 inch - City Rockers EP ) Soundclash
 * 19 November 1994 (BFBS): Junglist Dub (12"-City Rockers EP)' (Soundclash)
 * 26 November 1994: Persian Lion (Black Star Liner Remix) (EP - City Rockers) Soundclash
 * 03 December 1994 (BFBS): Persian Lion (Black Star Liner Remix) (EP - City Rockers) Soundclash


 * 1995
 * 25 February 1995 (BFBS) (& Disciples Meet The Woodshed): Dubnut (12") Cloak And Dagger
 * 31 March 1995: Bind Us Together [Hardcore Lick] (12 inch EP-Natural Born Thrillers ) Third Eye Music
 * 08 April 1995 (BFBS): Bind Us Together (Hardcore Lick) (12"-Natural Born Thrillers EP) Third Eye Music
 * 19 May 1995 (& Disciples Meet The Woodshed): Dubnut (12") Cloak And Dagger
 * 11 August 1995: Blueprint Dub (CD-In Dub We Trust) Third Eye Music
 * 16 September 1995: Mektoub (album - In Dub We Trust) Third Eye Music


 * 1996
 * 05 January 1996: Mektoub (Book Of Life Remix) (CD-International Language Of Dub: The Rootsman Remixed) Third Eye Music
 * 06 January 1996: Rougher Than A Lion (Persian Lion Mix) (album - International Language Of Dub: The Rootsman Remixed) Third Eye Music
 * 13 January 1996 (BFBS): Mektoub (Book Of Life Mix) (12"-International Language Of Dub - The Rootsman Remixed) Third Eye Music
 * 20 January 1996 (BBC World Service): Mektoub (Book Of Life Mix) (CD - International Language Of Dub: The Rootsman Remixed) Third Eye Music
 * 05 May 1996: Pass The Pop [Black Star Liner Remix] (12 inch - Pass The Chalice EP )’ Third Eye Music
 * 11 May 1996 (BFBS): Pass The Pop (12"-Pass The Chalice EP) Third Eye Music
 * 08 September 1996: Luxor (album - Into The Light) Third Eye Music
 * 21 September 1996 (BFBS) (& Disciples): Rebirth (Compilation CD-Dubhead Volume Three) Shiver
 * 29 September 1996: Saiyidi Dub (album - Into The Light) Third Eye Music


 * 1997
 * 09 September 1997 (& Disciples): Dub Conspiracy (album - Rebirth) Third Eye Music
 * 02 October 1997 (vs. Muslimgauze): Hebron (album - City Of Djinn) Third Eye Music
 * 08 October 1997 (vs. Muslimgauze): Marrakech (album - City Of Djinn) Third Eye Music
 * 05 November 1997 (vs. Muslimgauze): Tunis (album - City Of Djinn) Third Eye Music
 * December 1997 (FSK) (vs. Muslimgauze): Damascus (CD - City Of Djinn) Third Eye Music


 * 1998
 * 11 March 1998: Halal Dub (album - 52 Days To Timbuktu) Third Eye Music
 * 12 March 1998: Balkan Delta Dub (CD - 52 Days To Timbuktu ) Third Eye Music
 * 05 May 1998 (meets Celtarabia): Mevlana (album - Union Of Souls) Third Eye
 * 14 May 1998 (meets Celtarabia): Dub Of The Spirits (LP - Union Of Souls) Third Eye Music
 * 21 May 1998 (meets Celtarabia): Dub Mystic (CD - Union Of Souls) Third Eye
 * 25 August 1998 (meets Celtarabia): Valley Of Kings (LP - Union Of Souls) Third Eye Music
 * 24 September 1998 (meets Alien Hi Fi): We Control Bout Yah (LP - Amnesia Music Bar) Zip Dog
 * 30 September 1998 (meets Alien Hi Fi): We Control Bout Yah (LP - Amnesia Music Bar) Zip Dog


 * 1999
 * 19 January 1999 (vs Muslimgauze): Srebrenica (LP - Return To The City Of Djinn) Third Eye Music
 * 21 January 1999 (Radio Eins) (vs Muslimgauze): Srebrenica (LP - Return To The City Of Djinn) Third Eye Music
 * 02 February 1999 (vs Muslimgauze): Kabul (LP - Return To The City Of Djinn) Third Eye Music
 * 11 February 1999 (Radio Eins) (vs Muslimgauze): Tashkent (LP - Return To The City Of Djinn) Third Eye Music
 * 11 March 1999 (vs Muslimgauze): Lahore (LP - Return To The City Of Djinn) Third Eye Music
 * 17 March 1999 (vs Muslimgauze): Tashkent (LP - Return To The City Of Djinn) Third Eye Music
 * 18 March 1999 (Radio Eins) (vs Muslimgauze): Lahore (LP - Return To The City Of Djinn) Third Eye Music
 * April 1999 (FSK) (vs Muslimgauze): Pristina (CD - Return To The City Of Djinn) Third Eye Music
 * 08 April 1999 (Radio Eins) (vs Muslimgauze): Dar Es Salaam (album  – Return To The City Of Djinn) Third Eye Music
 * 15 April 1999 (Radio Eins) (vs Muslimgauze): Lahore (LP - Return To The City Of Djinn) Third Eye Music
 * 04 May 1999 (vs Muslimgauze): Bradford (LP: Return To The City Of Djinn) Third Eye Music
 * 13 May 1999 (vs Muslimgauze): Basra (CD-Return To The City Of Djinn) Third Eye Music
 * 13 May 1999 (Radio Eins) (vs Muslimgauze): Dakar (album  – Return To The City Of Djinn) Third Eye Music
 * 20 May 1999 (vs Muslimgauze): Kainovan (LP: Return To The City Of Djinn) Third Eye
 * 01 June 1999: Dub Oriental (CD - Realms Of The Unseen )’ Third Eye Music
 * 08 June 1999: Berber Bashment (LP – Realms Of The Unseen) Third Eye Music
 * 01 July 1999: We Come Rough (CD – Realms Of The Unseen) Third Eye Music
 * August 1999 (FSK): Bad Man (CD - Realms Of The Unseen) Third Eye
 * 26 August 1999: To The Foundation (CD-Realms Of The Unseen) Third Eye Music
 * 16 September 1999 (Radio Eins): Born Bad (CD-Realms Of The Unseen) Third Eye Music
 * 28 October 1999 (Radio Eins): To The Foundation (CD-Realms Of The Unseen) Third Eye Music
 * 23 November 1999 (meets Daddy Freddy): Imitator (12"-Imitator EP) Third Eye Music (JP says that a session by Rootsman is being recorded for broadcast soon, but, as with other reggae artists, it seems this never happened.)
 * 02 December 1999 (Radio Eins): Imitator (CD-Realms Of The Unseen) Third Eye Music


 * 2001
 * 03 January 2001 (feat Patrick Irie): A Matter Of Time (Counteraction 3) (12”) Hammerbase
 * 14 January 2001 (BBC World Service) (featuring Patrick Irie): Counteraction Three (12” - A Matter Of Time) Hammerbass
 * 18 January 2001 (Radio Eins) (feat Patrick Irie): A Matter Of Time
 * 27 February 2001: We Come Rough (v/a CD - Ambient Dub) Millennium
 * 01 March 2001 (feat Patrick Irie): A Matter Of Time (v/a CD - Dub Action Captures Hammerbass) Hammerbass
 * 04 April 2001: We Come Rough (v/a CD - Ambient Dub) Millennium
 * 26 April 2001: We Come Rough (v/a CD - Ambient Dub) Millennium


 * 2003
 * 05 February 2003 (vs Bug feat. Mexican): www (7") Razor X
 * 13 February 2003 (vs Bug feat. Mexican): www (7") Razor X
 * 19 March 2003 (vs Bug feat. Daddy Freddy): Imitator (Split-EP) Tigerbeat6


 * 2004
 * 15 June 2004: General Synopsis (v/a CD - More Great Moments in Vinyl History) Wrasse