Zion Train

Zion Train are a British dub reggae ensemble. Initially formed in Oxford as a sound system in 1988 by Neil Perch and Ben Hamilton, Colin Cod and Dave Tench joined in 1990 upon relocation to London. The line-up was added to with vocalist Molara in 1992. Their initial releases were the 7" singles Power One and Power Two, which became hits on the dub scene in the early 1990s. In 1992 they released the groundbreaking Follow Like Wolves single, which fused Dub and Acid House styles and spawned their reputation as innovators. Their second album, Natural Wonders Of The World In Dub, hit the UK indie charts in 1994 and was followed by several small-issue EPs. Additionally, they worked on remixes for the Shamen, Afro Celt Sound System, Loop Guru, Kava Kava and others. They released both vinyl and CD material on their own label, Universal Egg, until 1995, when they signed with China Records. They returned to their own label in 1999. Much of their back catalogue was reissued in 2005. (Read more at Wikipedia.)

Links To Peel
Zion Train had a long-standing collaboration with Ruts DC and one of the two sessions below was recorded with them: the Ruts song Babylon's Burning became one of a few tracks to hit the Festive Fifty more than once in different versions. They were selected by the John Peel Archive for inclusion in the Record Collection because, as Sheila said in the accompanying film, "along with Dreadzone, they were probably the band that John played the most of the electronic dub sound (and) thoroughly enjoyed it."

Neil Perch, live dub mixer and producer for the band and who was also interviewed for the film, claimed that JP played eight out of ten tracks from their second LP, Natural Wonders Of The World In Dub, in one show, but so far this has not been proven by the available track listings.

Singer Molara, who left Zion Train in 2006, said, One of the most amazing people I ever met was John Peel, it was a real privilege to interview him."

Festive Fifty Entries

 * 1995 Festive Fifty: Dance Of Life #14Zion Train - Dance Of Life (full video)
 * 1996 Festive Fifty: Babylon's Burning #32

Sessions
Two sessions, including one with Ruts DC. Through The Legs / Scottish Warrior from session #1 released on Dub Revolutionaries: The Very Best Of Zion Train (2×CD, Nascente, 2011). Keeping It Peel lists five sessions, although the second and third are the Glastonbury and Camden sets listed below: the last one has no recording or TX date, is said to have been produced by Bob Sergeant and contains three of the same tracks as the first session here.

1. Recorded 1994-07-26. First broadcast 03 September 1994. Repeat 18 February 1995.
 * Rousillon Inna No 7 Style / Tricky Angle Wembley '78 / Through The Legs (Scottish Warrior) / Super Eagles Zion Train Annual Dub Award

2. (With Ruts DC) Recorded 1996-03-05. First broadcast 16 March 1996. Repeated 02 June 1996.
 * Teenage Dub / Suspect Dub / Bass Adds Growth / Waiting For the Dub

Live

 * 24 June 1995: live tracks from Glastonbury (also JP interview with Colin Cod from Zion Train)
 * 1) Light the Pipe
 * 2) Beethoven
 * 3) Dance for Your Life
 * 4) Free the Bass
 * 5) Glastonbury Acid Rock
 * 27 October 1995: live set from The Underworld, Camden Live Festival)
 * 1) Get Ready
 * 2) In A Rut
 * 3) Beethoven
 * 4) Dance Of Life
 * 5) Free The Bass
 * 6) Follow Like Wolves
 * 7) Hovercraft
 * 28 October 1995: ?
 * 1) Encore


 * 20 July 1996: recorded at Phoenix Festival 1996-07-18
 * 1) tracks not known

Other Shows Played
The following list was compiled only from the database of this site and Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive. Please add more information if known.)


 * 1992
 * 14 August 1992: Lovedub (album - The Wibbly Wobbly World Of Music)
 * 12 September 1992: Love Dub (12" - Follow Like Wolves) Universal Egg


 * 1993
 * 17 December 1993: Brazil 1970 (LP-Great Sporting Moments In Dub) Universal Egg


 * 1994
 * 08 January 1994: 5 Ring Dub (LP: Great Sporting Moments) Universal Egg
 * 14 January 1994: The Dub That Got Away (LP - Great Sporting Moments In Dub) Universal Egg
 * 15 January 1994 (BFBS): Five Ring Dub (album - Great Sporting Moments In Dub!) Universal Egg
 * 22 January 1994 (BFBS): The Dub That Got Away (album - Great Sporting Moments In Dub!) Universal Egg
 * 28 January 1994: Marathon (album - Great Sporting Moments In Dub!) Universal Egg
 * 04 February 1994: 5 Ring Dub (LP: Great Sporting Moments In Dub) Universal Egg
 * 12 February 1994 (BFBS): Five Ring Dub (album - Great Sporting Moments In Dub!) Universal Egg
 * 14 May 1994 (remix for Salt Tank): Charged in Zion Canyon (CD: ST3) Internal
 * 14 May 1994: Llanberis Pass (LP - Natural Wonders Of The World In Dub) Universal Egg
 * 21 May 1994: Gargantua Del Diablo (LP - Natural Wonders Of The World In Dub) Universal Egg
 * 28 May 1994 (BBC World Service): Llanberis Pass (album - Natural Wonders Of The World In Dub) Universal Egg
 * 28 May 1994 (BFBS): Kilmanjaro (album - Natural Wonders Of The World In Dub) Universal Egg
 * 03 June 1994: The Great Barrier Reef (LP - Natural Wonders Of The World In Dub ) Universal Egg
 * 10 June 1994: Kilimanjaro (LP - Natural Wonders Of The World In Dub ) Universal Egg
 * 04 June 1994 (BFBS): Llanberis Pass (album - Natural Wonders Of The World In Dub) Universal Egg
 * 04 June 1994 (BFBS): Great Barrier Reef (album - Natural Wonders Of The World In Dub) Universal Egg
 * 08 July 1994: Ross Ice Shelf (LP - Natural Wonders Of The World In Dub) Universal Egg
 * 09 July 1994 (BFBS): Aurora Borealis (album - Natural Wonders Of The World In Dub) Universal Egg
 * 29 July 1994: Bush Groove (12" - Meets Conscious Sounds) Universal Egg
 * 23 September 1994: Bush Groove (12" - Meets Conscious Sounds) Universal Egg


 * 1995
 * 27 January 1995: Get Red (12" - Get Ready) China
 * 31 March 1995: Get Ready (12 inch EP) China Records (starts with a wrong speed moment)
 * 23 June 1995: Dance Of Life (LP - Homegrown Fantasy) China (The following day's Glastonbury schedule includes Zion Train followed by Dreadzone - "a combination so wonderful that I may easily vaporize and ascend to heaven.")
 * 01 July 1995: Universal Communication (CD - Homegrown Fantasy) China
 * 08 July 1995: Venceremos (CD-Homegrown Fantasy) China
 * 21 July 1995: For The Revolution (LP - Homegrown Fantasy) China
 * 05 August 1995: Free The Bass (CD - Homegrown Fantasy) China
 * 25 August 1995: Llanberis Pass (CD - Wonders Of The Natural World In Dub) Universal Egg
 * 06 October 1995: Giant Redwoods (LP: Natural Wonders Of The World In Dub) Universal Egg
 * 30 December 1995 (BFBS): Dance Of Life (CD-Homegrown Fantasy) China (festive fifty rundown)
 * 30 December 1995: Dance Of Life (live from the Camden Festival) FF#14


 * 1996
 * 01 June 1996: Seed (album - Grow Together) China
 * 08 June 1996: Harvest (CD – Grow Together) China
 * 22 June 1996: Tubby’s Garden (CD – Grow Together) China
 * 22 December 1996: Babylon's Burning (12 inch) China FF#32


 * 1997
 * 02 February 1997: La Madrugada (Various Artists CD – Phoenix The Album) BBC Worldwide
 * February 1997 (BBC World Service): Be Prepared (v/a album - Anti War Action Benefit)
 * 06 May 1997: Be Prepared (v/a album - Anti War Action Benefit)
 * 21 July 1997: For the Revolution (CD: Homegrown Fantasy) China


 * 1999
 * 26 May 1999: Movement Of The People (LP – Love Revolutionaries) Universal Egg


 * 2000
 * 06 September 2000: Funnel Web (LP-Secrets Of The Animal Kingdom In Dub) Universal Egg
 * 31 October 2000: Rhinoceros (Universal Egg)
 * 02 November 2000: Wild Boar (CD: Secrets Of The Animal Kingdom In Dub) Universal Egg


 * 2001
 * 12 July 2001: Llanberis Pass (LP - Natural Wonders Of The World In Dub) Universal Egg


 * 2002
 * 24 April 2002: Hailing of The Selector (LP – Original Sounds Of The Zion) Universal Egg
 * 30 April 2002: Hailing Up The Selector (LP – Original Sounds Of The Zion) Universal Egg
 * 16 May 2002 (Radio Eins): Zion High (2xLP-Original Sounds Of the Zion) Universal Egg
 * 13 June 2002: King Of The Sound And Blues (LP - Original Sounds Of The Zion) Universal Egg
 * 27 June 2002: Zion High (LP - Original Sounds Of The Zion) Universal Egg


 * 2004
 * 25 May 2004: Llanberis Pass (LP-Natural Wonders Of The World In Dub) ZT
 * 29 September 2004: Can't Keep A Good Man Down' (10") Universal Egg