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 ==
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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. In 2013, they were selected by the John Peel Archive as the highlighted artist beginning with Z when initial details of Peel's Record Collection were released 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 #14right|335 px
*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)
#Light the Pipe
#Beethoven
#Dance for Your Life
#Free the Bass
#Glastonbury Acid Rock
*27 October 1995: live set from The Underworld, Camden Live Festival)
#Get Ready
#In A Rut
#Beethoven
#Dance Of Life
#Free The Bass
#Follow Like Wolves
#Hovercraft
*28 October 1995: encore from Camden Live Festival
#Encore
*20 July 1996: recorded at Phoenix Festival 1996-07-18
#tracks not known
*22 May 1997: recorded from Manchester Live
#Sending Out A Positive Message
#Legalise It
#unknown tracks
== 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
*DW Tape 92: Praying Mantis (album - Siren) Universal Egg WWCD7
*13 November 1993: Ruderalis (split 12" EP with Knights Of The Occasional Table - Meet Knights Of The Occasional Table) Universal Egg EGGY03
*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
*08 January 1994 (BFBS): Brazil 1970 (album - Great Sporting Moments In Dub!) 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
*02 July 1994: Aurora Borealis (album - Natural Wonders Of The World In Dub) Universal Egg WWLP005
*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
*16 July 1994 (BFBS): Ross Ice Shelf (LP - 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
*30 September 1994: Eagle Ray (album - Siren) Universal Egg WWLP007
;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
*10 July 1995 (BBC World Service): Venceremos (LP - Homegrown Fantasy) China
*21 July 1995: For The Revolution (LP - Homegrown Fantasy) China
*29 July 1995 (BFBS): For The Revolution (LP - Homegrown Fantasy) China
*05 August 1995: Free The Bass (CD - Homegrown Fantasy) China
*12 August 1995 (with Tassilli Players): Durban Poison (album - The Wonderful World of Weed In Dub) Universal Egg WWLP011
*20 August 1995 (BBC World Service): Free The Bass (LP - Homegrown Fantasy) China
*25 August 1995: Llanberis Pass (CD - Wonders Of The Natural World In Dub) Universal Egg
*15 September 1995 (with Tassilli Players): Malawi (CD - The Wonderful World of Weed In Dub) Universal Egg WWCD011
*06 October 1995: Giant Redwoods (LP: Natural Wonders Of The World In Dub) Universal Egg
*20 October 1995: Healing Of The Nation [Trance Masters Remix] (12 inch) China Records
*27 October 1995: (Live set from The Underworld, Camden): Get Ready / In A Rut /Beethoven / Dance Of Life / Free The Bass / Follow Like Wolves / Hovercraft
*28 October 1995: Jericho (Encore from previous night's Camden Live)
*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
*03 April 1996: King Of The Mountain (album - Great Sporting Moments In Dub!) Universal Egg
*13 April 1996 (BFBS): 'The Dub That Got Away (LP-Great Sporting Moments In Dub!)' (Universal Egg)
*19 May 1996: Procession (12") China WOKT 2084
*01 June 1996: Seed (album – Grow Together) China
*08 June 1996: Harvest (album – Grow Together) China
*09 June 1996: Babylon's Burning (Reggae Mix) (single - Procession / Babylon's Burning) China WOKCD 2084
*22 June 1996: Tubby’s Garden (album – Grow Together) China
*29 June 1996 (BFBS): Tubby's Garden (album – Grow Together) China
*21 July 1996: Dutch Flowers (album – Grow Together) China
*23 November 1996: Free The Base (v/a album - Dubnology 2: Lost In Bass) Middle Earth MIDDLE 7
*22 December 1996: 'Babylon's Burning (12")' (China) 1996 Festive Fifty #32
;1997
*02 February 1997: La Madrugada (Various Artists CD – Phoenix The Album) BBC Worldwide
*04 February 1997 (BBC World Service): Be Prepared (v/a album - Anti War Action Benefit)
*01 May 1997: Do Anything You Want To Do (single) China
*06 May 1997: Be Prepared (v/a album - Anti War Action Benefit)
*08 May 1997: Follow Like Wolves (album - Single Minded) China 0630-18995-2
*29 May 1997 (BFBS): 'Hovercraft (CD-Single Minded)' (China)
;1999
*May 1999 (FSK): Speaker Shaker (album - Love Revolutionaries) Universal Egg WWCD 030
*25 May 1999: Speaker Shaker (album - Love Revolutionaries) Universal Egg WWCD 030
*26 May 1999: Movement Of The People (album - Love Revolutionaries) Universal Egg WWCD 030
*27 May 1999: Flag (album - Love Revolutionaries) Universal Egg WWCD 030
*27 May 1999 (Radio Eins): Speaker Shaker (album - Love Revolutionaries) Universal Egg WWCD 030
*10 June 1999 (Radio Eins): Free Heart (album - Love Revolutionaries) Universal Egg WWCD 030
*17 June 1999: Movement Of The People (album - Love Revolutionaries) Universal Egg WWCD 030
*26 June 1999: Speaker Shaker (album - Love Revolutionaries) Universal Egg WWCD 030
*June 1999 (FSK): One Inch Dub (album - Love Revolutionaries) Universal Egg WWCD 030
;2000
*06 September 2000: Funnel Web (LP-Secrets Of The Animal Kingdom In Dub) Universal Egg
*14 September 2000 (Radio Eins): 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
*12 November 2000 (BBC World Service): Rhinoceros (album - 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
*May 2002 (FSK): Hailing Up The Selector (CD - 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
*20 June 2002 (Radio Eins): King Of The Sound And Blues (album - Original Sounds Of The Zion) Universal Egg
*27 June 2002: Zion High (LP - Original Sounds Of The Zion) Universal Egg
*11 July 2002 (Radio Eins): Beatmass (album - Original Sounds Of The Zion) Universal Egg
;2004
*25 May 2004: Llanberis Pass (LP-Natural Wonders Of The World In Dub) ZT
*24 September 2004 (BBC World Service): Can't Keep A Good Man Down (10" - Blessed Is He / Love Revolutionary) Universal Egg
*29 September 2004: Can't Keep A Good Man Down' (10") Universal Egg
*22 October 2004 (BBC World Service): Love Revolutionary (Dub Creator Mix) (LP - Original Sounds Of The Zion Remixed) Universal Egg
== See Also ==
*Record Collection: Z
*Peel's Classic Mistakes
*Peel Sessions Releases
*Power Steppers
*Tassilli Players
== External Links ==
*Wikipedia
*Z is for… Zion Train
*Molara's interview with Peel
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