PLANET Earth, the 1978 album by The Mighty Diamonds, will be released for the first time on compact disc this month.

Its original songs are complemented by dub versions that comprised the Planet Mars Dub album. Until now, both albums were released on vinyl.

Strugglin Hot Milk Records — a subsidiary of Britain’s Cherry Red Records — will release the album which was initially distributed by Virgin Records.

“Planet Earth has never been released on CD and Planet Mars Dub is increasingly becoming more difficult and expensive to find. This is also the first time that these two albums have been presented together,” read a release from Strugglin Hot Milk Records.

The Mighty Diamonds — Tabby, Judge and Bunny — are one of reggae’s great harmony groups. After a remarkable stint at the Channel One studio in the early and mid-1970s with house band The Revolutionaries, they signed with Virgin Records which joined the ranks of major record companies signing reggae artistes.

Planet Earth was recorded at the Compass Point studio in Nassau, The Bahamas and produced by Karl Pitterson.

Drummer Sly Dunbar and saxophonist Tommy McCook, members of The Revolutionaries, played on the album. So too guitarist Earl ‘Chinna’ Smith.

Among the songs on Planet Earth are Sweet Lady and Where Is Garvey.