RELEASED in 1966, The Train is Coming by Ken Boothe is a bona fide rocksteady classic. The song and its beat get a makeover for a compilation album to be released next month.

Produced by Upstairs Music and distributed by Zojak Worldwide, The Train is Coming Riddim is scheduled for release in September. It has 15 songs including Boothe’s reboot of the single that helped make him a star.

The rhythm track was actually laid several years ago with Paul Gauntlett on keyboards and guitar, Lloyd Parks on bass, Desi Jones playing drums and Yishka on saxophone.

“I had the idea for a while. The project came about from the concept of the title, Ken Boothe And The Train Gang.

”The artiste selections are mainly among some of the different individuals l have worked with, and l invited them to be a part of the project,” said Danny Breakenridge of Upstairs Music.

In addition to Boothe, Wayne Armond contributes Ya Ya to the project; Bagga Case does I Choose You, while Glen Washington’s song is Sing Praises.

Yishka and guitarist Dwight Pinkney do the instrumentals Rocking Ride and The Train is Coming Instrumental, respectively.

Boothe was 18 years old when he recorded The Train is Coming for producer Clement “Coxson” Dodd at Studio One. It was among the early songs on the trendy rocksteady beat which succeeded ska in late 1965.

The Train is Coming was a hit in Jamaica and the United Kingdom which had a growing West Indian community as well as white youth who gravitated to ska and rocksteady. It was introduced to a different demographic in 1995 when Boothe teamed with Shaggy for a version that made the soundtrack to The Money Train, a movie starring Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson.

UB40 covered The Train is Coming for their Labour of Love III album, released in 1998.