U-Roy - Tom Drunk

Reggae indisputably had a major impact on the development of other genres of music.

For instance, with the idea of the sound engineer becoming the main man of the track, dub set the concept of electronic music. Soundsystems brought deejaying, in the term which we know it today.

Another huge invention was the lead up to rap.

When Count Matchuki was selecting for Coxsone's Sir Coxsone Downbeat sound system, he would throw in jive talk over a record and then in between songs, to keep the crowd entertained whilst the record was changed on the only turntable. This rythmical chat was known as toasting.

I recommend that you check out Rodigan telling of the story, full of enthusiasm as always.

At the end of the sixties, this talent was voiced on record by King Stitt and thus created some of the first deejay tunes to achieve considerable success, notably from the skinheads in the UK.

However, the man who brought this concept to a wider audience is the great U-Roy. "Daddy" or "The Originator" was second man of Downbeat at the time he was recommended to Duke Reid after John Holt heard him toasting over one of his own riddims.

U Roy on the mic, wearing a sweatshirt inspired by his hit

U-Roy thus recorded three singles for Reid : Wear You to the Ball, Wake the Town and Tom Drunk. Upon their first plays, the crowds went crazy. Never, ever, had anyone heard such a thing before. Recording jive talk over another song ? Nobody had thought of it, and the impact was colossal !

All three songs mentionned above are cut over some of Duke Reid's most sublime rocksteady riddims. The first is from the Paragons' eponymous song, the second from Alton Ellis' Girl I've got a Date, and the latter is from Hopeton Lewis. All were released on Treasure Isle.

After a heavily rhythm-and-blues inspired intro, Hopeton Lewis and U-Roy take turns in commenting on Tom's wary behaviour.

Hopeton : You cheated !
U-Roy : Did you hear that ?
H : And you lied !
U : Hear what the brother say ? You should never do a thing like that !

As Hopeton tells the story U-Roy gives his opinion and advice to the boy, as well as adding his classic :

"Musical sound that leads the way as I would say !"

Boom !

Toasting was to take another leap forward in the early 80s when dancehall emerged. Deejay vocals were more prominent, a song would consist of the deejay's part only, leaving out the original artist's vocals completely.

Deejays such as Brigadier Jerry, Yellowman, Nicodemus and many others were then leading the scene. One song that reflects the evolution particularly well is Lone Ranger's Living as a Poor. Apart from being a brilliant song, Lone Ranger rides the riddim with an incredible flow - words that would usually describe hip hop... This tune was released on Hi-Yo, Silver, Away ! (1982) which coincidentaly features a cover of Tom Drunk, rub-a-dub style.

It's no surprise that in New York, DJ Kool Herc, the "Hip Hop Originator", was of Jamaican descent...

Adrian Boot

After Beth Lesser, Adrian Boot is also one of the biggest reggae photographers.

His involvement in Jamaican photography began in the mid-70s when he became a staff photographer for Island. Adrian already knew the island well as he'd been teaching at university in Port Antonio.

Although he didn't limit photography to Jamaica, his most-known pictures reflect the lives of artists who's works had been issued on Island, such as Burning Spear, Ijahman Levi or Bunny Wailer.

The Congos at the Black Ark

They're mostly shot in black and white and when you go through his pictures on his website, you can see how he must have been asked to portray artist's lives in Jamaica to show us here in Europe.

Burning Spear at St Ann's Bay

He's the co-founder of Urban Image, an extensive portfolio of his work as well as other reggae photographer's.

Rockers

This is Pablo's label, Rockers, which he used to issue the material he produced, including his own recordings.

Tracks can vary from deejay to dub, and instrumental to vocal. A good summary of the records issued can be found on Discogs.

Cover of Meets Rockers Uptown

As I mentioned the album yesterday, this is the cover of King Tubbys meets Rockers Uptown.

It's a legendary collaboration between two of the biggest and most influential music makers of all time, Pablo and Tubby.

The riddims are all taken from Pablo's repertoire and feature heavy mixing by the engineer, rendering an album that regularly tops the "best ever dub album" list.

The cover has always been more or less the same, with the colours slightly changing since the original release on Pablo's Yard label in 1976 (with a misspelt Agustus Pablo), except for the CD version which was given a new cover picturing Pablo playing the melodica.

It was also re-released as a 3x10" box set last year, in the same way as Blackboard Jungle was for this year's Record Store Day.

Augustus Pablo - Cassava Piece

Musical innovator and genius are the first words that come mind if I am to describe Horace Swaby, aka Augustus Pablo.

When the young Horace stepped into Herman Chin Loy's Aquarius record shop with his melodica for an audition, no one was expecting what was to come. Pleased with the rehearsal, he recorded his first instrumental for Chin Loy the next day, Iggy Iggy, at the age of 15 and East of the River Nile followed shortly after.

Young Horace Swaby at Randy's

He then collaborated with Clive Chin who recorded a song that has become a historical piece of instrumental music - Java. Also check out the ultra-famous but brilliant live in Japan.

As this post is about a later production, I'll move on to when Augustus Pablo became one of the biggest producers in Jamaica. With his Rockers label and Rockers International record store, Pablo produced a huge amount of roots material with the best singers and sound engineers of the moment.

The catalogue is so extensive that collecting his productions seems like a never-ending adventure : from vocals to deep dubs, mind-blowing instrumentals and deejay cuts, there's something for everyone.

On Cassava Piece, Pablo's melodica seems to be counting a story, leading us through a type of melody that has been associated with him : the far east sound. Hard to explain, but only a listen is needed to understan the description.

Further, the dub of this track has many-a-time been described as the best dub ever. Yes, I'm talking about King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown.

Although a dub to Jacob Miller's brilliant Baby I Love You So, it was released on the 7"s a-side with the vocal track on the b-side.

Beth Lesser

Beth Lesser is a photographer who's mostly recognised for her work amongst the early dancehall scene.

At that moment, she primarily shot for Youthman Promotion such as the picture I posted on Wednesday. Bellow, a picture with her husband, probably from the same night, and Jah Stitch at the controls, and above, a picture of her from her website http://www.bethlesser.com/.

Youthman Promotion Soundsystem

As I mentionned early dancehall several times, this is a picture of the Youthman Promotion Soundsystem.

Once Sugar Minott had broken-through, he devouted much of his time in searching for new young talents. In this way, he was able to offer an alternative to violence in the ghetto for the youths, and help them develop their career.

To the left, Major Stitch, selector.

Michigan and Smiley - Diseases

1981, Channel One was the place to be and the Roots Radics were the band of the day.

Papa Michigan and General Smiley, both deejays, formed the duo Michigan & Smiley and together they first released crucial material for Coxsone.

When in 1981, full on rub-a-dub, they recorded Diseases for Junjo at Channel One.

The song is sung over the Mad Mad riddim, popularising this dancehall remake of it. The duo takes turns in denouncing slackness and materialism, which was growing at the time :

Cus everyday that I turn the Bible's pages,
From Proverbs forward to Genesis,
From Revelation to Ecclisiastes,
Let me tell you wisdom increases
And the looks of the world it decreases
Everyday man a build expolosives,
The corruption of the world it exposes.

(yes, the books of the Bible are purposefully inverted)

Together they explain that Jah will lick you with diseases before enumerating the numerous plagues that will reach those concerned.

Rub-a-dub style !

The Gladiators - Rich Man Poor Man

The Gladiators' most popular work was released under Virgin's Frontline label, a branch that the music giant opened in 1978 dedicated to promote reggae music in Europe, and attract a new audience.

Outside of their releases on Frontline, the Gladiator's wide discography has marked Jamaican music.

Albert Griffiths, Clinton Fearon and Gallimore Sutherland began recording in 1966 when they released You Are The Girl on the B-side of the The Ethiopians' massive hit Train to Skaville. The A-side gained a second wave attention when is was re-recorded by The Selector in the UK.

I've been listening Albert Griffiths' singing for years as the band is largely reponsible for contracting reggaemylitis¹ to me. On this track however, bassist Clinton Fearon is the lead vocal.

As you can guess from the title, Rich Man Poor Man is a song about poverty, a state of which the group knows well having grown up in Trenchtown, but also deals with the issues in a corrupt society. After a great organ-lead intro, Clinton beggins :

The Rich man, poor man, beggar man, the thief
Everyone claim that them a the chief
The rich man buy the poor man's life
The poor man take away the beggar man's wife

Clinton tries to put an end to this situation warning us :

If you step pon fire, fire gonna burn y'
You play with puppy, puppy lick yu mouth

The latter is a common Jamaican expression which is an equivalent of familiarity breeds contempt.

In more recent years, Clinton Fearon has been touring the world giving accoustic concerts, as well as re-recording accoustic versions of the band's hits. Rich Man Poor Man can be found on  Mi an' Mi Guitar.

In all, the song is uplifting as it looks towards a brighter future, something that all sufferah's from Trenchtown will tell you they are longing for. Inspired from the Bible, the weak ones now will soon become strong...

¹ Peter Tosh coined the word in his eponymous song, when he was diagnosed due to a "funny feeling in my bones, blood and toes up to the brain". Since the 70s, the contagious disease has spread resulting in stock shortage in record shops across the globe.

Prince Lincoln Thompson - Daughters of Zion

Prince Lincoln Thompson never gained the same popularity as other singers but nevertheless he released some incredible material.

His singing talents were first revealed in the mid 1960s when he was part of a rocksteady quartet. Along with Lindberg Lewis, Cedric Myton, who would become a member of The Congos and Devon Russell, who later recorded as Devon Irons (see article from 31/10/2013) they formed The Tartans.

Together they released several rocksteady tracks such as the sublime Dance All Night.

Daughters of Zion was recorded at Studio One in 1971 but wasn't released until 7 years later.

The song features a dark minor-key rhythm lead by a gentle but nonetheless melodious bassline, over which Pince Lincoln recounts how the the daughters of Zion are turning from glory to shame.

As he warns the daughters that fire will burn down to their feet, we're struck by a sense of sadness that shapes the song.

However, as Prince Lincoln's plaintive voice is barely louder than the instruments and with the backing harmonies bringing shivers to the spine, this deep tune is packed with humbleness and profoundness.

If you thought that Studio One only produced sweet love songs, I hope this will incite you to listen to the important amount of conscious music recorded there. Next step, Burning Spear's Door Peeper.

Dennis Emmanuel Brown

Following yesterday's article, Dennis Emmanuel Brown (DEB), a.k.a The Crown Prince of Reggae.

Dennis Brown - Should I

This week I blogged about the Drifter riddim. Realising that I would be skipping many important versions, I still took the opportunity to list a few of my favourite cuts. However when going through this thread on Blood & Fire's forum this afternoon, I realised that I had missed out on one of Dennis Brown's finest songs.

Should I was recorded in 1978 and released on a Joe Gibbs 7". In the UK, it saw release on Laser Records with another love song Cassandra on the B-side.

Dennis is known for his song-writing talents and here he finds himself questioning a relationship. One thing that particularly strikes me in this song is the extent to which he stretches his voice, singing as far as his chords will go.

I won't come down on you,
With lighting, brimstone or fire.
For in my heart that isn't,
What I require.

I was surprised to see that this has been labeled as lovers rock on Discogs as it was recorded at Joe Gibbs, and his instrumentals tend to have a militant side to them -for example the bassline is given a bigger punch than other producers' cuts to the riddim.

Also, it has been through a proper remake with added piano and a totally different horns section than the melody which is normally heard on the drifter. However the year in which this was released and the depth of the lyrics can justify this.

The Heptones - On Top

Following yesterday's post, here's the cover of On Top. The same has been used in all re-issues since its original release in 1968.

The Heptones - Equal Rights

As mentionned before, The Heptones were one of the most appreciated trios in the late sixties.

Their album On Top was released by their first producer Coxsone in 1968. Many opinions have credited it as the best album to have ever come out of Jamaica, notably singer and producer Sugar Minott.

The best players - the Soul Vendors are here, and the singers' voices truly are on top. To add to that, almost every song on the album has been versioned since.

However, Equal Rights, the opening song, stands out amongst the others here.

First of all, its lyrics are militant and as they're dealing with racial and social equality, the Heptones are paving the way for one of the hottest topics in the decade to come.

The lyrics are simple, but effective. The song opens with the first article of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen :

"Every man has an equal right to live and be free"

Indeed, Jamaica gained its independance in 1962 but its colonial past lead to race and social separation issues that persist today.

Secondly, although Equal Rights definitely has a rocksteady beat and that cherished Studio One sound, the nyabinghi drumming brings forward this rootsier feeling.

Drifter Riddim

Presenting the Drifter riddim... From Big Youth to Garnett Silk, or more recently Tony Rebel, this timeless riddim has been re-worked many times over the last 40 years. Many incredible versions have been made and here are some that stand out most to me.

Originally recorded as a an early-reggae song by Dennis Walks, the rythm has since been versioned in many studios over the island. A love song, the singer reveals that since he met this girl, he is no longer a drifter, wandering without knowing where he's going, was recorded in 1968 for Harry Moodie owner of the Moodisc label.

Its unstoppable flowing bassline pattern coupled with an early-reggae skank shuffle has made it the classic it is today.

 

One of the smoothest voices in reggae, Don Carlos recorded his version on the Drifter. Johnny Big Mouth seems to be a personification of people too much who talk before acting.

"A nuff of dem a run up dey mouth
nuff of them a say dem a de best"

This was recorded with the Radics (1979) and the instrumental is sublime. Don Carlos' voice is still the same today, and this song being in his repertoire for concerts today makes his gigs a great experience.

When Coxsone was re-voicing singers over his previous rocksteady and early reggae cuts, Lone Ranger recorded an albums-worth of material, On the Other Side of Dub. This album has become a classic from the veteran deejay, and Every Thing She Want plays a big part in it. As a deejay, he's also a very entertaining performer, his voice now has his rough signature sound and he's often over in Europe.

Although Dennis Brown recorded his cover of the song, Cornell Campbell's is by far my favourite. It's also using the Radics' version, the horns from the original version have been replaced by a very swingy guitar. Cornell's ultra-smooth loving voice fits-in perfectly and there's nothing more to add than magnificent...

Astonishing, this one. Mikey Dread isn't here to talk about love, and he makes that clear as of the first line "Money can't buy life...".The lyrics are as conscious as they get

"If life was a thing that money could buy,

the rich would live and the poor would die"

Mikey calls out the addiction to money and individualism that we have been brought to, bringing us to live in hard times.

"The times so hard, the times to dread,

we can't differenciate the living from the dead.

This a mental slavery"

Mikey deejays over an incredible remake of the riddim, drum rims flying everywhere and his effects that he learnt to use on his radio are spread out over the riddim creating what I call a "wonderful mess". This should be played loud enough to make your eardrums shake, and as with most of the songs on World War 3 (1980), we get a discomix version ! Serious stuff.

It is said that the late Garnett Silk was to become the Bob Marley of the end of the century. In his short life, he recorded some of the best songs of the 1990s, bringing reggae away from slackness and back to its roots. On a digital version on Richard "Bello" Bell's Startrail label, he signed this roots revival song, almost solely based on the bassline so make sure that's turned up.

And to finish off, another version on the Roots Radics' cut. Nicodemus is one of my favourite deejays of the early-dancehall period, and he murders this version here. The introduction to the songs leeds to an amazing drop, when the bassline and drums kick-in. Echo, delay, gimmicks, all is here to a squeeking door towards the end of the song. Nicodemus doesn't stop, and if anyone wonders where hip hop comes from, here's the perfect example. Taken from the DJ Clash (1982) album shared Toyan, the entire set is of a similar level and I highly recommend it.

King Tubby

He's been mentionned many times in my blog, he's a key figure in Jamaican music. An article will soon come, Osbourne Ruddock a.k.a King Tubby.

Scientist

Scientist - Your Teeth In My Neck

Scientist has always been one of my favourite sound engineers, and I'm going to show you just why.

Born Hopeton Brown, Scientist's first contact with electronic equipment came from when he used to work for his dad, repairing radios and televisions.

Soon after as a teenager in the 70s, he became King Tubby's assistant at his studio in Waterhouse. When, then Prince, Jammy, failed to turn up to mix Barrington Levy's recording, Scientist was given his first chance. On My Way/Collie Weed (on the My Conversation riddim) was a big success. Impressed by his efforts, Scientist would become Tubby's protégé.

Early 1980s, now an accomplished studio engineer, he left Tubby's to work at Channel One. This is where is where he gained his fame and aquired a signature sound working with the Roots Radics.

Over these years he released several dub albums with Greensleeves, Your Teeth In My Neck is included in one of these.

Scientist Rids the World of the Curse of the Evil Vampires (1981), one of his best achievements,can be seen as a concept album. Said to have been mixed at midnight on Friday the 13th. June 1981, the album is horror-themed as scary voices and Hooo ha haaaa's are voiced over the dubs.

All tracks were laid by the Roots Radics before being mixed at Tubby's.

Your Teeth In My Neck is a spectacular dub of Michael Prophet's Love and Unity, a melancholic song opposing greed and rightousness.

Scientist leaves in the singer's first verse, as he comments on materialism and the flicking [of] ratchets, the small pocket-knives that were so predominant in Jamaica.

Some take money
And make big enemy
While I man take love and make good friend
Some are stick in pocket
The other are flicking ratchet
But I man is there to teach you what's right from wrong

Oyyyy......

From there, echo is pushed to its fullest, and a whopping bass booms in as we picture Dracula, Frankenstein's monster and other characters from the album's cover fleeing Scientist's sound system, pictured as a source of rightousness. The song retains the original's melancholy as Michael Prophet's voice resurges throughout and in no way meant to be played low.

Beautiful.

Devon Irons - Vampire

Devon Irons' (Devon Russel) chase against malice. Contrary to today's celebrations, Devon Irons is hunting down the vampire, as I & I ago set them a fire when he ketch vampire.

Classic Black Ark, conscious lyrics and killer dub.

Jah Shaka

One of the most influent sound system selectors in the UK, Jah Shaka has been representing the British sound system culture since the 1970s. Forever sticking to roots and culture, Shaka has been a true inspiration to other sounds not only in Britain, still selecting on a single Gerrard 4HF turntable.

Kenneth George Boothe

After yesterday's post, here's a picture of the man, Ken Boothe. I have also added a photo from a recent concert to demonstrate the incredible energy he still has on stage. There's no question about why he tours - he's without doubt one of the best acts I have ever seen, making the most out of his time and spreading positive energy to the delight of his fans.

Ken Boothe - Thinking

Three weeks after having started my blog, I somehow have managed to avoid writing an article on Ken Boothe. Not today though.

Ken Boothe (OD) began recording in the early 1960s when he teamed-up with friend Stranger Cole and they recorded for Duke Reid as Stranger & Ken. Many hits were released over the next years such as World's Fair and Artibella, which have become very sought-for ska 7"s by collectors today.

In 1966, Ken left the duo to persue a solo career at Studio One. The same year, Jamaica experienced a particularly hot summer, during which the fast checka-checka ska beat reduced its tempo creating a new genre, rocksteady.

His recordings for Coxsone were instant hits, and the album Mr Rocksteady (1968) gave him the nickname he still holds today.

Thinking (1968) was one of the songs recorded at the studio, an absolute rocksteady scorcher. Ken Boothe's soulful voice portrays the tale of a lost love, intercepted by the outcry of a simple but effective minor-key organ riff.

Moving on 16 years later to 1984, as recounted yesterday reggae was in full rub-a-dub mood. Although less active as a singer, Ken stopped over at Channel One where he had the great idea to re-record his early hit.

The Roots Radics were there, and recorded their take on the riddim. The final result is a brilliantly melodious track as the bassline adapted from the rocksteady version gives it a more experimental touch to what was produced at that moment. Although the organ was left out, the version is of course more than welcome with Style's drumming bursting out over the riddim.

Thanks to DiggingCrates

                                                                                                         for the upload

The Roots Radics

Channel One's initial session band was the Revolutionaries, structured around drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare. The band was renown throughout the Rockers period thanks to records such as the Mighty Diamond's Right Time (1976).

Created by Sly himself, the rockers style can be recognised through fast strikes on the snare drums rims, a sound that Sly described as "sounding like an M16", a machine gun that bring terror amongst Kingston's ghettos.

Sly and Robbie, the Riddim Twins

However, in 1978 the two players left Channel One to form their own label, Taxi. Through their productions as "Sly & Robbie", the two have become some of the best regarded players, and nicknamed the "Riddim Twins".

That same year, main producer at Channel One Henry "Junjo" Lawes replaced Sly & Robbie by Lincoln "Style" Scott and Errol "Flabba"Holt, on drums and bass respectively. Along with guitarists Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont and Dwight Pinkney, Wycliffe "Steelie" Johnson on keyboards and Henley Bennet on Saxophone the players became the studio's new session band and formed the Roots Radics.

Side by side, Linval Thompson and Junjo were looking to develop reggae and push forward a new style. With the Roots Radics, they developped a very spacey sound, revolving around slow and rounded basslines. The tight drum patters are given great clarity with a firm snare drum strike on the 3rd beat, just as with the one drop.

This new style was known as Rub-a-Dub and would dominate the reggae scene for the next years until Prince Jammy overthrew it with digital in 1985.

The music suited many singer's styles with popular artists ranging from young Barrington Levy to more experienced Freddie McGregor.

Henry "Junjo" Lawes

As Junjo wished, the Roots Radics greatly helped develop deejaying when the version was played in sound systems and artists would chat over the record - just like King Stitt back in the days of rocksteady.

Also known as sing-jaying, vocalists would perform half singing and half talking and this would prove to be later-on be a great stepping stone for hip-hop music. The genre would also become referrenced as dancehall, and today sometimes as early dancehall.

 Junjo's productions were essentially mixed by King Tubby-apprentice Scientist who mixed them with many effects such as echo and reverb, adding further emphasis on the drums.

After recording a singer, Scientist would often extend the song by mixing the instrumental alone, creating a dub track. The two were then released as one piece of music on a 12" format, known as a discomix.

These records were distributed in the UK by Greensleeves and can be easily recognised due to the effort that was put into the covers, designed by Tommy McDermott.

When playing a Roots Radics discomix, one almost instantly defies the speakers' capacity and we're reminded again that reggae has always been made to be played loudly on soundsystems.

Channel One

Before I post an article on the Roots Radics tomorrow, this was their workplace a.k.a Channel One studio, which was run by the Hoo Kim brothers.

Intro to the Roots Radics, article to come

Quick picture of one of the most important backing bands of the early 1980s, associated with the rub-a-dub style which emerged at Channel One, they were pioneers of the early dancehall. The Roots Radics confirmed many artist´s careers such as Barrington Levy, Captain Sinbad or Yellowman. More information to come.

Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, quick introduction to Rockers, the film

Here is Leroy Wallace, also known as Horsemouth. Aside from a genuine skill in imitating a horse neighing, he's also a fantastic drummer who has played on countless recordings.

Here's a quick picture of him, taken from the film Rockers (1978). The highly acclaimed film, made by Greek producer Ted Bafaloukos, holds a legendary place in reggae due to its cast being, for the majority, the actual singers and artists of the moment.

Horsemouth is a key figure in the film as he's the main actor, selling records around Kingston on his motorbike (see picture) until the day it was stolen and he beggins tracking the thieves down.

Winston Rodney a.k.a Burning Spear

To illustrate yesterday's post on Burning Spear, here is a picture of the man himself, in the early days of his recordings.

Winston adopted his stage name in referrence to Kenyan activist and first president of the country Jomo Kenyatta who used this pseudonym himself.

Burning Spear - Christopher Columbus

Slavery and African history share an important discussion place in reggae. There's one particular name though that comes to mind, as he is often seen as an ambassador of African culture.

His name is Winston Rodney, also known as Burning Spear. Like many, he began recording at the end of the 1960s at Studio One and his first single, Door Peep is nothing less than a masterpiece - his intro to the song sends shivers down the spine : "Sounds from the Burning Spear...".

The song, including his other recordings for Coxsone, were compiled into his first album, Studio One Presents Burning Spear. The first issues of the album have become extremely rare, as there were several versions of the cover that were released, including different cover pictures and a silk-screen edition. A well documented page about these editions can be found here.

A second, just as crucial, album was recorded at Studio One, entitled Rocking Time. There are many albums to talk about from his discography, as Burning Spear has proved his talent over the years : Marcus Garvey, Man In the Hills, Dry & Heavy, Social Living, the list goes on.

Therefore I'll now get to the song that I would like to introduce today. Christopher Colombus is taken from Burning Spear's Hail H.I.M album, from 1980. When picking-up this record, you'll be sure to notice the impressive cover by Neville Garrick.

It portays Selassie on a while horse, peering over towards the hills - a depiction of the return of Christ and fall of evil in Revelation :


"I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest." 

Revelation 6:2 NIV.

Onto the song. Whether he's renamed "Come-rob-us" by Peter Tosh or said to have been "Taking a nation that was born to be free, And brought down there to captivity" by Ken Boothe, the so-called explorer is regularly given a more accurate description in reggae, compared to the luminary figure he's associated to in our school books.

Over a roots riddim from some of the best musicians of the island, Burning Spear reminds us of the Arawak Indians, one of the first people to settle in the Caribbean. The horns are sublime, leaving the singer with no hesitation to name the man a "damn blasted liar".

Be sure to check out the full album as this is killer material. At a time where rub-a-dub was proving its popularity, this is a record packed with conscious roots tunes that will be played over and over again.

Outside the Black Ark

To follow-up from yesterday, here's a picture of Scratch alongside many artists who recorded regularly at the Black Ark - amongst them are Junior Murvin, Cedric Myton and George Faith.

The photograph was taken just outside the studio as the large cross from the wall painting can be seen in the background.

At the Black Ark

And here he is... Lee Perry, where he feels the most at-home. Actually, this was his home !

Pictured here in front of his Soundtrack console, Scratch is hanging with good friend Max Romeo, with whom he cut many classics, and notably his War Ina Babylon album in 1976. More on that later...

Photograph by David Burnett

The Heptones - Book of Rules

Leroy Sibbles, Barry LLewellyn and  Earl Morgan. Their names have become symbols of rocksteady.

The Heptones enjoyed great success during the early days of rocksteady. Formed in 1965, the trio began their recordings at Coxsone's Studio One, and released anthems such as Fatty Fatty, Party Time (which was then re-recorded at the Black Ark in 1977), and I Hold the Handle.

Book of Rules was released in 1973 on Jay Wax, a label owned by producer Harry J.

As it was common in the rocksteady era, most of their songs from the period were love songs. At the start of the 70s though, the recordings were turning towards minor-key conscious music, a term used to define songs dealing with reality.

Songs would cover the suffering endured in the ghetto, slavery, and rasta faith, as would be illustrated by many of the Heptones' later songs, such as Sufferers Time, Mistery Babylon, Mr President and many more.

Such is the case with Book of Rules. The songs is actually based upon a poem by American writer R.L. Sharpe called A Bag of Tools.

Isn't it strange
That princes and kings,
And clowns that caper
In sawdust rings,
And common people
Like you and me
Are builders for eternity?

Each is given a bag of tools,
A shapeless mass,
A book of rules;
And each must make,
Ere life is flown,
A stumbling-block
Or a stepping-stone.

                                                      R.L. Sharpe

 

 
Singer Barry Llewellyn extended the poem, and the trio enjoyed considerable success upon release.

Unfortunately The Heptones' worldwide recognition doesn't match the importance of their contribution to Jamaican music but few ears will disagree with these wonderful harmonies.

Captain Sinbad - The Eye of the Tiger

Captain Sinbad is amongst those who didn't rush to record songs, but when he did, he made sure that the quality was consistent.

In the early 1980s, Henry "Junjo" Lawes was the most prolific producer on the island. Working with the Roots Radics at Channel One, he produced a significant number of deejay albums by Franky Paul, Yellowman, Captain Sinbad, and many more.

His productions eventually came to define the new dancehall genre, sometimes referred to as early dancehall, and reached a wide audience thanks to Greensleeves who released his works in Europe.

Taken from Captain Sinbad's most successful album, The Seven Voyages of Captain Sinbad (1982), the lyrics from his song The Eye of the Tiger are based upon the eponymous film, continuing the Jamaican habit of linking music with film refences.

The riddim is the same as Johnny Osbourne's No Lollipop No Sweet So for his Fally Lover LP. It's part of the heavy, rub-a-dub riddims of which the Roots Radics produced many. And it works great for Captain Sinbad.

The deejay sails over the riddim as he makes references to the film, Jamaican-izing the content, he presents himself as "Pupa Sinbad the sailor man".

His rhymes are interrupted by with his well-known oink!, ribit!, bwoi! interjections, which have become the deejay's trade-mark.

Captain Sinbad's energy keeps you hooked as you'll find yourself nodding in rhythm with Flabba Holt's bassline, and with other songs such as Bam Salute, All Over Me, Construction Plan, all mixed by Scientist, it's no surprise that the album has become a Channel One classic.

The cover is a true work of art designed by Tommy McDermott, who illustrated many other Greensleeves covers. Greensleeves thankfully repressed it in 2007 and The Eye of the Tiger is of those that still sound fresh no matter how many times you've played it.

Harry J Allstars - Liquidator

Liquidator has become one of the most successful instrumentals outside of Jamaica from the end of rocksteady/beggining of early reggae period.

The riddim, played by the Hippy Boys, was originaly recorded for Tony Scott's What Am I to Do. The bassline was played by Familyman and has a strong resemblance to Alton Ellis' 1966 classic Girl I've Got a Date.

However, reknown producer Harry "J" Johnson bought the rights of the track from the singer. After adding a lively, jumping organ, played by Winston Wright, he credited it to his sessionband and released it as a full instrumental on an A-side for Trojan in the UK with Glen and Dave's La La Always Stay on the flip.

Its great upbeat melody allowed the instrumental to enjoy wider success than Tony Scott's vocal version and, along with many early-reggae songs, such as Toots and the Mayals' 54-46 Was My Number or Dave & Ansell's Double Barrel, became a skinhead favourite.

It was also greatly appreciated by Chelsea football fans as it was constantly played before their home games with supporters cheering along with the song. It then reached an even wider audience as the trend spread to other teams, however when supporters turned from encourageing to swearing it was banned at stadiums.

Johnny Osbourne - Can't Buy Love

At the end of the 1970s, Coxsone reached back to his productions from the previous decade and used rocksteady riddims to voice some of the biggest singers of the moment.

These productions have given birth to albums that have become true classics, with many listed amongst the artist's best, such as Lone Ranger's On the Other Side of Dub, Sugar Minott's Live Loving and in this case, Johnny Osbourne's Truth and Rights.

Johnny Osbourne is one of the few truly versatile singers as he has proved to us throughout time, releasing crucial material on rocksteady riddims, roots, rub-a-dub, and digital.

Can't Buy Love is the third track from his Truth and Rights album. Coxsone uses the Soul Vendor's Swing Easy riddim, one of the most popular ever with countless versions recorded.

In this song, he delivers a soulful love balad, expressing the strength of his love, an attempt to convince the girl here that "Money can't buy my love".

There are many references to the Beatles' Can't Buy Me Love here with the famous line "Diamonds can't buy my love" before he humorously adds :

"Money can buy you a new bed spring but the money can't buy you love".

Johnny Osbourne's singing gently follows the horns from original rocksteady instrumental creating a brilliantly catchy song.

With all songs from the album being at least of equal strength, it's no surprise that Truth and Rights has become a true classic in reggae music.

Prince Far I - Psalm 1

Prince Far I, the Voice of Thunder, is widely known for his rough voice and attachment to Biblical lyrics.

In Psalm 1, also sometimes known as Blessed is the Man, Prince Far I delivers a strong recital of the first Psalm over a raw cut of the Drum Song riddim. As you will hear, this isn't the same Studio 1 presented yesterday, but a stripped-down interpretation by the Aggrovators.

As the piano chords begin, Prince Far I opens :

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly
nor standeth in the way of sinners
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord
and His law doth he meditate day and night

His rough toasting delivers a prophetic recital of the King James' version of the psalm, a warning to all sinners of the perils that will fall upon them if they don't repent from unfaithful living.

The song is part of his Psalms For I album which in the same way is a collection of strict recitals of selected Psalms, released on Adrian Sherwood's Carib Gems.

Prince Far I was also a very prolific producer and released two other versions of the riddim with the Arabs, over which he voiced too - Blackman Land and Everytime I Hear the Word.

Both versions are remarkably produced, the first has great uplifting drums and the second has a much deeper and heavy sound. An astonishing horns version, Drums of the Arab, has been re-released by Digikiller/Deeper Knowledge on this second version and credited to Deadly Headley & Asher.

Jackie Mittoo - Drum Song

Here's one of the finest songs from the rocksteady era. Not only is it an incredible composition but over time the riddim has become a stone-cold classic. It lies up there with the likes of Real Rock and My Conversation.

1968, Jackie Mittoo, one of the island's most talented keyboard players ever, releases a rocksteady album that will have a major impact on the future of Jamaican music.

A collection of singles from that period, many tracks have become legendary. Any person with a mild knowledge of reggae needs only to listen to, say, One Step Beyond or Hot Milk to realise how many foundation songs are in this set.

Drum Song opens up on a slow beat and gentle kette drumming, with an oriental sounding guitar carefully following the bassline. These last two are the cornerstone of the song as this bassline is particularly easy to identify and has always been put forward on further updates.

Jackie then plays the first keys on his organ and the brass section accompanies him. As the kette speeds up the brass and organ take turns and we can picture ourselves surrounded by the players amongst the trees on the beach from the album's cover. Only one word can describe the feeling that is conveyed here : haunting.

There are many solid updates of the riddim (Bunny Lee, Prince Far I, Wackies, Digital B...) and an impressive list of versions can be found on Riddimguide.

The Congos - Congoman

"Out of Africa comes the Congo man..."

The Congos are most-known for two albums, Heart of the Congos (1977) and Congo Ashanti (1979).

The two albums are very different as they were recorded in separate studios, and not one weak song is amongst the set. The song for today comes from their first album, a masterpiece which is often regarded as the best reggae album ever recorded.

The strength of this album lies within two main factors. First, the Congos are an astonishing trio who cover a wide vocal range, with Cedric Myton as falsetto, Roydel Johnson as tennor, and Watty Burnett, baritone.

The second point is that Heart of the Congos was recorded at Lee "Scratch" Perry's Black Ark when the man was at his peak in creativity. There's a lot to say here but to keep this short I want to focus on the second track from the album, Congoman.

The song opens-up with a percussion beat, immediately conveying the african image of what this song is based upon. A skank plays slowly in the distance, and with the focus remaining on the beat a few hits on the high-hat join in whilst a kette is striked several times before the Congos introduce :

Out of Africa comes the Congo man

After what sounds like a strike of lightening, Scratch lets the riddim roll-in again from the beginning, adds the full drums before the bass rolls in and ties all the instruments together. We're then taken into a meditative journey led by slow, repeated praises and African allusions from the singers.

With the singing blending so well with the instruments, the track can almost be perceived as a full instrumental. The other songs from the album being classic vocal tracks, it's a real pleasure to focus on Perry's amazing mixing and capture the deepness of the sound which is carried on through the album.

Having a studio in his own garden allowed Scratch to experiment day and night, and he has made use of his full potential here, this is the Black Ark at its very best.

The Upsetters - Chim Cherie

Today I'm going to present a very special tune, unique in its genre. The first time I heard this one I just couldn't believe my ears.

We were having a great evening spinning tunes whether it be reggae, hip-hop, afrobeat or soul, one after the other. As the needle pushed trough the first grooves of the disc, a slow drum pattern makes its way through what sounds like hits on a high-pitch plastic block for drum kits.

Unexpectedly, after the third bar (or loop, should we say in this case), a ground-breaking bass takes over the rhythm, transporting the listener to a new dimension. Needless to say this struck me like never before - I had just experienced Lee Perry making what sounds like an avant-garde hip-hop song, but with a pure reggae pattern.

Of course, this is the riddim to Shinehead's Billy Jean - an adaptation from the King of Pop's hit - however, hearing the version on its own is a whole other experience.

It's difficult to put an exact year on this track, but what makes it all the more special is that it's the first in Jamaica to ever incorporate a drum machine.

Freshly arrived on the island, the programming of the machine was left to Familyman and his brother Carlton, and the song was credited to the Upsetters.

An exclusive dubplate version was also released, and it can thankfully be found on the B-side of Pressure Sounds' 7" release.

To those for whom this is the first time they're listening to a Lee Perry production, be warned that this is far from his signature sound, but it's another production from the neat little man that proves his genious and how far ahead of time he was. Lee Perry was making hip-hop before hip-hop.

Joy In the Morning, Jah Bring I Joy

Joy in the Morning originates as a killer rocksteady tune, sung by the Gaylads in 1968.

The song was recorded at Clement Dodd's legendary Studio One. The Gaylads trio consisted of Harris "B.B" Seaton, Winston Delano Stewart and Maurice Roberts. They deliver here a tune that follows the trend of the moment : a passionate love song with soothing harmonies.

Backed by Lynn Taitt and the Jets, one of the most popular backing bands of the rocksteady era, the harmonies take up such an important part in this song that they were kept in all future covers.

Taitt's guitar hovers over the bassline, as if singing by itself and adding a fourth voice to the background.

Joy in the Morning was also sung by the Godfather of Rocksteady, Alton Ellis. Alton keeps a close cover to the original, although slightly sped-up with the drums pushed forward, but his unique voice makes it a great listen. When Freddie McGregor made a digital version later on, he made sure to keeps the harmonies too.

 

The main update though to this song came with Bobby Melody in 1974, when roots reggae had taken over the days of rocksteady and the lighter, early reggae.

A former member of the Ralph Brothers (he backed Yabby You's Conquering Lion) Bobby Melody used the original lyrics to turn it into a song of thanksgiving to God, renaming it Jah Bring I Joy.

The rhythm was updated at Joe Gibbs', this time in true reggae style bringing emphasis on the drums and bass with clearer vocals. Trinity also performed an excellent cut to this version, Top Ranking, strictly rockers style.

Dillinger - War Is Over

A new height in political gang warfare was reached in the beginning of 1978.

Referred to today as the Green Bay massacre, in the night of the 5th January 1978, 14 men who were believed to be part of the Skulls, a gang sided with the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), were trapped in an ambush at the Green Bay Firing Range by a sector of the army, the Military Intelligence Unit.

The M.I.U were acting for the leading opposition, the People's National Party (PNP). When the men were drawn into the trap, five of them were shot dead with others fleeing for their life.

Shortly after, two of the main dons (head of a gang) in prison, "Claudie" Massop from the JLP and "Bucky" Marshall from the PNP, took action to sign a peace treaty and put an end to the ongoing violence. Several songs celebrating the new peace were recorded and one of the most striking, which also happens to be one my favourites, is War Is Over by Dillinger.

The deejay uses George Nooks' version of Little Roy's "Tribal War" I mentionned yesterday. Produced by Joe Gibbs, Gibbs provided his own relick of the rhythm instantly giving it his own recognisable "fresh" sound.

Dillinger references the new situation in the introduction of the song as he engages a conversation in patois, possibly with his fellow friend and deejay Trinity :

"A long time I no see the I you know dread"

"Me hear now [the] peace treaty so me haffi come out and get a lickle bit of fresh air"

And boom, the new version of the rhythm kicks-in, with Lloyd Parkes' bass litteraly exploding over Sly Dunbar's serious rockers-style drumming, as Dillinger toasts :

"Musical Sound is called the war is over, so you got to come over and do the Bossa Nova..."

As George Nooks' voice fades away, Dillinger takes the lead and warns: "Son don't take your guns to town because the war is over. Say we feel so sweet when we sign the peace treat'."

However as often in Jamaica, this moment of peace unfortunately didn't last long, with 1400 people murdered in the 2 following years.

Musical history and the 7"

In the same way as picking up an old newspaper can teach you about a country's past, many of Jamaica's 7" singles reflect the island's history. Just as when a soundsystem deejay would chit-chat about current events through his microphone whilst flipping his record, politics, economics, and everyday stories have been a constant source of inspiration for Jamaican artists.

Jamaica's music has mostly come from the poor, with countless singers and producers emerging from Kingston's hottest ghettos. The words from these songs were coming from the mouths of those who were hit the hardest by the country's intense violence and poverty - the sufferahs, expressing their everyday tribulations through their biggest strength : their voice.

7"s by definition take less time to produce and release than albums, and with the introduction of versions, the 45rpm disc became Jamaica's favourite format - more on that later.

To briefly illustrate this here's what is probably Little Roy's biggest success to date, Tribal War. The song, recorded over a slow, bass-thumping rhythm at the legendary Black Ark, recalls a moment in 1973 where it was reported that two major gangs had signed a peace treaty, and, for that moment at least, "The war is over".

It was originally released on Roy's own Tafari label and has since been re-issued by UK's Pressure Sounds.

Introducing my blog

As part of my journalism course, I have started this blog for my Introduction to Reporting module.

I will be posting daily and posts will cover a variety of topics, although I suspect that I will have a preference for discussing the past and present of Jamaican music. I will concentrate mainly on the '60s, '70s and '80s - that is anything from Prince Buster's uplifting ska and Ken Boothe's sweet rocksteady tunes through Yabby You's heavy roots reggae and King Tubby's mind-blowing dub to King Jammy's festive dancehall. This will be the first time that I'll be writing articles on the internet so I hope to keep this interesting !