Jamaican Reggae & Dancehall 24 Items

From 1968 through to the mid 1970’s the reggae beat began to slow down,some say due to the extreme heat hitting down onto Kingston Town and its surrounding enclaves. People needed something less strenuous to dance to. The Ska and Rocksteady Sounds (see 101 Orange Street Ks007) that rocked Jamaica previously, had now found a slower tempo and become more ‘Dread’ lyrically to suit the times. Reggae music has always moved within the social climate it found itself in and this set here, as we ‘Return To Orange Street’ was Roots Rock Reggae Time....

Mr Lee Perry who in no uncertain terms defines the words musical genius, recorded some of the most inspiring, soulful, funny and weird / wild reggae music ever put down on tape. Working through all the manifestations of reggae from Ska to Roots and Dub, where his ground breaking 1973 ‘Blackboard Jungle’ LP, set the standards, he was an innovator. If this was not enough his recordings of THE Wailers, many believe to be their finest work. Born Rainford Hugh Perry, 28 March 1936, Hanover, Jamaica. He began his career at the grand age of 16, working for Clement ‘Coxone’ Dodd’s sound system, rising quickly to the position of record scout and organising recording sessions during his 3 year period 1963-1966. Restlessness and unsatisfied with credit he felt due to him he moved on to work with Producers J.J. Johnson and Clancy Eccles, the later of which would help him set up his ‘Upsetter’ label in 1968,which would see his first of many recordings telling the injustices done to him by previous employees. ‘The Upsetter’ track itself pointed at Mr Dodd but reflected back to Perry when he inherited it as a nick name along side many others during the coarse of his career, including ‘Scratch’, again taken from one of his recordings ‘Chicken Scratch’ recorded in 1965/1966. Perry’s work in 1968 with producer Joe Gibbs was fruitful and resulted in many successfulreleases, but again lack of credit and itchy feet, it was time to move on. But not without leaving his trademark recording summing up his feelings at the time ‘People Funny Boy’ this time aimed at Mr Gibbs. Still not having a studio of his own, Perry recorded at the various Kingston establishments of the time, Randy’s Studio 17 on North Parade, Dynamics on Bell Road and Harry J’s on Roosevelt Avenue where the bulk of the aforementioned recordings with The Wailers were carried out. During this time and the years that followed Perry has built up a vast catalogue of backing tracks / instrumentals, he had cut over a 100 releases on his ‘Upsetter’ label alone. A library of music that he has an uncanny knack of reutilising to work into something new when put against a new song / singer. This collection of rare and unreleased dubs stems from his 1971-1974 period. We can here on tracks like ‘Perry’s Jump Up’ Ska-ish up tempo chopping guitar cuts leading through to organ laden tracks like ‘Roots Rock Dub’. The sound moving to a slowed down rhythm on ‘Perry in Dub’ which would predominate his sound, when in mid 1974 he’d open his own studio at his home in the Washington Gardens district of Kingston. We hope this selection of lost treasures will add to the jigsaw that makes Mr Perry’s output now spanning over 5 decades so remarkable.

Respect.... JAH Floyd.

Tappa’s Classic ‘pick UP THE Rockers’ CUT AT Channel ONE BY THE Revolutionaries,

Along Side It’s King Tubby DUB CUT.

Winston Wright THE Original Organ Player With THE Harry J’S Allstars CUT THE 1969

‘liquidator’ HIT. This Great Version Features THE Mighty Dennis Alcapone Toasting

IN Fine Style.... Plus Version

Johnny Clarke’s Roots Classic... Declaring... Don’t Trouble THE Dreads.....

Plus A Great King Tubby DUB CUT.

King Tubby’s and Channel One, two of the great studios that produced so many of the great reggae rhythms in Kingston, Jamaica, find themselves for one night only, battling it out for the trophy. King Tubby’s (b. Osbourne Ruddock, 194, Kingston, Jamaica) studio was set up at 18 Drummile Avenue, Kingston, Jamaica. His fascination with all things electronic grew out of working and repairing radios and TV sets and the lucrative work of winding transistors. A job that was much in demand in the 1970’s Jamaica. This work gave Tubby a great understanding of sound, ow it worked and how it could be manipulated. Encouraged and helped along by producer Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee and with access to Bunny’s ever growing master tapes, that were stored at Tubby’s studio. Dubplates were made to supply the sound systems of Kingston and in fact Tubby’s own Hometown Hi-Fi sound.

The Aggrovators were one of Jamaica’s finest session bands put together by the hit make from J amaica Bunny Striker Lee.
The group would produce some of the hardest rhythms cut at the legendary Channel 1 studio.
These tracks would provide the backbone to songs that were usually voiced over at King Tubby’s own studio.These cuts here represent a selection of some of those fine rhythms selected together for the first time.
The Aggrovators were a group of Reggae musicians that usually featured Carlton’Santa’Davis on drums playing alongside Robbie Shakespeare on bass with other musicians addedlike Earl’Chinna’Smith on guitar and Tommy Mc Cook and Vin Gordon and Lennox Brown added for horn arrangements,Keyboards and organ duties normally fell to Ansel Collins and Bernard’Touter’Harvey.
We have compiled some great tracks recorded by this fantastic group of musicians and focused on those cut on Channel 1 studios to give you a feel of what those times were like.
Hope you enjoy the set…..

Two excellent Revolutionaires cuts..Sly and Robbie at their best.
These early tracks were recorded at Channel One and produced by Bunny Striker Lee.

/ A Social Version

If anyone in the reggae circles could be described as having their own sound it would have to be Mr Augustus Pablo, born Horace Swaby 1954 St Andrew Jamaica. He took the humble melodica a wind blown mouth keyboard and made it shine. His musical journey started one sunny day in 1969. Walking into Herman Chin- loy's Aquarius Records shop and on playing his melodica so impressed its owner that he was taken off to Randy's Studio 17, the very next day to cut his first record 'Iggy Iggy'. But it was his second tune under the guidance of Clive Chin again cut at Randy's, the seminal 'Java ' that put the young Augustus Pablo on the map. Clive Chin continued his work producing Pablo's debut album 'this IS Augustus Pablo' . An instrumental affair on which the neo-mystical ''Far East'' sound synonymous with Pablo's work emerged. Having worked with most of the top producers of the time,Lee Perry,Keith Hudson, Bunny Lee, Augustus decided to set up his own label "Rockers", named after his brothers sound system. Where many of his tunes would first be heard.The label came to define a new and exciting chapter in reggae history.Even when versioning acknowledged classic Studio One rhythms there was a precious maturity and depth to Pablo's productions that kept him at the top throughout the late 1970s and into the 1980s. His 'King Tubby meets the Rockers Uptown' set which featured some of these rhythms reworked; Swing Easy[Skanking Easy], Frozen Soul[Frozen Dub], stands as one of the true dub classic albums of any reggae education. This set of dubs are taken from his classic 70's period.All rare dubs straight from the masters. You may have heard the tune, but not these versions. So sit back and enjoy the Original Rocker..... Still Sounds Sweet. RESPECT....JAH Floyd.

King Tubby in no uncertain terms invented DUB. Born Osbourne Ruddock in Kingston in 1941. He grew up around High Holborn Street in central Kingston, before moving to the Waterhouse district in 1955. His electronic genius grew from working and fixing radios and TV sets, a natural progression led to working with amplifiers,and starting his own sound system’’ Tubby’s Home Town Hi- Fi’’. A very competitive game in the late 60’s. You were as good as the Exclusive records you played. Tubby discovered during his time cutting discs for Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle set up, that by dropping vocals / instruments in and out of the backing tracks, you could invent new versions of existing old tunes. These early versions tried and tested on his sound system went down so well that he invested in a four track mixing console, that was being sold from Dynamic Studios in Kingston. With his vast knowledge of electric’s, he rewired the existing console with delay echo effects, sliders and phasing units and so began King Tubby’s Studio Of Dub at 18 Drummlie Avenue, Kingston 11, Jamaica... His Home..... This is where all the producers would bring their tracks for Tubby to put his magic over. Most tracks that came out in Jamaica from here on in would carry a ‘Version’ on its B-side more than likely a Tubby dub. One of the producers who used him the most was Bunny Striker Lee, who’s labels Jackpot, Justice and Attack all carried Tubby’s mixes / versions on their flip sides. Our collection here, are all taken from the original master tapes you might have have heard the tracks before but not these versions.... Lost in the vaults till now. So sit back and enjoy the dub master at work.

Two killer Gregory vocal tracks back to back produced by the hitmaker from Jamaica Bunny’Striker’Lee

U Roy’s chart topper of 1970 “Wake The Nation” released with it’s original dub “Non Violence”.

A) Natty Princess DUB

Tappa's works over Delroy Wilson's ‘Never will Conquer Me' rhythm to fine effect, to make

his ‘Natty Princess' cut. Vibestone are doing backing vocals on this lost dub cut.

B1) Rock YOU Rock

Tappa reworks this rare rhythm made famous by the Wailer's on their 'Bend Down Low',

to fine effect for his 'Rock you Rock' cut.

B2) DUB Hypocrites

Another Wailers rhythm 'Hypocrites' gets the Tappa treatment...