VA - This Is Dub: The Original Dub Masters
i n f o
label........: Union Square Music/Metro
date ripped..: 10.25.2007
date released: 00.00.0000
url..........: http://www.unionsquaremusic.co.uk/
titlev4.php?ALBUM_ID=997&LABEL_ID=16
release size.: 206,3 MB
encoder......: Lame 3.97 V2
bitrate......: avg. 140kbps
mode.........: Joint-Stereo
tracks.......: 60
source.......: CDDA
ripper.......: Ting Kubby
n o t e s
low budget but nice box set of crucial dub tracks
compilation and sleeve notes (below) by Ian McCann
Trying to unravel the history of dub is like trying to
solve the problem of Palestine û if less dangerous.
Just when you think youÆve found a road map to take
you in the direction youÆre looking for, you discover
thereÆs a diversion on the very street it takes you
down, and down that detour lurks a roadblock you
hadnÆt bargained on. A musicologist works out that the
first dub record was the B-side of a Rex Garvin soul
tune, then someone points out that slapback the
slapback echo on Elvis PresleyÆs mid-æ50s Sun
recordings sounds suspiciously like early King Tubby
in places. You may think Rupie EdwardsÆ ôIre Feelings
(Skanga)ö was the first dub hit, but then what was
David EssexÆs ôRock Onö if not some kind of dub tune?
OK, IÆm being facetious here. But itÆs worth
remembering that the roots of the music are much more
complicated than you might expect and the ears of the
Jamaican recording industry are attuned to a far wider
range of tones and influences than you might naturally
assume. The roots of dub are everywhere.
This collection attempts to bring you something of the
flavour of the evolution of dub. To some extent the
rise of dub was as much a matter of convenience as
musical endeavour û it was far easier and cheaper to
mix another version of a recordÆs rhythm track than it
was to pay a singer and a band to record the B-side of
a single. But economy breeds inventiveness, and pretty
soon these money-saving mixes became works of art in
their own right.
Originally, these B sides were simply the A-sideÆs mix
with the vocals taken off. Known as ôVersion 2ö, then
just ôVersionö, these tunes would be played by sound
system selectors for the setÆs toasters, aka DJs, to
talk over at dances. Pretty soon however, record
producers like Joe Gibbs, Lee Perry and Bunny Lee were
persuading sound engineers to mess about with the
mixes to make these ôVersionsö into something more
than just instrumentals. This gave the producersÆ
records novelty appeal, beginning a battle to create
ever-heavier sounds that would make the sound system
men sit up and take notice. Hence records like Joe
GibbsÆ ôStraight To The Headö or Sonia PottingerÆs
ôMusical Fightö, both recorded towards the end of the
1960s were chiefly instrumental tunes designed to
sound dramatic on a big sound system û practically a
definition of dub itself.
Up to this point, the men behind the mixing desk in
Jamaican studios were largely anonymous. One who did
step out into the light was Lynford Anderson, engineer
at WIRL, who, with the encouragement of Lee Perry, a
connoisseur of the ridiculous, created an intermittent
series of musical shocks, sometimes credited to The
Engineers. Two in particular stand out as peculiarly
outlandish: ôNoisy Villageö, an amusement which would
have been included here had it not been so irritating
that you are unlikely to want to hear it more than
once, and the remarkable ôEvol Yenohö, which somehow
takes the full vocal of the recordÆs A-side, Burt
Walters ôHoney Loveö, and plays it backwards over the
rhythm track, which is (mostly) playing forwards! A
novelty? Sure. But itÆs also an indication that, even
when it was made in 1968, a version didnÆt have to be
straightforward. The fact that the words ôHoney Loveö
reverse into something sinister when written down adds
to the charm.
Dub is known for its bass, and by 1970 that instrument
was coming to the fore. ôVoodooö by the Hippie Boys,
The UpsettersÆ ôClint Eastwoodö, and the funky drum
and bass of Dave Barker, Tommy McCook & The UpsettersÆ
ôLock Jawö, all indicate the way the music was heading
within a couple of years. But they werenÆt the
proto-dub eraÆs only musical prophecies. ôSqueeze Upö,
a mix of The BleechersÆ hit ôEase Upö, features plenty
of sound effects, including a high band-pass filter to
create a sharp flanging noise that King Tubby later
used extensively. The engineer on this tune was
possibly Barry Lambert at WIRL studio. There was also
a lot of reverb dropped onto mixes at times; Rue
LloydÆs ôLoving Youö took a rocksteady tune by
Stranger Cole and Delroy Wilson down this route and
added melodica for a lonesome sound that would soon be
fully explored by Augustus Pablo. Meanwhile, Lee Perry
had fun blowing up the mixing desk at RandyÆs Studio
17 for the seriously underrated ôKinky Moodö.
Definitely a proper dub record, this little gem was
created in 1970.
There were other paths that the music could have
followed which were hinted at on several tunes between
1970 and 1973. The UpsettersÆ funky ôKill Them Allö
took the medley format, then fashionable in reggae, to
a logical conclusion by simply chucking together
several records and attempting to make a coherent
whole out of them with added FX. Lee Perry persisted
with this idea on and off until he took it to the
limit on ôCow Thief Skankö, which welded several of
his rhythms (plus one by The Staple Singers, and
copyright protection can go hang!) into one, and then
adding a couple of raps from himself and Charlie Ace.
Welcome to the future; donÆt they call this stuff
hip-hop?
The early days of dub werenÆt all novelties, however.
Augustus PabloÆs ôEast Of the River Nileö, recorded
for Herman Chin-LoyÆs Aquarius records, was assuredly
beautiful. Pablo also worked on several tunes for
producer Derrick Harriott around 1972-3, including
ôBells Of Deathö and the self-explanatory ôBass &
Drums Versionö. Harriott was among reggaeÆs more
polished talents, and that quality comes out on all
his work, even his dub. The fabulously subtle ôAcid
Versionö, a mix of Dennis BrownÆs ôI DidnÆt Knowö, is
a case in point. ItÆs dub, but Harriott never forgets
his own melodic instincts.
He was not the only producer to gravitate towards King
TubbyÆs studio for mixing. Undoubtedly the greatest
name in 70s dub, Tubby (Osbourne Ruddock) was a master
of electronics who happened to own a sound system,
King TubbyÆs Home Town Hi-Fi, plus the most precise
ears in sound engineering û a lethal combination in
the reggae world. Initially, Tubby used to cut
acetates for other producers, such as Duke Reid, who
saw the potential of the master of ceremonies on
TubbyÆs sound system, U Roy, took him to the studio
and made him a star. TubbyÆs acetate cutting grew more
elaborate, then he built his own four-track recording
desk, bought in some sound effects, and had a vocal
booth built in his studio. Producers like Bunny Lee
and Lee Perry would bring rhythm tracks to be voiced
at TubbyÆs, and pretty soon they realised the effects
they were getting on mixes that Tubby created were
unique. Lee in particular encouraged Tubby to cut
loose, realising that his thunderous mixing could give
his records a real edge when it came to getting them
played by sound systems. Rupie Edwards (ôDr SatanÆs
Echo Chamberö), Niney The Observer (ôYouth Manö), Karl
Pitterson (ôPsalms Of Drumsö), Keith Hudson (ôDonÆt
Think About Me, IÆm All Right Versionö), Winston Riley
(ôStalag 17 Versionö, later used for the ubiquitous
ôRing The Alarmö) and many more took advantage of
TubbyÆs genius for balancing a mix no matter how heavy
one end of it was! Tubby was such a powerful figure in
shaping the sound of æ70s reggae that his name as the
engineer of the flip side of a 45 often became more of
a reason for buying it than the unfortunate soul who
happened to write and perform the A-side. Not content
with making tribute records about him (Lee PerryÆs
ôDub Organiserö), producers pushed his name to the
fore on entire albums, notably a super-tuff series of
killer LPs from Bunny Lee, which pitted his Agrovators
bandÆs æflying cymbalsÆ sound against TubbysÆ full
frequency mixing. Tubby also ôinvented technoö with
his penchant for feedback-looped bleeps, including the
almighty ôA Glorious Versionö, a mix to Jah StitchÆs
ôGive Jah The Gloryö. Ruff and tuff to the maximum.
For a time in the 1970s, it seemed like dub would be
never ending, so broad were the possibilities.
Producer Rupie Edwards had a UK chart hit in 1974 with
the deeply stoned mix of Johnny ClarkeÆs ôEveryday
Wonderingö that was ôIre Feelingsö. The ôclashö album
that was ôKing Tubby Meets The Upsetter At The Grass
Roots Of Dubö sold thousands of copies that year
without even a hint of a radio play. Producer Harry
Mudie had Tubby mixing strings on the amazing ôDub
Conferenceö LPs, and even the rock critics began to
murmur appreciatively that here, at last, was a reggae
music that wasnÆt like a skinhead chasing you down a
street. Mmm. They may have been nodding their heads to
Lee Perry, but whether theyÆd have appreciated his
appropriating the ITV comedy Dr On The Go, had they
heard it, will remain one of musicÆs unanswered
questions.
When 12ö singles hit the reggae scene in 1976, this
gave producers even greater lee(perry)way to
experiment with sound, creating multi-mixes of songs
like ôDisco Devilö, later sampled by The Prodigy for
ôOuter Spaceö, itself ôsamplingö Max RomeoÆs ôChase
The Devilö. It was recorded at Lee PerryÆs Black Ark
studio in 1977, but not everything created there that
year was so crazed. The maverick producer displayed
his sheer mastery of the desk that same year on ôKnow
Loveö, a gentle song which he takes to a fever pitch
of sound and then allows to float calmly off into the
distance. Meanwhile, King Tubby stood aside at his
studio and allowed protΘgΘs like Prince Jammy and
Scientist a place in the spotlight. Their mixing
showed that while the equipment had plenty to do with
the sound of a recording suite, so did the engineerÆs
own tastes, as they teased different musical attitudes
out of TubbyÆs board. The bands who ruled dub changed
too û The Agrovators became The Revolutionaries,
driven by Sly and RobbieÆs drums and bass, and then
The Roots RadicsÆ less frantic style also came to the
fore. So too the voices that were dubbed into echoing
oblivion moved on. Horace Andy, Johnny Clarke and
Cornell Campbell, all favourites of producer Bunny
Lee, were joined by the likes of ôyouthmenö Wayne
Jarrett and Linval Thompson, the latter being the
prophet of the dancehall style that would dominate the
next era of reggae. Toasters also came and went,
leaving behind classics like Prince JazzboÆs ôItal
Cornerö and Prince FariÆs ôNatty Championö. Both later
found new careers as producers.
But the biggest change of all was when dub itself
began to burn out. While Scientist (Overton Brown)
kept the flame alive during the early 80s with karate
and science fiction-inspired albums, dubÆs public was
replaced by a younger crew who needed new sounds and
faces to follow, and dancehall provided them. In a
sense, this bare-bones style of reggae owned plenty to
dub too, but the mixing was invariably kept simple,
with more emphasis on vocals. In time, dub would
reassert itself in the late 1980s with the new roots
movement, but thatÆs a different story.
This collection is not entirely chronological because
reggaeÆs history is not smoothly linear. Instead time
goes back and forth as old tunes are remixed and hours
are eaten up in explorations that donÆt necessarily
lead to the place you thought you were aiming for. But
here is the history of dub, from its uncertain origins
at the back end of the 1960s, to the end of the 1970s
as it faced an equally uncertain future. Along the way
there were some glorious versions, some fiercely rough
mixes and some of musicÆs most ecstatic moments. This
is dub.
d a t a
# t r a c k n a m e t i m e
CD1
01- The Destroyers - Straight To The Head [02:53]
02- Lynn Taitt & The Jets - Soul Food [03:11]
03- The Engineers & The Upsetters - Evol Yenoh [02:29]
04- Tommy & The Upsetters - Lock Jaw [03:04]
05- The Upsetters - Clint Eastwood [03:45]
06- The Crashers - Musical Fight (aka Target) [02:22]
07- Rue Lloyd - Loving You [02:47]
08- The Hippy Boys - Voodoo [03:12]
09- Lee "Scratch" Perry & The Upsetters - [03:36]
Kill Them All
10- The Upsetters - Kinky Mood [02:47]
11- Lee "Scratch" Perry & The Upsetters - [02:59]
Sipreano
12- Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Squeeze Up [02:55]
13- Augustus Pablo - East Of The River Nile [02:48]
14- Bob Marley & The Wailers - Kaya [02:42]
(Scat Mix / Kaya Version)
15- Dennis Brown & The Crystalites - Acid [02:36]
Version
16- Charlie Ace & Lee Perry - Cow Thief Skank [03:25]
17- The Upsetters - Tipper Special [03:05]
18- The Crystalitse - Tough Version [03:06]
19- Augustus Pablo & The Crystalites - Bells [04:06]
Of Death
20- Augustus Pablo & King Tubby - Bass & [03:09]
Drums Version
CD2
01- The Upsetters with Dillinger - Dub [03:20]
Organiser
02- The Upsetters - V/S Panta Rock [03:36]
03- Augustus Pablo - Hot And Cold (Version 1) [03:31]
04- The Observers - New Style [01:30]
05- Lee Perry & The Upsetters - Liquid [03:33]
Serenade
06- Rupie Edwards - Dr. Satan's Echo Chamber [02:32]
07- Tommy McCook & The Aggrovators - A [03:51]
Version I Can Feel With Love
08- Observer All Stars & King Tubbys - Rasta [03:21]
Locks
09- Treasure Isle All Stars - Arabian Dub [02:30]
10- Techniques All Stars - Stalag 17 Version [03:12]
11- The Observer & King Tubby - Youth Man [02:32]
12- Mafia All Stars & King Tubby - Don't [03:04]
Think About Me (I'm Alright)
13- King Tubby & The Aggrovators - Jehovah [03:27]
Version
14- King Tubby - (Dread) Statta Version [02:36]
15- Horace Andy - Nice And Easy Dub [03:23]
16- King Tubby & The Aggrovators - A Glorious [02:56]
Dub
17- King Tubby & The Aggrovators - Crisp [02:53]
Version
18- King Tubby - Watchman Dub [03:27]
19- King Tubby - King Tubby's In Fine Style [03:18]
20- Jackie Edwards & The Aggrovators - [03:33]
Invasion Version
CD3
01- King Tubby - A Rougher Version [03:02]
02- Johnny Clarke & The Aggrovators - A [03:37]
Ruffer Version
03- Rupie Edwards - Ire Feelings (Skanga) [03:46]
04- Lee "Scratch" Perry & The Upsetters - [03:56]
Doctor On The Go
05- The Upsetters - Kingdom Of Dub [02:14]
06- Lee "Scratch" Perry & The Upsetters - [03:28]
Womans Dub
07- Prince Jazzbo - Ital Corner [03:36]
08- Linval Thompson & The Aggrovators - A [03:09]
King Version
09- Linval Thompson & The Revolutionaries - [03:48]
Jamaican Colley Version
10- Bob Marley & The Wailers - Rainbow [03:36]
Country Dub
11- Lee "Scratch" Perry - Disco Devil [03:28]
12- Twin Roots - Know Love [09:23]
13- Linval Thompson & The Aggrovators - [03:07]
Conquering Version
14- Michael Rose & Prince Jammy - Born Free [02:47]
Dub
15- Scientist & The Roots Radics - Scientist [04:04]
Ganja Dub
16- Tommy McCook & The Aggrovators - African [03:25]
World Wide Version
17- The Roots Radics Band - Mission Impossible [03:17]
18- Sly & Robbie - Soon Forward Dub [02:59]
19- Prince Far I - Natty Champion [04:09]
20- The Revolutionaries with Sly & Robbie - [03:18]
79 Rock
206,3 m e g s t o t a l [197:11]