Dub / Reggae: An Idiot's Guide

I'm only aware of the one Noel Ellis album - recorded in 1983 but has a 70s roots thing, Agree that's probably the best track. Killer. Quite the line up on there, too: Jackie Mittoo, Willie Williams, Johnnie Osbourne.

Bobby Bobylon is a stone classic! It's worth finding a reissue with the extended version of "Rastaman Camp" imo, one of my all-time favorite tunes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcMwwTZ1QW0

I don't need much convincing, love that era of Niney productions

this one's Studio One so no Niney, but it sounds amazing: about as deep roots they ever got

ah. yeah well Coxsone Dodd, I guess he's okay too :)

xp Yeah I love the Niney cut on “Rastaman Camp” as well. Would not like to choose between that one and the Studio 1 version.

oh is the extended version a Niney mix? my liner notes don't make that clear at all (my apologies, Οὖτις), but that makes sense

What a song indeed, rob (rastaman camp), didn't know it.
Reggae has some fascinating periods of transition between its subgenres. One I love is the meeting of roots, dub and deejay, that has produced incredibly deep music, often in 12'' singles. Where the song just posted absolutely belongs. We're pretty far from an idiot's guide, but it's also the style the first poster was sort of asking for.
Some favorites I have in that vein.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsE5ZhPmh74
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBKG4ORSJWA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8xzqekt6eY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly-ALyrY1Zk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyP8bzhP6Y0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUBHkMQmzpI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_kldLmm2mo
and someone mentioned fancy dub vocals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IvAQRu17YY

For an idiot: Rhythm & Sound Showcase and the Basic Replay compilation.

lol I only know two of those (the Ras Michael and Prince Far I tracks)

sometimes it's comforting to think that I will never hear all the amazing reggae from the 70s and 80s, that it isn't humanly possible

No there are two very different Freddie McGregor cost on "Rastaman Camp": the Studio1 cut off "Bobby Bobylon" and remixed into avery murky brilliance in the youtube above, and a militant horn-driven Niney produced cut a few years later (that version's on a decidedly not-awful-but-not-amazing Observers LP called "Mr McGregor fwiw).

Cuts, not cost

Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss4TNbDZeQg

ah thanks Tim. that's quite nice; the muted trumpet is a nice touch, don't think I've heard that much in reggae (maybe? cue 10 amazing tracks I've never heard lol)

that Ijahman Levi song is a trip and of course "Plant Up" is a modernist masterpiece. I'll have to come back to Nabozo's others! Οὖτις otm regarding the bottomless volume of this stuff

bottomless volume from a poor country of 2 million people! (in 1975)
and it was pretty much like, what, 25 musicians and 10 producers

then the amount of truly great singers, sheeeesh

Most of that lot new to me! This mix of Rastaman Camp is magnificent.

Christ, this Silvertones track is immense. The first half is almost proto-Jungle!

I had found a lot of those tracks while searching for this Hitrun label, and following a few raters on RYM, most notably TheRevivalist.
A few more if you don't mind, in the vaguely defined deep roots / soulful vocals / spaced out prods.

Gregory Isaacs - Report to me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkUY8jZFYNk

Broggs / Prince Far I - Higher Field Marshall / I and I the Chosen Ones
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjWtrEJvqaQ

Dr Alimantado - Born for a Purpose
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6pIONWxTbs

Rhythm & Sound - Mash Down Babylon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7Wkjy3UCIs

Danny Henry - African Gold
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMg2taR8fLs

Love Joys - All I can say
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nL_hx0Gezk

Ranking Dread - Shut me Mouth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zceiA35_seY

And yes, it's endless. If we could also talk of early digital dancehall... another forgotten space diamond mine.
Just one very famous one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSVWJjDfUCI

Yeah Hitrun is always worth looking for - I have a copy of this CD comp (it’s an ahem “unofficial release” but the fellow who does them takes great pride in his remastering and does a good job):

https://www.discogs.com/Various-The-Hit-Run-Singles-Collection-1978-79-Volume-1/release/7709902

My favourite Chosen Brothers/Rhythm & Sound is this monster (also featuring Bullwackie's All Stars):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVHPDuGtFTo

i have the basic channel reissue of that record and i have literally never played that side of it

but i have played the other side too many times

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ytax95DanA

listening to joe higgs' "life of contradiction" right now and it's very good.

https://imgur.com/a/OeYFlie

Was behind this work of genius the other morning. Caption needed. Current thinking 'under heavy spanners' or 'call Jah for joists and joints'.

Well, that's irritating.

https://imgur.com/a/OeYFlie

Reminds me of a thread I’ve been meaning to start.

For the record, I was behind a van on the way to work that bore the magnificent name 'I and I Carpentry'.

If I and I were a carpenter

Should have capitalized the last word

starting to think Prince Far I never made a bad record

I haven't heard a bad one, but they are fairly homogenous. I have 5 or so, but I really only listen to the Cry Tuff compilations and Voice of Thunder.

Cry Tuff volumes are all topshelf, but sometimes I just wanna hear him read some bible psalms, you know?

Just a quick revive to praise jah once more for the Silvertones 'Cheating and Lying' track upthread. Fire.

And I don't suppose this is new to anyone but was listening to Don Carlos on Friday night and this is just immense:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi8m2gMvpA8

so good

I'm feeling this atm

https://youtu.be/FM9AGbJgTSI

Pass me the lazer beam

Cornell Campbell on the same backing track as that Don (Mc?)Carlos track

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S67xXlDQTKU

Decent looking show on BBC4 tonight: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00095ky

A treasure trove of tapes from the golden age of reggae has been salvaged and provides the soundtrack to the compelling story of the family behind the legendary Randy's Studio 17.

This "Sound of Macka Dub" (apparently the only album credited solely to Carleton and Family Man) is dope as hell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaxpkW5WHYg

Barry Brown, "Mr. C.I.D."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHj97-qNI1I

^on this fantastic comp: https://www.discogs.com/Various-The-Biggest-Dancehall-Anthems-1979-82-The-Birth-Of-Dancehall/release/527989

or maybe it isn't on that?? confusing it w/a diff comp I guess.

Must've been confusing it with this comp:
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Trojan-Dancehall-Roots-Box-Set/release/639850

Which is good too. All those 3 disc Trojan comps are good, if not the best sound quality.

yeah those were a real gateway drug for me

wish I had the cash to scoop up more of them when they were being released

I need a proper run at some Dancehall stuff - feels like a hole I need to fill.

Meanwhile, these Strangeness of dub Morley Radio shows look pretty killer: https://www.morleyradio.co.uk/programmes/the-strangeness-of-dub-ep1/
Midway through episode 1 and there's a *monstrous* Count Ossie nyabinghi jam.

i was not familiar with ranking ann until hearing her on this recent nts special - https://www.nts.live/shows/in-focus/episodes/in-focus-ranking-ann-21st-january-2019 - enjoy for a perfect mix of early dancehall, dub, 80s roots

?! nice find

this Errol Sly & Ranking Ann "Love In Your Heart / Moonlight Lover" track is dope

Digging this. Those crazy delay feedback chops on the second track <3 (I forget how to characterize that exact effect where the delay is feeding back on itself and you get these detuned pitch sweeps, but it's what the Crystallizer plugin is emulating, probably some Eventide thing originally?).

Topical, and cool to actually see a dub mix go down in real time (Scientist):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA8OBQMt9WY