U-Roy – Version Galore (1971)

“‘All of a sudden, Jamaica awoke one morning and U-Roy was everywhere…’ – So read the original liner notes to this classic reggae LP, which originally hit in 1971 and washed over the island like a grooving tropical storm. U-Roy was a true reggae pioneer, dubbed The Originator for good reason. Bursting onto the Jamaican scene in the early 1970s, he pioneered the vocal approach called ‘toasting,’ which in addition to bringing Jamaican music into a new era, was also heavily influential on an American vocal style also in its infancy: rapping. This full-length, his first after a string of singles (mostly on the Treasure Isle and other Duke Reid labels, run by the famed producer and studio owner), rolls like a crazy party where a wobbly, but talented, ‘master of ceremonies’ grabs the mic and won’t let go. Speaking over and around songs that already have straight-ahead vocals on them, U-Roy shows the world why he is considered an iconoclast and trailblazer. In all honesty, there are few standouts on the album since they all run a similar course, and all are captivating in their own way. Modern listeners will especially note ‘Tide Is High,’ originally by the Paragons (featuring dulcet-toned vocalist John Holt) and recorded later as a 1980 smash hit by Blondie. Each track here is a new adventure, and while U-Roy’s approach might take some getting used to, it will eventually capture your ears as it did the entire island of Jamaica in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Sit back, drop the needle, and enjoy.”
get on down
YouTube: Version Galore (1971 Full Album)

U-Roy – Jah Son of Africa (1978)

“The best way to introduce oneself to the artistry of legendary deejay U Roy would probably be to check out either With a Flick of My Musical Wrist (on Trojan) or Super Boss (on Esoldun). But another good place to start is with the impressive collection of albums he made in the late 1970s for Virgin’s Front Line imprint. When the Front Line catalog was first reissued in the early 1990s, most of the tracks on Jah Son of Africa were included on a U Roy compilation entitled Natty Rebel: Extra Version (another found its way onto a similar compilation called Version of Wisdom). Anyone who missed out on those fine collections can buy this reissue with confidence; it finds U Roy at the peak of his powers, chatting over dub versions of such classic tracks as the Wailers ‘Exodus’ and the Gladiators’ ‘Stick a Bush,’ his much-imitated whoops and interjections showcased beautifully by producer Tony Robinson (of Aswad). Highlights include the title track and the delightful ‘Tom Drunk.’ Highly recommended.”
allmusic
YouTube: Jah son of Africa, Rivers of babylon, Tom drunk, Peace and love in the ghetto, Running around town with Tom, Dick & Harry, I got to tell you goodbye, Herbman skanking, Africa for the Africans, Love in the arena,

U-Roy – Dread in a Babylon (1975)

‘Even without the music, this album would still leap off the racks; its photo of U Roy exhaling a mushroom cloud of marijuana smoke from his ever-available pipe ranks among the all-time greatest covers, regardless of genre. However, U Roy doesn’t have any trouble coming across as a distinctive presence; his scattershot repertoire of barks, chants, and screams is as critical or more important as the deft, unobtrusive backing woven behind him. U Roy imposes his own willful style, regardless of setting. Sometimes he pulls off a positively poppy veneer on tracks like “Runaway Girl” or “Silver Bird”; other times, he extemporizes slightly ahead of the beat on “Natty Don’t Fear” or “The Great Psalms.” His lyrics run the gamut of Rastafarian concerns, from facing adversity (“Dreadlocks Dread”) to female troubles (“I Can’t Love Another”) and royalist run-ins (“Chalice in the Palace”). The uncredited musicians stay out of the way (although they get their own album-closing instrumental, “Trench Town Rock”). This album ranks among the ’70s dub masterpieces, even if the odd lyrical clinker keeps it from perfection; “Runaway Girl”‘s glistening skank can’t paper over its sexism (which suggests the girl in question “may be nice/but you’re not that smart”). Even so, sometimes an artist only needs charisma to get across, and U Roy handily wins on that score.’
allmusic

‘… Mixing together fantastic dub beats, and also being largely responsible for the practice of “toasting,” it is due to the efforts and vision of U-Roy that there is a hip-hop genre today. While he continues to make music today, there is perhaps no better a representation of his sound, and no more important a record for so many genres then U-Roy’s brilliant 1975 release, Dread In A Babylon. As the 1960’s turned into the 1970’s, portable sound systems became more readily available, and large dance parties began to move out of the dance halls and into open, public spaces. This trend, which occurred across the globe, made the necessity of a DJ far more important. Yet, it was far more then just playing songs; the DJ had to be able to keep the crowd’s mood good with his skills on the microphone. Presenting clever rhyming and commentary, which took on the name “toasting,” this is where the entire hip-hop genre began. In fact, early hip-hop DJ’s, like DJ Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa were far more akin to “toasters” then they were to modern day emcees. Among all these early toasters, U-Roy was unquestionably the finest of the group, and the rhymes that he presented over early dub plates are like nothing else found at the time. U-Roy’s debut record completely changed the face of Jamaican music, proving that there was far more to the island then just the reggae sound. The cover of Dread In A Babylon has also become massively memorable, as there are actually four different versions, all featuring the same theme: U-Roy disappearing behind a giant cloud of smoke. Without question, one of the most iconic album covers in history, many make the case that, even without the fantastic music, the album would have done well simply by this cover.’
The Daily Guru

YouTube: Dread In A Babylon – runaway girl, chalice in the palace, i can’t love another, dread locks dread, the great psalms, natty don’t fear, african message, silver bird, listen to the teacher, trench town rock

U Roy – You’ll never get away (1970)

YouTube: You’ll never get away

Ranking Joe – World in Trouble (2005)

“DJ Ranking Joe (who has also recorded under the name Little Joe, not to be confused with Little John) is a legend among the cognoscenti of old-school dancehall reggae, although his commercial career and worldwide reputation have always been overshadowed by those of his contemporaries Big Youth and, especially, the great U-Roy, who served as something of a mentor to Ranking Joe during his early career. This excellent new set finds him in the company of session greats from the early days, including trumpeter Bobby Ellis, saxophonist Dean Fraser, and guitarist Chinna Smith; since Ryan Moore (of Twilight Circus Dub Sound System fame) is behind the boards, the rhythms are thick, dark, and heavy — close your eyes and you could be back in the Channel One studio or even the Black Ark during the roots heyday of the late ’70s. And Ranking Joe himself is in top form; he’s effortlessly articulate chatting on tracks like ‘Don’t Follow Babylon’ (a fine combination track featuring singer Michael Rose) and ‘Seek Ye First,’ neither of them breaking any new ground either lyrically or musically, but both demonstrating again that Ranking Joe deserves to be rated with the very best exponents of this venerable style of reggae chatting. Highly recommended.”
allmusic

Twilight Circus Dub Sound System
“Twilight Circus is the dub and reggae project of multi-instrumentalist Ryan Moore, former bassist and drummer of the Legendary Pink Dots. Twilight Circus is becoming increasingly popular and well known for Moore’s work with artists such as Big Youth, Michael Rose of Black Uhuru and Ranking Joe. He originally started off producing dub albums, before recording vocalists for inclusion on his critically acclaimed Foundation Rockers album. In the classic tradition of reggae, Moore releases 10″ vinyl record singles, often in limited edition. …”
Wikipedia

YouTube: World In Trouble [Full Album]
00:0 – 03:46 Seek Ye First 03:48 – 08:09 Poor Man Struggle 08:12 – 12:39 Control Your Temper 12:40 – 16:26 World In Trouble 16:26 – 20:13 Wake The Nation 20:15 – 24:30 Don’t Follow Babylon 24:33 – 28:10 Nowhere To Hide 28:10 – 32:38 Don’t Try To Use Me 32:41 – 36:40 Don’t Try To Use Me Dub 36:42 – 40:31 World In Trouble (Vibronics Skaboom Remix) 40:42 – 45:34Don’t Follow Babylon

U Roy – Call On I + DJ Special (1974)

YouTube: Call On I + DJ Special

Rupie Edwards

“Jamaica’s more eccentric producers get all the glory, but it was the less flamboyant Rupie Edwards who arguably made the biggest impact on the island’s music scene. As the inventor of the one-riddim album, and the first to popularize dub abroad, the singing producer signposted reggae’s path for posterity. Rupie was born in Goshen, Jamaica, on July 4, 1945, and his family moved to Kingston when he was 13. Talent shows beckoned, as did a career as a mechanic, but the singer was still in his teens when he cut his debut single, 1962’s ‘Guilty Convict.’ Duos were all the rage, and Edwards joined forces with Junior Menz as the Ambassadors, then added Dobby Dobson to create the vocal trio the Virtues. Their singles were sporadic, and so Rupie turned to self-production in 1966, self-producing four of the Virtues’ numbers, as well as a couple of solo cuts. By 1968 Edwards had had enough, and launched his own Success label and record shop, located at 136 1/2 Orange Street. Success’ name quickly became a self-fulfilling prophecy, with the reggae era splattered with its hits. Given his fine, warm tenor, Edwards’ stream of solo singles sold well, but he made his real mark with his productions of others. Veterans and stars-to-be both passed through his doors during the next few years, among them the Heptones, Bob Andy, Errol Dunkley, the Ethiopians, Joe Higgs, Dobby Dobson, and Dennis Alcapone. …”
allmusic

“Rupie Edwards (born Rupert Lloyd Edwards, 4 July 1945, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica) is a Jamaican reggae singer and record producer. Rupie Edwards, an only child, moved to Kingston in 1958, where he set up his first band while still at school. His first recording was ‘Guilty Convict’ b/w ‘Just Because’, for L.S. ‘Little Wonder’ Smith in 1962, released on Melodisc’s Blue Beat label in the UK, and was paid £15 for the session. After recording a few singles, he became involved with the Virtues and, from 1968, started to focus only on his own productions. By the beginning of the 1970s, apart from releasing singles as a singer, he had recorded artists like The Heptones, Bob Andy, Johnny Clarke, Joe Higgs, Gregory Isaacs and The Ethiopians on his own record labels ‘Success’ and ‘Opportunity’. He also worked with DJs such as U-Roy and I-Roy, and released some instrumental versions with his studio band, The Rupie Edwards All Stars. The group included musicians such as saxophonist Tommy McCook, trombone player Vin Gordon, drummer Carlton ‘Santa’ Davis, guitarist Hux Brown, pianist Gladstone Anderson, bassist Clifton ‘Jackie’ Jackson and organist Winston Wright.”
Wikipedia

YouTube: The Yamaha Skank, – U Roy Junior – The Yamaha Skank – – Water House (King Tubby & Rupie Edwards) – Doctor Satan Echo Chamber — Shortie the President – President A Mash Up The Resident — Joe White – President Rock — Underground People – Rebel Dina (version) — The Uniques – My conversation, My little red top 12″, Rise And Fall / Rise In Dub (1976), Give me love and affection, I’m Gonna Live Some Life

Johnny Clarke – Don’t Trouble Trouble (1989)

“Over the years, a plethora of roundups from this formidable artist have hit the streets of Jamaica, Britain, Europe, and the U.S., all dedicated exclusively to the singer’s recordings for producer Bunny Lee. Invariably there’s some repetition, but so many singles did Johnny Clarke unleash under Lee’s aegis, there’s more than enough to go around. Inevitably there were some duds amid the barrage of hits, but the bulk of the material is of such high quality that fans really can’t go wrong. With that said, Don’t Trouble Trouble still rises to the top of the compilation pile. With copious hindsight — the set was released in 1989, the British Attack label was able to choose tracks not based on the hottest sounds of the time, but those that were the most enduring. Nicely balanced between cultural concerns, romantic interests, and dancehall bravado, the set presents a particularly well-rounded picture of this crucial artist. Although it’s still only a partial one, as Trouble troubles only to pull from the period 1975-1976, early in Clarke’s partnership with Lee, equally great numbers were still to come. …”
allmusic

YouTube: Revolutionary – Don’t Trouble Trouble, Johnny Clarke – Dont Trouble Trouble, Rock With Me Baby, Cold I up (Jaguar) 7″, johnny clarke & king tubby cold it up dub, Creation rebel + straight to the spear’s head (1975 Justice), Too Much War + U-Roy, Do You Love Me? + Aggrovators – Do You Dub Me, Since I Fell For You, Doing My Thing +King Tubby The Dub Ruler, Bring It On Home To Me+Aggrovators Bring It On Home To Me-version, You keep on running, They never love poor marcus, Johnny Clarke & King Tubby – Poor Marcus Dub, Stop the Tribal War, Johnny Clarke & U Brown No More Tribal War / Stop Tribal War ~ Dubwise Selecta Reggae

Dennis Alcapone – My Voice Is Insured for Half a Million Dollars (1970 – 1973)

“Consisting of tracks recorded between 1970 and 1973, when the young DJ was at the peak of his popularity, this album remains the single best summation of Dennis Alcapone’s art. It’s true that his style owed a deep debt to U Roy, but he managed to improve on his lyricism and melodic interest; although Alcapone was primarily a ‘chatter’ in the established tradition, he frequently lapsed into singing and was also known for his strange whoops and yelps. My Voice has been reissued by Trojan before, but this issue ups the ante considerably by adding ten bonus tracks to the original program. Highlights are numerous and include the spectacular ‘Musical Alphabet,’ ‘Joe Frazier Round 2′ (which continues a popular topic for DJs of the period), and most of all, his brilliant DJ cuts on the Ethiopians’ classic ‘Selah’ (titled ‘Rocking to Ethiopia’) and Augustus Pablo’s deathless instrumental ‘Java’ (‘Mava’). Of course, he’s helped considerably by the consistently high quality of the rhythm tracks, which came to him courtesy of such top producers as Duke Reid, Winston ‘Niney’ Holness, and Bunny Lee. This album should be considered an essential part of any serious reggae collection.”
allmusic

YouTube: Dennis Alcapone & The Dubcats – Cassius Clay – 29 Oct 2011 – Boss Sounds Festival
YouTube: My Voice Is Insured for Half a Million Dollars, Pop a Version, Fever Teaser, Power Version, Rocking to Ethiopia, Cassius Clay & Joe Frazier (Round 2), Jungle Of Crime, Fine Style, Mava

Gregory Isaacs & U-Brown – The Border (1977)

YouTube: Gregory Isaacs & U-Brown – The Border + GG AllStars-Dub Part Two