Original Rockers may be a very short CD - its ten tracks
run just over 29 minutes - but the music that it contains is quite
outstanding.
First issued on vinyl in 1979, it brings together rare sides that
appeared as 7-inch singles on Pablo's own labels between 1972 and
1975; to obtain original first pressings now would probably cost in
excess of 500 pounds.
Born Horace Swaby in Kingston (1953 - 1999), Augustus Pablo made his
debut on a series of singles for Herman Chin Loy's Aquarius label
in 1969 and 1970. Cuts like the moody minor-key "East
Of The River Nile" provided clues to his future direction.
He joined up with producer Clive Chin (formerly Pablo's fellow pupil
at Kingston College), cutting 1972's big hit "Java" as a melodica
instrumental when the vocalist scheduled to sing on the rhythm couldn't
make the session. Pablo then started his own labels, Hot Stuff and
Rockers, the latter named after the sound system owned by his brother
Garth.
His debut album, "This Is Augustus Pablo"
in 1973, was issued by Clive Chin and mixed by Errol "ET" Thompson,
but from late 1972 onwards, all Pablo's own tunes were recorded at
Dynamic (later Channel One), and mixed at King Tubby's. Pablo's timing
was perfect; Tubby was just establishing his kingdom of dub in his
kitchen at 18 Dromilly Avenue, Waterhouse.
Pablo played all the keyboards - organ, piano, clavinet, glockenspiel
and his famous melodica and used the Wailers' rhythm section of "Family
Man" Barrett on bass and his brother Carlton on drums. Over their
foundation, Earl "Chinna" Smith played guitar, with horns by "Dirty
Harry" Hall, Vin Gordon, and Bobby Ellis.
Whether Pablo originals or Studio One recuts, the instrumentals
they made share their minor key and evocative mood with the ska and
rock steady models that were their inspiration.
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A couple of tracks
here feature deejaying, including a version of the Heptones' classic
"Love Won't Come Easy" ("Rockers Dub"), on which Pablo and Paul K supply
the interjections, and a great early Dillinger called "Brace A Boy",
plus the b-side for good measure - a glockenspiel version known as
"AP Special".
There are two excellent out-and-out dubs, full of the Tubby style
- dramatic horns sprayed through long delay, cavernous reverb, clattering
guitar chops; "Jah Dread", a different mix of Jacob Miller's "Who
Say Jah No Dread", and "Park Lane Special", the original b-side
dub to Hugh Mundell's "Africa Must
Be Free".
Instrumentals include "Thunderclap", a brooding clavinet rendition,
one-finger style, of the "Ain't No Sunshine" rhythm also used by Dr
Alimantado an "Best Dressed Chicken In Town".
"Cassava Piece" is named
after a lane in Kingston; it's the melodica version of the rhythm
later used for Jacob Miller's epic "Baby I Love You So"/"King Tubby
Meets The Rockers Uptown".
The cut called "Tubby's Dub Song" here is actually the other side
of the record, "Pablo's Theme Song", another melodica instrumental;
the correct dub cut has since been reissued by Pressure
Sounds.
If melodica instrumentals don't sound very enticing, prepare to be
surprised.
Between 1972 and 1977, Augustus Pablo was at his best;
aided by some barbwire-taut rhythms and supremely dynamic mixes, Pablo
blew his bittersweet melodies through his little Hohner keyboard,
making it sing the songs of King Alpha, and thereby created a string
of minor masterpieces.
:: Steve Barrow & Peter Dalton |
