Augustus Pablo albums

Augustus Pablo
King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown


Clocktower.


Yard.


Shanachie.


Jet Star.

Producer: Augustus Pablo

Mixing engineer: Errol Thompson, King Tubby

Recording studios: Randy's

Mixing studio: King Tubby's

Recorded: 1972-1975

LP: Clocktower CTLP 0085 (1977), Yard International DSR 2402 (1977), Shanachie (1982), Message PBL 1007 (1984)

CD: Shanachie 44019 (1994), Jet Star CDRP005, Shanachie SH 45059 (2004, Deluxe edition with 4 bonus tracks)

Tracklist

  1. Keep On Dubbing
  2. Stop Them Jah
  3. Young Generation Dub
  4. Each One Dub
  5. 555 Dub Street
  6. Brace's Tower Dub
  7. King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown
  8. Corner Crew Dub
  9. Say So
  10. Skanking Dub
  11. Frozen Dub
  12. Satta Dub

Shanachie CD 2004 Tracklist

  1. Keep On Dubbing
  2. Stop Them Jah
  3. Young Generation Dub
  4. Each One Dub
  5. 555 Dub Street
  6. Brace's Tower Dub
  7. King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown
  8. Brace's Tower Dub No. 2
  9. Corner Crew Dub
  10. Skanking Dub
  11. Frozen Dub
  12. Satta Dub
  13. Black Gunn*
  14. 1 Ruthland Close*
  15. 1-2-3 Version*
  16. Silent Satta*

* Shanachie CD deluxe edition bonus tracks.

Track notes:

  • Keep On Dubbing: dub version of the Jacob Miller's Keep On Knocking
  • Stop Them Jah: dub version of the Hugh Mundell's Stop 'em Jah
  • Young Generation Dub: dub version of the Bongo Pat's Young Generation
  • Each One Dub: dub version of the Jacob Miller's Each One Teach One
  • 555 Dub Street: dub version of the Jacob Miller's False Rasta
  • Braces Tower Dub: dub version of Dillinger's Brace a Boy
  • King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown: dub version of the Jacob Miller's Baby I Love You So
  • Corner Crew Dub: dub version of the Hugh Mundell's One Jah, One Aim, One Destiny
  • Say So: dub version of the Paul Whiteman's Say So
  • Skanking Dub: dub version of Skanking Easy (the Soul Vendors' Swinging Easy)
  • Frozen Dub: dub version of the Heptones' Love Won't Come Easy
  • Satta Dub: dub version of the Abyssinians Satta Massagana, recorded at the Black Ark studio

Musicians

  • Augustus Pablo: melodica, piano, clavinet, organ
  • Robert "Robby" Shakespeare, Aston "Family Man" Barrett, Leroy "Heptones" Sibbles: bass
  • Carlton "Carlie" Barrett: drums
  • Earl "Chinna" Smith: guitar
  • Richard "Dirty Harry" Hall: tenor saxophone
  • Bobby Ellis: trumpet
  • Vincent "Don D Junior" Gordon: trombone

Notes

From the book: "Reggae. The Rough Guide. 100 essential CDs"

If you had to pick just one album to represent dub "King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown" is the disc. The title really says it all: the collaboration between the premier engineer and the top roots producer of the mid-'70s resulted in definitive King Tubby interpretations of some of Pablo's deepest rhythms.

It also demonstrated conclusively that a studio engineer could be considered as creative as the singers, musicians and visionary producer who made the music. A dub is essentially a remix. In the hands of an engineer as good as King Tubby (1941 - 1989) it became an artform, and an incredibly popular one.

From the 1970s on, Tubby cut dubs for all the top sound systems and producers. The impact of his pioneering efforts has since resounded far beyond its birthplace in the dancehall and it shows no sign of diminishing.

Back in 1972, at the time of this recording, King Tubby was based in the Waterhouse ghetto, and was the acknowledged ruler of the sound system world. Pablo (1953 - 1999), a scion of the more "uptown" Swaby family, was aged just 19 but had begun producing himself and already knew the sound he was seeking: a minor chord-based "Far East" sound. This is what came to fruition on "King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown" and it was a major component in the whole roots sound of the '70s, forged along with others of similar spiritual temperament, like Yabby You.

For this ground-breaking disc, Pablo assembled a brilliant cast: the Upsetters/Wailers drum and bass duo of Aston "Family Man" Barrett and brother Carlton, guitarist Earl "Chinna" Smith, horns-men Richard "Dirty Harry" Hall, Bobby Ellis, Vin Gordon and bassist Robbie Shakespeare. All sessions were recorded by the engineer Errol "ET" Thompson at Randy's Studio on North Parade.

Pablo then took the tapes to King Tubby for mixing. He initially released instrumental, deejay and vocal cuts as 7-inch 45s on his Hot Stuff, Rockers and Pablo International labels, between 1972 and 1975, but as the vogue for dub albums exploded in 1976, Pablo compiled twelve of his b-side dubs to make this set.

The centrepiece of the album is "King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown", a killer dub version of Jacob Miller's vocal "Baby I Love You So" which almost single-handedly defined dub for a non-Jamaican audience when it was released as a single by Island Records (UK) in 1975; it also appeared on the company's massive-selling "This Is Reggae Music" sampler.

Using his custom sliders, Tubby eases Miller's voice in and out of the mix, adding stabs of guitar and melodica. Carlton Barrett's explosive snare fills further serve to punctuate the elastic rhythm, which was first cut for producer Herman Chin Loy's 1973 album "Aquarius Dub".

Similarly, "Frozen Dub" propelled the Heptones on a recut of their Studio One classic "Love Won't Come Easy". Hopefully someone, some day, will undertake to present this crucial set in all its glory, with alternate mixes.

This CD reissue could do with better remastering and more care. Unaccountably, the exclamation "Lion!" is missing from the beginning of the album's opener, "Keep On Dubbing". Oddly, too, the record's last track is not actually listed on the CD, though it's there on the disc: it's Pablo's take on the Abyssinians' classic anthem "Satta Massagana", given a beautifully understated mix by Tubby.

But quibbles aside, this really is an essential essential - and, especially given that "Blackboard Jungle", Tubby's epic collaboration with Scratch, continues to be poorly reissued, it is the first of all dub CDs to acquire for any collection.

Steve Barrow & Peter Dalton

Shanachie CD notes

The creation of dub music was one of those inexblicable "great leaps forward" that resulted in a whole new art-form. Simply put, dub is a re-imagining of exixting music thriugh re-mixing and, sometimes, overdubbing. Dub mixes emphasize the rhythm as well as sonic textures of a recording, rather than the melody. The variations in rhythm and sonic textures create a whole different musical story, which refers to the original music. It was simply not possible before the era of multi-track recording as it's created by manipulating studio equipment to shape previously recorded tracks. Thus it is quintessential electronic music but more importantly dub was the first electronic music to penetrate the pop music worldon an ongoing basis. It's impact on many different styles of music has been huge; contemporary dance music, hip-hop and the so-called "electronica" genre would be unthinkable without it.

Pablo and the dub revolution

It's generally accepted that dub was created by King Tubby in Kingston, Jamaica in the late Sixties. A technical wizard, Tubby was an engineer, producer and sound system expertise led many producers to bring recordings to him for a final mix. One day, while working on a two-track mix for producer Duke Reid, Tubby dropped out the voice for most of the recording; it sounded strangely exciting to have the voice at the beginning of the record and then drop out to leave the bare thythm track. He carried some acetates of this mix to a dance and the reaction was overwhelming. As a result, it became commonplace to create dub versions of songs for the flip-sides of singles; though others, most notably Lee "Scratch" Perry and Augustus Pablo produced stunning dub music, Tubby was the acknowledged master. Dub was a whole new way of looking at music.

Augustus Pablo, born Horace Swaby, was a teenager in the late Sixties, a musical prodigy who played alla keyboard instruments, including melodica, which he played as a serious instrument. Hanging around Kingston studios, he soon got a chance to play on numerous sessions as his talent became recognized. Indeed his nom-de-plume was bestowed on him by producer Herman Chin-Loy in recognition of his ability. Pablo began producing his own recordings and, like so many producers, went to King Tubby's studio to have them mixed. A very special chemistry developed between Tubby and Pablo.

Pablo and Tubby's musical sensibilities meshed ina very creative and powerful way. As legendary reggae bassist Robbie Shakespeare noted about a seminal Pablo creation, "Cassava Piece", on which he played, "the way Pablo and Tubby mixed that was very special. There was no other record quite like it." Pablo had many talents. In addition to his obvious instrumental abilities he had a tremendous era for the rhythms. He ahd an uncanny ability to select and re-work classic rhythms from Studio One or other vintage reggae recordings but he also had a special ability to inspire session musicians to create powerful new rhythms. Altough less important an his dub records, Pablo had a marvelous melodic sensibility and on his puraly instrumental productions (such his classic "East Of The River Nile") created haunting, memorable melodies which appeared in evocative snatches on dub versions of these productions.

Most important, Pablo's creativity was informed by a great spiritual conciousness as a devout follower of Rastafari. He attributed his work to divine inspiration and the intent of his creation was to evoke a higher conciousness. This resulted in his "Far East" sound as well as the indefinable magic that so many of his recordings - both dubs and instrumental works - had. Frequently he credited His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie as the producer on his records.

The single "King Tubbys Meets The Rockers Uptown" was released in 1975 and caused an immediate sensation. This unique dub creation was a version of Pablo's production of "Baby I Love You So" by teen-aged prodigy Jacob Miller who went on to become one of Jamaica's greatest vocalist before his untimely death in his twenties.

"Baby I Love You So" is powerful, driving rockers reggae but "King Tubbys Meets The Rockers Uptown" shows just how much a great dub version can accomplish. Spectral, echo-ey snatches of Miller's vocal weave in and out of the mix as different instruments swoop up and down, highlighting a drum lick at one moment and a guitar skank the next.

The rest of "King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown" is a grand tour of fantastic Pablo rhythms dubbed into magnificence. Pablo rarely resorted to such gimmicks as sound effects in his dubs; his approach was always masterfully thought-out and musicianly.

On this deluxe version of "King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown", the twelve original tracks are augmented by four rare bonus tracks which were initially only released on Jamaican singles, on Pablo's own labels such a Rockers, Hot Stuff, Message and Yard, but which nonethe less are based on rhythms used on other tracks from "Rockers Uptown".

"Black Gunn" is another version of "Keep On Dubbing", whose rhythm track was used for Jacob Miller's "Keep On Knocking". "1 Ruthland Close" is another take on "555 Dub Street", itself a re-working of "555 Crown Street" which sports one of the most unique and spooky rhythms ever created. "Silent Satta", like "Satta Dub" find Pablo tackling the prodigious rhythm of the Abyssinians "Satta Amasagana". "1-2-3 Version" re-works the immortal "Cassava Piece", itself the basis for the "King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown" title track.

All in all, this album is not only one of "the fifty greatest reggae albums ever recorded", as Mojo Magazine has declared; it is one of the cornerstones of contemporary music. Listen to it with the volume crancked, with plenty of watts in your amp and big speakers to handle the bass.

Some music may lose it's charm at high volume; "King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown" just seems ever more monumental!

Randal Grass

King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown:

  • is ranked #38 among The Greatest Albums Of The '70s by NME (09/18/1993)
  • included in The Rough Guide To Reggae: 100 Essential CD's
  • included in Mojo's 50 Greatest Reggae Albums (...the definitive dub album...) by Mojo (08/01/2002)

Links

King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown at: