Recorded sometime in the 1980s, the rythym track behind this dub appears to have been laid down by either the Midnight Rock Crew or Roots Radics; at Channel 1, Harry J's, or Dynamic Sound in Kingston, W1. The precise location is not so much shrouded in mystery, as clouded - I suspect - by amnesia.
Produced and arranged by Nkrumah "Jah" Thomas, the magic ingredient - of course - could only have been procured from one source. King Tubby's Home Town Hi-Fi. Never an exact science, despite what the label might read, Overton Brown cannot be faulted in his supporting role here as sorcerer's apprentice.
In the course of these burning sounds - compiling, in the main, compositions from Thomas - Tubby keeps the dub deep n' loaded, while Scientist's occasionally irritating electronic flourishes never truly underwhelm the mix.
Their take on "Copper Shot", penned by Don Drummond Jr. and Tommy McCook, is for me the highlight in a wholly decent set.
Leaving even "Ghetto Dub" face down in the dirt. Like so many empty bottles.
▼ KING TUBBY & SCIENTIST: COPPER SHOT DUB (MUSIC IS MY OCCUPATION) from "King Tubby's Meets Scientist at Dub Station" LP & CD (Burning Sounds) 1996 (Jamaica)
5 comments:
Jesus!! Ib!! This is fucking great!! I've just managed to get ahold of a download of the Singers and Players stuff that I was missing. I'm all dubwise lately. This fits right in. Wow. Shit. Thanks.
Ha. I'm glad you are enjoying this one.
Your mention here of Singers and Players had me - slowly - putting together two and two. I left a comment over at your place. Jonderneathica, too, recently made some noises regarding On-U-Sound, and a more recent collaboration between Adrian Sherwood and Scratch. You can find out more in the commentary to my recent post on Snatch, bizarrely.
Well. "Copper Shot Dub" is top grade Tubby, for sure.
I am going to have to seriously reinvestigate Singers & Players, too. I remember "Bedward the Flying Preacher". Maybe a couple of other tracks, but only vaguely. Thank christ for symmetry and more hands to the pump.
I hope you liked my rum Ned Kelly collage too. It seemed appropriate.
The best rum I've ever tasted is Flor de Caña from Nicaragua, by the way that Appleton stuff is a big seller Mexico. As for the rest of the rum choice I will drink any as long as it is not from the Bicardi Empire
That should be spelt Bacardi...
Don't worry over the typo. I do it all the time. All the more now that spellcheck has seemingly disappeared in the course of several Google upgrades.
I am not looking forward to the phasing out of "old" bloggger. I don't like the way its successor handles the pics.
Well. I have never knocked sideways the Appleton blend. It was the only 'authentic' Jamaican brand I could source for my montage. I liked the heft of its waisted bottle, though I quickly chopped off the neck. It looks expensive.
The same goes with Flor de Caña. I limit my taste for rum to whatever flows more freely off the supermarket shelf. The darker the better. I'm with you on the Bacardi shit, though. A lightweight product fit for Batman and Robin; women in court shoes.
Isuspect this fondness for rum has plenty to do with the taste I acquired in childhood for any kind of pudding liberally laced with the stuff.
That, and Old Jamaica chocolate bars.
Between one infant vice and another - not least the socially condoned peddling of candy cigarettes - a whole generation was doomed from the start.
Now I think on it, it would not entirely suprise me if there is a solid case for litigation...
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