Are we talking vocalists or the music?
If music, somehow my quite extensive collection seems to feature mostly Sly and Robbie on the bass and drums of most songs from just about any vocalist. Even some of the Wailers and other band stuff. If it's not them in person, then it's someone else playing one of their riddims to the song. If it's not a band, then someone is recording vocals to one of their dubs
Did anyone else notice this? Almost feels like reggae music is the Taxi Gang!!!
Another thing that I have noticed is there is an older counterpart to Robbie's baselines in the vocals of Kishore Kumar and Mohd Raffi or one of R.D. Burman instrument riff from Bollywood golden era 40s to 90s. Makes me think that with all the former Indian indentured farmers pumping Bollywood in their parties and cinemas, the two boys might have been tub thumping on their way back home in a taxi and then re producing catchy tunes with the bass and drums
So I decided to look into it, but beyond information about them composing the first tune that got named "reggae" by Toots in do the reggae. So I looked up the song and started singing "Mere samne wali khidki with it"!!!
We were doing karaoke to 'Roop tera mastana" and I started playing the 'bam bam' riddim bassline to it. It's crazy, the bassline follows the vocals of this older song word for word. I ended up finding counterparts to most riddims when playing bass along to our Bollywood karaokes
I think Sly and Robbie are the makers of this music and have done an amazing job to further the 'coloured riddim of 123& instead of 1234' to all countries of the world to where now Bollywood, reggae, dancehall, soca, chutney, reggaeton, all the countries pop are now all using the same basic riddims from Sly and Robbie with their work for Chaka Demus and Pliers, Admiral Bailey and Shabba. The staccato type layers from Dembow can be heard in the earliest recording being "shola jo bhadke" to now present in most recordings in all those scenes from all those countries
It is just mind-blowing to think about how much influence two man from a tiny Island have had over the worlds' music scenes. Ultimate respect
If music, somehow my quite extensive collection seems to feature mostly Sly and Robbie on the bass and drums of most songs from just about any vocalist. Even some of the Wailers and other band stuff. If it's not them in person, then it's someone else playing one of their riddims to the song. If it's not a band, then someone is recording vocals to one of their dubs
Did anyone else notice this? Almost feels like reggae music is the Taxi Gang!!!
Another thing that I have noticed is there is an older counterpart to Robbie's baselines in the vocals of Kishore Kumar and Mohd Raffi or one of R.D. Burman instrument riff from Bollywood golden era 40s to 90s. Makes me think that with all the former Indian indentured farmers pumping Bollywood in their parties and cinemas, the two boys might have been tub thumping on their way back home in a taxi and then re producing catchy tunes with the bass and drums
So I decided to look into it, but beyond information about them composing the first tune that got named "reggae" by Toots in do the reggae. So I looked up the song and started singing "Mere samne wali khidki with it"!!!
We were doing karaoke to 'Roop tera mastana" and I started playing the 'bam bam' riddim bassline to it. It's crazy, the bassline follows the vocals of this older song word for word. I ended up finding counterparts to most riddims when playing bass along to our Bollywood karaokes
I think Sly and Robbie are the makers of this music and have done an amazing job to further the 'coloured riddim of 123& instead of 1234' to all countries of the world to where now Bollywood, reggae, dancehall, soca, chutney, reggaeton, all the countries pop are now all using the same basic riddims from Sly and Robbie with their work for Chaka Demus and Pliers, Admiral Bailey and Shabba. The staccato type layers from Dembow can be heard in the earliest recording being "shola jo bhadke" to now present in most recordings in all those scenes from all those countries
It is just mind-blowing to think about how much influence two man from a tiny Island have had over the worlds' music scenes. Ultimate respect
Did someone noticed?
Lol. In my country everyone knows ( without knowing it of course):
It made a huge buzz at the time: warriors from 'la legion etrangère' went to one concert and punched Gainsbourg in the face, the man stayed there and 'stand up for his right and did not give up the fight!'... facing professional killers offended by the fact our national anthem was played by black peoples smoking weed.
He answered 'La marseillaise was a revolutionary Anthem such as Reggae music is'.
Huge respect to the genius and visionary Gainsbourg was.
Sly & Robbie wasn't the only one to have this status but in other genres: in the 50's/60's there was a 'gang' a studio musicians in L.A. which did all commercial hits of the time, in France we had a group of musicians which made 80% of disco hits too... this kind of musicians are called 'requins de studio' in there.
Lol. In my country everyone knows ( without knowing it of course):
It made a huge buzz at the time: warriors from 'la legion etrangère' went to one concert and punched Gainsbourg in the face, the man stayed there and 'stand up for his right and did not give up the fight!'... facing professional killers offended by the fact our national anthem was played by black peoples smoking weed.
He answered 'La marseillaise was a revolutionary Anthem such as Reggae music is'.
Huge respect to the genius and visionary Gainsbourg was.
Sly & Robbie wasn't the only one to have this status but in other genres: in the 50's/60's there was a 'gang' a studio musicians in L.A. which did all commercial hits of the time, in France we had a group of musicians which made 80% of disco hits too... this kind of musicians are called 'requins de studio' in there.
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Caribbean musics are probably the most important ones of last century ( in my view): they influenced every genres everywhere one way or another.
When music is driven by sincerity and righteous angryness it touch people at heart whenever and whoever they are.
Such a powerful art!
When music is driven by sincerity and righteous angryness it touch people at heart whenever and whoever they are.
Such a powerful art!
The originator of HipHop/Rap DJ Kool Herc was born in Kingston and brought the idea of Soundsystems and toasting (rapping) to New York.
But when it comes to Bass there is only one name at the very top: Carol Kaye.
A member of L.A.'s legendary Wrecking Crew she appears on over 10 000 recordings from the Sinatras Frank and Nancy via Quincy Jones to the Beach Boys etc.
She also played 12 string guitar for Frank Zappa.
But when it comes to Bass there is only one name at the very top: Carol Kaye.
A member of L.A.'s legendary Wrecking Crew she appears on over 10 000 recordings from the Sinatras Frank and Nancy via Quincy Jones to the Beach Boys etc.
She also played 12 string guitar for Frank Zappa.
I thought rap originated with dub poetry in Jamaica. Guys like U-Roy on Sly and Robbie dubs
Talking U Roy and Sly and Robbie stuff. AB listen to the UB40 covers of John Holt's 'Wear you to the ball' and U-Roy's rap cover and then listen to the butchered bass lines vocals 'chicabow' covers from the band that prolly made millions with it! Enough to make a man cry
Some of these founding types artists have some crazy recording numbers. I think Robbie is around 20,000 tracks
Talking U Roy and Sly and Robbie stuff. AB listen to the UB40 covers of John Holt's 'Wear you to the ball' and U-Roy's rap cover and then listen to the butchered bass lines vocals 'chicabow' covers from the band that prolly made millions with it! Enough to make a man cry
Some of these founding types artists have some crazy recording numbers. I think Robbie is around 20,000 tracks
U-Roy got it from Count Matchuki and Kool Herc brought it to the USA.
I'd rather not listen to anything UB40.
Robbie quite possibly is on 20 000 singles but given that back in the 80s there were already 1500 versions of the Stalag riddim (just an example, I don't know if Robbie had anything to do with it) most using the same backing track that amounts to very few actual original recordings. So I don't think Robbie came close to or exceeded Carol Kaye.
I'd rather not listen to anything UB40.
Robbie quite possibly is on 20 000 singles but given that back in the 80s there were already 1500 versions of the Stalag riddim (just an example, I don't know if Robbie had anything to do with it) most using the same backing track that amounts to very few actual original recordings. So I don't think Robbie came close to or exceeded Carol Kaye.
Stalag (original called Stalag 17 after the movie) is made by a different band, the Techniques (also known as Lynn Taitt & the Jets) in 1973 with Ansel Collins as writer and the drummer was Joe Isaac. It was released on the Techniques label owned by Winston Riley, the founder of the band.
Sly was member of the revolutionairies, "Skin, Flesh and Bones", the Aggrovators (sometimes, as it had changing lineups), the Upsetters (late 1970's), Black Uhuru, The Taxi Gang, ... and played a lot as session musician (as they got paid per session) for various producers and liveband of artist (most notible is Peter Tosh and Grace Jones). But he was not the only drummer, you also got Carlton Barrett (the Upsetters, the Wailers), Lloyd Knibb (Skatalites, Supersonics), Drumbago (Sound Dimension, Prince Buster), and many less known drummers at that time also...
Sly was member of the revolutionairies, "Skin, Flesh and Bones", the Aggrovators (sometimes, as it had changing lineups), the Upsetters (late 1970's), Black Uhuru, The Taxi Gang, ... and played a lot as session musician (as they got paid per session) for various producers and liveband of artist (most notible is Peter Tosh and Grace Jones). But he was not the only drummer, you also got Carlton Barrett (the Upsetters, the Wailers), Lloyd Knibb (Skatalites, Supersonics), Drumbago (Sound Dimension, Prince Buster), and many less known drummers at that time also...
Ansel Collins had more hits like that like the infamous "Double barrel" with Dave Barker
I know all that except who recorded the Stalag.
The joys of having had access to BFBS Radio which had a weekly show hosted by the great David Rodigan.
Even my Jamaican friends here say that Dave is the greatest reggae DJ there is even though he is as white as a fishbelly and dances with all the grace of a drunken stork. There is only one radio DJ who comes close to Dave and that is a guy from the JBC but even though Dave is based in the UK he got all the latest releases first.
The first time I've seen Sly&Robbie live they were part of Peter Tosh's Word, Sound & Power band and later with Black Uhuru, Taxi Gang etc but you never were left with any doubt who the real stars of those shows were!
The tickets and posters actually read: 'Sky & Robbie present...' 😉
The joys of having had access to BFBS Radio which had a weekly show hosted by the great David Rodigan.
Even my Jamaican friends here say that Dave is the greatest reggae DJ there is even though he is as white as a fishbelly and dances with all the grace of a drunken stork. There is only one radio DJ who comes close to Dave and that is a guy from the JBC but even though Dave is based in the UK he got all the latest releases first.
The first time I've seen Sly&Robbie live they were part of Peter Tosh's Word, Sound & Power band and later with Black Uhuru, Taxi Gang etc but you never were left with any doubt who the real stars of those shows were!
The tickets and posters actually read: 'Sky & Robbie present...' 😉
I was lucky enough to have seen Sly & Robbie live once in 1987. Great show, however, their political proclamation was misunderstood by the stadium crowd, and cheered for apartheid, I think it was.
The cord was then loudly yanked from his bass…
Amazing musicians and are probably my favourite overall. I do wish some of the recordings were better.
The cord was then loudly yanked from his bass…
Amazing musicians and are probably my favourite overall. I do wish some of the recordings were better.
In my late teens I was invited to help out by Black Uhuru's backline guy at Glastonbury Pyramid stage after Ian Dury's drummer got me a pass, I was given the job of keeping the band supplied with 'water' etc until the stage manager saw me and sent me off the stage, I had a pass to the backstage area only. In the meantime my Dad's friend Mac (Dr John) had arrived so went and hung out with him until it was his time to go to stage, there was a couple of big steps and he had his walking stick so asked for a hand onto stage. Stage manager didn't say another word. Bonus, Blockheads said to take anything left from the rider back to camp, took as much as I could carry.
When I saw Black Uhuru the band ie Ducky, Michael and Puma came through the main entrance past all the paying punters.
I guess the backstage area was reserved for Sly, Robbie and their MC!
I guess the backstage area was reserved for Sly, Robbie and their MC!
I thought that reggae would only get better after discovering it during the 80s, but I truly miss those groups from that era.
I saw the Rita Marley & the Wailers in ‘84, was pretty cool.
That bass player kept aiming the neck of the bass right at me while punching out the notes.
Priceless…
I saw the Rita Marley & the Wailers in ‘84, was pretty cool.
That bass player kept aiming the neck of the bass right at me while punching out the notes.
Priceless…
I could never really appreciate the wailers material. It sounds quite put on because one moment singing about can't love another and next moment having kids with 9 other gyals! Just that one thing put me off Bob Marley's lyrics. Either be a slut and own it, or show complete integrity. Aston Barrett didn't get his due. Too many rock sounds in the Music. The basslines are highly robotic as in exactly the same from start to end like a sequencer. He didn't let rip towards the end of the songs like Robbie. I only have three Wailers songs in my playlist, and only for posing reasons when driving into certain places. Natural Mystics dub, Roots Rock Reggae dub and baby we have a date. Really can't bring myself to enjoy any other tracks
If you complain about polygamy in jamaica, it's a standard practice even untill now. Bob and Rita (his wife) both have children outside their marriage but always stayed toghetter and loyal (Rita said, i was never his only wife, but always nr 1). Other artists (male and female) did just the same, even to today. Monogamic marriages are rare there, even now.
And Bob Marley made crossover reggae, very good crossover reggae, but crossover targetted on the UK and the US. Certainly from the mid 1970's he was not up to date with what happened in Jamaica, where rootssteppers and rubadub took over from the rockers style he played. His earlier work with Lee Perry (before Island came in 1973 and Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer left) is for me the best work. After that it was stil very good, but not that exceptional like the period 1968-1973...
And Bob Marley made crossover reggae, very good crossover reggae, but crossover targetted on the UK and the US. Certainly from the mid 1970's he was not up to date with what happened in Jamaica, where rootssteppers and rubadub took over from the rockers style he played. His earlier work with Lee Perry (before Island came in 1973 and Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer left) is for me the best work. After that it was stil very good, but not that exceptional like the period 1968-1973...