I've created a Spotify 'Killer Dubs' playlist from the albums that feature in this post, and it's in the right hand side bar. Click on the Spotify symbol in top right corner of the Spotify window and you'll launch Spotify if you have it on your PC/laptop.
[Unfortunately a few of the albums aren't on Spotify at this time]
*****
Intro
DUB REGGAE is basically the remixing of reggae recordings with the vocals partially or completely removed, and with emphasis on the drums and the bass, using effects such as reverb, repeat echo and phasing. These tracks were usually called 'versions' or 'dubs'. They were originally created for use at sound system dances which took place on street corners in Kingston Jamaica, where you'd often find the crowd singing the missing vocal parts. A DJ, or 'toaster', would talk over them, a phenomenon which many believe was the birthplace of rap. U-Roy, Big Youth, I-Roy & Dillinger were some of the best known DJs.
These dubs started to be put on the B sides of singles, and when reggae producers realised that they were sometimes more popular than the A sides, they started compiling them for release as dub albums. And when these sold well, some producers would dig out their 4 or 8 track master tapes and create dub mixes from them, specifically for album release.
*****
Dub in London Town
In March 1977 I travelled down from Oxford to London with some friends to visit punk club The Roxy for the first time. We had just missed the support band (the Slits) and after descending the steps to the basement we were met by the sound of some heavy duty reggae, courtesy of resident Roxy DJ Don Letts [left] who was filling before Siouxsie & The Banshees' set. He'd drop tunes like Culture's Two Sevens Clash, Junior Murvin's Police & Thieves and Tapper Zukie's MPLA.
Looking back, we might have been expecting a more punk/garage rock set, but they sounded great in this cramped and crowd basement club. I'd only really heard Bob Marley and Toots & The Maytalls up to that point, but this was something altogether more powerful.
The atmosphere was intense but positive, and despite being only 20, for the first time in my life I felt a little old, the contrast with 'laid back' Oxford being immense. It was like being frozen in a black & white movie, but one where everyone else was running around at a higher speed than normal.
Somehow the reggae, with its floor shaking drums and bass and socially conscious lyrics, fitted the early punk vibe perfectly. The Roxy experience would have been hugely diminished without it.
Check out Letts' Dread Meets Punk Rockers Uptown CD (2001)
Of course, when the Roxy first opened there were few punk singles available for Letts to play, outside of the Ramones and perhaps the Stooges, even if he'd wanted to, and even by the time of my visit in March they were still thin on the ground.
But there's no question, the Roxy experience would have been hugely diminished without the uplifting influence of the roots reggae vibe, and it may even have helped keep certain elements away, at a time when the rise of the NF was a serious threat. I got to know quite a few of those early punks who were there that night, and they were all either of a left wing persuasion, or entirely disinterested in politics, but still of a liberal mindset.
The use of the swastika by some bands and fashion designers as a shock tactic was misconstrued by some, and although not directly responsible for the rise of openly racist 'punk' bands who supported the NF it was only a year later that bands like Skrewdriver headed off down a far right rabbit hole, eventually releasing singles like White Power and Voice of Britain, and albums like Hail the New Dawn and Blood & Honour. How many of their fans ended up as leading lights of the BNP and subsequent far right groups, some of which were eventually banned as terrorist organisations?
Certainly by the time of my second visit in 1978 the atmosphere had changed drastically, and we didn't hang around for long. It wasn't long before Morrissey was declaring how much he 'loathed reggae' in interviews, which at the time seemed odd, but now not surprising, knowing what we do now.
A similar thing happened with Madness. Their early ska based gigs were incredible, but within a few months they attracted a far right skinhead element who even tried to take over gigs, providing 'security' on the door. I attended one gig where there were a couple of film crews capturing the occasion, and the atmosphere was like a far right rally. And I read somewhere that the band decided to adopt a more poppy style, to rid themselves of this following.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I moved down to London in July '77 to work night shifts at ITN, meaning I had time to hang out in my local record shops (mainly Honest Jon's in Camden, where I was known as Frank Interview, the name I used in my band The Interrogators) in between band rehearsals. I was buying reggae singles and albums under the watchful eye of Honest Jon's employee (and Dread Broadcasting Corporation founder) Dread Lepke, Rita Marley's half brother.
For a few weeks in 1979 (while ITV was on strike) I worked with Lepke at the Covent Garden branch of Honest Jon's (near Seven Dials) which sold only reggae, if memory serves correctly. Lepke used to 'live re-mix' records in the shop using an 'active EQ' unit which could remove frequency bands of your choice from the mix, with the slide of a fader. Punters would come in with their unwanted reggae albums and we'd give them a quid each for them, no matter what they were. A few of them were dub albums. A perk of the job was that we could keep them if we paid the Pound with our own money, and many of these records are still in my collection today - some feature in this blog.
This post was only intended to chronicle the dub albums that I bought between '77 and '80 (around about 17 in total) but inevitably the collection seems to be expanding day by day. I initially added a couple of albums I had bought in the intervening years to the list, but while researching I stumbled upon a few albums that I'd never previously owned, (some were recent reissues) and added those as well, all funded by sales of unwanted records on Discogs.
For me the period between 1974-80 was the golden era of dub, when the sounds were analogue, the equipment basic, and the riddims heavy. Dub evolved very rapidly thanks to pioneers like King Tubby, who'd started as an electronics repair guy before building a mini studio in the mum's spare room, so becoming a studio engineer. His versions, or dubplates, became more and more popular at sound systems held on Kingston street corners, and that popularity increased as the sophistication of his dub treatments became more pronounced. Reverb and EQ treatments were soon augmented by the repeat echo which took the art form to a whole new level. Tubby originally used a second tape machine to produce the echo delay, but other producers and engineers used the Roland Space Echo unit or similar devices; and Lee Perry used anything he could get his hands on, including a Mutron Bi-Phase unit that helped create his famously swirly sound.
Some would have extra instrumentation added during the mix; Augustus Pablo's melodica, Tommy McCook's tenor sax, or even some crazy Moog synthesiser, and some added vocal components; "I want to dub you, dub you always. Wooo, there ain't nobody else" for example on Angolian Chant, the first track on the Killer Dub playlist.
Producers like Errol Thomson would really throw the kitchen sink at his dubs, adding all sorts of sound effects to the mix. Lee Perry [below] would blow ganja smoke over the equipment, and rub the tape with all sorts of liquids, if you believe the stories. Whether true or not, his dubs did have a magic all of their own.
Some say that a dub album should ideally have been a deliberate creation, with the album's dubs mixed at one time (or in batches) specifically for the release, rather than be just a collection of various previously released single B Side versions. Nothing wrong with the latter, but somehow they lack the magic, and continuity of sound, of a specifically created dub LP.
I'm clearly biased towards the albums that feature the full panoply of dub effects, as you'll see reflected in the chart. Some prefer a stripped down, dry sound, but it's the spaced out dubs that get me every time. I love to hear snatches of vocals, and the inclusion of horns is also a bonus, for me.
Having been listening to dub for getting on for 45 years, I'd say it's one of my favourite music genres, and one that never sounds dated.
The ratings are based on the overall quality of the album, but take into account the dub quotient! This chart is of course purely based on my personal preferences.
Dub LP Selection 1974-1980
The ones I bought between 77 & '80 are in fuscia.
Values shown are based on approximate Discogs prices for a VG+ copy of the original release, not a re-issue. Marks take in to account the dub effects quotient, so an album of great rhythms remixed with few dub effects may receive a lower score than an album featuring run of the mill rhythms dubbed up to the max. The order is a bit random, and will change from time to time, but currently at No.1:
1
African Dub All-Mighty Chapter 3 - Joe Gibbs & The Professionals (1977)
Essential dub album and one of the soundtracks of the punk era. Some reggae purists are put off by the sound effects, but for me nothing could beat playing this after returning home from a punk gig, or over breakfast on a lazy Sunday morning. Joe Gibbs productions, Errol Thomson's wild, wild dubs with the sound of rolling thunder, sirens, doorbells, running water etc but the album has a flow and a continuity of sound that few dub albums can match. It's been reissued recently, so grab a copy before they sell out.
10/10 [Current Discogs price for a VG+ copy £55] *For an original pressing, not a re-issue. Relative cheap, as quite a lot of copies were solid.
2
Treasure Dub - Arthur 'Duke' Reid (1976?)
An outlier amongst dub albums, in that it features dub mixes of material from the rocksteady era, with Errol Brown dubbing up these classic Duke Reid 1970-74 productions recorded at Treasure Isle. Echoey vocals drift in and out of the reverbed up backing tracks, and the result is a dream. Again, it's one we played a lot in the punk era.
9/10 [Discogs price £90]
3
King Tubby’s Prophesy of Dub - The Prophets/Yabby You (1976)
Versions of Vivian 'Yabby U' Jackson productions from the Conquering Lion album given the full King Tubby treatment. Sparse and spacy, but with plenty of dub effects. The early pressings came in a plain white sleeve. Reissued by Pressure Sounds. Quintessential Dub!
9/10 [Discogs Price £315]
4
Zodiac Sounds - Dub Specialist (1975)
9/10 [Discogs price estimate c. £1,000]
5
King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown - Augustus Pablo (1976)
Quintessential dubs created by the genius that was Osbourne 'King Tubby' Ruddock, for the legend that was Augustus Pablo. The title song is considered a masterpiece and is almost certainly dub reggae's greatest creation. The 12" single version also featured in several Best of All Time lists. The rest of the album struggles to maintain that standard, which is hardly surprising.
9/10 [Discogs price £200]
6
Pick A Dub - Keith Hudson (1974)
Big, bold and pioneering, some claim that this is the first genuine dub LP, as it was a collection of dubs specifically mixed for this album.
Author Lloyd Bradley suggests that along with King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown, Super Ape and African Dub Chapter Three this album is 'one of the supreme heavyweight champion dub sets.' For my taste it's not quite up there with some of the very best albums that followed in its wake, but it was an landmark, heavyweight release, nonetheless.
8/10 [Discogs Price £145]
7
Megaton Dub - Lee Perry (1983 meets '77/78)
Lee Perry’s classic dub sounds augmented by echo effects, perhaps after a studio equipment upgrade? Conscious Man Dub in particular is a dub masterpiece. Buy this while you can! (Not on Spotify)
8/10 [Discogs Price £80]
8
Dub D'sco Vol 1 - Bunny Wailer (1977)
Killer, if slightly atypical album, originally on the Solomonic label, but reissued by Dubstore in Japan. I wish they'd release more copies, as it's still very hard (and expensive) to get hold of in decent condition. Deserves greater recognition and a wider release, particularly in the UK.
Includes five recuts of tracks from Bunny's classic Blackheart Man LP, so effectively features the Wailers minus Bob Marley and Peter Tosh.
Mixed by Karl Pitterson and Sylvan Morris with vocals to the fore. The vocals receive the repeat echo treatment, while the backing track (which doesn't appear to be remixed at all) is treated with swirling phasing and reverb effects. The overall result is a dubbed up off beat classic. (Not on Spotify)
8/10 [Discogs Price £85]
9
Super Ape - Lee Perry (1979)
Incredible Lee Perry productions, cool atmospheric dubs (although there's no repeat echo for fans of that effect). Possibly the biggest seller on this chart, as it came out on Island Records and was well promoted on release.
8/10 [Discogs Price £90]
10
Majestic Dub - Joe Gibbs & The Professionals (1979)
More killer Errol 'ET' Thompson mixes. A classic dub album with some disco influences, from the Donna Summer/Giorgio Moroder 'I Feel Love' synth opening, to the fully fledged disco track Bionic Encounter which closes side one on the original release. Some non Jamaican pressings replaced that track with standard dub workout Foundation Cycle. My copy contains the following message on the back of sleeve: 'Join The Joe Gibbs Record Club, For Further Info Write: Joe Gibbs Recording Studio, c/o Errol Thompson, 24 Retirement Cres., Kingston 5. (Please Enclose Photo Of Self)'.
8/10 [Discogs Price £52]
11
Orthodox Dub - Errol Brown/Clive Hunt (1979)
Another new discovery (for me), and it's magnificent. Reissued recently by Japanese label Dubstore who claim: 'A selection of solid dubs originally recorded by BB Seaton at Duke Reid’s legendary Treasure Isle studio and mixed in-house by the Duke’s nephew Errol Brown. A radical departure for all concerned this bold dub album was never officially released, although a few clandestine copies reputedly did the New York rounds at the time'. Macka Dub has one of my favourite ever reggae basslines, and Dubba Black push the boundaries with some funk bass licks! Orthodox it isn't. Buy it here from Dubstore, while you can. (I'm not on commission.)
9/10 [Discogs price £450]
12
Reggae Gi Dem Dub - Big Youth (1978)
Fine melodic (and very rare) dub album with some eccentric touches. Jimmy Becker of Chicago features on the harmonica on a few tracks, which blends in well with the brass arrangements and snatches of bluesy guitar. Great cover too. There's even a mock prog/jazz opening on Majority Rules. But this is a fine dub album from the great Big Youth, and it stands of from the crowd. (Not on Spotify)
8/10 [Discogs Price £40]
13
King Tubby’s Prophesies of Dub - Prophets (1976)
This followed the similarly titled King Tubby's Prophesy of Dub, but eleven of the twelve tracks are Bunny Lee rhythms mixed by Pat Kelly at King Tubby's Studio, produced by Yabby You. (In the reggae world 'producer' normally meant executive producer). This is a fine collection of dubs, and the Pressure Sounds re-issues with the limited edition silk screen covers are much sought after, as are the original pressings (see Discogs price below!). Cut from 4-track master tapes of recordings by Linval Thompson, Johnny Clarke, Delroy Wilson, Horace Andy and just one by Yabby You, the dubs show what an underrated dub 'remixer' Pat Kelly was.
8/10 [Discogs Price £1,174]
14
Dub Conference Vol. 2 - Harry Mudie Meet King Tubby (1977)
Classic dub; sparse, but beautifully mixed with guitar and horns drifting in and out, with swirling echo and fat reverb. Released on the Moodisc label which proclaims on its website:
'We are sure you will be thrilled with the exotic sound you will be hearing and that after listening to this album, you will be saying ‘thanks’ to producer Harry Mudie for his extraordinary imagination and superb production. As for the creator and inventor of dub music, the late and great King Tubby's, may he rest in Peace and keep mixing dub in Jah Kingdom. Thanks for the legacy you left behind on Earth. We will always think of you every time we play this album or hear dub music ringing in our ears. One love to Jah people.'
8/10 [Discogs Price £145]
15
Dub From the Roots - King Tubby (1975)
One of a series of 'King Tubby Presents' ️dub releases, and a hugely innovative for its time. Some absolute killer rhythms remixed by Tubby in his prime, originally released on the Total Sounds label in Jamaica. Some of the dubs are quite stripped down and simple, but others, including Hijack the Barber and Invasion are wild and experimental. Essential!
8/10 [Discogs Price £150+ if available]
16
Slum (In Dub) - Gregory Isaac (1978)
Largely Gregory Isaacs' Channel One recordings mixed at King Tubby's by Prince Jammy, overseen by Isaacs himself. Very nice set of dubs as you'd expect from the Isaacs/Jammy combination. It's readily available (on Discogs at least) as it's been re-issued so often. Well worth getting hold of a copy.
8/10 [Discogs Price £45]
17
In the Light Dub - Horace Andy (1977)
Really strong selection of Horace Andy tunes given the dub treatment in the main by Price Jammy at King Tubby's. Spacey dubs with snatches of vocals and plenty of horns. Dub heaven! (Not on Spotify)
8/10 [Discogs Price £337]
18
Earthquake Dub - Ossie Hibbert & The Revolutionaries (1976)
8/10 [Discogs Price £140]
19
King Tubby Meets The Upsetter at the Grass Roots of Dub (1974)
Another very early dub album. This was claimed to be a remix battle, with King Tubby mixes on Side 1 and Lee Perry mixes on Side 2. Nice promotional idea, but actually these are all King Tubby mixes of material recorded at Scratch's Black Ark studio.
8/10 [Discogs Price £110]
20
14 Dub Black Board Jungle - Upsetters (1973)
aka Blackboard Jungle Dub - The Upsetters
Lee 'Scratch' Perry at the controls. An early classic, with few dub effects, but very experimental for its time.
8/10 [Discogs Price £1,000+ and £60 respectively.]
21
The Roots of Dub - King Tubby the Dubmaster (1975)
A little more stripped down and dry than its sister release Dub From the Roots, this is nonetheless an essential album for fans of King Tubby. While side one is relatively low key, side two kicks off with the killer Roots of Dub, a version of The Eternals classic, Stars with its legendary horns intro, and continues in the same vein, with The Immortal Dub and Dub You Can Feel being other standouts.
8/10 [Discogs Price c. £100]
22
Dub Conference Vol. 3 - Harry Mudie Meets King Tubby (1978)
Like the others in the series, mixed by King Tubby. Harry Mudie was known for his smooth productions, sometimes featuring strings, but the dub releases are strictly rockers. Breakfast in Bed was a chart hit, and the dub features on this release.
8/10 [Discogs Price c. £200 No copies currently available]
23
Go Deh Wid Riddim - Sly & The Revolutionaries (1977)
A who's who of reggae musicians (The Revolutionaries) recorded at Channel One Studios, expertly mixed by Ernest Hoo-Kim. Overlooked and very under rated dub album. It's excellent. (Not on Spotify)
8/10 [Discogs Price only £40!]
24
Tapper Zukie In Dub - Tapper Zukie (1976)
Initially released in Jamaica on Tapper's own Stars label, but later reissued in the UK by Blood & Fire. MPLA was a massive tune in '77 and was often played at punk gigs.
8/10 [Discogs Price £244]
25
Walls of Jerusalem - The Prophets (1976)
aka Chant Down Babylon Kingdom - Vivian Jackson & Prophet (1977)
Originally released in Jamaica as Walls of Jerusalem, this is the UK version released just months later. Side A features Vivian 'Yabby You' Jackson vocal cuts, with the superb King Tubby dubs on the B Side. So half a dub album perhaps, but essential nonetheless. Phasing, repeat echo, reverb, it's all there. Reissued by Pressure Sounds.
8/10 [Discogs Price £850 & £160+ respectively]
26
Vital Dub - Well Charge (1976)
Ernest Hoo-Kim's excellent dub mixes of the Mighty Diamonds' superb Right Time album featuring The Revolutionaries. Recorded at Channel One.
Issued by Virgin Records in the UK as Well Charged.
7/10 [Discogs Price £140+ for the Jamaican pressing]
27
Herb Dub Collie Dub - The Skatalites (Meet King Tubby) (1976)
aka The Legendary Skatalites In Dub
Super rare dub set issued in 1976 on Jigsaw. Classic recordings featuring the musicians that made up the Skatalites (with guests, including Augustus Pablo) mixed by King Tubby. Reissued by my label, Motion Records in 2001, then again, more comprehensively, as The Legendary Skatalites in Dub which included alternative dubs and crucially extra bonus tracks from the same sessions, including 7" B Side Middle East Dub (which I've selected for the Spotify dub playlist, as it's in my opinion one of the finest examples of Tubby's dub mixing).
As far as I'm aware, this is the only dub album featuring double (non electric) bass, courtesy of Lloyd Brevett. I'd have it higher up the chart, but might be accused of bias :-)
8/10 [Discogs Price £450+]
28
Megaton Dub 2 - Lee Perry (1984 meets '77/78)
Again, released after the time frame of this chart, but the material is from '77/78. Some great dubs of some great tunes. (Not on Spotify)
8/10 [Discogs Price £60]
29
Beware Dub - Yabby You (1978)
Vivian 'Yabby U' Jackson, Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare, mixed by King Tubby and Prince Jammy. Plenty of dubbed up brass too.
7/10 [Discogs Price £90]
30
Bionic Dub - Dub Specialist (1975)
Very early dub album that originally came housed in a silkscreened sleeve, and one of a series of Studio One Coxsone Dodd productions. Really hard to find, and very expensive if you do. I only have the very poor US pressing unfortunately. Some of the tracks are quite stripped down, with few effects, but one or two are more dubbed up. (Not on Spotify)
7/10 [Discogs price £600+ Not currently available. Terrible US pressing available for around £50]
31
Shalom Dub - King Tubby and the Aggrovators (1975)
'Originally released in 1975, Shalom Dub showcases dub master King Tubby at a white-hot creative peak, deconstructing classic reggae cuts and establishing many of the signature sounds of his soon-to-be-classic dub style. The microscopic layers of echo, negative space, and shifts in frequency and mix arrangement show up on every single track of this collection, a veritable template of roots reggae-derived dub at its pinnacle. [AllMusic.com]
'The band was responsible for the popular ‘flying cymbal’ style that took Jamaica by storm, and you can hear it in abundance on this killer dub set from 1975, its excellent cuts of Cornell Campbell and Johnnie Clarke material mixed at King Tubby’s studio—a must for all serious fans of dub'. [Soul Jazz]
7/10 [Discogs price £50]
32
Earthquake Dub - Ossie Hibbert & The Revolutionaries (1976)
8/10 [Discogs Price £140]
33
Burning Dub - The Revolutionaries (1979)
Very solid dub set featuring the Revolutionaries (Sly & Robbie alongside Ansel Collins, Tommy McCook and Don Drummond Jnr etc). Recorded and mixed at Channel One studios by Lancelot "Maxie" McKenzie. Nice dub effects, with vocals drifting in an out of some of the mixes.
7/10 [Discogs price £30]
34
Sledgehammer Dub - Niney the Observer (1977)
'Never monotonous, spiritual and fun, it's as fine as any classic dub you've ever heard.' (Amazon review)
7/10 [Discogs Price £150]
35
Leggo Dub - Ossie All Stars (1978)
Recorded at Channel One, featuring six Gregory Isaac rhythm tracks, and four The Revolutionaries workouts. Mixed by Errol Thompson and Ossie Hibbert, it opens with a wicked dub of Gregory Isaacs' Smile, here called Dubby Dubby. Possibly loses a mark for overuse of sound effects, but a very nice dub album nonetheless. (Not on Spotify)
7/10 [Discogs Price £170]
36
Negrea Love Dub - Linval Thompson & The Revolutionaries (1978)
Negrea Love Dub features riddims from Gregory Isaacs’ self-produced 1978 LP Cool Ruler which was recorded at Channel One studio by The Revolutionaries – led by drum and bass partners Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare. These were later remixed at King Tubby’s by Prince Jammy for producer Linval Thompson, to create a superb set of spacey dubs with interwoven snatches of echo-y vocals in the mix. First pressings are surprisingly easy and cheap to pick up, as it was first released by Trojan in the UK, so not as rare as many of the albums on this list.
7/10 [Discogs price £30]
37
Guerilla Dub - The Aggravators and The Revolutionaries (1978)
Mixed by Ossie Hibbert at King Tubby's and mainly featuring riddims from Jimmy Riley's Majority Rule and Showcase releases.
Quality, fairly stripped down dubs featuring the cream of Jamaica's reggae session musicians that make up the Aggravators and The Revolutionaries. There's very little reverb and phasing, but plenty of repeat echo and snatches of vocals and horns drifting in and out of the mix make this one to look out for. Recent reissue available for as little at £12.99, so grab one while you can.
7/10 [Discogs Price £75]
38
Words In Dub - Phillip Fullwood (1979)
Ultra rare album, reissued by Pressure Sounds in 2018. Quite a tale behind this one in that it was produced by a travelling writer who fell in with a young Burning Spear and ended up writing material with him. An historic oddity containing some interesting, but quite eccentric dubs. Jah Say Love, Bubbling and Reorganise The Race, with their almost out of control echo machine and fuzz effects, have got to be among the most experimental dubs in reggae history, and wouldn't be out of place in a sci-fi movie soundtrack. Apparently the final dub mixes were done at Channel One, and at the legendary Black Ark, 'by Phillip Fullwood’s own hands', which might be where the craziness crept in. But it's all the better for it!
6/10 [Discogs price £1,523]
39
Surrounded By The Dreads At The National Arena (Horny Dub) - King Tubby (1976)
Produced by Winston Edwards, mixed by King Tubby. (Mixes 1973-1975).
"On the 26th September 1975 at the National Arena, Kingston, Jamaica, King Tubby's sound system entertained the excited audience gathered there to listen to the almighty live sound of the Wailers on stage and the overpowering dub music that Tubby has made world famous. On this particular night Tubby proved that he was King playing from 6pm to 6am. King Tubby Surrounded By The Dreads At The National Arena is based upon some of the various tracks that King Tubby played during his marathon set. Historic album, and some of the dubs are ultra sparse and minimal, if that's your thing.
7/10 [Discogs Price c. £120]
40
Black Foundation Dub - Gussie (1977)
Collection of ten 'versions' mixed at King Tubby's by Tubby and Philip Smart. When re-issued by Motion Records in 2001 Gussie added two bonus tracks from the same era, Rockers Time and a dub of Gregory Isaacs' take on Dobby Dobson's Loving Pauper. Hard to believe this album was originally released nearly 45 years ago. It still sounds fresh.
7/10 [Discogs price £70]
[This was the first album from my collection that I was able to re-issue on Motion Records].
41
I Wah Dub - Blackbeard (1980)
UK dub album, recorded and mixed in London with Dennis 'Blackbeard' Bovell at the controls. Dreamy, slightly jazzy, dubs. Sounds incredibly contemporary for something recorded in 1979/80. Certainly ahead of its time.
7/10 [Discogs price £45]
42
Star Wars Dub - Phill Pratt (1978)
Features pre-Revolutionaries Skin, Flesh & Bones and Soul Syndicate (including 'Horsemouth' Wallace and Robbie Shakespeare) with some strong, if obscure riddims recorded at the Black Ark, Channel One, Dynamic Sounds and Randy's. It's unclear who mixed the dubs, but Errol 'ET' Thompson and Ernest Hookim seemed to have had some involvement. No vocals in the mix, but there are some excellent spacey (appropriately enough) effects, and some horns and organ add atmosphere. Despite the patchy provenance of the riddims, Star Wars Dub still has a continuity of sound that allows the project to come across as an authentic dub album, and not a cheap cash-in.
7/10 [Discogs price £90]
43
Black Ash Dub - Sly & The Revolutionaries (1980)
Wasn't aware of this album until recently. Mixed by Scientist and Prince Jammy, with all the great musicians of the day, including Sly & Robbie. A solid set of dubs.(Not on Spotify)
7/10 [Discogs price £25]
44
Harder Na Rass - The Rass-Es Band (1979)
Prince Lincoln Thompson produced, mixed by Prince Jammy at King Tubby's.
45
African Dub Chapter 2 - Joe Gibbs & The Professionals (1976)
Second in the African Dub chapters, and the dub effects are beginning to ramp up on three or four of the tracks, (compared with the first in the series which only used the simplest dub treatments). Better was to follow, but a decent dub album nonetheless.
6/10 [Discogs price £45]
46
Concrete Jungle Dub - King Tubby & Riley All Stars (1976)
Winston Riley productions recorded at Harry J Studio, mixed by King Tubby at King Tubby's. Originally only 300 copies were pressed in the UK, and like Treasure Dub it uses riddims from the early 70's pre dub era. Staga Dub is a version of the instrumental “Stalag” riddim, and Stepping Dub is a dub treatment of Johnny Osbourne’s Ready Or Not. Who Is The Dub is another dub reworking of Donovan D’s classic Who Is The One.
6/10 [Discogs price £45]
47
King's Dub - Ja-Man Allstars (1980)
Really nice dub album with plenty of dub effects and snatches of vocals. The Ja-Man Allstars were effectively The Revolutionaries; Sly Dunbar, Mikey Boo Richards, Ansel Collins, Ranchie McLean, Tommy McCook all feature, and the album was produced by Augustus Pablo's brother Dudley Swaby.
6/10 [Discogs price c. £100]
48
African Dub Chapter 4 - Joe Gibbs & The Professionals (1979)
Nowhere near the dizzy heights of Chapter 3; the synths grates a little, particularly the dreaded Syndrum. The golden era of dub was beginning to wane, or it seemed so at the time (1979), but there's still some solid material on here.
5/10 [Discogs price £30]
49
Better Dub From Studio One - Dub Specialist (1974)
Another in the series of Coxsone Dodd produced dub album on the Studio One imprint this being one of, if not the earliest. Some classic tunes tracks remixed without vocals, but with very sparing use of dub effects. Early pressings are highly sought after.
5/10 [Discogs price £870]
50
Observation Of Life Dub - Page One & The Observers (1978)
A solid set of dubs from Niney, perhaps without the surprises you'd expect from the great man. Keyboard features quite heavily, and no brass or snatches of vocals, but some of it sounds like it was recorded in the future.
5/10 [Discogs price £90]
51
Dub To Africa - Prince Far I & The Arabs (1979)
Crisp dubs featuring the nucleus of the nascent Roots Radics.
5/10 [Discogs price £150]
52
Tradition in Dub - Tradition (1977)
UK roots outfit Tradition produced this now highly collectable and very melodic dub release in 1977. No info emerged about how or where the dubs were mixed. A decent copy will set you back over £200 these days. (Not on Spotify)
5/10 [Discogs price £200]
NEW PURCHASES
Dubbing With Horns - Tommy McCook
Nice album, but a recent (2011) compilation, so not eligible for the chart.
*****
*OBJECTS OF DESIRE (WISHLIST)*
Meditation Dub - Winston Riley (1975)
Some great dubs on here that almost run away with themselves, effects wise. Dub outta control! Techniques provide the riddims. (Not on Spotify)
Harry Mudie Meet King Tubby's In Dub Conference Vol One (1976)
Moodie was known for his use of strings and his pop and jazz sensibilities. But his In Conference dub series is heavyweight, from Volumes 1 to 3. (Not on Spotify)
*****
EXTRAS
*****
The following albums in my collection don't quite qualify....
One side DJ, the other side dub...
Dread Locks In Jamaica - Various (1976)
Doesn't quite fit the parameters, as Side One contains cuts featuring various DJs, with the (excellent) dubs appearing on Side Two. Of course the DJ cuts themselves feature toasting over dub tracks. Still a separate genre though. (Not on Spotify)
The Other Side of Dub - Lone Ranger (1977)
Another release with DJ cuts on one side with the dubs on the other ('Other Side of Dub'). This album is pretty rare though, and the dubs are great. (Not on Spotify)
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More instrumental than dub...
Aquarius Dub - Herman Chin Loy (1973)
An historic release 1973 release, (I have the '75 re-issue) often talked of as the first dub album, although it's more of a precursor to dub. Stripped down, atmospheric mixes that are heavy on the bass, but strictly speaking, more instrumental than dub due to the absence of any effects. Quality riddims though.
African Dub Almighty - Joe Gibbs & The Professionals (1975)
Chapter One of the five part dub series. No dub effects, but quality nonetheless.
Tommy McCook (Horny Dub) - Tommy McCook (1975)
Super rare in white label, pre-release form (there's one up for sale on Discogs for £962). Not released fully until Japan's Dub Store label's edition, the cover of which is shown above. These are versions with Tommy McCook's wicked tenor sax floating over the top. Fabulous, but not enough dub effects for a dub ranking.
Recently re-issued, but already sold out in the UK.
This Is Augustus Pablo - Augustus Pablo (1974)
Really nice instrumental album (with one dub track, Pablo In Dub) from the keyboard and melodica maestro Horace Swaby. Gets lumped in with dub, incorrectly in my view.
Special mention...
Wailing - Wailing Souls (1981)
*Recent purchase
Released in 1981, so outside the time period for this post, but lavishly reissued recently. This is a classic album with some some great dub moments (it was mixed by Scientist), but it doesn't claim to be a dub album.
Grab a copy while they're still around. 8/10 but 5/10 for dub quotient.
Also, but didn't quite make it...
Tell Your Friends About Dub - Tradition (1978)
Much less collectable than Tradition in Dub, and some tracks non dub, but some chilled melodic reggae with a hint of dub.
*****
The albums featured here are almost all products of Kingston, Jamaica, but some of the recent additions were purchased in Shaks Stax Of Wax in Kingston, Surrey, and others at Brixton's Lion Vibes. The latter in particular has a very fine selection of both new and second hand reggae LPs.
R.I.P. ROBBIE SHAKESPEARE
Robbie (Robert Warren Dale) Shakespeare, musician, born 27 September 1953; died 8 December 2021
Robbie was one of the true legends of reggae and played on a lot of the albums in this chart, as he recorded with the Revolutionaries, the Aggrovators and occasionally with the Professionals.
Really enjoyed this. Via recommendations on RYM picked up your reissue of The Skatalites LP. Can reccommend the book "The Small Axe Guide to Dub" by Jim Dooley. So great vintage dub tips i nthe back thereof. Matthew (www.woebot.com)
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