Black Art

1974

A mid-70s Black Ark production with Mr Scratch in full dub scientist mode. This was the first of many reworkings of the Curly Locks riddim that Lee himself created in 1970. This one is a bit slower and even more moody.

Orchid

1974

The above mentioned 1974 version of Junior Byles’ classic anthem. When I first started buying Dancehall in the late 80s I picked up some compilation on Jet Star that was such a bad pressing it was almost unlistenable, but I did fall in love with this song immediately.

Prophet Records

1979

Yabby You flips his militant “Tribal War” into a heavy dub version. The more Yabby You dubs I get my hands on, the more I realize he was really in his own lane. This Tribal War riddim has been revived again and again for roots-conscious cuts.

Gussie Exposure

1976

The vocal from the aforementioned dub, this is Wayne Wade in 1976 with Yabby at the controls. Thi9s was featured on his debut album, Black Is Our Colour, which was an instant hit in Jamaica. He went on to work with Joe Gibbs and Linval Thompson, to name a few.

Jah Guidance

1979

Named after Ghanaian nationalist leader Kwame Nkrumah (famously name-dropped in Mutabaruka’s “Dis Poem”), Nkrumah “Jah” Thomas got his start in the mid 70s with Alvin Ranglin. His first single “Midnight Rock” was floor-filler in 1976. Here he spits pon the real Rock, a Channel One foundation groove.

Arrival

1984

Cocoa Tea’s breakout hit, which you can still play at any dance worth its weight in colly.

Volcano

1984

Dancehall legend Charlie Chaplin came up with  U-Roy's Stur-Gav Hi-Fi in the early 80s. By 1985 he was clashing with Yellowman as a more conscious counter to Yellowman’s peer slackness. This one is over Jackie Mittoo’s Full Up riddim, made world famous by Musical Youth’s “Pass The Dutchie”, itself a rated G cover of the Mighty Diamonds’ “Pass The Kuchie”

Studio Case

1992

Another voice from that early 80s era, Devon Perkins aka Lee Van Cliff (or Cleef, sometimes, or Vancliffe sometimes LOL) doing his thing over one of the variations of the Taxi riddim, which somehow never gets stale.

Garagamel

2006

1996 anthem where Buju warns his taxi man to keep everything copasetic lest the Feds catch wind of his cargo. He also name drops his Nextel phone, which is dope. Of course he used the Taxi riddim. This song can still wreck any dance in Brooklyn and beyond.

Youth Promotion

1982

A somewhat slept on (by me) Junior Reid tune on Coxsone Dodd’s Partytime riddim. Digital and minimal, but his voice soars as always. I only have a very shitty MP3 of this. If you have a clean digital copy, please pass it along.

Tad’s Records

1985

Modern revival cut from Tad Dawkins label band that sounds like it could be from almost any era. Tad is famous for, among other things, reviving Dennis Brown’s “Here I Come” with Sly & Robbie, making it an international hit 5 years after its initial release.

Randy’s

1969

Ernest Ranglin and Randy’s studio crew flipping the Lalo Schifrin TV theme into an early reggae groover. There are a few covers of this and similar TV show themes of that era.

Coxsone

1968

A rocksteady obscurity. Studio One sweetness with harmony vocals up front. I can find very little info on this group, other than they were an early Studio One act and they cut a few plates with Pauline Morgan, Derrick Morgan’s sister, on vocal.

White Label

1974

Dillinger in 1974 chatting over Lee Scratch Perry’s 1968 Tighten Up riddim. A crossover tune that feels both Ska and Rocksteady at the same time.

Volcano

1980

Johnny Ringo deejaying live and direct on the Diseases riddim aka the Mad mad riddim. Peer sound system clash vibes. This Volcano compilation is fantastic BTW.

Studio One
1981

Why they named this track for the Tanzanian port city is a mystery, Studio One’s in-house dub outfit with their own version of Diseases.

Crazy Joe

1981

Early 80s dancehall DJ vibes, over the Boxing riddim. Toyan’s confident, melodic style made him a top DJ on Volcano Sound.

Joe Gibbs

1981

Another Van Cliff toast, not to be confused with the Billy Boyo tune of the same name from this same era.

Joe Gibbs

1982

One of Gibbs’ roots-era instrumentals, built around the Boxing riddim made famous by Cornell Campbell.

Upsetter

1971

Originally cut in 1968, this version appeared a few years in 1971 on the Lee Perry produced Soul Revolution LP. This song later evolved into “Satisfy My Soul”  which appeared on the Kayak LP in 78.

Virgin

1978

I-Roy versioning the Keith & Tex’s Tonight riddim. Classic DJ toast over a rocksteady lovers tune.

Studio One

1969

Instrumental vibraphone cut for Studio One also on the Tonight riddim

Techniques

1973

Osbourne’s take on the Delfonics classic. He turned up the drums on this one, giving it a real Meters-esque hook and swing that gets your head nodding.

Kings & Lions

1985

Sugar reworking the classic Studio One “In Cold Blood” riddim, originated by the Sound Dimension band, in 1985. Kings and Lions was a short-lived UK imprint of Exterminator. 

Cash & Carry Records

1978

Dubbed-out, Channel One heaviness. Dope cover too.

Port-O-Jam

1976

Legendary Mento saxophonist Sugar Belly skanking on the In Cold Blood riddim. This Sugar was famous for building his own saxophones out of bamboo.

GG records

1976

Gregory’s outlaw track about running from the law, with Alvin Ranglin and the GG All stars backing him up. Came out as a single in 1976 and later appeared on his “My Number One” comp in 1990.

Greensleeves

1982

Thompson’s hit on the Worries In The Dance riddim. This is the Henry "Junjo" Lawes version, as opposed to the Jo Jo Hookim version that follows. Discogs says this came out in 82 but Frankie Paul didn’t drop until 83 so maybe Jo Jo lifted his from this track. I really can’t say.

Hit Bound

1983

Absolute dancehall classic. Frankie’s golden voice made this an anthem of the 80s and a staple of my Reggae sets in the 90s and beyond.

Greensleeves

1981

DJ Captain Sinbad spitting over the last half of a Culture tune.

Boss Records

1976

Black Uhuru’s lead singer delivering a scorcher with Prince Jammy. This was originally only released in the UK, but became the foundation for Black Uhuru’s “Willow Tree”, which had a different melody and evolved lyrics.

Super Power

1987

Another Cocoa Tea banger, running on the Tonight riddim. Smooth vocals over a dancehall warhorse. Cocoa passed just this past March at the age of 65. He gave us some truly great music to vibe to for all eternity.

Wild APache

1990

A posse cut full of slackness that absolutely ruled the NY dancefloors in 1990, produced by Supercar himself. Timeless.

Scorpio

1993

Singjay business on the real Rock riddim. A perfect mix of melody and attitude.

Scorpio

1993

Another record that ruled NYC – especially when the Black Moon remix version came out... my GOD. Still slaps.

Umbra

1990

Thor Nigel Williams aka Daddy Tar only released a few singles in the early 90s, but this gunman tune seems to be the biggest. This was produced by Carl “Bridge” Ayton who was also the drummer for the Jamaican vocal group Bloodfire Posse.

Jammy’s

1988

The Duck Dance riddim was a bog party rocker in my college days. Classic late 80s digital hype tune.

Live & Love

1988

One of Red Dragon’s signatures. Red got his start with Barrington Hi Fi, and was also known to perform with Stone Love, People's Choice, and his own Rambo Mango HiFi. His first album was a split LP with his brother, Flourgon.

Crystal Records

1991

Harmony duo Keith Rowe and Phillip "Tex" Dixon were discovered by Derrick Harriot. They are best know for their rocksteady hit "Stop That Train". This one has a similar vibe and tempo.

Treasure Isle

1967

A foundation riddim and one of McKay’s biggest Studio One cuts. Still versioned, decades later.

Jackpot

1972

The White Blowfly of UK Ska? Hard to categorize this dude. He was the first white Reggae artist stop chart in Jamaica, and his records were regularly banned from the radio for being too slack.

Ethnic

1974

Lee Perry being his weird-ass, rando best over a song likely inspired by the Kung Fu movie craze of the 70s.

Ethnic

1974

Roots DJ tune on the Kentucky Skank riddim, which has always sounded like an interpretation of “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” to me.

Wizzdom Records

1972

Alcapone toasting over Lee Perry’s “People Funny Boy” riddim. Classic early-70s DJ style which sounds a lot like slower Ska stuff. Love this logo too.

Trojan Records

1973

I’m not sure which version of Cat Stevens’ 1967 song inspired this I-Roy version, but my hunch is it’s the Keith Hampshire version, which was heavily played on UK radio (and perhaps JA radio) the same year this came out, 1973. 

Island Records

1982

UK roots heroes Aswad laying down another militant dub. Like Black Uhuru, I often prefer their dub records to their straight releases.

Upsetter

1977

A roots toast echoing The Ethiopians’ “Train to Skaville.” I, for one, am a suckler for any Reggae song that references Marcus Garvey’s Black Star Liner. I think I liked the sound of the name before I even knew what it was.

Black Art

1977

Melodica stepper magic from Pablo, built off of Hugo Blackwood’s “Reggae Music", also from 1977.

Self-released

2016

US junglist 6Blocc reworks a Marley riddim into a driving steppers dub. Heavy bass, modern twist.

Jam II Jam

2002

A stand out tune from the early 2000s when Dancehall was often trying to emulate blinged-out Hip Hop bling and failing  IMO. Ward 21’s vocalists Suku and Ranaldo 'Rumblood' Evans deliver an amazing back and forth chat on this. Aggressive and high-octane and gets the party jumping.

Super Power

1989

Since we’re on the Peeny riddim I had to grab some classics, like this Dancehall cornerstone.

Blue Mountain 

1988

Shabba’s atomic slackness anthem. 80s dancehall at its rawest.

Jammy’s

1988

Saxophonist Dean Fraser takes us home, like he did with so many riddim comps in that era.