Search - Barrington Levy :: Lost Mixes From King Tubby's Studio

EVERYONE'S A WINNER

Locks Lion | Blue Mountain Peak | 02/15/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"FATMAN PRESENTS...DUB CONTEST: The dub "contest" is a concept closely associated with the sound system "clashes" that became increasingly popular in Jamaica and elsewhere - particularly in England, where promoter Ken "Fatman" Gordon is based - in the seventies and early eighties. As is the case with this reissue, a dub contest basically amounted to a showcase for two (sometimes more) producers, engineers, or other artists, usually presented on opposing sides of a long-player. Some well known and (relatively) widely available examples include the rather underwhelming King Tubby versus Lee Scratch Perry match-up, AT THE GRASSROOTS OF DUB, and a later, greater meeting between Prince Jammy and Scientist, BIG SHOWDOWN.



Prince Jammy is clearly the contestant with the biggest reputation here, and his sides are suitably impressive, even breathtaking at times, like the tough JAMMY'S A NO FOOL, which is the version to Johnny Clarke's PLAY FOOL FI GET WISE; or the stripped-back spiritual, JAMMY'S A SATTA, which versions Clarke's cover of the classic SATTA MASSAGANA. Crucial Bunny might not be immediately familiar to some listeners, but as an in-house engineer during the hitmaking heyday of the Channel One studio, his name (sometimes given as Bunny Tom Tom) was attached to countless heavy-hitting singles and long-players alike. In fact, Bunny matches Jammy's pretty much punch for punch, with the menacing BUNNY IS CRUCIAL, and the warm, summery BUNNY NO EASY as standouts. Rounding off the original release programme, Fatman has dusted off four additional dub plates - two a piece for both Jammy's and Bunny - including the superb FEEL JAMMY'S SPIRIT, a deeply dubbed-down version of Delroy Wilson's take on the Wailer's timeless PUT IT ON. Taken as a whole, this is a highly polished reissue, complete with sleeve notes by celebrated reggae writer - and Auralux proprietor - David Katz, tracing the roots of the Jamaican sound system way back to the late 1940s. DUB CONTEST is recommended without reservation.



By the way, the "contest" concept is alive and relatively well today, in large part thanks to Jet Star's ongoing Toe 2 Toe series. The latest edition (volume 9, I believe) features the amazing voice of Jah Cure in competition with the gifted Richie Spice, and is well worth checking out if you're labouring under the mistaken belief that roots music is dead and gone.

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