The visionary Jamaican musician Augustus Pablo is one of the most important people in reggae history. In the early 70s, Horace Swaby (bourgeois) attended Kingston College (KC) along with friends such as Clive Chin and Tyrone Downie. His and Tyrone's interest in music had already taken them to a local church, where they practiced diligently on the organ.
The rest of the story is said to have happened something like this: Sometime in 1971, Horace is said to have been on his way to Herman Chin Loy's Aquarius Record Shop in Half Way Tree to buy records for his brother's 'Rockers' sound system. There he received or borrowed a melodica from a girl. While still in the shop, Horace began playing the instrument. Impressed by the unique sound of the melodica, Herman Chin Loy took Horace to his Aquarius Studio the next day. It is also reported that Herman Chin Loy gave Horace Swaby the name Augustus Pablo during this first session. During the first sessions, classics like “Iggy Iggy”, “Invasion” and “East Of The River Nile” were created.
But it wasn't until 1972, when Augustus Pablo teamed up with his old school friend Clive Chin, that he achieved his breakthrough. Pablo enchanted everyone with the great “Java”. The story behind the creation of “Java” is no less exciting: Clive had brought Dennis Wright (another friend of KC) into the studio to record a song they were working on. The basic tracks were already finished, but even after many unsuccessful attempts, the vocal part just didn't work. As they were about to leave the studio disappointed, Pablo approached Clive and asked him to record a version of the song. While listening in the hallway, he had thought of a melodic line that he wanted to play on the melodica. Clive agreed, turned on the tape recorder and they recorded an instrumental version. “Yesssssss!"
This was a rough outline of the beginnings of the legendary Augustus Pablo, who was a significant part of the Dub-He helped write history. Just searching here Dubblog results in 58 entries.
Now we turn our attention to the actual object of the meeting: “Augustus Pablo: Rockers Meets King Tubbys In A Fire House", which was re-released by the French Only Roots label in December 2023. With his early recordings, the talented musician and innovative producer is one of the pioneers of the Dub. His recordings from this period are all considered classics today and were part of the remarkable creative boom that the Jamaican music scene experienced internationally. The Dub-Studio album by Augustus Pablo and King Tubby "Rockers Meets King Tubbys In A Fire House" was first released in 1980 and has been re-released several times since then. Firehouse is an ironic reference to the Waterhouse district of Kingston, where King Tubby's studio was located, or to King Tubby's Firehouse, Waterhouse, Taurus and Kingston 11 labels. The Rockers All Stars with Mickey 'Boo' Richards, Leroy 'Horsemouth' Wallace and Albert Malawi on drums, Robbie Shakespeare on bass and Earl 'Chinna' Smith on guitar created “Jah Say Dub” and “Zion Is A Home” Dubs that can still be heard today. The Dub-Mixes are remixes of the original singles by Pablo's protégés Hugh Mundell aka Jah Levi, Delroy Williams and others. In addition to King Tubby and Augustus Pablo, Prince Jammy also contributed some mixes, but his name does not appear anywhere on the cover. Pablo's sound dominates on "Rockers Meets King Tubbys In A Fire House", even if he has noticeably toned down his trademark melodica. Although the melodica is only used fragmentarily, Pablo's mystical melodies meander through the mix and the gentle but rich grooves that always characterize a Rockers production are present in full force. King Tubby controls the special element of the Dub-Alchemy by using echo and delay at appropriate intervals, keeping the overall atmosphere mysterious and seductive. Due to the nature of the music and its consistently high quality, it is somewhat difficult to pick out highlights. These undoubtedly include the melodica piece “Zion Is A Home” and the equally good, trombone-heavy “Dub in a Matthews Lane Area”, which serves as a lesson in matters Dubtechnology could serve. The Horns are all credited to Felix 'Deadley' Headley Bennet in the credits, which is certainly incorrect. I can only hear his unmistakable sax style in “Short Man Dub“listen out. I also find it worth mentioning the use of the string synth keyboard in “Selassi I Dub“, which Pablo heard for the first time on the “East Of The River NileThe album was used extensively. Pablo seemed to love the sound of this instrument. In contrast to the melodica or clavinet, which he mostly used as a lead instrument, he used the string synthesizer more as a harmony instrument.
Album release note: Interest in Augustus Pablo was at its peak in 1979. His “East Of The River Nile” set and the album “Africa Must Be Free By 1983” by his protégé Hugh Mundell the year before sparked an interest in all things Pablo. Especially in his early productions. The present Deep Roots Dub-Classic originally released in 1980 on Yard (J.A.) & Shanachie (U.S.A.) and Augustus Pablo, like Lee 'Scratch' Perry before him, was no longer in tune with current musical tastes in Jamaica. This may have come as a surprise to some, but with the release of a single record that can change overnight, and that sudden change can be heard on Rockers Meets King Tubbys In A Fire House. The dancehall revolution was ushered in by Henry 'Junjo' Lawes in the fall of 1979. The rebel rock sound of Pablo's Rockers All Stars couldn't be compared to the heavy, dense rhythms of the Roots Radics - there was a world of difference between them. Nevertheless, “Rockers Meets King Tubbys In A Fire House” is and remains for me one of the best Augustus Pablo albums ever, even 44 years after its release.
The re-release comes in the best quality yet. So if you want a beautiful, timeless classic in your record cabinet, you should grab it.
3 replies to “Augustus Pablo: Rockers Meets King Tubbys In A Fire House (Re-Release)”
Yes, of course that's nothing new for me and so there's one left
Exuberant action in the form of an enthusiastic and “theatrical” comment on my part.
Therefore, I would like to expressly praise the passionate review, Ras Vorbei.
There is a lot of background information that I didn't really know before and also a refresher on the creation of "Java"
always reads excitingly. The list of musicians is always very interesting to me.
I only hear Deadley Headley on “Short Man Dub".
The man has also delivered a number of “deadly frequencies” at On .U Sound, so that I sometimes had to suffer from certain facial distortions, as these frequencies sometimes came across as a little painful to me. But nothing against Deadley Headley… I was able to get really intoxicated by many of his other saxophone solos. And his part here on “Short Man Dub“suits me very well too.
What really stands out very positively about the album - even for me - is the sparse use of melodica "snippets" and the fact that there is no "cymbal", which King Tubby then chased through the high pass filter. The DubBing is really great here, if I do say so myself.
I also always find it a little funny that there were and perhaps still are musicians and producers in Jamaica who were no longer in tune with the current musical taste of the Jamaican mainstream - which is just as crazy as everywhere else in the world . In this particular case, however, I can't quite understand it, because the ROOTS RADICS have clearly expanded reggae to include a very exciting style of play that - I think - we all don't want to miss.
Otherwise I have to mention that I am particularly impressed by the titleDub Even back then, when I first listened to his bombastic BiassLine, including the entire riddim, I fell into a kind of ecstasy that still feels exactly the same today as it did at the first SoundCheck about 30 years ago, when I first enjoyed it this Dubs came. The whole disc is great but the first one Dub is particularly super super ;-)
“Good Thing Going” ……………………… lemmi
Last night I was browsing through old publications and found the following statements from Augustus Pablo himself, which I don't want to withhold from you:
AUGUSTUS PABLO: Tales of Pablo (Interview)
How did you come to work with Herman Chin Loy?
I went to Herman Chin Loy, I used to play the melodica before. So he was the one who really carried me into the studio first, you know.
Were you given a melodica by a young girl in the shop?
No, not in the shop. She was my friend and she just lent me the melodica, she was at school and she used to play it at school, 'cause they used to use the melodica to teach music lesson.
Did you take the melodica to Herman's shop, or did he just find out you were playing the melodica?
No, he asked me if I could play it, I had it in my hand. He said he was looking for a new sound. So he asked me if I could play, and I said yes. So he invites me to Randy's studio the next day.
For an audition?
No, not an audition, we went into the studio just to play, 'cause that's how we do it. We just make music.
That was your first session then?
Yeah
Who was with you on that first session? Or were you just playing over rhythms?
It was just rhythm made already with Familyman and Carly. I just blow on them. I just create some melodies and just blow on them.
Published: More Ax (1987)
Reporters: Ray Hurford & Colin Moore
“It was just rhythm made already with Familyman and Carly.”
This is the main reason why I loved and still listen to Augustus Pablo's music so much. Which also applies to Bob Marley and The Wailers. Bob Marley was or is one of the best songwriters to ever make music on our planet. And the way he presented it was also unbeatable. It may be that as a music layperson I can't really judge that, but don't you dare contradict me!!! ……………… ;-)
There are many people who can cope with singing and, for example, guitar or piano or something else alone. Not me at all.
I like to repeat myself by emphasizing once again that I wouldn't know BobMarley if he had only performed the "Redemption Song" on his "guitar". I like the song and can sing it by heart, but for me the real power of Bob Marley and The Wailers comes from the engine room, where, first and foremost, the bass and drums provide the most effective steam pressure ever created. In contrast, the V2 rocket is just a small bubble from the intestines.
And that's exactly why it's so bad that one of the best - if not the best - bass player that the reggae world and therefore the entire world has ever seen has now left us.
REST IN PEACE ! ASTON “FAMILYMAN” BARRETT !+!
I am very sorry that I do not feel called upon to write an appropriate obituary here. In my opinion, this would require at least a book or, even better, a four-hour documentary.
But since we all rely primarily on the bass here, I wanted to at least mention it.
Now he's hopefully reunited with his brother and maybe they'll make great music again in a better place with Peter, Bunny and Bob. It really makes you want to go to the afterlife...
So long…………… lemmi