Ok, as I can see from the comments in the release radar, there are still a few questions unanswered about this album, which I would like to use as an opportunity to shed a little more light on it. Quite apart from the fact that Burning Sounds maintains the misinformation they started in 1978, such as the name The Aggravators being misspelled, there are also false statements about the studio in which the bands are said to have recorded the riddims. Contrary to what is stated on the cover, the tracks were never recorded in King Tubby's studio. The tracks were recorded at the Hookim Brothers' Channel One and at the Harry J Studio. Later the tracks were mixed by Oswald 'Ossie' Hibbert in King Tubby's much smaller studio, which, as we already know from Helmut Philipps, was more brilliant Dub Conference know, was only used for the soundtrack and the mix.
So, Burning Sounds has the album “The Aggravators (The Aggrovators) & The Revolutionaries: Guerrilla Dub“ was reissued on the occasion of this year’s Record Store Day (RSD). Originally it was guerrilla Dub Released in 1978 by the British record company on transparent vinyl, in 2016 the 10-track album was reissued on CD and 180 gram vinyl LP. Now, on the occasion of the RSD, the LP has been released again, this time as a red-colored vinyl LP.
The Aggrovators are named after Bunny 'Striker' Lee's record store Agro Sounds. In the 1970s and 1980s the band, with a constantly changing line-up, was the most important session band for 'Striker'. During the same period, The Revolutionaries were the house band at Channel One Studio. As previously mentioned, the line-up of both bands changed frequently, with Bunny Lee and the Hookims retaining the band name for the musicians they were currently working with. Musicians like Aston & Carlton Barrett, Sly & Robbie, Bertram McLean, Tommy McCook, Bobby Ellis, Vin Gordon, Ossie Hibbert, Earl “Chinna” Smith etc. played in both bands at times.
Now let’s get to “Guerrilla Dub“, which also features almost the entire crème de la crème of the Jamaican music scene of the time. As an example, I will just stick with the riddim sections: On bass we hear Aston Barrett, Robbie Shakespeare, George 'Fully' Fullwood, Bertram 'Ranchie' McLean, Lloyd 'Sparks' Parks and Earl 'Bagga' Walker and on drums: Carlton 'Carly' Barrett, Lowell 'Sly' Dunbar, Lloyd 'Tin Leg' Adams, Basil 'Benbow' Creary and Carlton 'Santa' Davis. The “Guerilla Dub“contains Dub-Counterparts of Jimmy Riley's late 70's LPs "Majority Rule", "Showcase" and "Tell The Youths The Truth", some of which were previously released as 7 inch singles in Jamaica. Thanks to a few vocal snippets included in most tracks, it is relatively easy for the listener to associate them with the original vocal recordings. The journey into the Dub starts with “Cuddoe Dub“, a nice rockers-style riddim with subtle organ parts. What follows is the captivating “Garvey Dub", the Dub-Counterpart to Jimmy Riley's title track on the "Majority Rule" LP. The “Garvey Dub” is also known as “The Conqueror” by The Revolutionaries, albeit mixed differently. “Paul Bogle Dub" is a version of Jimmy Riley's hit "Nyah-Bingi", which can be heard on his "Showcase" LP and which is "Malcolm X Dub" is the Dub to the vocal cut “A You”, which can also be found on the “Showcase” LP. The A-side is rounded off with “Martin Luther Dub", a remix of Alton Ellis' "Can I Change My Mind" riddim. The B-side of the record features the same sort of classically beautiful Ossie Hibbert Dubs. The most notable contributions include the title track “Guerrilla Duband “Maroon Dub", a version of "Cleaning Up The Streets" which was a huge hit for Jimmy Riley in the 1970s.
Even if the Ossie Hibbert Dubs on “Guerrilla Dub“ are no longer the absolute icing on the cake, the musician, sound engineer and producer, who died of a heart attack in 2012, is one of the many unsung heroes of the Jamaican music scene. Some of you will also know “Crueshal Dub“, “Leggo Dub“ and “Earthquake Dub“ – all very beautiful, energetic Dub-Works from the heyday of reggae/Dub. Nevertheless, I had a lot of fun listening to this classic again.
2 replies to “The Aggrovators & The Revolutionaries: Guerrilla Dub (Re-release)”
Yes ! Thanks so much Ras Vorbei !
That's just you ;-) I still have a few questions and you're giving us all a complete review that not only answers my questions, but also provides a lot of interesting information about the creation of the album.
I think if I like you a reggae and DubIf I had been a fan from the start, I probably would have gone after this DubAlbum craved. As a sort of career changer, I didn't grow up with the reggae of the early 70s and so these old riddims didn't really get into my blood. Which doesn't mean that there wasn't still a lot for me to discover later. My first ones DubI had experiences at the beginning of the 80s and that's when the first ones actually worked Dubs already with Roots Radics and basically with that too Dub Syndicate with Don “Corleone” Scott at the “DubDrums” get down to business.
Both Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace and Sly Dunbar played the drums way too much for me. This ranged from the so-called Steppers to Sly Dunbar's “Rockers Style” to the “zimbele” of Carlton “Santa” Davis. These were all drum styles that didn't work well for me Dubfeeling created. Style Scott was much closer to me with bass drum and accent on the snare, then reverb and echo and the dragon was green ;-) ….. if you know what I mean ….
What I write here about drum styles sounds bad, but it really only refers to my perception Dub. Sly Dunbar alone with BLACK UHURU and of course Robbie Shakespeare took me to the highest musical spheres
ecstasy and continues to do so to this day. I have the feeling that I'm just having a babbling flash, but there's still something in my head that really wants to come out.
A long time before the “Dub Conference” by Helmut Philipps, I went out on a limb and came up with the bold thesis: “Sly and Robbie can’t do anyone Dub“. There were also times in the “modern era”. Dubs from Sly and Robbie, which not only left me “a little hungry” but basically I came to this half-baked statement through a false assumption. For most of my “reggae life” I thought Sly and Robbie were “depending on the day” sometimes the Aggrovators and sometimes the Revolutionaries. And without Glen Brown I found that as DubAct has always been boring. Well, as is always the case, the more you read and learn, the more complicated each piece of information becomes.
(For example, you just want to read briefly about what a caliphate is and you will find yourself studying theology about all Islamic currents).
I hope I get the hang of things now and can finally get to the point.
As I said, I found this one in particular Dubs of Revolutionaries and Aggrovators have always been pretty boring and not exactly mystical. Without Glen Brown, mind you! And now I find out that Glen Brown wasn't there and that a certain Ossie Hibbert was at the mixing desk instead. And now comes my big moment ;-) …… In the “Dub Conference” I read that there was a time when Dubs of Aggrovators and Revolutionaries weren't exactly exciting, or were actually quite boring. Whether it's the DubUnfortunately, I can't remember exactly what they were by Ossie Hibbert, but I can only say that I felt extremely confirmed. Finding this passage in the book again will be my task for the near future. I wanted to read the book again anyway, but as I said, water doesn't flow uphill and time only knows one direction. It's getting scarce!!!
Ok, end of Laberflash and thank you again for all your information Ras Vorbei ………………. lemmi
Thanks! Both for the review with all the information and also to you Lemmi for the comment.