KUNTE KINTE. The most famous dubplate of all time, it began life as a Channel One 7” ‘Beware of Your Enemies’ by Creole and was radically remixed and speeded up for dubplate release in 1977, the haunting flute intro later finding it’s way onto countless other versions, including recuts by Mad Professor & even Soul II Soul.

JOHNNY CLARK - JAH GIVE US THE POWER. Produced by Johnny Clark but never released, the battering-ram bassline became a trademark of Shaka and other roots sounds in the late 70’s. A cut was finally released on the Shaka LP ‘Brimstone & Fire,’ but with the bass deliberately mixed so low that it was impossible to hear properly.

DELROY PINNOCK - BABYLON WALLS. This is one of many killer tunes which were deliberately released without a dub to create demand for sound system dub cuts. A British tune, released as a vocal 12” on the S&G label in 1980, endless wicked cuts of the dub were run by many sounds at the time.

DESI ROOTS - ZULU. A cut of the Desi Roots vocal ‘He Ain’t Coming’ which appeared on his ‘Doing It Right’ LP, with a dub cut on the Barnabas v Crucial Bunny ‘Dub Duel’ LP (both released on Hawkeye), this cut with it’s slashing high-pitched guitar chops was the one which did the business on Jah Tubby, Shaka, Frontline and other sounds.

SCIENTIST - REAL DUB. A radical remix of Junior Brown’s “Now That I Know Jah Is Real,” a fairly ordinary tune which was never released. Scientist took the rhythm track, speeded it up and added his wizardry to produced a killer piece of steppers. I once heard a story about how when Shaka played this at Phoebes, all you could see was boots and feet flying towards the ceiling as the crowd engaged in previously unseen feats of stepping acrobatics.

 

 

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ROCKS & MOUNTAINS. Produced by Sly & Robbie in 1977 but never released, this features another unknown singer and was one of a batch of similar offerings recorded at the time, none of which ever made it onto vinyl & were subsequently rarified.

JIMMY RILEY - WE ARE NOT FREE. Another from the aforementioned Sly & Robbie batch, there was a wicked vocal cut by Jimmy Riley doing the rounds, but the followers of Shaka & other sounds will remember this tune for its piledriver drum & bass. Incidentally, this was one of the first tunes Sly & Robbie did featuring the Simmons drumkit, a revolutionary sound at the time.

DENNIS BOVELL - THE AFRICAN. Never released in any form, this dub was played mainly by Shaka from 1980 onwards.

WARRIOR. Recorded at Channel One in 1977, the vocal artist remains a mystery, but this tune rocked many a dance in the late 70’s and was never released.