Skatalites Meet King Tubby ~ The Legendary Skatalites In Dub

Motion Records
FASTCD 009
UK
2003

01. Starlight Version
02. Middle East Dub [Give Thanks]
03. Fugitive Dub [Herb Man Dub] - The Skatalites, Brevett, Lloyd
04. Whispering Dub
05. Kimble Dub
06. Roots Dub
07. Bottom Dub [747 Dub]
08. African Roots Dub [Zion I Dub] - The Skatalites, Brevette, Lloyd
09. Dumboo Dub
10. African Dub
11. Herb Dub-Collie Dub
12. Candlelight Dub
13. Starlight [Featuring Tony Brevett]
14. Middle East [Dub of Love]
15. Sealing Dub [Rhythm Recorded at Black Ark]

Producer, Engineer, Recorded By - King Tubby , Lee Perry
Mixed By - King Tubby
Saxophone, Flute - Tommy McCook
Keyboards - Augustus Pablo
Guitar - Earl "Chinna" Smith
Bass - Lloyd Brevett
Drums - Benbow Creary
Niyabinghi ~ Ras Michael, Alan Bailey , Bongo T , Brother Jack, Bongo Joe , Brevett, I-Marts, Sidney Wolf
Trombone - Don D Junior



'This release is full of absolutely amazing, gorgeous, hallucinatory dub. 'The Legendary Skatalites In Dub' is one of the greatest dub albums of all time, and a true one-of-a-kind aural experience. These 1975 recordings feature King Tubby working with the re-formed Skatalites, and a number of others [Ras Michael & Earl 'Chinna' Smith, among them], to create some mysterious, beautiful sounds. The Skatalites had just reunited in 1975 and recorded the album 'The Legendary Skatalites,' to which this album is a dub counterpart. The music here is much slower, funkier and way further out than traditional Skatalites, with ska stylings replaced by a deep psychedelic-roots mood and pulsing Niyabinghi rhythms. Tubby does some spectacular work here, creating unearthly dub soundscapes so mesmerizing and unique that it's clear this project was a labor of pure love. Just imagine inspired Skatalites brass lines drifting in ghostly sheets of reverb over a landscape of Ras Michael's slow-grooving Niyabinghi drumming [there are 8 Niyabinghi drummers] & Lloyd Brevett's impossibly deep ACOUSTIC bass. As if it couldn't get any better than that, the lion's share of rhythms come drenched in the swampy magic that only Lee Perry's Black Ark studios could provide. Lloyd Brevett [also the producer of this set] and Tommy McCook [leader, sax] actually built their melodies around improvised Niyabinghi drum sessions while jamming in the yard of Brevett's home. Tubby keeps this percussion nearly ever-present, and its trancelike power and richness ensure that even the most spare sections sound luscious and full. It is difficult for me to describe the mystic vibe which was created here...it's like some beautiful lucid dream; perfect for late, late night listening. There are also a couple of afro-funk, 70s style uptempo killers, which are perfect for giving context and perspective to the other tracks. Long story short, nearly every track here is a DUB MASTERPIECE which gets better and better with each consecutive listen.' ~ Jasper, again :-)

dub week still in full effect with this set [realized in 1975, dropped in 2003] which remains a staple in my dub diet. the cover art is likely the sole reason this album doesn't get the props it so ritefully deserves. it should likewise be noted that lee perry originally produced the majority of these tunes at black ark in collaboration with lloyd brevett. a lovingly rendered 320 rip of an essential album