The Revolutionaries ~ Vital Dub Strictly Rockers [Well Charge] 1976

A1 Roof Top Dub
A2 Ital Step
A3 Fence Dub
A4 Ishens Dub
A5 Total Dub

B1 Merciful Dub
B2 Cell Block 11
B3 Killer Dub
B4 Blacka Black Dub



Produced by Joseph Hoo Kim
Recorded et Mixed at Channel One
Engineer : Ernest Hoo Kim & Ossie Hibbert
Drums : Sly & Benbow
Bass : Ranchie
Rhythm Gits : Duggie
Keyboards : Ansel Collins & Ossie
Horns : Marques, Tommy McCook
Percussion : Sticky
Voices : Mighty Diamonds

'Strictly Rockers' consists of a number of dub versions of tracks mostly from The Mighty Diamonds LP, 'Right Time.' The music here is played by a loose group of the finest Jamaican session men, known collectively as The Revolutionaries. 'Vital Dub' is just a name given the Revolutionaries by the label for this particular set. The results are nine tracks of purely ecstatic instrumental dub from 1976, every one being a juicy, colorful and joyous celebration of life and music. If you like tasty bass grooves, skanky upfull rhythms, splashes of organ, and loads of tripped out and happily echoing horns, then you will find this to be a masterpiece of instrumental reggae and dub. The fact that these are all dubs of Mighty Diamonds tracks engenders the disc with a truly cohesive feel emotionally and instrumentally.

Musicians playing on these tracks include Sly Dunbar, Ansel Collins, Sticky Thompson, Ranchie McLean, Dougie Bryan, Ossie Hibbert, Herman Marquis, and the great Tommy McCook. These are jazzy, irie, skanky reggae instrumentals, which would be fantastic on their own. The tastefully applied dubs (mixing courtesy of Ernest Hoo Kim & Ossie Hibbert) only sweeten the pot, adding just the right amount of reverb here, the right amount of echo there, and leaving out bits and pieces only sporadically, rather than stripping it down to drum and bass for long, sparse periods. Like I said, these dubs are juicy.

Ask a fan of the Revolutionaries what is their best dub set, and you will find 'Vital Dub' at the top of the list more often than not. This is classic and positively indispensable instrumental dub, and we are blessed to have it, end of story.' ~ Jasper

1976 was a revolutionary year for dub & the revolutionaries obviously spent most of it in the studio. i mean their work ethic was second to none & although they aint officially credited, that year alone their individual & combined talents were the backbone of countless lp's. certainly several have slipped thru the cracks, but a few of em were owlready featured here. it sure would be sweet to have a definitive list of their various incarnate activities for the latter half of the 70's cuz most of the records i'm aware of are like the most chronic dub extant. anyworms, i was just about to fill that request for an uncle dave macon slab, but upon our return to the nest this evening, the kiddies started burnin & someone threw this joint on. instant spatial enhancement. so more on uncle dave by & by. tonite we listen to this one together. irie irie? a 320 rip