Cut After Cut / Rebel Chase / Ites Of Dub / River To Bank Rocking / Tell Yah So
Strictly Dub / Mint Ah Music / Ska Be Doo Za / Ah Weh
Dennis Bovell AKA Blackbeard, one of U.K. reggae’s premier musician’s and producers.
This record, released on Tempus Records in 1978 was the first that Dennis Bovell had released under the name ‘Blackbeard’.
Dennis Bovell had previously been in the awesome Matumbi from the late 1960’s right up to the end of the bands lifespan in 1980. Dennis Bovell was in prison when the huge Matumbi hit ‘After Tonight’ was released in 1976, although he was free to enjoy the massive hit ‘The Man In Me’ which reached the U.K. Top Ten when released in 1979! Matumbi were involved heavily in the Rock Against Racism gigs in the late 1970’s sharing stages with all manner of punk bands and the like.
During the late 1970’s he was also at the forefront of the U.K. ‘Lovers Rock’ releases, either as session bass player or producer. The biggest release he was involved with at this time was ‘Silly Games’ by the gorgeous Janet Kay.
Dennis has also worked with artists as diverse as Linton Kwesi Johnson, The Slits, The Pop Group, Bananarama and Edwin Collins throughout the years!
A proper legend in Reggae circles who continues to work on interesting projects to this day.
dirk
April 28, 2008 at 11:52 pmMy fave three reggae albums of all time….3rd king tubby meets rockers uptown….2nd lkj dread beat and blood….1st blackbeard strictly dubwise….im begining to worry that the dude behind this site is tapping into my brain.KILLYOURPETPUPPY U FUCKING RULE THE TUNES. shit sorry, lets ave babylon ost as well then u can do big youth screaming target.
Nic
April 29, 2008 at 8:14 amNice one, Dirk: great choices…
‘Babylon’ would be a really good choice as well – a great film (mind you, any film where Jacko from ‘Brushstrokes’ is told “Don’t talk Black, man” has to be good… 😉 )…
betab
May 2, 2008 at 7:16 pmJust got round to listening to this. What an album it is – simply immense. Thanks for sharing it
Stewart
June 14, 2008 at 11:01 pmI remember the first reggae album I ever bought was Best of Matumbi! And then I tried to get a copy of Ah Who Seh? Go Deh! up some reggae shop in Clapham Junction (yes, I’m a sarf Lunnon lad…) and no bugger had it anywhere. Still haven’t heard it actually. Anyway, I thought that album was by Matumbi but it’s on sale on reissue CD as The 4th Street Orchestra – so explain that to me please, someone knowledgeable…
Stewart
June 14, 2008 at 11:32 pmPS re Big Youth’s Screaming Target, I always preferred Natty Cultural Dread – awesome album!
Jah Pork Pie
June 15, 2008 at 11:29 pmThe Dennis Bovell Dub Band also worked with Linton Kwesi Johnson, didn’t they? Now, Forces Of Victory is an album I could listen to on repeat!
Heavy, heavy sounds.
Sam
June 16, 2008 at 8:16 pmAlways embarrassing asking for these things at the counter at Greensleeves though wasn’t it? “Excuse me, have you got ‘Jah Jah give us life – Don’t feel no way’ please? Or maybe it was just me.
Stewart
June 16, 2008 at 8:24 pmHee hee! Yes, sadly (I can admit this now because I’m 46) when I first asked for Ah Who Seh? Go Deh! I wrote it down on a piece of paper because I didn’t know how to pronounce it! Lol!
BTW, if you like Linton Kwesi Johnson check out my only other video on youtube here:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=hpypYcMe16I
One of my favouritest tracks ever… (OK, that’s not a word, who cares…)
Phil
June 20, 2008 at 11:48 amDidn’t Dennis Bovell produce some of the Pop Group and The Slits too?
Stewart
June 20, 2008 at 3:00 pmHe did indeed. And a quick postscript on the punk/reggae connection – I’m just sticking some of my old vinyl onto computer and I came across:
The Blackstones – Punk Rocker (“punk rockers is the next to reggae rockers woah-woah”, “one is for all and all is for one woah-woah”, “the name is Rockers and they can’t take that away, no they can’t, woah-woah”, “them chain up them legs and they dye up them hair woah-woah” etc lol!) Good tune though – no date, I’m guessing 1978/79 cos I remember buying it in Dalston Market!
Militant Barry – Pistol Boy – about Nancy Spungen’s killing by Sid Vicious – “I really want to know if he’s guilty of the killing, I really wonder if he do that? Society say he guilty of the killing, they spread propaganda”, “not because a man call himself Vicious that mean he is a vicious man, not because a man call himself Rotten that mean he is a rotten man”, “Punk Rock Reggae, Roots Rock Reggae” etc. Came out in 1979 and mixed by Tapper Zukie no less (another classic name there)… Mind you, in retrospect, OF COURSE HE FUCKING DID IT! Lol!
min
June 21, 2008 at 1:24 pmRowan, my son, is playing with mr blackbeard Denis Bovell himself tonight in Belfast, by report even getting on a plane with him is a bit of a mission!! Due to his robust opinions about beaurocracy and institutional racism !!! Apparently he is very funny and winds them (airlines) up no end.