Dub Explosion

Prince Jammy would soon be crowned King Jammy, as the 1970’s rolled into the Dancehall 80’s. But during this period we should also remember what an innovator Jammy was in the field of Dub.

Having returned from what would result in being a five year hiatus in Canada, Prince Jammy (Born, Lloyd James, 1947, Montego Bay, Jamaica) took up the vacant spot as engineer at King Tubby’s Studio at 18 Dromilly Avenue.

The year was 1975 and Tubby’s studio had established a reputation for producing something a bit special for the tunes flip side, that would turn into a dubbed of the vocal tune. The Producers would literally queue to have their tunes worked on, so that they could be played out at the various Sound Systems around Kingston, including King Tubby’s own Hometown Hi - Fi Sound System.

Such was the demand for his studio and time, Tubby’s trust in Jammy’s ability would see Jammy engineer most of the sessions on his own. His understanding of electronics’ which was his first love, would in many ways, help him produce such great sound recordings for the numerous sessions that he cut his musical teeth on.

As well as working at Tubby’s studio full time often the first in and the last to leave the building, Jammy encouraged by Tubby was working on his own studio not a stone’s throw from Tubby's. 38 St Lucia, in the Waterhouse district of Kingston.

You can hear the clear sound Jammy could produce from our opening track when stripped to its dub, the bass cuts through powerfully yet as clear as a bell. Jammy had also being running his own Super Power Sound System first started back in 1962 again with the help of his childhood friend King Tubby.

Jammy has released some classic dub albums over the years such as Prince Jammy In A Lion Dub Style, In The Light Dub and Fatman Riddim Section's Killer Dub, to name but a few.

We hope that this selection of 1970's dub cuts will stand next to those. Remembering that although King Jammy ruled the 1980's digital revolution he had already contributed to the Dub Explosion way before that.