Song of the Day: Augustus Pablo “King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown”
From the enigmatic keyboard & melodica player and producer Augustus Pablo, comes this hair-raising example of Jamaican dub music at it’s finest. “King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown,” pairs Pablo with King Tubby, the producer/engineer/dub pioneer extraordinaire mentioned in the song’s title. The track features one of the most celebrated rhythm section in music history, none other than Bob Marley & the Wailer’s bassist, Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett along with his brother, drummer Carlton Barrett. Given ample room to stretch out on this spacious sonic gem, the two lay down one of the most solid, yet playful interpretations of one of reggae’s ‘riddims’ imaginable. With King Tubby playing the mixing board like an instrument and employing heavy use of tape delay effects and studio sorcery, what would ordinarily be a relatively straight-ahead roots reggae track is transformed into a mind-bending musical journey. This song, recorded at Randy’s Studio in Kingston, Jamaica, was originally released in 1976 on Yard International/Clocktower Records.
Augustus Pablo, was born on June 24th, 1954 in St. Andrew Jamaica. Originally named Horace Swaby, he got his moniker from keyboardist Herman Chin Loy, which he began using on recording sessions that he played on starting in 1971. While learning how to play the organ at Kingston College School, a girl lent him an instrument which was to change his life, and the face of Jamaican music forever. This instrument is known as the Melodica, which is a free-reed instrument similar to a pump organ and a harmonica. It has a small piano-like keyboard which is controlled by the player’s blowing air through a mouthpiece. Previously thought to be suitable solely for children, Pablo produced a steady string of hits throughout the 70’s using this instrument. He continued to tour and record extensively until his death on May 18th of 1999 due to a collapsed lung. He is truly one of the heroes of Jamaican music and will forever be associated with his pioneering work on the Melodica as one of the all time greatest dub champions!
Song of the Day: Augustus Pablo “King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown”