The Revolutionaries
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The Revolutionaries (sometimes known as "Revolutionaires") was a Jamaican reggae band.
Career
[edit]Set up in 1975 as the house band of the Channel One Studios owned by Joseph Hoo Kim, The Revolutionaries with Sly Dunbar on drums and Bertram "Ranchie" McLean on bass,[1] created the new "rockers" style that would change the whole Jamaican sound (from roots reggae to rockers, and be imitated in all other productions). Beside Sly, many musicians played in the band: Robbie Shakespeare on bass, JoJo Hookim, Bertram McLean, and Radcliffe "Dougie" Bryan on guitar, Ossie Hibbert, Errol "Tarzan" Nelson, Robbie Lyn or Ansel Collins on keyboards, Uziah "Sticky" Thompson, Noel "Scully" Simms on percussion, Tommy McCook, Herman Marquis on saxophone, Bobby Ellis on trumpet and Vin Gordon on trombone.
In 1976, The Revolutionaries attained further respect from the Sound System and dub fraternity when they recorded a track named after author Alex Haley's character, Kunta Kinte, which would become one of reggae music's most recognisable riddims and which for many years was only played by selected sound systems on dubplate.[2] The track Kunta Kinte was based on an earlier tune, Beware Of Your Enemies, released from Jamaica's Channel One. The 1976 dub version released by The Revolutionaries became a sound system anthem for many years on dubplate, and also inspired a UK version produced by Mad Professor in 1981. It has also inspired Drum and Bass and jungle covers, and was consistently played by Jah Shaka.[3]
The band played on numerous dub albums and recorded as a backing band for artists like B.B. Seaton, Carl Malcolm, Black Uhuru, Culture, Prince Alla, Leroy Smart, Gregory Isaacs, John Holt, The Heptones, Mighty Diamonds, I-Roy, Tapper Zukie, Trinity, U Brown, Errol Scorcher, Serge Gainsbourg among others.
Discography
[edit]The Revolutionaries
[edit]- Revival Dub Roots Now - 1976 - Well Charge
- Revolutionary Sounds - 1976 - Channel One/Well Charge
- Sounds Vol 2 - 1979 - Ballistic
- Vital Dub Well Charged - 1976 - Virgin
- Dread At The Controls - 1978 - Hawkeye
- Dub Expression - 1978 - High Note
- Earthquake Dub - 1978 - Joe Gibbs
- Jonkanoo Dub - 1978 - Cha Cha
- Reaction In Dub - 1978 - Cha Cha
- Sentimental Dub - 1978 - Germain
- Top Ranking Dub - 1978 - Rootsman
- Burning Dub - 1979 - Burning Vibrations
- Dub Out Her Blouse & Skirt - 1979 - Germain
- Dutch Man Dub - 1979 - Burning Vibrations
- Goldmine Dub - 1979 - Greensleeves
- Outlaw Dub - 1979 - Trojan
- Dawn Of Creation - Sagittarius
- Dub Plate Specials At Channel One - Jamaican Recordings
- Green Bay Dub - 1979 - Burning Vibrations
- Medley Dub - High Note
- Phase One Dubwise Vol 1 & 2 - Sprint
- Satta Dub Strictly Roots - Well Charge
- Dial M For Murder In Dub Style - 1980 - Express
- I Came, I Saw, I Conquered - 1980 - Channel One
Compilations
[edit]- Channel One - Maxfield Avenue Breakdown - Dub & Instrumentals - 1974-1979 - Pressure Sounds (2000)
- Revival - 1973-1976 - Cha Cha (1982)
- Roots Man Dub - 1979 - GG's
- Channel One Revisited Dub - Top Beat (1995)
- Macca Rootsman Dub - Jamaican Gold (1994)
- The Rough Guide to Dub - World Music Network (2005)
With The Aggrovators
[edit]- Agrovators Meets The Revolutioners At Channel One Studios - 1977 - Third World
- Rockers Almighty Dub (Dubwise, Rockers, Bass & Drums) - 1979 - Clocktower
- Agrovators Meet Revolutionaries Part II - Micron
Others
[edit]- Kunta Kinte - 1976 - Channel One
- Guerilla Dub - 1978 - Burning Sounds
- The Revolutionaries & We The People Band - Revolutionary Dub - 1976 - Trenchtown
- Bobby Ellis And The Professionals Meet The Revolutionaries - Black Unity - 1977 - Third World
- Derrick Harriott & The Revolutionaries - Reggae Chart Busters Seventies Style - 1977 - Crystal
- Sly & The Revolutionaries - Don't Underestimate The Force, The Force Is Within You - 1977 - J&L
- Sly & The Revolutionaries - Go Deh Wid Riddim - 1977 - Crystal
- Sly & The Revolutionaries With Jah Thomas - Black Ash Dub - 1980 - Trojan
- Errol Scorcher & The Revolutionaries - Rasta Fire (A Channel One Experience) - 1978 - Ballistic
- Ossie Hibbert & The Revolutionaries - Satisfaction In Dub - 1978 - Live & Love
- Pancho Alphonso & The Revolutionaries - Never Get To Zion - 1978 - Trojan
References
[edit]- ^ "Jamaica Observer Limited". Jamaica Observer. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
- ^ "20/05/2019: "Kunte Kinte" by The Revolutionaries". Mymusic365.co.uk. 20 May 2019.
- ^ "Riddimology 001: "Kunta Kinte"". Dub-stuy.com. 5 August 2018.
External links
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