A Mix to Listen to Whilst Reading M. Veal's 'Dub' Book

I re-discovered this on my hard drive last night, having forgetten about it for about a year. Its creation was due to this dissensus thread. Paul Automatic also reviewed it for Woofah 2. But all you will know that already...



Thus, here is a mix of the king tubby's stuff as discussed in detail in chapter 4 of the book (e.g. those songs that are in the 'king tubby in the mix' sub-section(s)). page numbers included.

track list is as follows:

1. ken boothe- 'silver words' (p118)
2. king tubby- 'silver bullet'

3. johnny clarke- 'enter his gates with praise' (p119)
4. king tubby- 'this is the hardest version'*
5. dennis brown- 'live after you'
6. king tubby- 'dubbing with the observer'

7. tommy mccook- 'death trap' (p120)
8. king tubby- 'living style'

9. jackie mittoo- 'sniper' (p120)
10. king tubby- 'dub fi gwan'

11. vivian jackson and the prophets- 'fire fire' (p121)
12. king tubby- 'fire fire dub'

13. jacob miller- 'baby i love you so' (p122)
14. king tubby- 'king tubby meets the rockers uptown'


download here

YouTube Dubplate

The vocal of this dub will always remind me of dances in the second half of 2008- it's been battered by Iration, and is dropped here by Aba Shanti I:.

Martin Campbell- 'Wicked Rule' 10" (Log On!!)

When you see an artist photo such as the one above on the back cover of a reggae record, you have to give it at least a cursery listen.

And so it was that I came to drop needle on a slab of vinyl featuring the name Martin Campbell.

Having a dull feeling that I had previously come across the name somewhere before, combined with the vocal- I heard a crooning Tenor Saw- a purchase was made. It then sat on the shelf, almost unlistened to.

Despite a lack of publicity photography, his latest 10" has hardly left my turntable since I got it.



Originally released in 1990, this repress and has had me scurrying round the web for clips. It's that good.

Here we have Channel One Sound System playing it at Notting Hill:



Here Martin Campbell sings it live:



A little more research came across the www.channeloneuk.co.uk website*. Which yields:

Martin Campbell, Channel One UK, 1995




In addition to original plus version (which itself is some of the finest UK-Dub you are likely to hear), you get the newly recorded 'Jah Soon Come' by Peter Culture on the same rhythm with dub. Its on coloured vinyl too.

Run to your local record shop. Quickly!


*Not the same Channel One who feature in the first clip, obviously, but rather the UK offshoot of the Hookim brother's Channel One JA setup.

The Diggers Filmed: Winstanley

As part of the Leeds Film Festival, there has been a screening of the 1975 film about Gerrard Winstanley, 'leader' of The Diggers-an offshoot of The Levellers- who called for and created- after the failure of the Putney Debates- a community based on the idea of "making the earth a common treasury for all, both rich and poor" (it failed within a year, mind).

The film is a moving piece, beautifully executed given the tiny budget, with nature taking centre stage (often drowning out dialogue- which in the spririt of realism, is how it should be). there are clips on the internet too!








This ties in nicely with a current exhibition at the British Library, which we went to last week, an excellent way to while away a few hours- you can see original versions of the Magna Carta, the death warrent of King Charles I- signed and sealed by Cromwell, amongst others, diaries from emprisoned suffregettes and copies of OZ magazine (if that's your bag) amongst other primary documents.

The focus on legal definitions of freedom are somewhat limiting, but, hey, in these times of 'Big Ben British Values', which include imprisonment without trial, it's important, innit.


The irony that the land that the diggers worked (Saint George’s Hill, Cobham, Surrey) is now the home (or one of the homes) of the likes of Elton John, George Michael and wealthy bankers, is not lost.
this page provides some excellent links to further reading

further context