Rock Steady bassists (the Jamaican genre)

[bongomania]

I've always been a big fan of reggae and dub, but for some reason never paid particular attention to their "forgotten" and short-lived predecessor, Rock Steady. I just recently picked up a RS compilation on the Trojan label, and the bass lines, tones, and playing are all phenomenally cool! Super heavy and deep, yet more intricate and musically "interesting" than mainstream pop reggae bass.

So who were these bass giants? Did they mostly go on to careers in reggae? Were they mostly studio/session men? I'm interested to learn anything at all on the subject.
Thx!

[rodl2005]

Sorry- Dunno who were exactly on that Label. BUT SLY Dunbar-drums & Robbie Shakespeare-bass-have been MY 'go to' rythym section since I was -well lets say 1979!!!!

[One Drop]

Are you ready, (to do the rock steady)?


Is that the 3 CD box set you've been listening to? It's an incredible compilation with good sound, too. You should definitely check out 'Treasure Isle Time Vols I + II' a 2 disc compilation for more. The tracks on these were all remastered from the original tapes, and very beautifully and sympathetically at that.

The bassist I associate the most with the period is Jackie Jackson, who incidentally had the first Fender Jazz on the island, from '62. He was in Duke Reid's house band at the incredibly warm sounding Treasure Island studio, whose hits ruled the charts and dancehalls in the middle of the '60's.

On Alton Ellis' (RIP) 'Girl I've Got A Date':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7sizv_Jcdo

Jackie jackson is still around, and was on that great recent Toots album, 'True Love'

Probably the biggest most rounded and coolest bass tone from the era, I think Jackie Jackson on Slim Smith and The Uniques' 'My Conversation', still being versioned to this day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVVhg1xSSx8

Equally important was the much lesser known Brian Atkinson, who was the bassist with Lyn Taitt and The Jets. Lyn Taitt was probably more than anyone the originator of the style and was without doubt the most influential.

BA on the wonderful 'Ain't That Loving You' by Alton Ellis:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WraMDSIDq0U

I don't know where he is these days, sorry.

Over at Studio One, who had less success during this period (being much hotter during the previous Ska and later Reggae periods, the house band under Jackie Mittoo was known as the Soul Brothers, with Brian Atkinson and Lloyd Brevett on bass. They rerecorded quite a few tracks from Treasure Island, with many of the same musicians, and the sound was usually a bit harder. They still came up with tons of great singles during this time, don't get me wrong:

'I'm Just A Guy', Alton Ellis. Lousy sound on this clip, but the original rules, and the bassline is an all-time classic, too, and one of my favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAIvnHsdU7I

Just for fun, check out how many versions of this last riddim appear over the years, and I doubt it's a complete list:

http://www.dancehallmusic.de/riddimb...id=1673&page=1

Keep in mind that reggae in JA has always been about the session musicians and recorded music, and there have been relatively few touring bands over the years, and those were often made up of the same studio cats. Going to the dancehall was always the way to hear the latest tunes, and many of the bands put together to tour a single or a hot act were only put together for overseas, e.g. UK and later North America.

The steadily working bands of the era were mostly put together to play the hotels and resorts in JA, and they were tight and played all kinds of music, but probably not that much reggae, which had little support uptown and was pretty much a mystery to holiday makers until at least the '70s.

Anyway, I hope this helps a bit, keep on doing the rock steady, Freddy!

[bongomania]

Sweet! That was some good stuff there, thanks!

[Sahm]

Have you listened to any of The Slackers? They've got some great Rock Steady tunes, along with Ska and other styles. They're always touring, definitely worth checking out if they're in your area. When my old ska band opened up for them several years back, their bassist used an old Vox bass on a peg ala Cheap Trick style! He got a fat tone from it, perfect for the style.

[BurningSkies]

Originally Posted by Sahm

Have you listened to any of The Slackers? They've got some great Rock Steady tunes, along with Ska and other styles. They're always touring, definitely worth checking out if they're in your area. When my old ska band opened up for them several years back, their bassist used an old Vox bass on a peg ala Cheap Trick style! He got a fat tone from it, perfect for the style.

Marcus tends to play old Vox hollow body basses and while he likes SVT/8x10 rigs, he will use what ever's on stage really (usually when traveling if he can avoid moving or loading his he will). The peg thing is fairly new...he used to play it like a regular electric bass. I've had the pleasure of lending him my Jazz for a gig when he forgot his bass at home...and the pleasure of watching it crash to the stage half way into a song!


My all time favorite of the ska and rock steady era is Lloyd Brevett. He's simply amazing and has a feel like no other. The chain of learning goes Brevett->Family Man->Robbie Shakespear. He claimed to me that he was the first Rastafarian musician in Jamaica, and that he introduced Bob Marley to the religion. I give that a 50/50 chance of reality.

I don't do a lot of the compilations these days, but I really have always loved the double disk "Duke Reid's Treasure Chest" for a good sampler. I also have the Trojan box, which is OK. Rock Steady was a very interesting time. 1966 was a hot year. Too hot to play too quickly, and combined with the american soul that was being played on sound systems throughout Jamaica, the fast horn driven Ska was replaced with the vocal-centric sound of Rock Steady.

[Dave Bassincus]

Great stuff!
Like the O.P., more conversant in reggae and dub than rock steady, though aware of it.
Thanks for some really good music lessons.

[One Drop]

Originally Posted by BurningSkies

Marcus tends to play old Vox hollow body basses and while he likes SVT/8x10 rigs, he will use what ever's on stage really (usually when traveling if he can avoid moving or loading his he will). The peg thing is fairly new...he used to play it like a regular electric bass. I've had the pleasure of lending him my Jazz for a gig when he forgot his bass at home...and the pleasure of watching it crash to the stage half way into a song!


My all time favorite of the ska and rock steady era is Lloyd Brevett. He's simply amazing and has a feel like no other. The chain of learning goes Brevett->Family Man->Robbie Shakespear. He claimed to me that he was the first Rastafarian musician in Jamaica, and that he introduced Bob Marley to the religion. I give that a 50/50 chance of reality.

I don't do a lot of the compilations these days, but I really have always loved the double disk "Duke Reid's Treasure Chest" for a good sampler. I also have the Trojan box, which is OK. Rock Steady was a very interesting time. 1966 was a hot year. Too hot to play too quickly, and combined with the american soul that was being played on sound systems throughout Jamaica, the fast horn driven Ska was replaced with the vocal-centric sound of Rock Steady.

BurningSkies, I know Lloyd Brevett well enough from his work with the Skatalites and on Studio One early '60s ska, but I'm on shakier ground when it comes to the what he recorded later at Studio One and elsewhere. I can't say I can really pick him out from hearing a track (though I've seen him with the Skatalites on DB often enough over the years). Did he record on EB at Studio One as well or only on upright?

Thanks!

[One Drop]

Originally Posted by Sahm

Have you listened to any of The Slackers? They've got some great Rock Steady tunes, along with Ska and other styles. They're always touring, definitely worth checking out if they're in your area. When my old ska band opened up for them several years back, their bassist used an old Vox bass on a peg ala Cheap Trick style! He got a fat tone from it, perfect for the style.

I've only seen a few clips up on youtube of them, great sounding bass and a top band! I particularly liked the clip with Cornell Campbell, a favorite singer of mine and one who should get more recognition.

You have a lot of cool reggae bands stateside, on both coasts. I'd like to check them out but i never seem to be in the right place in the right tme.

I'm going to try and look up Lyn Taitt when I'm back home in Mtl. in July; apparently he lives there now and plays out occasionally. I missed a gig he did for the Jazz Festival a few years back, by a day.