King Tubby Meets The Ring Craft Posse – Dub Too Much Volume 3

After the release of two vinyl LPs with classic dub tracks produced in the 1970s during the golden age of roots reggae, Patate Records collaboration with Jamaican reggae producer Rodguel Sinclair aka Blackbeard has led to the release of another LP of dub versions mixed at King Tubby’s studio. The previously released LPs in the King Tubby Meets The Ring Craft Posse series, Lost Dub From The Vault (Volume 1) and Look What You’re Dubbing (Volume 2), featured dubs of tunes by artists like Ken Boothe, Cornell Campbell, Barry Brown, Jackie Edwards, and Dennis Brown.

Rodguel ‘Blackbeard’ Sinclair

After serving as an apprentice under Bunny “Striker” Lee, the brother of renowned Jamaican producer/deejay David Sinclair, also known as Tappa Zukie, ventured into producing his own music in the mid-1970s. He released his productions on his label, Hulk, while later works were distributed through the Mr. Tipsy label, bringing his reggae and dub sound to enthusiasts. Bunny Lee and King Tubby, close friends of his, provided invaluable assistance when he sought to record with artists such as John Holt, Horace Andy, Bunny Ruggs, Culture, Mighty Diamonds, and Johnny Clarke, among others. He also required dub versions from Tubby’s studio for the b sides of his 7″ singles. Throughout his career, the producer collaborated with an extensive list of musicians, notably his studio band, the Ring Craft Posse. Although they did not achieve the same level of fame as notable bands like The Aggrovators, The Revolutionaries, or The Roots Radics, they were nonetheless outstanding and made a significant impact.

Inconsistencies

It would be inaccurate to label this LP as solely a collection of 12 classic, rare, and unreleased tracks by King Tubby, the master of dub. Firstly, not all the tracks were mixed by King Tubby alone, as Scientist and Prince Jammy also contributed to the mixing. Secondly, not every track is a rare and unreleased dub. For instance, the first track, Girl I Want To Dub You, was featured on a 12″ single released in 1978 by Gorgon Records called Cornel Campbell Disco Showcase, although as part of the discomix version of the vocal cut Girl I Want You. Similarly, Step It Up In Dub, a militant steppers dub mixed by Prince Jammy for the with Bunny Lee co-produced Barry Brown song Step It Up Youthman, has been released multiple times in various formats. Another example is African Roots In Dub, another co-production with Bunny Lee that has been previously featured on the King Tubby’s Dub From The Roots and Johnny Clarke’s Strickly Reggae Music albums. Additionally, the 2006 Jet Star 4xCD box set labeled Bunny Lee Presents The Late Great King Tubby – The Legacy includes a few tracks from this album. It is important to acknowledge that, despite these inconsistencies, this dub compilation is a high-quality compilation featuring numerous captivating dubs that are guaranteed to delight aficionados of classic dub music.

Vibrant Representation

The Dub Too Much compilation offers a vibrant representation of a distinctive period in reggae music, featuring an array of exceptional dub versions that preserve fragments of the original vocals within the mix. This allows listeners to experience the voices of renowned artists like Johnny Clarke, Barry Brown, Cornell Campbell, Delroy Wilson, Horace Andy, David Isaacs, and Tinga Stewart in the various remixed tracks. Alongside the aforementioned dub treasures such as Girl I Want To Dub You, Step It Up In Dub, and African Roots In Dub, there are several other remarkable tracks to fulljoy. Among them are Pure Dubbing (a rendition of Horace Andy’s Pure Ranking), Mining (Delroy Wilson’s You Are Mine on the Bangarang riddim), and Blessed (a collaboration between David Isaacs and Dillinger titled Hard Road To Travel).

Without a doubt, Dub Too Much is a valuable addition to any collection of classic dub compilations.