S & D: Sly & Robbie

Releases in other peoples names:
Search (too many to name them all but just for starters): Abyssinians - Satta Massagana; Black Uhuru - (everything up to 1983 but Guess Who's Coming To Dinner and Liberation: The Island Anthology are probably the best places to start); Culture - Two Sevens Clash; Clint Eastwood & General Saint - 2 Bad DJ; Israel Vibration - Same Song; Luciano - Where Thers Is Life; Sizzla - Black Woman & Child; U-Roy - Rasta Ambassador
Destroy: nothing specific leaps to mind, but they were a pair of old tarts and would and did work with just about anyone, so their names on the cover of an album isn't necessarily an indicator / guarantee of anything much

As far as I can tell, most of their post-'90s albums are to be avoided, particularly their collaborative works. (I'm looking at you, Howie B.) Familiar with the Dancehall Killers album? Their dancehall rhythm productions seem decent from what I've caught of their work.

Are Sly & Robbie really on Two Sevens Clash? I thought Sly was the drummer but Lloyd Parks did most of the bass playing for the Professionals around that time. It's certainly not yer classic Sly & Robbie sound (though it's one of the greatest records ever so any excuse to recommend it is justified, obv.) A better example of S&R might be "Right Time" by the Mighty Diamonds, another corkingly good LP.

Black Uhuru were never quite my thing but -as you say Stewart - I always thought of their first 2 or 3 LPs as a definitive statement of the S&R sound of that point (late roots).

Destroy: "Sly, Wicked and Slick". A stinker, as I recall.

It may be unlike anything esle they've done but it is fantastic, think a reggae version of Plaid crossed with Mogwai maybe.

Also Burning Spear's Martin Garvey/Garveys Ghost if you want straight reggae.

Destroy Rhytmn Killers. Does anyone want to buy my copy?

Bass and Drums on Right Time however are credited to Ranchie & Benbow; I'm not familiar with the names - these aren't aliases for messrs Dunbar and Shakespear are they?! Of course it's a great album whoever the rythm section were!

My opinion of Black Uhuru is probably prejudiced by all sorts of sentimentality (as much as anything else they were, along with LKJ, responsible for turning me on to reggae in the first place) but I love their late '70's - early '80's srtuff to bits and the first time I saw Sly & Robbie was with Black Uhuru at the Brixton Academy in (I think) '81, so they're inextricably linked in my mind.

I have a Black Uhuru-like blind spot with Burning Spear, too. I have a few records by each and just never even think of playing them. Something about them I can't get round to loving that much. It's my problem, I'm sure.

Search Taxi Fare on Heartbeat. It's a mixed bag, but I think the good stuff on it makes it worthwhile: "Triplet", "Taxi Connection", "Unmetered Taxi"--sparse songs with lots of early digi bleeps and whooshes and flanged drums. Although it's definately reggae, some of this stuff doesn't sound like "reggae" as much as it does "Sly and Robbie" music, i.e. it's pretty unique.

Also search Reggae Greats: Dub Experience on Mango. Again, not killer all the way through, but it has its moments of endearingly odd production, like "Computer Malfunction".

The playing is first-rate, bolstered by unobtrusive contributions from session aces like bassist Robbie Shakespeare and drummer Sly Dunbar

then, under credits:

Ranchie - Bass

Benbow - Drums

On my copy, I seem to remember Sly and Robbie to be credited. Either way its a great album and the rhythm duo is either S & R or a very good imitator.

(Of course, so is the person who trusts the credits on reggae sleeves, so we're all in trouble.)

"Right Time" (1976):
Sly, Hossie, Benbow - drums
Ranchie & Robie - bass

"Planet Earth" (1978):
Sly Dunbar - drums
Lloyd Parks - bass

"Deeper Roots": (1979):
George 'Fully' Fullwood - bass
Carlton 'Santa' Davis - drums

I should have checked the sleeve before posting.

A lot of people really like Rhytnm Killers. Are we talking about the same album, produced by Bill Laswell, 1987?

-- mei

Yeah, the one that's two side-long "suites" both led off with versions of classic funk (Lee Dorsey and Ohio Players). One of the few really good Laswell productions...

Black Uhuru's "Sensimilla" still does it for me. S&R's rhythm's on that are so propulsive (duh!)

FAL! Yeah, I remember that episode too - they interviewed a number of drumers (can't remember who now) who were all speaking (surprisingly!) intelligently and technically about their techniques; then cut to Sly saying something along the lines of "me use the t'ick end of dis waan fi mek big bang on de snare like 'dis [BANG!!!] an' de t'in end of dis waan fi jus' tickle de hi-hat like dis [tink!]. Hilarious!

I believe it was also Sly in that programme who first showed me how to roll drumsticks on the shop counter to check that that they're completely straight before buying them too.

No, I don't play drums either.

This album's pretty disappointing except for "Spasticus (Autisticus)." I paid a dollar for the LP, so I don't feel that let down.

Also Grace Jones, Compass Point Sessions: has all the long/dub versions of the stuff they did with her (plus cool things like Grace's version of Ring of Fire!). This is just some of my favorite music ever. Wotta band.

I think I have only heard one of the following ('Baltimore' - not my favourite), so would welcome opinions. I'm sure it's all very good, but you can't be too careful.

1. The Tamlins - Baltimore
2. The Tamlins - Baltimore (Version)
3. Struggle - Rocky Music
4. Struggle - Rocky Music (Dub)
5. The Tamlins - Real Love
6. The Tamlins - Real Love (Version)
7. The Tamlins - Tickle Me/Thrilla
8. The Tamlins - Tickle Me/Thrilla (Version)
9. Black Uhuru - Shine Eye Gal
10. Black Uhuru - Shine Eye Gal (Version)
11. Ambillique - Taxi feat. Brian and Tony Gold
12. Ambillique - Unmetered Taxi
13. Ambillique - Unmetered Taxi (Version)
14. Wailing Souls - Old Broom
15. Wailing Souls - Old Broom (Version)
16. Jimmy Riley - Love and Devotion
17. Jimmy Riley - Drunken Master (Love and Devotion Version)
18. Dennis Brown - Revolution (Dub Plate Version)
19. Dennis Brown - Revolution
20. Dennis Brown - Revolution (Version)
21. The Viceroys - Heart Made Of Stone
22. The Viceroys - Heart Made Of Stone (Version)

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000001FV6.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000003QHT.01._SCLZZZZZZZ

The first - and possibly the most extraordinary - one that leaps to mind is (believe it or not) Bob Dylan. Check the credits on 1983's Infidels!

Also: Joe Cocker; Manu Dibango; Michael Franti / Spearhead; Serge Gainsbourg; Gwen Guthrie; Mick Jagger (Sly subsequently also played on The Rolling Stones' Undercover, 'though without Robbie); Cindi Lauper; No Doubt; Sinead O'Connor; Carly Simon; Simply Red; Suggs; Yoko Ono; and, of course Curiosity Killed The Cat.

I've got a live version of them with Serge G doing "Harley Davidson" which is awesome.

The word on their James Brown collabo is that it didn't really work out, but there is one great story I heard about it, that James turned around during the session to look at Robbie and say "Man, you don't move an inch!"

Search: Funky Nassau: The Compass Point Story

^^ although i already knew most of the tracks, that's one of the greatest cds out this year.

Guy Cuevas track is A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

pulled out language barrier to see if i was ready for it after disliking it for a few years. it's rad!

Blackwood Dub!!

great interview:
http://www.thetrapset.net/086-sly-dunbar-sly-robbie-grace-jones-peter-tosh-the-rolling-stones-bob-dylan/

cool to hear him talk about making beats on an mpc and producing 'Murder She Wrote' after his daughter picked that one out of a bunch he made that day.

i really wish they would remaster/reissue an expanded edition of rhythm killers ..

(on Catch a Fire that is)

Ah, okay, was wondering if it was something like that.

fuck! i reckon he plays on more music i own than almost anyone who has ever lived.

Enjoyed rewatching the Rock School clip after all these years, but seem to recall a bit with Robbie talking about right hand placement “tone gettin’ heavier….tone gettin’ lighter” that I didn’t see there.

oh wow I had the Rock School book as a kid

I think I still may have it.

This guy has a discussion and links to the whole episode. http://marcoonthebass.blogspot.com/2010/05/bbc-rock-school-80s-tv-series-teaches.html?m=1

damn we lost scratch perry and robbie shakespeare in one year, that's too much

U Roy and Bunny Wailer too ;_;

Astro too.

shit that was all this year??

Hell we lost Toots to COVID last September too. It's been a brutal 15 months!

also best bassline ever or what?

yes, it's a good candidate! I think I knew Sly & Robbie produced that but I didn't know Robbie also played that fantastic bassline

https://gui✧✧✧.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/bob-dy✧✧✧@1400x1050-1392x1✧✧✧.j✧✧

^ mark knopfler getting a chance to play with one of the greats

lets try that again:

https://i.ibb.co/F3G9Yrw/Capture.jpg

oh man.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfMmG8QRZWk

Long ago in the 80s I saw Sly & Robbie backing Black Uhuru live and they were magnificent. RIP Robbie

Best rhythm section ever? RIP big man.

Of the later stuff, I liked the collaboration with Eivind Aarset and Vladislav Delay:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctdeiieow40

Talk about a guy that probably has no idea how many records he appears on ...

― Josh in Chicago,

from a Wrongtom tweet : "True story. Robbie was invited into the Sanctuary/Trojan archives in an effort to identify tracks he played on, and even he wasn't sure"

xpost - chinaski that's a great album, discovered it randomly on spotify this year

they recenetly released a dub mix of "Jokerman" by Dylan (posted in the Infidels thread but wanted to post here too) kinda cool, really emphasizes Sly & Robbie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmrrzLoO-UQ

Wow, Rhythm Killers has an enormous Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhythm_Killers

I enjoyed … Presents Taxi last night.

Long ago in the 80s I saw Sly & Robbie backing Black Uhuru live and they were magnificent.

i saw them with black uhuru too and then at the start of the millenium with grace jones. blessed to have had those experiences.

I had Rhythm Killers and its predecessor Language Barrier (which includes a remake of Miles Davis's "Black Satin" from On the Corner!) on cassette in high school and listened to them all the time. Love those records.

I had Rhythm Killers and its predecessor Language Barrier (which includes a remake of Miles Davis's "Black Satin" from On the Corner!) on cassette in high school and listened to them all the time. Love those records.

― but also fuck you (unperson),

same.
hence i would love to have expanded 2cd editions of each album.
can you imagine the extras, and how fantastic they could be.

randomly going through sly & robbie credits on discogs and it's seriously doing my wants list no favours.

wish this one was on youtube, looks incredible:
https://www.discogs.com/release/3229693-Derrick-Harriott-Acid-Rock

only track that is uploaded is pretty sick:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o90cfUmUheo

also i had no idea they made a track with smokie(!). it's okay?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk8gpawLRQQ

forgot about this manu dibango, absolutely killer track:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnasTKUAK1k

yes, that version of black skin blue eyed boys is so good. a major want.

smokie!!!

the released version got toned down a bit from this but robbie's bass here is pure fire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0COUDu5uSHI

oh god i was just about to say i still need those serge albums they're on. and about a hundred other things too!

Sentimental favorite remains "The Third Power" by Material, with Sly and Robbie writing and playing on every track save the awesome covers. This bass line is super-cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRmwu8jqJc4

Shakespeare's playing on this Funkadelic cover rules:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w-g9xjJat8

of course they did a record with sandii & the sunsetz, i mean why not

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU0kuMaRmHo

the released version got toned down a bit from this but robbie's bass here is pure fire.

holy god the drums too!

Sentimental favorite remains "The Third Power" by Material

yeah that goes hard too! was listening earlier to some of the yoko ono stuff they did with bill laswell and nona hendryx and anton fier et al but that was more on a disco tip

maybe i'll finally get round to listening to that joe cocker compass point album though i'm still somewhat allergic to his spittle-flecked voice. is it any good?

that cover of cosmic slop is so nice

still want this damn album too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rffg8aWSw_o

Did someone say cover of "Cosmic Slop"?

who knew 'cosmic slop' needed strings, material knew i guess

The neighbors would talk and call her Lazawell.

lol

Man, I don't know if it's just because he was only 68, but he was just not someone in my mind who was yet in the category of "great musicians who might die one day."

I've always loved this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFmI34xBD08

Sentimental favorite remains "The Third Power" by Material, with Sly and Robbie writing and playing on every track save the awesome covers.

who knew 'cosmic slop' needed strings, material knew i guess

Come to think of it, who sings "Mellow Mood" on the album?

I just looked and can’t find a single thing anywhere. The credits list Shider, Mudbone Cooper, the Jungle Brothers, Shabba Ranks, and the Last Poets guy on vocals. It’s pretty clearly none of them (or the woman who’s credited w bgd vocals). I’d say somebody like Bim Sherman but they don’t appear to have ever worked together.

Bernard Fowler sang on a million Laswell things in the '80s and '90s. I interviewed him once and he said Laswell's assistant used to call and say, "We're going into the studio on Tuesday" and he'd show up and it'd be a Herbie Hancock session or Yoko Ono or whoever, and he'd just sing whatever they put in front of him. It could be him.

Ooh Fowler is a good call. It could totally be him.

Tune in question: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkSZraRWiOM

Here is Fowler singing w S&R a few years earlier on Language Barrier:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP2ssi7FQBU

And on Rhythm Killers right after that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfyXQjQLpeQ

I kept thinking it must be some lovers rock crooner but as I think about it, Fowler is as likely as anyone given his ability to sing almost anything and his work with them to date. It’s just weird he wouldn’t be credited.