UPDATE: I'm reliably informed by reggae historian Chris Lane (who actually used Tubby's studio) that tales of Tubby rebuilding the famous MCI desk have probably been exaggerated over the years. It's not that he couldn't have it's more that it wasn't actually such a bad board at all when it was installed. Oh and another note, the spring reverb was probably not a Fisher Space Expander and most probably a fairchild (Chris doesn't remember seeing either). Course, none of this detracts from the music at all but seems while Tubby himself was very shy and retiring there has been a bit of legend building from some of those around him. Thanks Chris for these eyewitness clarifications.
He is right - Bunny Lee bought the board & it was working perfectly. Dynamic just upgraded to more tracks. I saw the reverb, and gave it a tap! -it is a basic tank you can still buy for £40. Not sure of the make, it doesnt matter too much, it was how it was inserted & used that is important.
King Tubby, just the best. Every aspect of his work is so finely honed. When I read that he had his effects in the studio tuned to work with the crossover frequencies of his "Hometown HiFi" sound system that just blew my mind... to link every stage of the sound process from recording to playback in such a seamless way, Big respects to King Tubby.
All totally true. Especially with how the productions were tested for audience reaction. Tubby's sound probably the birth of hip hop. I'm planning on a video on that very subject soon.
It needs to be soon as the FBA of New York are twisting the truth of how the .....let's rephrase evolution of Hip hop evolved . Tubbies was an indirect major influence, esp to the great Herc of Cedar Ave & King Charles Sounds of Queens New York who knew Tubbies .
@MusicEnthuZone You know your reggae & sound system culture . One of the traditional artillery moves an Oppa may use in attack is the version excursion ( u can kill a sound fe dead ) if you drop it correctly ... true ? Herc knows Tubbies is a master of the version the dub mix crowd, wait for the drop ! For me, Herc was aware of Tubbies version excursion & the g8 U Roy vibe the intro of the dub version so in New York Bronx he was aware B boys n fly girls love the break the get down & he extended the break , & transition from Apache to Gangster groove to James Brown Give the drummer Some . He called it the Merry Go Round developed from the version excursion . Also, Carribean people's love disco because of the break & the drum .Sound man like to rough it up , reverb , base , & filter . Peace brother . 🙏
@@MusicEnthuZone Dancehall was the birth of Hip Hop Kool Herc from Jamaica and mixed the same as dancehall, Space in music is the gift Reggae gave House etc... Big Up! from Peoples Sound Records Portobello London UK.
Tubby was the godfather of modern mixing, his contribution is profound. His talent, creativity, techniques and imagination migrated to dance music, pop, Hip Hop, tek dub, across every style and genre, those active mixing techniques became the impetus for console automation, he arguably even influenced how sampling was used and he now lives on in perpetuity in every producers DAW and touches every single contemporary composition, mix, translation and remix. Every time I hear a tasty throw, effects used as compositional elements, filters, natty delays, space as an object, versions, minimalist deconstructions, or even when I boot, I think, holy hell, Tubby is in the room. Thank you Osbourne ! and thanks for the vid. 🙏
I learned a long while back that Detroit, Jamaica and a few other spots were absurdly influential for modern electronic or dub style music (and the new genres influenced by jamaican dub). The UK played a huge role in that tbh. They were like a vinyl pressing hub. Sort of how like printing presses rapidly distributed affordable books, magazines and newspapers. London and suburbs also had record shops with imports...and people loved the sound. The sound went everywhere. Quickly.
The day I heard The Roots of Dub album as a child, my life changed, started to dig through my Late Fathers 7” collection & I was always blown away with the sound. Tubbys name needs to be kept alive for generations to come.
I just love people like you who try to keep Tubby alive. I am 63 so I grew up with Tubby's music. I'ts difficult to narrow things down to a favorite track but if I had to pound for pound it would be the dub to Cornell Campbell's Talking Love.
Called The King for a Reason, because He WAS!!!! Thanks For This. RIP "King Tubby" Osbourne Ruddock. One of my Faves is King Tubby with Yabby You(Vivian Jackson) Both Gone Now.
One problem with keeping this pretty short was I didn't get to mention some of the other great producers he worked with. Yabby You of course, Tapper Zukie. Personally one of my favourites is the 'Noisy Place' dub he did for horace Andy. ua-cam.com/video/Kicfx7bkJig/v-deo.htmlsi=bKhGe5946A7XHT8C I've been listening to lots of Deejay stuff recently. Video up coming on that.. ua-cam.com/video/nwtNfQTblLs/v-deo.htmlsi=4ZT7dV9vfztj4xGr
What a wonderful artist and story, King Tubby, where artistry and technical ability overlapped with mad science innovation. Every electronic artist, DJ, and sound tinkerer owes a tribute to this king.
I watched a movie called something like "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" and it was about a kid who invented his own form of a wind(?& solar?) powered pump that could run modern irrigation systems for his family farm (and then scale out to the surrounding communities). Great movie also, tbh. So this dude is like: "The OG Who Harnessed Electrons and Club Systems Sounds?"
Sorry for the late reply, wasn't showing as an alert. I'll look out for that film. I think you're right. Tubby harnessed the tools at hand and repurposed them.
@MusicEnthuZone The tapestry of science and music history is a serious rabbithole of some incredibly amazing stories regarding the human spirit and the triumph of individuals when faced with seemingly impossible odds. I am amazed people spend so much time on weak conspiracy theories when the truth of our world is so complex and dense. Yet also, sometimes very simple and beautiful and ugly and crazy and insane.
big influential music creator/visionary. they used the mixing console as an additional instrument, and brought drum & bass to the front. inspired so many artists/music styles. R.I.P. King Tubby.
Thank you. For me it's the attention to detail. He knew every aspect of the signal chain inside out. Not many producers actually understand those things.
Honestly this has been a learning experience for me totally. I'm gonna clickbait you but you won't believe what else him and u-roy invented... i kind of knew the outline but the real facts have only sunk in recent. It's time to make the case.
Top tier stuff, superb content - I've been a big King Tubby fan since the late 80's, but never really looked into the man, only listened to the music/work that came out of his studio. Much appreciated. god bless
I don't know if you use Reaper but it's very good for doing dub feedback loops. I'm considering doing a 'how to' on some of the Tubby effects I've tried to emulate.
Thanks. That was very interesting and informative. I knew the name but didn't know anything about him. I like your delivery, you sound like you could have presented at Channel 4 show in the 80s.
Really well made Doc, thanks so much for sharing your knowledge 👌. This music means so much to me and I love finding out how the early pioneers went about creating their sound.
The world needs more loud Dub music. The echo and Bass clean you from the third eye to the chakras. Love that people are getting something from the video. Researching and making it gave me a new perspective on his work. I've got a few of the old Blood and Fire reissues in the car (it's CD only) they just sound so good. I'm kind of obsessed with the DeeJays at the moment. There may well be a video on that subject coming soon.
I'm learning more day by day about him. Watching the videos with Scientist. Only when to his studio once, respect to Senator D and Glen Pope (Torpedo). Gone too soon.
It's actually my own version of 'Disorder' by Joy Division. ua-cam.com/video/udD0TxDp8e8/v-deo.html This is a different mix. I'm uploading the one from the video in a few days.
@@MusicEnthuZone Later on, Tubby took a backseat & let Peego & Fatman do the recording. In truth, he only made 4 Dub albums 1. King Tubby Presents The Roots Of Dub 2. King Tubby The Dub Master Presents Dub From The Roots 3. Brass Rockers with Tommy McCook 4. Shalom Dub. A very interesting truthful book is Reggae Going International 1967 - 1976 The Bunny 'Striker' Lee Story. I recall receiving a message on Facebook from Bunny Lee saying he would be in London,but, sadly I never went to see him, what a HUGE mistake that was on my part. Bunny Lee talks at great length on Tubby in the book. You did very well with this video.
It's actually my own version of Joy Division's 'Disorder'. I make all the music for my videos (that way no one can copyright claim me for a start, also i like tounderstand how people made music before talking about it, helps me get in their head space. There's a different mix of it here: ua-cam.com/video/udD0TxDp8e8/v-deo.htmlsi=4mn1YlqKwc_WeULp I may well put out the mix from the background as a video by itself. I've had fun trying to replicate some of the techniques.
You should have a chat with Mikey Chin from South London who owned a sound called Taurus Hi Power. I was in that sound & Mikey & Tubbys was communicating heavily for dubs in the late 80's. Taurus was getting everything outa Tubbys. Mostly mixed by Fatman & Peego. Sometimes TWO full box of Transco would land on Mikeys dining table from two different people coming in from yard. Thats 50 plates all written up BY Tubbs himself. Taurus killed Jammys & V Rocket WITH a new batch of Tubbys riddim back in 89 down at Black Women Centre. Jammys himself was in that dance pissed off with Toops his selector. Firehouse Crew & King Asha were wicked riddim builders. Leroy Thompson was one of the best engineers
Thanks for this, I covered the story really quickly, two decades in 10 minutes so i definitely skimmed over the 80s. I think I'll be expanding on it. To do it properly, you're right, there needs to be voices of people who had dealings. The Connection between Jamaican and UK sounds is massive. People will tell me I'm wrong but it's where rave culture comes from. Same thing really, just the rhythms are weak. I'm imaging having 50 Tubby plates sat in front of me. Insane.
@@MusicEnthuZone I'm telling you the truth. Taurus was SO impactful in 89, they or whoever they were found out where Taurus was stored, broke in smashing the locks. They stabbed ALL & EVERY SPEAKER. Bass bins the lot. Smashed up the pre amp & broke everything they could lay their hands on. Worst of all they STOLE the dub box with all of the hot dubs plus our first batch from Bobby Dixon. I'm sure those Digital B dubs came on DAT cos we had to go to Music House to cut them. So I'm sure Mikey could cut them back. The Tubbys came straight on acetate. I recorded some Robert Lee, Thriller U, Wayne Wonder, Hugh Griffiths, Johnny Osbourne, Panbird aka Trevor Levy, Little John, Sugar Minott, Woody Noble & Pliers singing Murder She Wrote on cassette that I burnt on a CD. Which I wasn't supposed to do as a youth in the sound but Jeremiah knew I was a sincere youth & trusted me. Whoever did that to us KNEW THEY HAD to stop TAURUS.
Nice vid. Not sure if pressing acetates (0.30) is the right term. Acetates are being cut, hence the term cutting dub.... Vinyl records on the contrary are pressed. I understood acetates were often cut directly from the mixing desk onto the acetate disc... leading to one off versions of a dub. Maybe someone can provide more details on the process?
Yep, you are totally correct. Of course acetates are on a lathe not a press. Not just semantics, different process so thank you. I just got the common collocation 'press records' in my head.
@@MusicEnthuZone Yeah, I am just in an unhealthy way interested what these guys were doing :-) Another thing that must be interesting for you is that despite the discipline that guys like King Tubby and Lee Perry were having in getting the right sound, equipment was also being abused... e.g. Perry liked to blow the smoke from his spliff onto the heads of his Teac 4 track recorder. and Tubby was slapping on his Fisher spring reverb unit to get these cracking sound effects. Giving Dub some kind of a "spiritual" twist; while in Europa and the US studio technicians were trying to create a "true" sound with holistic stereo imaging these guys were creating with dub a portal to the inner world and center (preferably in mono) of the listener by fleshing out frequencies to the bone.... a nice piece of Jamaican Voodoo.
There's one guy who connects the two schools I think, Connor Plank. He was trained to do all the 'proper' stuff (recorded orchestras and Jazz Bands) but went off on tangents with the likes on NEU! And early Kraftwerk. I'm planning to do a similar episode on him in due course.
It's true. Of course downloading is wrong, but let's bear in mind that most of involved never got paid, so... With that in mind google the words 'archive jillem'. There's quite a few albums there in FLAC, not just Tubby, lots more roots and dub along with a load of African music and more.
great video. but I'm wondering how many of the records bearing his name were actually mixed by him. I'm sure you've read/heard more than me, could you name me a couple of LPs that are confirmed to have been actually his work? thanks!
The answer is probably surprisingly few. i just picked out my blood and fire copy of 'Dub Gone Crazy' (the evolution of dub at king tubby's). I think of the 12 tracks 3 of them were actually engineered by him. Here's one: 'Satta Dread Dub' ua-cam.com/video/KVygtE5uSZw/v-deo.htmlsi=gfhHjUt8xB1y8rBH this is 1975-79 though and the earlier you go in his discography the more probable it is that he didn't subcontract out the work under his brand name. All that said, he created the instrument they played.
@@MusicEnthuZone Satta Dread was a dub side of a BAR BELL releases (Sly & Robbies early label). I was told that all the dubs for that label were by Prince Phillip Smart....the most under-rated mixer ever, as he did many cuts folk presume were Tubby. Satta is a strange one as it is more Tubby-like than most PPSmart mixes but not as 'involved' as many of his own mixes at the time (re Glen Brown, FreedomSounds & A.Pablo mixes). It may be that some TUBBIES mixes were actually two pairs of hands on the board... also some mixes were done & mixed onto 4 track then fed back in and slightly overdubbed to get a fuller mix (?). I've seen the actual reverb Tubby used, Bunny Lee had it on one of his regular London visits to his mate Reggie Lowe (3 Kings-RIP) . It is a standard tank reverb you can pick up for about £40 still. It is great to see you mention unsung Heroes like Pat Kellys involvement & Thompson, they are key ingredients to the sound & vibe of Tubbies studio.
I've noticed all the great producers are introverts who don't like the camera, with the rare exceptions of the more manic autismos like Kanye. One downside is they arent good at sharing with the community, they don't give lots of interviews or insight into their ability. It's the magic in the background. So we always have to piece the details from the scraps of people who interacted with them plus some rare interviews. Thanks to podcasts we're now finally heading from legends like DJ Premier and Peter Rock, but long after they essentially retired
You're onto something there. I'll tell you who was an introvert producer, Daniel Dumile. by a mad co-incidence I'm from Leeds where DOOM spent his last years. Figure a fellow fan may appreciate some trivia about that time. He used to visit a radio controlled car. Once he left a on star yelp review when they didn't fulfil an order (Real Supervillain Stuff that). Also apparently he made a CDs worth of beats with him rhyming over Aphex Twin (another introvert producer) samples. Nobody knows where this is, maybe on some hard drive, unlabelled.
Rick Rubin seems to be an odd form of hippy mode extrovert. Yet to be fair...he is a very interesting type of music producer. His skills and knowledge are subpar, yet his abilities to organize people in peaceful and interesting ways definitely changed this reality we all experience. He was also kind of an encyclopedia of music history to a degree.
Reddit brought me here! Is it just me or can you hear the weed in Scientists dub vs King Tubbys cleaner sound?? Anyway heres my favorite King Tubby track ua-cam.com/video/Gw-ecLwotIk/v-deo.htmlsi=ZaNOForjtZ9DRnnn
It's probably not just you. I think a big part might be age. Tubby was an adult working. Scientist was still a kid and playing. It must have been very exciting being allowed to make dubs in there. Nice track too, that's a great album. Amazing how stripped back the arrangements are.
The legendary Cuss Cuss riddim, there's two versions on the "King At The Control" LP, the other one is well worth a listen as well. Here's a mix I did just recently and you can definitely hear the weed in mine LOL. ua-cam.com/video/kQ8mCryD52I/v-deo.html
That is a Scientist (...or maybe even a Barnaba's mix ) ! 🙄😂🤣😂 Barnabus or Maxie & later Soldgie did the premix tapes that were sent to Tubbies from Channel One - so it maybe a Barnaba's (or Maxie) premix that Scientist then did the final mix from.... Tubbies version is the b-side of the Lloyd Robinson cut , faster earlier version & also on that LP
Totally, i nearly said in the video that Tubby is the most influential person in music to maybe never even touch a musical instrument. Mind blowing how he took all that knowledge and changed the shape of history from one of the roughest parts of a poor island. I wish he'd been less humble and willing to talk up his role, There'd be more interviews for a start, and Money for him. Robbed of his throne.
Duke Reid was before all of them using the same technology tapes and reverb, they learnt from him. I always thought the Aggrovators were King Tubbys house Band? Ive never seen Aggrovators on a version of a Lee Perry? was not that the Upsetters?
See the picture where they showed the echo minott dubplate come no soundboy that’s pad Anthony and echo minott combination that’s mine out of thousands of my dubs i voice king tubbys studio back in the mid 85 to 87 it’s crazy how you guys get pictures of things that doesn’t belong to you smh
That is crazy. I just chased down where I found the picture. reggaelicious.pbworks.com/w/page/8799741/Dubplate#:~:text=A%20dubplate%20is%20a%20term,music%20played%20by%20Sound%20Systems. Am I right saying Black Scorpion Sound System and label? Big respect.
@@MusicEnthuZone Yup i can show you the original actual ten inch dubplate right now i use to voice specials at king tubbys studio it’s crazy nobody mentioned pego the engineer he was at the studio more than scientists
@@187philly What years was Pego about the Studio ? He is another man that deserves more recognition like Barnabus & Maxi & Soldgie who engineered many of the brilliant later 70's early 80's tunes
Always irritating to hear those same old myths being repeated, and even more so when the other dub mixers like Sylvan Morris, Errol T, Coxsone, Andy Capp, etc are totally ignored ...
Those or these? Haha. I think what you're saying has a very good point. I've tried to be clear that Tubby didn't invent the principles of dub but think it was his mastery of electronics and how he applied it to the studio that made him stand out. I'm just reediting an episode on how dub was born where I say how it was a big cast of players, and things evolved incrementally.
@@MusicEnthuZone Admittedly Tubbs developed and mastered the techniques that were pioneered by others, but I still think the others deserve a mention (and more), even if we don't know exactly who was responsible for the early proto-dubs ... and all that guff about him 'modifying' the mixer ... I mean why would he? It was a proven hit making desk from its time at Dynamic, and a quality piece of kit (if a bit old fashioned in 1971/2) ... Jammy's says he never made any changes and the desk has been looked at and there's nothing to say that it's been modified ... I'm sure Tubbs would have replaced worn faders and recapped it, but that's very standard procedure to keep things up to spec ... and there were no mute buttons by the way ...
Well, my source for the modification of the board is an interview with Tubby's Nephew who says his dad helped and he was there. He literally says it was broken and they rebuilt it. Maybe there was a reason Byron Lee sold it. ua-cam.com/video/LFF36gTSl-4/v-deo.htmlsi=dH6YHNGU7kyI5-rn Why? Well, as the excerpt I quoted said they took it from 150hz-6khz to 20hz to 12khz in range (from memory that bit). That's a difference. I definitely think the 'Big Knob' was stock by the way if a one off. As for Jammy saying it wasn't modified, I've got him on tape here saying that Tubby kept his techniques to himself 'Not even I got them'. So I'm inclined to belive there was serious modification done. I know from limited experience making distortion pedals (which are just bad amplifiers) that putting new caps and resistors in a circuit radically changes it's frequency response and characteristics. Yes there were other dub producers, but he was the engine room of innovation. In the same nephew interview he describes how they rebuilt from scratch and recalibrated the tape machines, including the tape heads. That's in depth stuff. I doubt any other mixing engineer on the island could have done that. I don't think there was anybody in the world tbh who integrated the disciplines of amplification (those crossovers were integrated into signal splitting curcuits). And yes, maybe there were no mute switches but are you saying those are fades? Some kind of muting was going on. The desk is worshipped but anyone who's used one knows its just a way to connect stuff. I think it was the fact that he optimised stuff that got such a great sound. I can listen to trojan dub box sets, Joe Gibbs etc all day long but there's just something about the gritty sound that came through that shack for me. And that's what I was getting at with this video. It's a companion piece to the ones about Scratch and the one I'm reeditingbaboutbhowndub has no real father, it evolved.
Yeah, I’ve heard that interview but it doesn’t make sense to me … it’s unlikely that such a well built mixer would have such a poor frequency response - on every channel ? - and Dynamics and Federal definitely had good engineers who could maintain the mixers and tape recorders over the years, so I’m inclined to think there’s some exaggeration going on there … but if you’re happy to believe it all then fair enough, I’ve been in this game a long time so I’m probably far too cynical! The HPF is a standard Altec, it was already in the mixer when Dynamics bought it second hand from the US, btw. … and Jammy told me he wished there were mute switches on the board, it would have been easier than using the faders, although it’s not hard to pull them down quickly … which tunes do you think sound like mute switches ?
ua-cam.com/video/KVygtE5uSZw/v-deo.htmlsi=V52MnQRmL5OXHHnr this is the first that came to mind. Fair enough if Jammy said that to you, I'll believe totally. Maybe the faders sounded best maxxed out so easier to drop in and out. Perhaps what I'm hearing as mutes is a Patchbay being plugged and unplugged? In any case there was a lot of ingenuity going on. And yes maybe a bit of exaggeration.
Great documentary! Really appreciate the hard work and dedication that went into this. It’s a shame there’s not footage of Tubby in action, but this helps a lot! To hear many of these techniques in action, check Fittest of the Fittest from this surprisingly excellent Music Club comp - revolutionary sonics. Subscribed:) ua-cam.com/video/9EmOjRi0z7A/v-deo.htmlsi=vDFXs6mpBcDqoMC9
UPDATE: I'm reliably informed by reggae historian Chris Lane (who actually used Tubby's studio) that tales of Tubby rebuilding the famous MCI desk have probably been exaggerated over the years. It's not that he couldn't have it's more that it wasn't actually such a bad board at all when it was installed.
Oh and another note, the spring reverb was probably not a Fisher Space Expander and most probably a fairchild (Chris doesn't remember seeing either).
Course, none of this detracts from the music at all but seems while Tubby himself was very shy and retiring there has been a bit of legend building from some of those around him.
Thanks Chris for these eyewitness clarifications.
He is right - Bunny Lee bought the board & it was working perfectly. Dynamic just upgraded to more tracks.
I saw the reverb, and gave it a tap! -it is a basic tank you can still buy for £40. Not sure of the make, it doesnt matter too much, it was how it was inserted & used that is important.
King Tubby, just the best. Every aspect of his work is so finely honed. When I read that he had his effects in the studio tuned to work with the crossover frequencies of his "Hometown HiFi" sound system that just blew my mind... to link every stage of the sound process from recording to playback in such a seamless way, Big respects to King Tubby.
Totally, the man was an absolute genius for tying the whole thing together. Mastered (pun intended) the whole process.
Gave birth to popular music of today...
Hip-hop,house music techno...
All totally true. Especially with how the productions were tested for audience reaction. Tubby's sound probably the birth of hip hop. I'm planning on a video on that very subject soon.
It needs to be soon as the FBA of New York are twisting the truth of how the .....let's rephrase evolution of Hip hop evolved . Tubbies was an indirect major influence, esp to the great Herc of Cedar Ave & King Charles Sounds of Queens New York who knew Tubbies .
That's exactly the angle. Herc was a Kingston boy wasn't he? Jamaican's basically invented about 75% of modern music in one way or another.
@MusicEnthuZone You know your reggae & sound system culture . One of the traditional artillery moves an Oppa may use in attack is the version excursion ( u can kill a sound fe dead ) if you drop it correctly ... true ? Herc knows Tubbies is a master of the version the dub mix crowd, wait for the drop ! For me, Herc was aware of Tubbies version excursion & the g8 U Roy vibe the intro of the dub version so in New York Bronx he was aware B boys n fly girls love the break the get down & he extended the break , & transition from Apache to Gangster groove to James Brown Give the drummer Some . He called it the Merry Go Round developed from the version excursion . Also, Carribean people's love disco because of the break & the drum .Sound man like to rough it up , reverb , base , & filter . Peace brother . 🙏
@@MusicEnthuZone Dancehall was the birth of Hip Hop Kool Herc from Jamaica and mixed the same as dancehall,
Space in music is the gift Reggae gave House etc...
Big Up! from Peoples Sound Records Portobello London UK.
Excellent workworkworkworkworkwork!!!!!
I tried to do the man justice. Thank you.
This is immense. I knew next to nothing about the man before now 👌
I'll be honest for years he was just a name on records to me. It didn't really get how little he was actually in the studio till researching all this.
Not only you
They killed him because they knew him impact n wanted to give no credit
Tubby was the godfather of modern mixing, his contribution is profound. His talent, creativity, techniques and imagination migrated to dance music, pop, Hip Hop, tek dub, across every style and genre, those active mixing techniques became the impetus for console automation, he arguably even influenced how sampling was used and he now lives on in perpetuity in every producers DAW and touches every single contemporary composition, mix, translation and remix. Every time I hear a tasty throw, effects used as compositional elements, filters, natty delays, space as an object, versions, minimalist deconstructions, or even when I boot, I think, holy hell, Tubby is in the room. Thank you Osbourne ! and thanks for the vid. 🙏
I learned a long while back that Detroit, Jamaica and a few other spots were absurdly influential for modern electronic or dub style music (and the new genres influenced by jamaican dub).
The UK played a huge role in that tbh. They were like a vinyl pressing hub. Sort of how like printing presses rapidly distributed affordable books, magazines and newspapers. London and suburbs also had record shops with imports...and people loved the sound.
The sound went everywhere. Quickly.
The day I heard The Roots of Dub album as a child, my life changed, started to dig through my Late Fathers 7” collection & I was always blown away with the sound. Tubbys name needs to be kept alive for generations to come.
Amen to that. All his techniques are so common and he was so humble it'd b easy for his memory to fade.
I just love people like you who try to keep Tubby alive. I am 63 so I grew up with Tubby's music. I'ts difficult to narrow things down to a favorite track but if I had to pound for pound it would be the dub to Cornell Campbell's Talking Love.
Thank you. I'm trying to pass on something to those that don't know yet.
I second that,what a killer tune.
@@rootsoriginals7087 Yes Rootsoriginals, the Talking Love dub was not quite a boofam baffem of a track but it was a great showcase of his skills.
...for me, favourite dub Two Face Rasta/ Cornel Campbell...also Great Stone/Soul Syndicate ❤️💛💚💯💥💣💣💥💥💥
King Tubby meets the Rockers Uptown...Gold of an album!
Called The King for a Reason, because He WAS!!!! Thanks For This. RIP "King Tubby" Osbourne Ruddock. One of my Faves is King Tubby with Yabby You(Vivian Jackson) Both Gone Now.
One problem with keeping this pretty short was I didn't get to mention some of the other great producers he worked with. Yabby You of course, Tapper Zukie. Personally one of my favourites is the 'Noisy Place' dub he did for horace Andy.
ua-cam.com/video/Kicfx7bkJig/v-deo.htmlsi=bKhGe5946A7XHT8C
I've been listening to lots of Deejay stuff recently. Video up coming on that..
ua-cam.com/video/nwtNfQTblLs/v-deo.htmlsi=4ZT7dV9vfztj4xGr
Unmatched to this day. Rise In Paradise, Osbourne "King Tubby"Ruddock. 🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲
Amen
What a wonderful artist and story, King Tubby, where artistry and technical ability overlapped with mad science innovation. Every electronic artist, DJ, and sound tinkerer owes a tribute to this king.
So much of modern culture stems from that man's work. Researching this made me realise that all the more.
Great video
One love and all that
I watched a movie called something like "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" and it was about a kid who invented his own form of a wind(?& solar?) powered pump that could run modern irrigation systems for his family farm (and then scale out to the surrounding communities). Great movie also, tbh.
So this dude is like: "The OG Who Harnessed Electrons and Club Systems Sounds?"
Sorry for the late reply, wasn't showing as an alert. I'll look out for that film. I think you're right. Tubby harnessed the tools at hand and repurposed them.
@MusicEnthuZone The tapestry of science and music history is a serious rabbithole of some incredibly amazing stories regarding the human spirit and the triumph of individuals when faced with seemingly impossible odds.
I am amazed people spend so much time on weak conspiracy theories when the truth of our world is so complex and dense. Yet also, sometimes very simple and beautiful and ugly and crazy and insane.
big influential music creator/visionary.
they used the mixing console as an additional instrument,
and brought drum & bass to the front.
inspired so many artists/music styles.
R.I.P. King Tubby.
Dope!!! RESPECT
🙏 There should be statues to this man. Genius.
As much as I love scratch and scientist, something about tubby’s work just stands out in a way I can’t put my finger on. Great video.
Thank you. For me it's the attention to detail. He knew every aspect of the signal chain inside out. Not many producers actually understand those things.
Osbourne Roddock.... Tubbys sound is massive massive Dub sound and vibes....
I love me some Tubby.. Truth
What I can recall telling myself this is timeless .... 314*
Honestly this has been a learning experience for me totally. I'm gonna clickbait you but you won't believe what else him and u-roy invented... i kind of knew the outline but the real facts have only sunk in recent. It's time to make the case.
3*14=42
Hmmmm????
Top tier stuff, superb content - I've been a big King Tubby fan since the late 80's, but never really looked into the man, only listened to the music/work that came out of his studio. Much appreciated.
god bless
truly the originator. and some of the best vibes out of any music.
Nice video mate. I learned somethings I’d like to incorporate into my beat making and also so insight in the history in the sound system culture!
I don't know if you use Reaper but it's very good for doing dub feedback loops. I'm considering doing a 'how to' on some of the Tubby effects I've tried to emulate.
@@MusicEnthuZone I used Fruity loops.
Thanks. That was very interesting and informative. I knew the name but didn't know anything about him.
I like your delivery, you sound like you could have presented at Channel 4 show in the 80s.
Haha. I grew up on channel 4 in the 80s so something obviously stuck. Thankyou.
Really well made Doc, thanks so much for sharing your knowledge 👌.
This music means so much to me and I love finding out how the early pioneers went about creating their sound.
Much appreciated and thank you. And yes, it's important music I totally agree.
Well done for this accurate historical review, the best so far. You certainly did your research...
Thank you I went really hard on this video. The man deserved my time at least and it's great people are enjoying the video.
Glad i found your channel! Thank you for making these!
You're welcome. The best thing is people are enjoying them.
Thanks brother from New Zealand, much appreciated,
Tēnā koe! Really glad you enjoyed the video. I've got family down the bottom of the south island by the way. Seeing the island a big ambition of mine.
Really enjoyed this, and looks like we have a lot of the same books. Subscribed!
Thankyou, and welcome. Lots more to come.
king tubbys home town hi-fi🎶
One of the first circuit benders and mod builder.
This is totally true. Crazy that's just part of his legacy. He was so humble he let the world forget just how much he did.
I use these ideologies in all aspects of my life, especially in technology.
I'm definitely a Knob head
Me too. Other people have called me that so it must be true.
droppin' science like Galileo dropped the orrrrrrrrrnge
I thought Galileo polished glass lol? And did maths.
😮 great stuff. I’ll have to dig out my dubs
The world needs more loud Dub music. The echo and Bass clean you from the third eye to the chakras. Love that people are getting something from the video. Researching and making it gave me a new perspective on his work. I've got a few of the old Blood and Fire reissues in the car (it's CD only) they just sound so good. I'm kind of obsessed with the DeeJays at the moment. There may well be a video on that subject coming soon.
Nice one
Thanks 🔥
I'm learning more day by day about him. Watching the videos with Scientist. Only when to his studio once, respect to Senator D and Glen Pope (Torpedo). Gone too soon.
What is the track playing at 5mins in please?
It's actually my own version of 'Disorder' by Joy Division. ua-cam.com/video/udD0TxDp8e8/v-deo.html
This is a different mix. I'm uploading the one from the video in a few days.
This is GREAT.
Thankyou. I've loved the music since I was a teenager. Thought I knew a bit about him before researching this video.
@@MusicEnthuZone Later on, Tubby took a backseat & let Peego & Fatman do the recording. In truth, he only made 4 Dub albums 1. King Tubby Presents The Roots Of Dub 2. King Tubby The Dub Master Presents Dub From The Roots 3. Brass Rockers with Tommy McCook 4. Shalom Dub. A very interesting truthful book is Reggae Going International 1967 - 1976 The Bunny 'Striker' Lee Story. I recall receiving a message on Facebook from Bunny Lee saying he would be in London,but, sadly I never went to see him, what a HUGE mistake that was on my part. Bunny Lee talks at great length on Tubby in the book. You did very well with this video.
Love it, what's the song playing at the end?
It's actually my own version of Joy Division's 'Disorder'. I make all the music for my videos (that way no one can copyright claim me for a start, also i like tounderstand how people made music before talking about it, helps me get in their head space.
There's a different mix of it here: ua-cam.com/video/udD0TxDp8e8/v-deo.htmlsi=4mn1YlqKwc_WeULp
I may well put out the mix from the background as a video by itself. I've had fun trying to replicate some of the techniques.
Cool channel, subbed!
You should have a chat with Mikey Chin from South London who owned a sound called Taurus Hi Power. I was in that sound & Mikey & Tubbys was communicating heavily for dubs in the late 80's. Taurus was getting everything outa Tubbys. Mostly mixed by Fatman & Peego. Sometimes TWO full box of Transco would land on Mikeys dining table from two different people coming in from yard. Thats 50 plates all written up BY Tubbs himself. Taurus killed Jammys & V Rocket WITH a new batch of Tubbys riddim back in 89 down at Black Women Centre. Jammys himself was in that dance pissed off with Toops his selector. Firehouse Crew & King Asha were wicked riddim builders. Leroy Thompson was one of the best engineers
Thanks for this, I covered the story really quickly, two decades in 10 minutes so i definitely skimmed over the 80s. I think I'll be expanding on it. To do it properly, you're right, there needs to be voices of people who had dealings. The Connection between Jamaican and UK sounds is massive. People will tell me I'm wrong but it's where rave culture comes from. Same thing really, just the rhythms are weak.
I'm imaging having 50 Tubby plates sat in front of me. Insane.
@@MusicEnthuZone I'm telling you the truth. Taurus was SO impactful in 89, they or whoever they were found out where Taurus was stored, broke in smashing the locks. They stabbed ALL & EVERY SPEAKER. Bass bins the lot. Smashed up the pre amp & broke everything they could lay their hands on. Worst of all they STOLE the dub box with all of the hot dubs plus our first batch from Bobby Dixon. I'm sure those Digital B dubs came on DAT cos we had to go to Music House to cut them. So I'm sure Mikey could cut them back. The Tubbys came straight on acetate. I recorded some Robert Lee, Thriller U, Wayne Wonder, Hugh Griffiths, Johnny Osbourne, Panbird aka Trevor Levy, Little John, Sugar Minott, Woody Noble & Pliers singing Murder She Wrote on cassette that I burnt on a CD. Which I wasn't supposed to do as a youth in the sound but Jeremiah knew I was a sincere youth & trusted me. Whoever did that to us KNEW THEY HAD to stop TAURUS.
Taurus a one dangerous sound nuff Thriller U 🔥🔥🔥🔥
footage of king tubby ,from a japanese doco, used in this video : ua-cam.com/video/UjK0nKq3NVg/v-deo.html
Wow, thankyou, only a snippet but amazing to see the man moving.
subscribed
R.l.P. Phillip Smart.
Nice vid. Not sure if pressing acetates (0.30) is the right term. Acetates are being cut, hence the term cutting dub.... Vinyl records on the contrary are pressed. I understood acetates were often cut directly from the mixing desk onto the acetate disc... leading to one off versions of a dub. Maybe someone can provide more details on the process?
Yep, you are totally correct. Of course acetates are on a lathe not a press. Not just semantics, different process so thank you. I just got the common collocation 'press records' in my head.
@@MusicEnthuZone Yeah, I am just in an unhealthy way interested what these guys were doing :-) Another thing that must be interesting for you is that despite the discipline that guys like King Tubby and Lee Perry were having in getting the right sound, equipment was also being abused... e.g. Perry liked to blow the smoke from his spliff onto the heads of his Teac 4 track recorder. and Tubby was slapping on his Fisher spring reverb unit to get these cracking sound effects. Giving Dub some kind of a "spiritual" twist; while in Europa and the US studio technicians were trying to create a "true" sound with holistic stereo imaging these guys were creating with dub a portal to the inner world and center (preferably in mono) of the listener by fleshing out frequencies to the bone.... a nice piece of Jamaican Voodoo.
There's one guy who connects the two schools I think, Connor Plank. He was trained to do all the 'proper' stuff (recorded orchestras and Jazz Bands) but went off on tangents with the likes on NEU! And early Kraftwerk.
I'm planning to do a similar episode on him in due course.
i love dubb but it’s difficult to get his dubs on digital platforms in HQ
It's true. Of course downloading is wrong, but let's bear in mind that most of involved never got paid, so...
With that in mind google the words 'archive jillem'. There's quite a few albums there in FLAC, not just Tubby, lots more roots and dub along with a load of African music and more.
A perfect track can result in money. Money can be used to manipulate reality.
Perfect sound is rare though. Perfect sound alters global consciousness.
🔥🔥🔥
Don't forget Lee Scratch Perry - The upsetter
I could never forget Pipecock Jackson
ua-cam.com/video/dg9Ks5m5PGA/v-deo.html
John Robie from NY took many notes from King Tubby and the Jamaican Dub.
And that tidies up a few loose ends of various videos I've done. He worked with New Order, took some bits of Kraftwerk for Planet Rock.
great video. but I'm wondering how many of the records bearing his name were actually mixed by him. I'm sure you've read/heard more than me, could you name me a couple of LPs that are confirmed to have been actually his work? thanks!
The answer is probably surprisingly few. i just picked out my blood and fire copy of 'Dub Gone Crazy' (the evolution of dub at king tubby's). I think of the 12 tracks 3 of them were actually engineered by him.
Here's one: 'Satta Dread Dub'
ua-cam.com/video/KVygtE5uSZw/v-deo.htmlsi=gfhHjUt8xB1y8rBH
this is 1975-79 though and the earlier you go in his discography the more probable it is that he didn't subcontract out the work under his brand name.
All that said, he created the instrument they played.
@@MusicEnthuZone Satta Dread was a dub side of a BAR BELL releases (Sly & Robbies early label). I was told that all the dubs for that label were by Prince Phillip Smart....the most under-rated mixer ever, as he did many cuts folk presume were Tubby.
Satta is a strange one as it is more Tubby-like than most PPSmart mixes but not as 'involved' as many of his own mixes at the time (re Glen Brown, FreedomSounds & A.Pablo mixes).
It may be that some TUBBIES mixes were actually two pairs of hands on the board... also some mixes were done & mixed onto 4 track then fed back in and slightly overdubbed to get a fuller mix (?).
I've seen the actual reverb Tubby used, Bunny Lee had it on one of his regular London visits to his mate Reggie Lowe (3 Kings-RIP) . It is a standard tank reverb you can pick up for about £40 still.
It is great to see you mention unsung Heroes like Pat Kellys involvement & Thompson, they are key ingredients to the sound & vibe of Tubbies studio.
🦾💯
The Nikola Tesla of Music!
Nailed it
I've noticed all the great producers are introverts who don't like the camera, with the rare exceptions of the more manic autismos like Kanye. One downside is they arent good at sharing with the community, they don't give lots of interviews or insight into their ability. It's the magic in the background.
So we always have to piece the details from the scraps of people who interacted with them plus some rare interviews.
Thanks to podcasts we're now finally heading from legends like DJ Premier and Peter Rock, but long after they essentially retired
You're onto something there. I'll tell you who was an introvert producer, Daniel Dumile. by a mad co-incidence I'm from Leeds where DOOM spent his last years. Figure a fellow fan may appreciate some trivia about that time.
He used to visit a radio controlled car. Once he left a on star yelp review when they didn't fulfil an order (Real Supervillain Stuff that).
Also apparently he made a CDs worth of beats with him rhyming over Aphex Twin (another introvert producer) samples. Nobody knows where this is, maybe on some hard drive, unlabelled.
Rick Rubin seems to be an odd form of hippy mode extrovert. Yet to be fair...he is a very interesting type of music producer. His skills and knowledge are subpar, yet his abilities to organize people in peaceful and interesting ways definitely changed this reality we all experience.
He was also kind of an encyclopedia of music history to a degree.
Reddit brought me here! Is it just me or can you hear the weed in Scientists dub vs King Tubbys cleaner sound??
Anyway heres my favorite King Tubby track ua-cam.com/video/Gw-ecLwotIk/v-deo.htmlsi=ZaNOForjtZ9DRnnn
It's probably not just you. I think a big part might be age. Tubby was an adult working. Scientist was still a kid and playing. It must have been very exciting being allowed to make dubs in there.
Nice track too, that's a great album. Amazing how stripped back the arrangements are.
The legendary Cuss Cuss riddim, there's two versions on the "King At The Control" LP, the other one is well worth a listen as well.
Here's a mix I did just recently and you can definitely hear the weed in mine LOL.
ua-cam.com/video/kQ8mCryD52I/v-deo.html
That is a Scientist (...or maybe even a Barnaba's mix ) ! 🙄😂🤣😂
Barnabus or Maxie & later Soldgie did the premix tapes that were sent to Tubbies from Channel One - so it maybe a Barnaba's (or Maxie) premix that Scientist then did the final mix from.... Tubbies version is the b-side of the Lloyd Robinson cut , faster earlier version & also on that LP
More people need to give king tubby an Lee scratch perry more credit for changing the sound of modern music
Totally, i nearly said in the video that Tubby is the most influential person in music to maybe never even touch a musical instrument. Mind blowing how he took all that knowledge and changed the shape of history from one of the roughest parts of a poor island.
I wish he'd been less humble and willing to talk up his role, There'd be more interviews for a start, and Money for him. Robbed of his throne.
@@MusicEnthuZone the truth is because nobody really cared it was just about enjoying music. I'm Jamaican btw. Nuff respect
Too true, soundsystems are a physical thing. Too much fun to sit around stroking your chin. Thanks again.
Duke Reid was before all of them using the same technology tapes and reverb, they learnt from him.
I always thought the Aggrovators were King Tubbys house Band?
Ive never seen Aggrovators on a version of a Lee Perry? was not that the Upsetters?
@@alimantado373 dubbing itself was created by an accident. What's wrong with you guys?
See the picture where they showed the echo minott dubplate come no soundboy that’s pad Anthony
and echo minott combination that’s mine out of thousands of my dubs i voice king tubbys studio back in the mid 85 to 87 it’s crazy how you guys get pictures of things that doesn’t belong to you smh
That is crazy. I just chased down where I found the picture. reggaelicious.pbworks.com/w/page/8799741/Dubplate#:~:text=A%20dubplate%20is%20a%20term,music%20played%20by%20Sound%20Systems.
Am I right saying Black Scorpion Sound System and label? Big respect.
@@MusicEnthuZone Yup i can show you the original actual ten inch dubplate right now i use to voice specials at king tubbys studio it’s crazy nobody mentioned pego the engineer he was at the studio more than scientists
Stuff like that gets lost. Never seen him mentioned will try and mention if I follow this up.
Thanks for sharing this. Amazing to have someone who was a regular user of the studio commenting.
@@187philly What years was Pego about the Studio ? He is another man that deserves more recognition like Barnabus & Maxi & Soldgie who engineered many of the brilliant later 70's early 80's tunes
Always irritating to hear those same old myths being repeated, and even more so when the other dub mixers like Sylvan Morris, Errol T, Coxsone, Andy Capp, etc are totally ignored ...
Those or these? Haha. I think what you're saying has a very good point. I've tried to be clear that Tubby didn't invent the principles of dub but think it was his mastery of electronics and how he applied it to the studio that made him stand out.
I'm just reediting an episode on how dub was born where I say how it was a big cast of players, and things evolved incrementally.
@@MusicEnthuZone Admittedly Tubbs developed and mastered the techniques that were pioneered by others, but I still think the others deserve a mention (and more), even if we don't know exactly who was responsible for the early proto-dubs ... and all that guff about him 'modifying' the mixer ... I mean why would he? It was a proven hit making desk from its time at Dynamic, and a quality piece of kit (if a bit old fashioned in 1971/2) ... Jammy's says he never made any changes and the desk has been looked at and there's nothing to say that it's been modified ... I'm sure Tubbs would have replaced worn faders and recapped it, but that's very standard procedure to keep things up to spec ... and there were no mute buttons by the way ...
Well, my source for the modification of the board is an interview with Tubby's Nephew who says his dad helped and he was there.
He literally says it was broken and they rebuilt it. Maybe there was a reason Byron Lee sold it. ua-cam.com/video/LFF36gTSl-4/v-deo.htmlsi=dH6YHNGU7kyI5-rn
Why? Well, as the excerpt I quoted said they took it from 150hz-6khz to 20hz to 12khz in range (from memory that bit). That's a difference.
I definitely think the 'Big Knob' was stock by the way if a one off.
As for Jammy saying it wasn't modified, I've got him on tape here saying that Tubby kept his techniques to himself 'Not even I got them'. So I'm inclined to belive there was serious modification done.
I know from limited experience making distortion pedals (which are just bad amplifiers) that putting new caps and resistors in a circuit radically changes it's frequency response and characteristics.
Yes there were other dub producers, but he was the engine room of innovation.
In the same nephew interview he describes how they rebuilt from scratch and recalibrated the tape machines, including the tape heads. That's in depth stuff. I doubt any other mixing engineer on the island could have done that.
I don't think there was anybody in the world tbh who integrated the disciplines of amplification (those crossovers were integrated into signal splitting curcuits).
And yes, maybe there were no mute switches but are you saying those are fades? Some kind of muting was going on.
The desk is worshipped but anyone who's used one knows its just a way to connect stuff. I think it was the fact that he optimised stuff that got such a great sound.
I can listen to trojan dub box sets, Joe Gibbs etc all day long but there's just something about the gritty sound that came through that shack for me.
And that's what I was getting at with this video.
It's a companion piece to the ones about Scratch and the one I'm reeditingbaboutbhowndub has no real father, it evolved.
Yeah, I’ve heard that interview but it doesn’t make sense to me … it’s unlikely that such a well built mixer would have such a poor frequency response - on every channel ? - and Dynamics and Federal definitely had good engineers who could maintain the mixers and tape recorders over the years, so I’m inclined to think there’s some exaggeration going on there … but if you’re happy to believe it all then fair enough, I’ve been in this game a long time so I’m probably far too cynical! The HPF is a standard Altec, it was already in the mixer when Dynamics bought it second hand from the US, btw. … and Jammy told me he wished there were mute switches on the board, it would have been easier than using the faders, although it’s not hard to pull them down quickly … which tunes do you think sound like mute switches ?
ua-cam.com/video/KVygtE5uSZw/v-deo.htmlsi=V52MnQRmL5OXHHnr this is the first that came to mind. Fair enough if Jammy said that to you, I'll believe totally. Maybe the faders sounded best maxxed out so easier to drop in and out.
Perhaps what I'm hearing as mutes is a Patchbay being plugged and unplugged?
In any case there was a lot of ingenuity going on. And yes maybe a bit of exaggeration.
Great documentary! Really appreciate the hard work and dedication that went into this.
It’s a shame there’s not footage of Tubby in action, but this helps a lot! To hear many of these techniques in action, check Fittest of the Fittest from this surprisingly excellent Music Club comp - revolutionary sonics. Subscribed:)
ua-cam.com/video/9EmOjRi0z7A/v-deo.htmlsi=vDFXs6mpBcDqoMC9
That's a really nice dub. Got every element hasn't it? And thank you, I put a few late nights into this, glad it shows.