Shabba Ranking

Shabba Ranks

Shabba Ranks – Just Reality – Blue Mountain – 1990

Interesting title. By now Shabba was a star in reggae terms. Yet such was the outrage over his use of slackness, from time to time on this album when he’s actually not talking slackness, he feels the need to defend himself from criticisms about it. ‘Wicked Inna Bed’ is the big hit here followed by ‘Dem Bow’. Both of course are well and truly slack. Bobby Digital pulls out some great rhythms, all of which were built for him by Steely And Clevie By now Bobby had his own studio, so the bulk of the work was probably done there, adding to the importance of this release.

Shabba Ranks – Golden Touch – Greensleeves – 1990

The fall out from Bobby Digital leaving Jammys and setting up his own studio, continued when Mikey ‘Home T’ Bennett and Patrick Lindsay set up their own production company ‘Two Friends’. Their early releases had gained release on Blue Mountain in the UK, but this set ended up on Greensleeves. What makes this interesting are the radically different production values of Mikey Bennett compared to say Bobby Digital? Here the bass and drum are much more basic with a greater emphasis placed on melody. Shabba responds well, with the militant stepper ‘Build Bridges Instead’ being the best and biggest tune on the album.

Shabba Ranks – Rappin With The Ladies – Greensleeves – 1990

Shabba’s work with Home T 4 with Gussie Clarke at the controls was excellent. This set, gathering together as it does a collection of singles that were recorded with a number of Gussie Clarke’s Music Works starlets is very depressing. The Music Works/Dub Plate Music songwriting team were responsible for some of the most strangest songs ever written for the female gender. Their subject matter for the most part

was lyrical pornography. Adding Shabba to them pushed them well and truly over the top. You can dress slackness up anyway you like it, but the end result is still slack.

Shabba Ranks – Raw As Ever – Epic – 1991

Sony/Columbia’s signing of Shabba should not have been any great surprise to any reggae fan. Some big label was going to sign him. Thankfully they reunited him with Bobby Digital, although the set does features productions from Steely & Clevie and KRS, with Clifton’Specialist’Dillion also involved in overall production. The big hit here is ‘Trailer Load Of Girls’. Probably even bigger is ‘Housecall’ with Maxi Priest, that was a big pop hit. Lyrically the album is in the same style as his previous sets. Apart of course from the very predictable KRS 1 tune.

Shabba Ranks – Mr Maximum – Greensleeves – 1991

Another collection of Gussie Clarke productions, which draws together the better tracks from ‘Rapping With The Ladies’ and Shabba’s work with with Home T and Cocoa Tea. Also included is ‘Fever’ featuring Dennis Brown and Maxi Priest. This then is a very much a greatest hits set. Tunes likes ‘Holding On’ and ‘Pirates Anthem’ certainly made Shabba a lot bigger, even though Home T and Cocoa Tea’s contributions to them are just as great. Deejaying by its very nature is a rough business. Gussie Clarke with Shabba showed it could be transformed into something a lot more subtle, without losing its roots.

Shabba Ranks – Rough & Ready Vol 1 – Epic – 1992

It seems that the concept behind this set is the ‘remix’. A collection of tracks remixed for the US market. If that is what it appears to be, the reality of it is a very interesting set. It would

appear rather than just remix, what as happened here is extensive overdubbing, involving new bass lines and melodies that are then reincorporated back into the original. A bit like what Coxsone was doing in the early eighties with people like Freddie McGregor and Johnny Osbourne and The Studio One Band. With mainstream reggae’s lack of interest in dub, perhaps the overdub style will come in. This sort of album, is certainly very encouraging.

Shabba Ranks – Love Punany Bad – Melodie – 1995

Just before starting to work with Bobby Digital, Shabba teamed up with King Jammy. The result was the ‘Star Of The Nineties’ album released on Superpower in 1990. For whatever reason it became a very hard album to get hold of. This album isn’t that set, but it by all accounts its pretty close. Why it took five years for Jammy to put together an album like this is something else to ponder. What you get here, is Shabba showing off all his influences. Which essentially means every rockstone voice deejay who was around in the mid to late eighties. Thanks to the strength of Jammys & John John’s rhythms, they still sound good.