Wackies

Bullwackies - Distributor Brighton Video - 1988 - 60 minutes

The UK made reggae music always had a fight - considered to be not as good as the music made in Jamaica.

Sometimes those comments made sense - but not always.

Lloyd Barnes faced the same problem in the US. New York to be precise.

Yet Lloyd wasn't the first person to set up a studio in New York. That credit goes to Hugh Hendricks leader of the Buccaneers - a band that backed so many reggae artists when they come to work in the US.

His Studio was hand-built for him by Bill Garnett - who worked with Johnny Nash.

Anyway Lloyd set up his studio Wackies about five years after Hugh, about 1976.

It became a magnet for all kinds of New York reggae based artists like Jerry Harris, Ras Clifton, Jah Batta, Junior Delahaye Maxine Miller. And bands like Itopia.

Things really started to get going with the arrival of Sugar Minott, Horace Andy and Milton Henry and Wayne Jarrett

This video is not really about the history of Wackies as such.

It's more contextual than anything else - it's about the people who made up the Wackies label then.

Clive Hunt for example - he's here talking about how reggae came about - and then he pops up playing cricket with Lloyd Barnes!

There is some great studio footage featuring Lone Ranger. Now I cannot recall one tune from Lone Ranger on Wackies - so this is very rare footage.

Also very good to see Jerry Johnson playing in the studio.

Sugar makes an appearance in the video and so does Milton Henry.

For fans of 'Lovers Rock' check out the Love Joys - one of the greatest vocal groups of that genre.

Over the last thirty-odd years since the release of this video Reggae as gone through a lot of changes - and Wackies is still going strong. Proving that good reggae music could be made anywhere - as long as it's done with great love.

Bullwackies All Stars - Black World - Wackies CD

There are so many great dub albums on Wackies!!! It did not invent it, but for many its the spirtual home of dub. Its a shame that it doesn't release a few more! But that is a common problem even in the home of dub music.

This ten track set covers all the styles from a nice recut of 'Drifter' which is a good as the orginal. To that multi-layered sound which came out of the studios of King Tubby and Lee Perry as never been bettered. Well Wackies can match it - no problem.

The standard of this reissue from Basic Channel is excellent. A Digipak, of course - and a sound that captures all what made Wackies famous without adding or taking away a single thing. Excellent!

Wackies Sampler Vol 3 - Wackies

Another good selection from the people at Basic Channel - pulling tracks from all the many albums they have released over the last year or so. If you like the rawest dub there is music for you here, likewise if you like roots, dancehall, and even lovers. You see that's what made the Wackies label so interesting. No matter the style of reggae they had something new to offer. Its also the reason why singers like Milton Henry, Sugar Minott, and Horace Andy ended doing so much for the label. All are present here. It was a home from home for so much talent. In its other role - it also acted as a place to start a career. John Clarke is a great example, and so are Jezzrell the little known vocal group. In both cases these are there only works, but that doesn't matter - because they are great ones. And will always remain so.

Wackies - African Roots Act 7 - Wackies

Can't remember when African Roots Act 6 came out, but its seems like a long time ago. Is it a notable addition to a excllent series - Yes!!! Lloyd Barnes always understood what dub, was all about. Its not what is there, its what not is there. You don't fx upon fx - you just have to keep the whole thing moving. And then make some dramatic statement, that always goes down well. Tubby understood this very well. Over these 12 tracks you get all the many years of dub mixing experience coming to the fore. 'African Seven Dub' is good, and so is 'Dub Salute' but dub albums are about the total set, and this set works on every level.

Various Artists - Selective Showcase Vol 2 - Wackies

Here is another long standing tradition from Wackies, although this one is only Vol 2 - the showcase is a firm favourite at Wackies. On this one a 10 track selection, you get tracks from Horace Andy, Shalom, Clive Hunt and Ras Takashi. The melodica player from the Japanese Chapter of Wackies who's now got a very good style, away from the styles of Pablo and anyone else. Truly hope another set is due from the man very soon. You also get dub workouts on these tracks which is a very nice touch. Horace pops up again for another great tune. Not forgetting Stranger Cole another great artist with strong Wackies connection going way way back. A great set.

Wackies In Dub - Partfounder - Dubstation - Wackies

Can't help wondering if this album is meant to be called 'Pathfinder' what with the dry path on the cover - but it matters not. Its the most modern sounding out of the recent work. Which makes it more of a challenge. Even the more traditional rhythms over the last 15 years or so - have not been well dubbed. This 12 track set does not come up with any new solutions to that problem, but at least it does not resort to gimmicks. Lloyd's selection of rhythms here are very traditional. Which means that the dubbing needs something special to make them special. Yet with every FX coming from the 70's/80's still very popular its very hard to do that. Even so opens up another interesting series to follow.

Bullwackies - Free For All - Wackies.

One of the greatest dub albums is now available again after well over 30 years! Why it took so long for this true classic to make it back into the stores is one of reggae's great mysteries. Basic Channel have released an amazing amount of stuff over the last few years - but this tops them all! If you want to know what made dub so exciting back then its these kind of albums. The rhythms tracks are the raw roots rhythms of the early seventies. And just like Tubby's they take them and convert them into multi coloured/multi dimensional blocks of sound. That change and flow over the course of the album. 'Space Age' remains one of the most exciting. All of the technology used on this album was new then - and Wackies, like Tubbys showed what could be done with imagination and courage. Magnificent.

Reckless Roots Rockers – Wackies - CD

One of the earliest Wackies dub albums finally gets transferred over to CD.(now in a digipak)The connections that Wackies had to people Youth Promotion and Muncher Jackson and Lee Perry is well evident here. Along with music actually recorded in New York with the Sylvesters and Reckless Breed two early NYC reggae bands. This 10 track CD contains them all. The mixing from Lloyd Barnes shows all the influences from that time – the mid seventies, although even then, the Wackies sound is already present. Essential.

Bullwackies All Stars - Dub Unlimited - Wackies

The first reissue this year on Wackies via Basic Channel who are of course Rhythm and Sound. This set is unknown to me totally, but I'm told it came before 'Free For All' and that is one of the best dub albums ever made. The clue on this album regarding 'Free For All' is the last track on this set 'Unlimited Dub' which could easily be fit onto 'Free For All' . Although the rest of 'Dub Unlimited' show its NYC roots. You know its not made in Jamaica, its like hearing UK reggae for the first time. Its good, but its got a different vibe. Sadly the first time around those different vibes, got a lot of cold vibes, from a lot of people who should know better. Perhaps tunes like 'Disco Dub' are not roots reggae but they are not bad tunes. And when it comes back as 'Dubbing Around' it sounds a lot better! Many thanks again to the good people at Basic Channel for making such great music available once again. Keep up the good works.

Various Artists - Wackies Sampler Vol 2 -Wackies CD

Another incredible 18 track sampler from the Basic Channel/Wackies connection. Something like this is just a dream for fans of the Wackies sound. From the opening cut Sugar Minott's 'International Herb' to Junior Delahaye's 'Working Hard For The Rent Man' to Horace Andy's 'Cuss Cuss' some of the biggest tunes on the Wackies label - Yet it doesn't stop there. For the deep roots fans check out Bobby Sarkie's Over And Over' Azul's 'Rockfort Rock' and Ras Clifton 'Queen Of The Universe'. The CD is just amazing, and presented in a really good digipak with graphics galore its got to be something that all fans of the NYC sound will want.

Various Artists - Jah Son Invasion - Wackies

For every great tune by Horace Andy, Sugar Minott, Junior Delahaye, Lloyd Barnes - Bullwackie had works with little known artists and singers who were passing thru the Wackies studio. This set pulls those releases together with little known artists and little known tunes. Bobby Sarkie, Ras Makonnen, Joe Auxumite, Jah Skerta. Every single one of these tunes by these artists is a classic of sorts - they sounded good and they sound just as good today. The bias against the Wackies sound then though meant that even big name artists got an hard time. This great selection of music is balanced out with artists like Barrington Spence, Sugar Minott, Joy Card, Jerry Harris - and the late and great Tyrone Evans whose upful 'Whenever I'm Happy' is featured here.

Creation Dub - City Line - CD

Wackie dub albums were well sought after albums by dub fans back in the late seventies early eighties - it was a welcome change from the Radics dub albums mixed by Scientist coming from Jamaica. Solgie provided a different sound, but the domination of the Radics sound in Jamaica held. The lighter sound of Wackies was more closer to the early seventies sound of dub - something which Rhythm and Sound have tuned into so successfully today. This ten track features the talents of Jah Scotty on drums, Roy Robertson and Clive Hunt on bass - while man like Jerry Hitler and Allah provide guitar work with Clive Hunts on Keyboards and Sel Wheeler on horns - A great set.

Various Artists - Wackies Sampler Vol 1

With so much interest in the older Wackies music - circa 1981-1984 - someone needed to put together a set that put all what that era of Wackies music had to offer in one go. This is it. The Love Joys, Junior Delahaye, Naggo Morris, Horace Andy. Some of the biggest and best hits from that time. To make it even more interesting they have taken tracks from some of the LPs recorded at that time - like The Meditatiions but which have only just been released. Something for everyone - just what a sampler should be.

Jamaica Super Dub - Wackies - CD

By the time that the early eighties dance hall style had arrived - dub in Jamaica was no longer being mixed for release as albums. Demand for dub in America and the UK was minimal, but that didn’t stop Lloyd Barnes. This 10 track set is one that for many typifies the Wackies sound. The deep bass was still very present but so was a lot of top end effects. It was an edgy sound. On the original vinyl release there was mention of a mysterious mixer – was he in fact Bullwackie?

Wackies - African Roots Act 3 - CD

When Sugar Minott turned up at Wackies it didn't take long to Lloyd Barnes to start working on an abum. 'Wicked A Go Feel It' This set is more or less the dub set of that. One of Sugar's greatest LP's which is due for re-release soon on CD - it made for perfect dub. The Wackies horns Jerry Johnson and crew give it a jazzy feel - that no else in the world had. Listen out for 'Good Thing Dub' if only that one had gone into the charts! Hopefully someone is working on all those 12 mixes for a dub set. Or a better still a 12" Mix CD.

Wackies - African Roots Act 2 - CD

You can't keep a good man down, and the same applies to great music and labels. The African Roots series (five volumes) is one of the best selections of dub ever made. All the twists and turns are there to heard and enjoyed. The Wackies sound is perfect for dub - its got many textures and lots of space. And yet its never ever indulgent, dub origins are in the dance hall - so its designed to move you first. Which it does very easily! This issue is from EFA in Germany and its got those digipak type of CD - which are great. Really hope they catch on more. It very rootsy.

Stranger Cole - The Time Is Now/ Leroy Heptones - Revolution/Bullwackies All Stars - Take Time - Wackies 12"

A long sort after mega tune tune, or collection of tunes from Wackies. One of the few record companies who always gave good value for money on the 12" scene. These all stem from from the late seventies early eighities. The rhythm itself is a jumpy kind of style with a strong african feel. Stranger, and Leroy in great form. One more and this could come on single CD!

Wayne Jarrett - Youth Man/Augustus Pablo - Youth Man - Wackies 12"

I always associate this tune with Glen Brown, and one day I will sit down and play the cut I have from the man next to this Pablo cut, its sounds the same to me. Either way its a great tune and Wayne Jarrett sings a great song over it this poweful rhythm. Its amazing to think that this, the album for Wackies and the set for Junjo - is the sum total of his works It would be good to hear from him again.

Love Joys - Gimme Back Part 1 and 2 - Wackies 12"

Lovers Rock Wackies style was always going to be a more musically complex situation than anywhere else. The lyrics and vocal are more tougher for starters. And I suppose that's what makes this tune stand out, its got all the ideas of Lovers Rock but its got a lot more going for it. Only Sir George in the UK took the same approach. Jazzy horns etc. New York City I think got there first.

Tribesman Assault – Wackies - LP

Originally released in 1977 this dub set was one of the first dub albums to come out of the Wackies group of labels. The ten tracks here feature mainly the Roots Underground band. Recorded at the Sounds Unlimited Studio and mixed by Jah Upton. The sound is raw, but not the same kind of rawness coming from Jamaica. Lloyd Barnes knew it was impossible to get that sound in NYC, and it wasn’t interested in doing that anyway. This is a essential builiding block of what was to come.

African Roots – Act 1 - Wackies - LP

Two years down the line, and the work of Lloyd Barnes who had started out working with the likes of Muncher Jackson and Lee Perry, was now attracting names like Clive Hunt to his studio. This album is produced by Clive. Who’s gone for a very Perry sounding type of dub album. Early experimentation with rhythm machines can be heard on this 10 track set. Along with dub cuts of ‘We Should Be Angola’ that Clive produced with Pablo Moses. Truly essential.

Jamaica Super Dub – Wackies – CD

The Dub Generals – Wackies – CD

This set was due for release in the early to mid eighties, but never made it. It’s another album that finds Lloyd Barnes working with Clive Hunt. More instrumental than dub it features Clive playing flute over some classic Wackies recuts of rhythms like ‘Rockfort Rock’ and ‘Drum Song’. Coming through as well is the Wackies horn sound that was created by Jerry Johnson on his Sax around this time. If you enjoy the Horace Andy & Wayne Jarrett sets from then this is for you – essential.

Reckless Roots Rockers – Wackies - CD

One of the earliest Wackies dub albums finally gets transferred over to CD. The connections that Wackies had to people Youth Promotion and Muncher Jackson and Lee Perry is well evident here. Along with music actually recorded in New York with the Sylvesters and Reckless Breed two early NYC reggae bands. This 10 track CD contains them all. The mixing from Lloyd Barnes shows all the influences from that time – the mid seventies, although even then, the Wackies sound is already present. Essential.

Creation Dub 1

.1.Asmara Dub

.2.Jah Jah's Call

.3.Next To Jah

.4.To Africa Dub

.5.Mediation Rock

.6.Blackman Rock

.7.Black Festivity

.8.Tell It To Them Roots

.9.East Africa Dub

10.Creation Dub

Creation Dub 1& 2 have same titles!!!!

Nature's Dub

Natures Dub

.1.Natures Dub

.2.Jah Natton Dub

.3.Mash It Up

.4.Judgement Rock

.5.Kicking Scott

.6.Rockfort Dub

.7.Slave Dub

African Roots Act 3

.1.So Much Dub

.2.Good Thing Dub

.3.Feel It Dub

.4.Motherland Dub

.5.Think It Over Dub

.6.Take Away Dub

.7.Stay On Dub

.8.Freedom Dub

.9.Dubmatic

10.You I Love Dub

Afrcian Roots Act 1

1. Addis Ababa Dub

2. Rock Ago Rock

3. Undying Dub

4. Freedom Dub

5. Gen Rock Dub

6. Wackie Rock Tune

7. Mozambique Trial

8. Always Dubbing

9. Betrayers Call

10.This Exit

African Roots Act 2
Revelation Dub
Gonna Fight Dub
Journey Rock
Lam's International Dub
Mama Land Dub
Lonely Dub
Mystic Dub
Sea Of Dub
African Man Dub

Black World

Recording Connection
Skylarking
Troubled Land
Morning Star
United Rock
Black World
Simple Little Woman
Tribute To Studio One
Rain From The Cloud
Shining Star

Dub Roots

Ham Love Dub
Hard Times Dub
Let Me Love You
Tongue Shall Tell Dub
March Down Babylon Dub
Sunshine Dub
You And Me
North Of The Border
Tributlation Dub

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