“If dub has a bible, Original Rockers is one of its books; its lilting, echoing melodies offer a unique vision of the genre’s possibilities.”
– Philadelphia Inquirer
Augustus Pablo (1954-1999) was the master of melodica and one of the most revered talents in reggae music. A reissue of
his classic album Original Rockers with remastered sound and a 16-page extended booklet is available now from Greensleeves Records an imprint of VP Music Group.
Greensleeves originally released the LP in 1979 and carefully selected Pablo’s best self-productions from his early days between (1972-75) – mostly consisting of well-received instrumentals and versions of older hits from Studio One. Original Rockers boasts Pablo’s haunting melodica and includes flashes of his dub inspiration on standouts like “Rocker’s Dub” and “Tubby’s “Dub Song.” The album is recorded in the legendary studio of the great reggae producer King Tubby. Reggae all-stars like guitarist Earl Chinna Smith, bassists Robbie Shakespeare and Aston Barrett and select vocalists like Dillinger and Hugh Mundell all shine on this collection.
To celebrate the release, his daughter and DJ, Isis Swaby of Rockers International, hosted several listening sessions in New York and Florida throughout the month, where she played select songs from the album interspersed with influential and inspired tracks that complement her father’s sound.
Augustus Pablo
Born in St. Andrew, Jamaica as Horace Swab (June 21, 1954 – May 18, 1999), Augustus Pablo was a roots reggae and dub record producer, melodica player and keyboardist, who got his start in the early 1970s. He popularized the use of the melodica in reggae music and released many hits with a variety of producers, including his close friend Clive Chin (which created his breakthrough hit “Java”), Gussie Clark, Bunny Lee, Lee Scratch Perry and more. In the mid to late 70s, Pablo produced a steady stream of hits (“Black Star Liner” by Fred Locks) and LPs (1974’s This Is…Augustus Pablo, 1974’s Ital Dub, 1976’s King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown & 1979’s Original Rockers). As a producer, he also worked with artists such as Dillinger, I-Roy, Jacob Miller, The Immortals, The Heptones, Bob Marley, Ricky Grant, Delroy Wilson, Junior Delgado, Horace Andy and more.
Order Original Rockers now on iTunes:Â http://smarturl.it/AugPabOGRockers