FFWDWeekly.com - March 23, 2006

· Critical re-releases from Clement "Coxsone" Dodd’s legendary Jamaican record label.

In the early 1950s the soulful rhythms of American R&B were wildly popular in Jamaica, with the latest singles serving as the highlight of any neighbourhood dance party. The shift towards rock ’n’ roll in the U.S. caused something of a crisis in Kingston communities as their supply of R&B tunes dried up. To compensate, local sound system operator Clement "Coxsone" Dodd started recording local groups to provide his parties with fresh songs in the early 1960s. The blend of R&B crooning with Jamaican musical sensibilities resulted in the birth of ska and rocksteady, paving the way for reggae. The acts Dodd recorded proved to be so popular that he was able to branch out into the world of concert promoting.

Initially, Dodd’s groups were recorded on acetate pressings and not for sale, ensuring his monopoly on the new music. However, as the popularity of the songs grew he opened up his now legendary Studio One to record songs for mass distribution. By the late 1960s the "island sound" was growing increasingly popular, especially in the U.S. and the U.K., encouraging groups like The Rolling Stones to relocate temporarily to Jamaica for Exile on Main Street.

For many, love songs like John Holt’s "A Love I Can Feel" or Ken Boothe’s "Just Another Girl," conjure images of an idyllic island life. But even here among the earliest releases, the political overtones that would become synonymous with Bob Marley and reggae are present in tracks like Sugar Minott’s "Oh Mr. D.C." and the Abyssinians’ "Declaration of Rights." Not only do these tracks serve as a record of one of Jamaica’s turbulent social periods, but they also allow us to see some of the roots of hip hop. Dodd’s practice of taking his latest acetates straight from the studio to the dance floor and back, gauging the audience’s reaction to successive versions, foreshadows contemporary production tactics. Likewise, Dodd’s frequent tendency to reuse popular backing tracks with different vocals is often linked to the birth of MCs rapping over extended instrumental breaks.

With Dodd’s death in 2003, plans were made to launch a retrospective of Studio One’s work. The first three volumes chart the development of early ska and rocksteady, while late spring is reportedly set to see the release of Bob Marley’s earliest Studio One work.

THE BEST OF STUDIO ONE 5/5

FULL UP: MORE HITS FROM STUDIO ONE 4/5

DOWNBEAT THE RULER: KILLER INTRUMENTS FROM STUDIO ONE 5/5

SEAN MARCHETTO