RhoDeo 1152 Roots

Hello, we're still on that island with a huge place in the global music catalogue, Jamaica. A production hothouse and they say the Weed makes you slow and lazy-go figure. Without the ganja driven reggae music Jamaica would have remained a Caribbean backwater and dare i say would never have given us Bolt, the fastest man in the world.

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Born in Montego Bay in 1945, Gibbs' sojourn as a producer began after he spent some time in the United States qualifying to be an electronics engineer. Upon returning to Jamaica, Gibbs set up his own TV repair shop at 32 Beeston Street, Kingston and eventually began selling records there as a sideline. The fast growth of the local music scene encouraged him to get more involved in the music business, and in 1967 he started to record some artists in the back of his shop with a two-track tape machine, working with Lee Perry who had just ended his association with Clement "Coxsone" Dodd. In 1968, with the help of Bunny Lee, he launched his Amalgamated record label, and had his first success with one of the earliest rocksteady songs, Roy Shirley's "Hold Them"

When Perry decided to leave to start his own record label, Upsetter, Gibbs enrolled the young Winston "Niney" Holness (later known as Niney The Observer) who helped Gibbs maintain his productions at the top of the charts. During the rocksteady period until 1970, he had hit records with numerous artists including The Pioneers, Errol Dunkley, and Ken Parker. He also worked with backing bands such as Lynn Taitt and the Jets (including the organist Ansel Collins, and horns players Tommy McCook, Johnny "Dizzy" Moore, Bobby Ellis and Vin Gordon), or The Hippy Boys (featuring the Barrett brothers as the rhythm section).

He concentrated exclusively on the production of the then new reggae sound after his first international success "Love of the Common People" by Nicky Thomas (#9 in the UK , summer 1970). Gibbs still recorded the rock-steady artists that he had initially worked with; artists like The Ethiopians, Delroy Wilson, and The Heptones. The two volumes of his singles compilations The Heptones and Friends were bestsellers in Jamaica. During this period, he launched three new labels —Jogib, Shock, and Pressure Beat.

In 1972, after having moved his studio in the Duhaney Park district, he set up a new one at Retirement Crescent and started to work with sound engineer Errol Thompson. Together they were known as "The Mighty Two", and along with his studio band The Professionals (including bassist Robbie Shakespeare, drummer Sly Dunbar and guitarist Earl "Chinna" Smith), they produced hundreds of singles, including the hits "Money In My Pocket" by Dennis Brown, "Ah So We Stay" by Big Youth and "Eviction" by Black Uhuru. The duo worked on over 100 Jamaican number one hits.

In 1975, he set up his new 16-track studio and record pressing plant and kept producing Jamaican artists under numerous label names (Crazy Joe, Reflections, Belmont, Town & Country). He had success again with roots reggae, rockers, lovers rock and Dub music artists including: Dennis Brown, Jacob Miller, Sylford Walker, The Mighty Diamonds, Gregory Isaacs, Prince Alla and Junior Byles.

The 1977 Culture album Two Sevens Clash was a major influence on the then emerging punk scene and an internationally acclaimed production. The album was cited by punk rock band The Clash. Other successful artists produced by the Mighty Two during the end of the 1970s include: Marcia Aitken, Althea & Donna, John Holt, Barrington Levy, Cornell Campbell, Dean Fraser, Delroy Wilson, Beres Hammond, Ranking Joe, Prince Jazzbo, Prince Mohammed, Dillinger, Trinity, Prince Far I, Clint Eastwood and I-Roy.

Gibbs also continued releasing instrumentals, in addition to some very fine dub sides. Along with his '70s band, the Professionals Gibbs and Thompson put out such classics as the State of Emergency album and the four volumes of the African Dub series. Aside from many Studio One and Treasure Isle rhythms, these instrumental and dub sides also featured many tracks Gibbs used for his own vocal hits.

In the 1980s, Gibbs had an international hit with J.C. Lodge's "Someone Loves You Honey" and again in the 1990s–2000s teamed up with Errol Thompson, and Sydney "Luddy" Crooks of The Pioneers, to produce some new music way into the new millennium. Before his death, Gibbs also went into business with Chris Chin of VP Records, which was one of his last business ventures.

He was not married when he died of a heart attack on 21 February 2008 and is survived by his 12 children.

This is a 40 track 4cd sampler the Evolution Of Dub Volume 4 - Natural Selection from a thusfar 6 volume series, buying it at Amazon UK wouldn't set you back much, it's just 12 pounds, i suspect buying it per track at I Tunes will be more expensive. As all albums are clearly below 200mb I don't provide OGG rips here.


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Joe Gibbs and The Professionals - State Of Emergency (flac 119mb)

1.01 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – Bounty Hunter 2:31
1.02 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – Rawhide Kid 2:49
1.03 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – Tribute To Donald Quarrie 2:53
1.04 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – High Noon 2:51
1.05 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – The Great Escape 3:02
1.06 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – Walls Of Jericho 2:50
1.07 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – Wicked And Dreadful 2:30
1.08 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – Revenge 3:02
1.09 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – I Shot The President 3:24
1.10 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – State Of Emergency 3:05

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Joe Gibbs - Majestic Dub (flac 156mb)

2.01 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – Ten Commandments 3:15
2.02 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – Majestic Dub 2:59
2.03 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – Social Justice 3:43
2.04 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – Kings Of Dub 2:43
2.05 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – Edward The Eight 3:17
2.06 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – International Treaty 2:56
2.07 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – Martial Law 2:54
2.08 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – Nations Of Dub 3:06
2.09 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – Embargo 3:49


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Gibbs And The Professionals - African Dub Chapter 5 (flac 144mb)

3.01 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – The Day After 4:35
3.02 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – Long Distance Affair 3:39
3.03 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – Full Moon Ikky 4:41
3.04 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – Ladies Night Out 4:01
3.05 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – Chapter Five 4:05
3.06 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – Bad Verdict 4:07
3.07 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – Military Intervention 4:46
3.08 Joe Gibbs And The Professionals – Campus Flash Back 2:28

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Sly and Robbie - Syncopation (flac 149mb)

4.01 Sly & Robbie – Syncopation 3:59
4.02 Sly & Robbie – Free Ticket To Ride 4:14
4.03 Sly & Robbie – Earthscan 3:17
4.04 Sly & Robbie – Flirting In Space 3:52
4.05 Sly & Robbie – Space Invaders 3:19
4.06 Sly & Robbie – Nighthawk 3:57
4.07 Sly & Robbie – Laser Eyes 3:28
4.08 Sly & Robbie – Flight To Nowhere 3:19

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