Formed: 1974 in Kingston, Jamaica
One of the most popular reggae acts ever and the first one to win a Grammy. They were the most successful act from Jamaica besides Bob Marley and had an enormous cross-over success during the early to mid 80s, mainly because of two facts: first: the fantastic rhythm section - consisting of the ever present drum & bass twins Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, who were actually a part of Black Uhuru during their most successful period; second: their sound was different - more accessible to Rock fans with uncompromising lyrics and their militant appearance. Their live shows were especially enigmatic.
They even had a top ten hit with ‘The Great Train Robbery’ in the UK and other European countries, their first song written and sung by Junior Reid.
Chill Out is an album released in 1982 . That was repackaged and re-mixed for the international market with a different cover in 1984 (for no apparent reason).The album was recorded at Channel One Studios in Jamaica and produced by Sly & Robbie. Featuring The Revolutionaries, an influential session group, Chill Out, together with its dub companion The Dub Factor, is widely considered a classic of reggae music.
Chill Out peaked at #146 on Billboard's (North America) Pop Albums chart.
Released : December 1982
Genre : Reggae
Length : 35:44
Label : Mango
Producer : Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare
All songs written and composed by Michael Rose. except No 1. ( By : Michael Rose, Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, Derrick "Duckie" Simpson )
No 8 and No 9 were written and composed by "Duckie" Simpson .
TRACKS
1. Chill Out 5:58
2. Darkness 4:00
3. Eye Market 3:16
4. Right Stuff 4:34
5. Mondays 3:20
6. Fleety Foot 4:00
7. Wicked Act 3:26
8. Moya (Queen of I Jungle) 3:29
9. Emotional Slaughter 3:41
Personnel
Wally Badarou - Synthesizer, Vocoder
Barry Reynolds - Guitar on "Wicked Act"
Ansel Collins - Piano, Keyboards
Radcliff "Dougie" Bryan - Guitar
Mikey Chung - Guitar
Sly Dunbar - Drums, Syndrums, Arranger, Producer, Mixer
Puma Jones - Harmony vocals
Chris "Sky Juice" Blake - Percussion
Robert Lyn - Piano
Bertram "Ranchie" McLean - Rhythm guitar, organ
Michael Rose - Vocals
Robbie Shakespeare - Bass guitar, Arranger, Producer, Mixer
Derrick "Duckie" Simpson - Harmony vocals
Uziah "Sticky" Thompson - Percussion
Bruce Hamilton - Engineer
Steven Stanley - Engineer, Mixer
Neville Garrick - Design
Lynn Goldsmith - Photography
" Darkness " Lyrics
Darkness, seems to glorify the world,
Darkness, seems to glorify the world.
What does it work to put yourself in a run town,
who told you to go obligation,
get off my back, Babylon !
there's a pride in each & everyone's stage of life.
i must keep Jah work and trim this foundation,
most of all, they go to bed and dem high in there head.
Darkness, seems to glorify the world,
Darkness, seems to glorify the world.
I see mothers & fathers wandering all over through material things,
is this a result of their sin?
every (time) look over my shoulder someone dies.
Darkness, seems to glorify the world,
Darkness, seems to glorify the world.
Yes my structure isn't random,
I am among the rioters eaters of flesh,
there is no return to your faulty destruction,
my blood is hot, you telling i.
Darkness, seems to glorify the world,
Darkness, seems to glorify the world.
With the good foot I climb the ladder of life.
Darker than blood, in a dis attention.
Trumpet & Voice are not for only celebration.
Let's struggle with the new generation:
"The Deaf", "The Dumb", "The Blind".
Darkness, seems to glorify the world,
Darkness, seems to glorify the world.
BLACK UHURU - THE DUB FACTOR 1983
Released the same year as their Grammy-winning Anthem album, Black Uhuru's The Dub Factor figures as one of the most impressive of reggae's electronic age dub releases. Bristling from the fine mixing work of Soljie and Maxie, the album is basically a reworking of the band's breakthrough Chill Out release from the year before, albeit in often unrecognizable form. But if you like your dub with a healthy dose of apocalyptic effects from syndrums, synthesizers, and mixing board alike, then The Dub Factor will do the trick. More than just a empty exercise in knob twiddling, this Black Uhuru dub excursion by Sly & Robbie will no doubt please both fans of the group and habituates of quality dub titles.
Black Uhuru – The Dub Factor
Label: Mango – 539756-2
Format: CD
Country: US
Released: Jan 1983
Genre: Reggae
Style: Dub
TRACKS
01. Ion Storm 3:49
02. Youth 3:49
03. Big Spliff 4:06
04. Boof 'N' Baff 'N' Biff 3:30
05. Puffed Out 3:55
06. Android Rebellion 4:04
07. Apocalypse 3:48
08. Back Breaker 3:39
09. Sodom 3:23
10. Slaughter 4:35
Flac Size: 217 MB
Thank you, this is a great album, probably my favourite by Black Uhuru. Do you have the companion album, The Dub Factor? It is also a great listen, although deleted long ago and very hard to find.
ReplyDeleteI posted The Dub Factor in the same post of the album Chill Out. In Flac.
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