[^^ Reggae] --- [Next >>]
Wackies is the New York based record reggae label, founded by Lloyd Barnes in 19xx. It is still active today.
http://training.netgates.co.uk/phil/: One of his [Jackie Mittoo] best recordings was recorded in 1990, the year of his death, the wicked 'Wild Jockey' on Lloyd Barnes New York based Wackies label. Unfortunately this LP is currently unavailable, but Lloyd has recently begun re-issuing his back catalogue on CD, so hopefully we can look forward to a re-issue.
http://www.snafu.de/~circonium/music/future.html: future sound of berlin : by kodwo eshun, taken from the wire # 169, march 1998.: Profrock's fascination with effects echoes the obsession of Basic Channel's Ernestus and von Oswald with the 80s productions of the Bronx-based reggae producer Lloyd 'Bullwackie' Barnes. In the studio, Barnes would often run entire tracks through a graphic equalizer, softening the bass and exaggerating the mid-frequencies, sending the impact of the beat into a decay pattern, turning the voices of singers like Horace Andy or Wayne Jarrett into sepulchral trebles which would hover across the pulse, ebbing and flowing out of earshot. All these techniques inform the work of both the Basic Channel and Chain Reaction producers. As Thorsten Profrock says, "Dub was a kind of resonance to my soul because everything I like within Techno music, all these effects, these dub people had it. You see a line between dub and Basic Channel. If I listen to Wackie's sound, Wayne Jarrett, Horace Andy [or] these mid-70s recordings by Lee Perry or King Tubby or Prince Far I, it's unbelievable." Kodwo Eshun also wrote an article on African science fiction
CENTERED AROUND THE LEGENDARY BRONX REGGAE SCENE, LLOYD BARNES A.K.A. BULLWACKIE, WHO LEFT JAMAICA IN THE WAKE OF THE GANG WARFARE, ESTABLISHED A STUDIO IN THE NORTH BRONX WHERE FOR YEARS HE HAS FOSTERED THE BUDDING STARS OF REGGAE, INCLUDING THOSE ABOVE. http://www.videoflicks.com/VF/03/003343.HTM
That Dub got some serious recognition in the 1970's is well documented. Sound systems made and played out their own tunes from their own studios. Initially these studios and many of their representative soundsytems were from Kingstown Jamaica and much of the technology and techniques in today's contemporary dance and club music scene is clearly and for the most part honestly derived from many of techniques and styles employed by those running their own studio and sound..This is part of the story of the dub sounds which emanated outta New York.
Much less documented is the steady throughput of musicians and singers and players who have stopped by the studio of Lloyd Barnes’ Bronx based collective later to be collectively known as "Bullwackies" or "Wackies" At present there is a sizeable amount of repressed and reissued C.D's and Vinyl releases doing the rounds, here in London. Champion of all things "Wackies" is our friend Rae Cheddae, he has been invaluable in getting this long overdue article together.
Wackies music has probably been given a higher profile recently as singer songwriter Horace Andy has continued to gain higher profile in the states the UK and Europe with his collaborations with the Bristol based sounds of "Massive Attack" His much earlier works in the states with Lloyd Barnes and crew produced the classic "Dance Hall style" album which for an introduction to Wackies cannot be bettered.
Long time Wackies aficionado Rae Cheddae explains," It was never intended for the music to be one person so it was like basically cut the bull and lets call it "Wackies". ‘Cause then it just covered everyone, Barbera Lesley, Clive Hunt, Chalice, The Regals, Johnny Osbourne, Milton Henry, Jezz Reel, Robbie Pascal, Jerry Harris and the Sylvester brothers. It was a stable bunch of musicians whoever could turn up and play and were good that was your criteria for getting into the studios, if you could do something or were willing to do something.
The New York based studio and production crew moved and grooved with the finest of the Jamaican Heavy-weight Reggae artists. Bullwackies finely crafted recording and production techniques may well have stemmed from the fact that he began his musical career as a vocalist, this clearly drew out the best in his collaborations with the likes of Wayne Jarrett, Horace Andy, Junior Delahaye and The Love Joys, he has the ability and style to blend sweet soulful lyricism with some raw powerful studio production. Lloyd's move into studio production and ultimately vinyl releases came via quickly created labels such as "City-line, Hardwax, Jumbo Caribbean Disco, Rawsw, Aries and Senrab to touch on but a few.
Around 1983 Lloyd and his colleagues began releasing the material under the now standardised name and logo of 'Wackies'.
Wackies began issuing tunes on their various labels from about 1974 Denis Brown was around in those early days cutting 'Righteous Man' he may well have cut his first with them. Lloyd as I stated before was actually a singer he did harmonies with Duke Reid, he also knew King Tubby. When you listen to tracks on "Restless Roots Rockers." if you listen to it very carefully you will hear that 'Tubby's' sound in it because he really started off in Jamaica and mixed at Tubby's and later on moved to New York to get himself a studio together. Wackies also had a sound system...which they basically used to take onto the trains. Literally" One speaker one box"
A lot of his releases went under the label of 'City Line' as if you went to the Bronx and went to the end of the City Line then everything every shop was called 'City' something. Just before Coxsone moved to America on a permanent basis Wackies were issuing stuff there was a tune called 'Crab Walking' on a 7" you will see that the colours and the labels were very similar so there are obvious comparisons to be drawn there. -- Smart Monkey
http://freeradicalsounds.com/wackies.htm
IRIE! voici un extrait de ma discographie BULLWACKIE : LP'S: Rolland Alphonse roll on love joy's lovers rock jackie mittoo wild jocker jah batta argument milton henry babylon loot milton henry who do you think i am horace andy everyday people horace andy dance hall style max romeo i love my music lee perry meets bullwackie audrey rollins role model jerry johnson the score sugar minott wicked ago feel it john clarke vision of tyron evans for lovers only mute beat still echo wayne jarrett bubble up junior delahaye show case jah children invasion chapter 4 (2 lp's) jah children invasion chapter 1-2-3 jah children invasion dance hall vol 1-2-3-4 jah son invasion variouts artistes the chosen brothers sing & shout santa ranking ruff neck chicken african roots act1-2-3-4-5 reckless roots rockers tribesman assaut the dub general jamaica super dub session nature's dub dub roots tyron evans sings bullwackie style jerry harris i'm for you jerry johnson for all seasons maxime miller show case audrey rollins prevail robert minott all i have is love steve knight orphan child frankie jones who nuh hear me chris wayne freedom street creation dub vol 1 &2 varioust artists tempos explosion varioust artists unrelease lp test pressing (wr 2739)12" :wayne jarrett / augustus pablo youth manannett brissitt betrayed / what a feelingjr delahaye all i need is jah / love is here to stayjr delahaye mistic revelation / working hard for the rent manlove joys it aint easy / gimmie backstranger cole the time is now / take timemax romeo let it be / call me when the heartache startsjezzreel stop playing tricks / cheating girljerry johnson saxman special / sugar minott vers.horace andy serious things (test pressing)sugar minott jehovah / jah dubsugar minott doing the dub / verscoolie miller easy / washover ringnoel delahaye how many times / ? blankhorace andy stop the fuss / rock with mechosen brothers mother i love you /dub"" "" " " forever & ever / child of slave"" "" "" my girl / i love yourolando alphonso star trek (blank)moses when the vampire comes10" :wayne jarrett show casehorace andy meet naggo morrismister "T" show case7"animatou runaway dread / dubitopia you've lost that loving feeling / keep a rockingcornell campbell a yuhjoe morgan basement session / dubitopia creation / dubjoy card i love you in every way / superstatic magic mysterychosen brothers there you are / dubabel & allen tell me / dubafrican jamaican loving man / dubjohn clarke in search of the human race / vers."" "" we need some solution / dubjah skerta & dream darkness / dubsugar minott ten to one / dubwillie williams roots man boogie / dubfrom the collection of tdanneau@wanadoo.fr , aka RAS T.
[^^ Up] ---