Dub Night: Transmission 115, 2014 April 14

Back in January--it must have been--DJ Leon and I were talking radio over a pint and decided to do a collaborative show sometime. I thought at the time that "sometime" would probably happen in a few days. But here we are, in April, and "Dub Night" is finally upon us. Listen to this one with your "large bins" engaged.

This was pretty much improvisational, and a lot of good material went unused. So of course we'll have to do it again. Sometime.

My initiation into reggae was sort of backwards, as many of my initiations have been. I knew and loved dub well before I developed a taste for roots. As I mention in the program, Linton Kwesi Johnson was the catalyst; I loved the old On-U Sound records, especially Dub Syndicate and Singers & Players, as well. What I didn't think to mention in the program was that I had "formative radio experiences" with two great reggae DJs at my hometown station.

One was Gary Saylin, who, I think, might still be there. He had a daytime weekend show on which he played roots, ska, African, and Hawaiian (!) music. It was a really upbeat show, but I was too heavy & depressed to truly appreciate it fully back in the day.

Then there was Nahum Chandler, a.k.a. "The Sorcerer," who brought the heavy heaviness on Sunday nights. He was a poet as well, which fit perfectly with the LKJ / Bovell stuff he would occasionally play, as well as Michael Smith, whose record graces this program. I do have a faint recollection of walking into the studio one night, after having come on board, and seeing a mysterious cloud hovering beneath the studio ceiling one night when the Sorcerer was at the controls. I say "faint" because I don't fully trust my recollection and don't want to get him in trouble; that would have been against the rules, don't you know.

I am neither as smiley as Gary nor as substantial as the Sorcerer. I can only be neurotic and distracted self, with a little help from time to time.

BOMBAST playlist, 2014 April 14, 1900-2100

1. "Dub Poem" | Mutabaruka | The Mystery Unfolds | Tuff Gong
2. "Janet Dub" | Billy Boyo | The Very Best of Me | L & R
3. "Harder Shade of Black" | Augustus Pablo | Santic + Friends: An Even Harder Shade of Black | Pressure Sounds
4. "Reminiah Dub" | Sly and the Revolutionaries | Reminah Dub | Original Music
5. "Picture or No Picture" | Michael Smith | Mi Cyaan Believe It | Mango UK | "Physical Evidence"
6. "Dub Fire" | Aswad | Crucial Tracks (Best of Aswad) | Mango
7. "Original Raggamuffin Dub" | Michael Prophet / Scion Success / John Holt | Super Star Mix Tp. 2 | Life Music
8. "Ai Bod" | Llwybr Llaethog | Da! | Side Effects
9. "Streets of Gold (Version)" | The Heptones | release unknown | label unknown
10. "Ganja Smuggling Version" | Roots Radics Band | Ganja Smuggling | Jah Guidance
11. "Black 'n' White" / "Mi Feel It" | Michael Smith | Mi Cyaan Believe It | Mango UK | "Physical Evidence"
12. "Old Time Dub" | Mungo's Hi-Fi | Sound System Champions | Scotch Bonnet
13. "Free 1" | Sound Iration | Sound Iration In Dub | WAU! Mr. Modo
14. "Immortal Drums" | Bongo Herman | Soldier Round the Corner | TEEM
15. "Fire" | 23 Skidoo | Urban Gamelan | Illuminated
16. "Only Jah Dub" | Roots Radics Meet Soul Syndicate | In Dub | Razor Sound
17. "Three Blind Mice" / "Three Times Three" | Leo Graham | Shocks of Mighty 1969-1974 | Attack
18. "Headline News" | Mikey Dread | African Anthem | Cruise
19. "Looks Like We're Shy One Horse / Shoot Out" | Colourbox | Baby I Love You So | 4AD
20. "Cosmic Jugalbandi (Part 1)" | Suns of Arqa | Solar Activity 1979-2001 | EMI
21. "Black Heart" | Keith Hudson & Soul Syndicate | Heavyweight Sound | Blood & Fire
22. "Satan Side" | The Dub Syndicate | Classic Selection Volume 1 | On-U Sound
23. "Love & Fire" | Ruts DC / Mad Professor | Dub or Die Vol:2 | ROIR
24. "Give Me Little Dub Music" | Michael Smith | Mi Cyaan Believe It | Mango UK | "Physical Evidence"

next time: a mother, enraged. Enjoy the music! --kid catharsis