King Tubby tends to turn everything he touches into gold. This is no exception. To those who are unfamiliar with the dub tradition in reggae music, it essentially means instrumental reggae tracks mixed so that the bass and drums stand out, with other elements of the song dropping in and out of the mix, with lots of reverb applied to give the whole thing an airy, spaced out feel. King Tubby is widely regarded as the originator of this style, and his studio’s work remains some of the best dub even to this day.
Augustus Pablo is perhaps best known for his playing of the melodica, which he does incredibly well. The melodica is perhaps best described as a harmonica with a keyboard, and is quite popular in reggae more generally, in large part due to Pablo.
“King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown” is a dub version of “Baby I Love You So” by Jacob Miller, and was released first in 1974, and also on the 1976 album of the same name, which is probably one of the best albums ever made!
As with many great dub songs, the bassline is effortlessly catchy and drives the song forward, as the guitar parts dart in and out, the drums clatter and echo, the melodica stabbing and sliding intermittently. You can hear Jacob Miller’s voice at times as well, adding to the mix. The parts of the song mesh together wonderfully, creating a true dub masterpiece. Brilliant stuff!