DUBBING AT HARRY J'S
1972-1975

Harry J's studio at 10 Roosevelt Avenue, Uptown Kingston, Jamaica, was a legendary place for cutting tracks back in the 1970's. Many people passed through it's doors to cut music, Burning Spear ,The Heptones and Augustus Pablo to name but a few, and it was no accident that Bob Marley chose to record his first four albums for Island Records here.The timeless 'Catch a Fire' ,'Burnin' , 'Natty Dread' and 'Rastaman Vibration', all came under it's spell.

Harry Johnson, born 1945 Kingston, Jamaica, began his career as a musician playing bass with a group called The Virtues.The band would soon fall apart but it was as their manager that he got a taste for the business side, and his first session as a producer came around in 1968 cutting 'No More Heartaches' for The Beltones at Studio 1.But it was another track also cut at Studio 1 under his tutelage Lloyd Robinson's 'Cuss Cuss' that gave him his first hit single.The success of which would launch his Harry J imprint label, and inspire him to recruit the cream of Jamaica's session musicians. Including the mighty Winston Wright on keyboards and Boris Gardiner on bass to form the Harry J All Stars group. This line up would go on to have crossover hits with such classics as 'Liquidator' in 1969,and his 1970's production of Bob & Marcia's 'Young Gifted & Black' which reached No 5 in the U.K. charts.

In 1972 using again money made from his hits and selling his record store, Harry Johnson brought a 16 track mixing desk and so was born HARRY J's Recording Studio.The other important happening around this time was the arrival of Sylvan Morris as recording engineer to replace Sid Bucknor who was moving to England.Harry Johnson had already worked with Sylvan at Studio 1 where he was house engineer and had been mainly responsible for it's distinctive sound. On his arrival Sylvan would cut the Version sides to many of the Artists / Producers tracks cut at Harry J's and again establishing a great sound for the new studio.He even found time to cut a couple of dub albums himself, 'Morris in Dub' and 'Cultural Dub',where he re-versioned some classic cuts from his Studio 1 days.

Harry J's was the studio of the moment to cut tracks especially dub cuts.Keith Hudson recorded his classic 1974 'Pick A Dub' album here with the Barrett brothers, Aston 'Family Man' and Carlton, from Bob Marley's Wailers band providing the de-constructed backbone of bass and drums respectfully.

We have selected some interesting cuts to show the versatility of the studio and what it was capable of producing.A wide cross section covering some rare John Holt dubs to some obscure cuts like Monty Morrison's 'Love you Only' and even the great Jackie Bernard of The Kingstonian's features on some of his long lost dubs lost until now.The studio is still running today and has branched out to include it's Jamaican distribution arm 'Sunset'. But we hope bringing you back to those glorious days when it all started, will relive a classic time in Jamaican Dub History for you. What shines out on this selection we believe, are some great soulful roots cuts....Respect Jah Floyd.

1.EVERY DUB IS A STAR
The soulful roots vocal of Ronnie Davis cuts through on this lost dub of 'Every Nigger is a star' an up lifting anthem...

2.DUB IS YET TO COME.
A lost dub of The Twinkle Brothers 'The Best is yet to come'. Again soulful roots dub at it's best.....

3.FROM MAN TO DUB.
Jackie Bernard from The Kingstonian's voiced the vocal version called 'Change of Plan'.
of this rare dub.

4.DUB SCRIPTURES.
Cut a the same session as the above track this unreleased biblical classic again see's Jackie Bernard in fine form...lost till now...

5.HARMONICA DUB.
A dub to Roy Richards cut to 'Nora Dean's 'Miss Annie Oh'.

6.DUB IN THE STREETS.
Again straight from the master tapes a lost dub of John Holt's 'Jam in the Streets' .. false starts and all....''Nothing to buy ...Nowhere to go ...Nothing to eat...''.Power words sung so sweetly....

7.LET DUB DOWN.
A rare dub of Joe Morgan's 'You let me down' which came out originally on the Afro - Black label..soulful..soulful..

8.BAG-FULL-A-DUB.
Another John Holt classic 'Memories by the Score'.Dubbed here to fine effect...

9.DUB TO BABYLONIANS HEAD.
A lost dub of Zeddie Bailey's 'Babylon Gone'...until now..

10.DUB YOU ONLY.
An obscure lost dub treasure of Monty Morrison's 'Love you only' .. enjoy.

11.NO MAIL NO DUB.
Recorded at the same session as the above track and was the flip side cut on it's original release. Again this is a lost dub version.

12.NONE SHALL ESCAPE THE DUBMENT.
A exclusive dub to Johnny Clarke's 'None shall escape the Judgment'.The first track to use the now legendary 'Flying Cymbals' sound...a classic.

13.DUB ME SMOOTHLY.*
A lost dub to 'Butterfly's' this great instrumental version features The Wailers Band in fine form....

14.MAN NEEDS A DUB.*
Last but certainly not least to close this set a lost dub to Mr John Holt's mighty 'Every man needs a woman'...enjoy.

* CD Bonus Tracks