Rocksteady (1966-1968)

Ex: Hopeton Lewis – “Take It Easy” (late 1966)

• Considered one of the first Rocksteady records

• Gladstone Anderson: “rock steady”

• Lynn Taitt’s guitar often doubles bass line

Ex: Alton Ellis - “Rock Steady” (1966)

• First song to use the term

• Describes a dance

Rocksteady CharacteristicsSka:• Faster• Horns as lead• Walking bass lines

– Plays on every beat

Rocksteady:• Slower • Horns as support• Broken up bass lines

– Not playing on every beat

– Syncopated, repeated pattern

Rocksteady Characteristics

• Bass and drums more prominent

• Electric Bass

• Soulful singing style (solo and harmony singing)

• Jamaican Patois, Accent, Slang expected

• More space, each instrument plays less

– Mainly due to having less horns

Duke Reid: Top Rocksteady Producer

• Under guitarist Lynn Taitt’s direction

Ex: Alton Ellis – “Girl I’ve Got A Date” (1966)

• Good example of the new bass style

• Vocal harmonies

Duke Reid: Top Rocksteady Producer

• Vocal groups: The Melodians, The Techniques

Ex: The Paragons – “The Tide Is High” (1966)

• Written by lead singer John Holt

• Cover hit by Blondie, 1980

Coxsone’s Studio One

• Led by Leroy Sibbles, bass, arranger, writer, vocals

• Best instrumentals

Ex: Sound Dimension – “Real Rock” (1968)

• Jackie Mittoo: organ and piano

Ex: Marcia Griffiths – “Feel Like Jumping” (1968)

• I Threes

• Famous rhythm (54-46)

Rudeboy Music (Early 1965-1967)

• Overlaps with Ska and Rocksteady Eras

• Performers and audience: ghetto youth

• Vocalists as stars (vs. horn players of ska)

• Songs about violent youth (pro and anti)

• Optimism of Independence wanes, esp. in poor areas

• UK political rule shifts to US economic rule

Ex: Joe White –“Rudies All Around” (1967)

Rudies all around, rudies don’t fear

Rudies all around, rudies don’t care

From Kingston to Montego Bay, rudies everywhere

From Negril to Port Royal, rudies everywhere

Cops shot rudies, rudies shot cop too

Ex: Prince Buster – “Judge Dread” (1967)

• One of the first anti-rudeboy songs

• Judge is from Ethiopia, gives huge sentences

• Crimes: “robbing school children,” “killing black people,” and “burning homes”

• Pleas for mercy treated as contempt of court

Ex: Lee Perry – “Set Them Free” (1967)But as you can see, they’re from a poor generationHaving no education, no qualificationSo they are driven to desperationCan’t get no job, them have been forced to robI’m not suggesting they should, but as you knowA hungry man is an angry man (…)Think it over before you throw them overPlease give them a break to mend their mistakesYour honour, as you already know, that robbery was from creationFor it was robbery that befell the black nationOur ancestors once ruled this world and all its goldBut now we are poorWho stole the gold?

Ex: Derrick Morgan – “Tougher Than Tough” (1967)

• Busby – real-life rudyboy

• Lyrics:

Rudies in court now boys, rudies in court

[…]

You are brought here for gun shooting, ratchet-using

[…]

Rudies don’t fear, no boys, rudie don’t fear

Rougher than rough, tougher than tough

Strong like lion, we are iron

Rudies don’t fear

Ex: Alton Ellis – “Dance Crasher” (1965)

• Earlier record about rudeboys– More like a ska style

• Ellis always anti-rudeboy

• Many singers cut pro- and anti-rudeboy records

• Lyrics:

Oh, dance crasher, Oh, oh, oh, oh

Oh, dance crasher, Oh no no (aaaah)

Don't break it up , please don't make a fuss

Don't use a knife, take another fellow's life

Ex: Desmond Dekker – “007 (Shanty Town” (1967)

0 0 7, 0 0 7

At ocean eleven

And now rudeboys have go wail

'Cause them out of jail

Rudeboys cannot fail

'Cause them must get bail

Dem a loot, dem a shoot, dem a wail (A Shanty Town)

Dem a loot, dem a shoot, dem a wail (A Shanty Town)

Dem rude boys out on probation (A Shanty Town)

Them a rude when them come up to town (A Shanty

Town)