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SCIENTIST (b. 1960 - )

RIDS THE WORLD OF THE EVIL CURSE OF THE VAMPIRES

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1981 - Greensleeves - studio - discs: 1

It does not really matter if you like Dub (experiments, in this case) or not. Once you hear this set for the first time you will for sure admit that here there is something quite different from what you were used to. Overton H. Brown, born in 1960, by the late 70's was already working for King Tubby as an amplifier repair man. He had such an imagination (like moving consoles, etc.) that King started to call him Scientist. Looking at Prince Jammy by the mixing board at Tubby's he started to desire to be there with his hands on it. Tubby permitted Overton to check the board but the real start came from Junjo Lawes. Around 1979 / 1980 he was a studio employee, mixing top music for Laws played by the Roots Radics and Soul Syndicate. He was nineteen years old! Meanwhile he rejuvenated Studio One. Here he learned to record live sets working on a twentyfour tracks. His big innovation at Studio One was to use the equalizer while recording. Up to that moment it was common practice to record flat and later equalize. (Of course Lee "Scratch" Perry was already recording that way. Perry was always ahead!) After him everyone started to do like that. Overton went back to Tubby, after Coxson got paranoid thinking that he was there to sabotage his studio. Back there and under the keen eye of the producer Bunny Lee, Scientist brought the almost forgotten practice of recording Dub albums to a new dimension. Albums as "Scientist Meets The Roots Radics", "Scientist Meets The Space Invaders" and the present one are classics. The music is played by the Roots Radics. Junjo Laws produces and arranges. According to the sleeve notes the set was recorded at Channel One. King Tubby's is where it was mixed. Scientist mixes. Many historians have declared that his sets are among the classical top Dub albums that came out of Jamaica. I can only confirm this, transfixed as I am while writing these comments by the sulphurous sounds of Scientist. Magical... and made at twentyone! Scientist is a genius. No apologies.

1. The Voodoo Curse
2. Dance Of The Vampires
3. Blood On His Lips
4. Cry Of The Werewolf
5. The Mummy Shroud
6. The Corpse Rises
7. Night Of The Living Dead
8. Your Teeth In My Neck (Maybe the highest peak in this stellar set !)
9. Plague Of Zombies
10. Ghost Of Frankenstein

Additional comments to the DELUXE EDITION.
This special edition from Greensleeves (now a subsidiary of VP Records) released in 2016 offers a bonus CD with the originals upon which the Dubs versions were made. Very good tracks with some special highlights and stellar killer tunes!

1. Oh What A Feeling (Wailing Souls) >>> The Voodoo Curse
2. You Are A No Good (Michael Prophet) >>> Dance Of The Vampires
3. Love In My Heart (Wayne Jarrett) >>> Blood On His Lips (Wayne voice is so similar to Horace Andy, that it's almost unsettling)
4. Hold On To What You Got (Michael Prophet) >>> Cry Of The Werewolf
5. Firehouse Rock (Wailing Souls) >>> The Mummy Shroud
6. Water Rock (Yellowman & Fathead) - - - This is a DJ version of Wailing Souls' Firehouse Rock.
7. Bandits Taking Over (Wailing Souls) >>> The Corpse Rises
8. Capital Offence (Ranking Toyan) - - - This is a DJ version of Wailing Souls' Bandits Taking Over.
9. Youthman (Michael Prophet) >>> Night Of The Living Dead
10. Love And Unity (Michael Prophet) >>> Your Teeth In My Neck (Love And Unity: a super killer tune from Michael)
11. He Can Surely Turn The Tide (Johnny Osbourne) >>> Plague Of Zombies
12. Sweet Loving (Michael Prophet) >>> Ghost Of Frankenstein

WINS THE WORLD CUP

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1982 - Greensleeves - studio - discs: 1

Originally released in 1982 "Scientist Wins The World Cup", reprises the successful formula of "Rids The World Of The Evil Curse Of The Vampires" of the previous year. Starting from classics originally sung by Hugh Mundell, Wayne Jarrett and Johnny Osbourne, Scientist again builds beautiful and complex musical Dubbed structures that define his unique approach to the mixing board. Bringing from one side the 70s Roots mood, and on the other remaining inside the Dancehall era which Henry "Junjo" Lawes (producer here) highly helped to establish, Overton H. Brown shifts between the two creating an autonomous sound. This great set was recorded at Channel One and at King Tubby's with the Roots Radics providing the music. The original Lp contained ten tracks but this reissue adds six bonus tracks which are supposed to come from the same sessions. These tracks are very good , with the whole set maybe slightly inferior to its predecessor. A must have, in any case.

1. Dangerous Match One
2. Dangerous Match Two (Maybe one of the highest peaks in this heavy and powerful set !)
3. Dangerous Match Three
4. Dangerous Match Four
5. Dangerous Match Five
6. Dangerous Match Six (Maybe one of the highest peaks in this heavy and powerful set !)
7. Dangerous Match Seven
8. Dangerous Match Eight
9. Dangerous Match Nine (The big peak, indeed)
10. Dangerous Match Ten

11. Extra Time One (*)
12. Extra Time Two (*)
13. Extra Time Three (*)
14. Extra Time Four (*)
15. Extra Time Five (*)
16. Golden Goal (*)

(*) Bonus track

Additional comments to the DELUXE EDITION.
This special edition from Greensleeves (now a subsidiary of VP Records) released in 2016 offers a bonus CD. This disc collects all the originals upon which the Dubs versions were made (ten tracks) plus eleven more songs. Very good tracks with some special highlights and stellar killer tunes!

1. Love Is Universal (Johnny Osbourne) >>> Dangerous Match One
2. Janet Sinclair (Little John & Billy Boyo) >>> This is a DJ version of Johnny Osbourne' Love Is Universal.
3. Rasta Have The Handle (Hugh Mundell) >>> Dangerous Match Two
4. Jacqueline (Hugh Mundell ) >>> Dangerous Match Three
5. In Your Eyes (Johnny Osbourne) >>> Dangerous Match Four
6. Over 31 Over 21 (Johnny Osbourne) >>> Dangerous Match Five
7. Bushmaster Connection (Little John & Billy Boyo) >>> This is a version of Johnny Osbourne' Over 31 Over 21.
8. Never Stop Fighting (Johnny Osbourne) (Stellar track from Johnny) >>> Dangerous Match Six
9. Give A Little Love (Johnny Osbourne ) (Stellar and classic track from Hugh) >>>Dangerous Match Seven
10. Red Gold And Green (Hugh Mundell) (Stellar and classic track from Hugh) >>>Dangerous Match Eight
11. Love In My Heart (Wayne Jarrett) >>> Dangerous Match Nine
12. Ranny And Lou (Wayne Jarrett) >>>Dangerous Match Ten
13. Ice Cream Love (Johnny Osbourne) >>> Extra Time One
14. Children Children (Ranking Toyan) >>> This is a version of Johnny Osbourne' Ice Cream Love.
15. Fally Lover (Johnny Osbourne) >>> Extra Time Two
16. No Lollipop No Sweet So (Johnny Osbourne) >>> Extra Time Three
17. Sinbad And The Eye Of The Tiger (Captain Simbad) >>> This is a version of Johnny Osbourne' No Lollipop No Sweet So.
18. 24 Hours A Day (Hugh Mundell ) >>> Extra Time Four
19. Freelance Lover (Johnny Osbourne) >>> Extra Time Five
20. Baccara (Johnny Osbourne) >>> Golden Goal
21. Toyan On The Go (Ranking Toyan) >>> This is a version of Johnny Osbourne' Baccara.

BIG SHOWDOWN AT KING TUBBY'S

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1980 - Greensleeves - studio - discs: 1

Imagine four characters: Henry "Junjo" Lawes in the role of producer, Prince Jammy and Scientist as the engineers, and Barrington Levy as the provider of a set ("Englishman" 1979) to be fully deconstructed by the Dub approach. This is exactly what "Big Showdown At King Tubby's - Scientist v. Prince Jammy" is: Prince Jammy and Scientist for five tracks each by the board. Here the announcer is Jah Thomas and the music is played by the Roots Radics. The set was recorded at Channel One and mixed at King Tubby's. The result is of course two different approaches to Dub. I prefer Scentist because is somehow more innovative and edgy. On the other side, also Prince must be taken seriously. The general result is interesting, worth listening indeed, but under the expectations.

SPACE INVADERS

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1982 - Greensleeves - studio - discs: 1

"Linval Presents Space Invaders" aka "Scientist Meets The Space Invaders", is the first collaboration between the producer Linval Thompson and Scientist. As usual the sessions band is The Roots Radics. Far more intersting than the second album with Linval ("Encounters Pac-Man), it's filled with Scientist' minimalist style, applying reverb to alternate drum beats or keyboard chords, and then punctuating the mixes with them. Best track is "Cloning Process", based on Wayne Wade's "Poor And Humble".

1. Beam Down
2. Red Shift
3. Time Warp
4. Cloning Process
5. Pulsar
6. Laser Attack
7. De Materialize
8. Fission
9. Super Nova Explosion
10. Quaser

1. Rainy Days - Sammy Dread
2. I'm A Dreadlocks - Sammy Dread (Feat. Papa Tullo)
3. Babylonian - Bunny Lie Lie
4. Poor And Humble - Wayne Wade - The killer tune here !
5. Who No Waan Come - Wailing Souls
6. Morning Love - Sammy Dread (Feat. Papa Tullo)
7. Follow Fashion - Sammy Dread (Feat. Saddle Dread)
8. Don't Be Downhearted - Wailing Souls
9. Dreadlocks Nah Run - Linval Thompson
10. Kiss Somebody - Johnny Osbourne

ENCOUNTERS PACMAN

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1982 - Greensleeves - studio - discs: 1

"Encounters Pac-Man" was released in 1981 by the London based Greensleeves Records label. The set is built around songs produced by Linval Thompson cut at the Hookim brothers' Channel One Studio. The album was engineered and mixed by Overton Browne aka Scientist. The music is played by the Roots Radics. With the exception of a couple of track, unfortunately the rest is a good homework. The set lacks the strength, power and force that other efforts from Scientist deliver. Who's to blame? Thompson, Scientist? Probably none of them. The original material the Dubs come from is not bad at all. Not at all. But at the end the final chemistry didn't work properly.

1. Under Surveillance
2. Prince’s Wrath
3. Space Invaders Re-Group
4. World Cup Squad Lick Their Wounds
5. Vampire Initiative
6. Malicious Intent
7. The Dark Side of the Box
8. Man Trap
9. S.O.S.
10. Look Out Behind You!

1. Sensee Party (Eek-A-Mouse)
2. Strictly the Dread (Ranking Toyan)
3. Things Couldn’t Be the Same (Linval Thompson)
4. My Love (Dennis Brown) - This is a version of Linval Thompson' "Call Me". >>> "Space Invaders Re-Group"
5. How Yuh Look Gal Pon De Street (Ranking Toyan)
6. Are You Ready? (Linval Thompson)
7. Can’t Stop Us Now (The Viceroys)
8. Do You Remember? (12” mix) (Eek-A-Mouse)
9. Carpenter Rebuild (The Meditations) - Early released in 1981 as "Having Fun".
10. Time Is Important (The Viceroys)
11. Talk Of The Town (The Meditations)
12. Holding On To my Girlfriend (Linval Thompson)
13. Wife and Sweetheart (Nicodemus) - This is a version of Linval Thompson' "Holding On To My Friend".

JAH LIFE IN DUB

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1980 - Jah Life Music - studio - discs: 1

What's this after all? An unofficial compilation? Some sort of pirate stuff, or unlicensed release? Not at all, Not at all! This is an official release of some almost lost LP that was intended to be issued in 1980 but at the end was never released for obscure reasons. As with things that can only happen in our beloved Jamaica, the sleeves were printed and ready to receive the vinyls when something happened and the LPs never reached the record shops. To get things even more muddy those sleeves were used for a different set from Revolutionary Sounds dub LP. Those who are familiar with Barrington Levy's classic Bounty Hunter and Englishman albums will be aware of the effectiveness of these Channel One Roots Radics riddim tracks, and of the youthful Scientist's panache at King Tubby's fabled mixing desk. At the end of all these tribulations, here we are with a powerful classic sounding Scientist set. This album was recorded at Channel One Recording Studio and mixed at King Tubby's Studio. The personnel are: Errol "Flabba" Holt (bass), Carlton "Santa" Davis (drums), Gladstone "Glady" Anderson (keyboards), Earl "Chinna" Smith (lead guitar), Christopher "Skyjuice" Blake (percussions) and Bo-Peep Bowen (rhytm guitar). Of course all is mixed by Scientist. There is a problem, at least with my CD. A few of the tracks (# 3, 5, 6) are missing the expected bass frequencies. I would be curious to hear the vinyl to understnd this issue. Very good classic Scientist.

1. Jah Life In Dub
2. I'm The Only In Dub
3. Shaolin Dub
4. English Dub
5. Collie Dub
6. Bounty Dub
7. My Heart Is Dub
8. Skylarking Dub
9. What You Gonna Dub
10. Moonlight Dub