From Cleopatra Came the Asp

Dub grew out of reggae music in the 60s. It is usually considered a subgenre of reggae, but not by this Dub fanatic. Dub is reggae stripped to its essentials, usually by removing most of the vocals & pumping up the drum & bass 'riddim' tracks. Musick should be essential…so for me, I have always preferred Dub.

That being said, I have been thinking for quite some time about Dub & the Lion King of Reggae, Bob Marley. Many of the various Wailers have been presented here in all their Dubness & it has been good. But Bob & the Ws are so iconic to reggae that I have been apprehensive.

Here’s what I’ve come up with…

First is an offering from NSS fave Bill Laswell remixing Bob Marley & the Wailers for your pleasure.

Bob Marley ‎– Dreams of Freedom (Ambient Translations of Bob Marley in Dub),
Axiom 314-524 419-2, 1997.
all decryption codes in comments

Tracklist –

Rebel Music (3 O’clock Roadblock)

No Woman No Cry

The Heathen

Them Belly Full (but We Hungry)

Waiting in Vain

So Much Trouble in the World

Exodus

Burnin’ & Lootin’

Is This Love

One Love (People get Ready)

Midnight Ravers

Next is a questionable entry, Bob Marley – The Secret Blackwell Dubs. Apparently it came straight out of the Island vaults some time around the turn of the century. To the best of my knowledge it is not commercially available. These are believed to be true Marley dubs (all of the tracks contain snippets of his lead vocal plus the Wailers & the I Threes background vocals). However, some are dubs to remixes of the 'official' releases, most notably "She's Gone" & "Exodus". Some of these may have been released on Island 7"ers as the b-side of the more well-known vocal versions (1972s "Rock it Babe" b/w "Rock it Version"??? for example).

Bob Marley & the Wailers – The Secret Blackwell Dubs, not commercially available.

Tracklist –
Forever Loving Jah

Waiting in Vain

Roots Rock Dub

Jamming

Exodus (remix)

Is This Dub?

Rock it Babe
Crazy Baldhead
She's Gone
Satisfy My Soul

Iron Lion Zion

Three Little Birds

One Love
Keep on Moving

Next, directly from the horse’s mouth, so to neigh, is the Island/Tuff Gong official In Dub, Vol, 1. The versions vary widely in style & with virtually no production information or mixing credits, it is hard to place when they may have been recorded. The digital delay flutter of "One Love/People Get Ready Dub" or "Three Little Birds Dub" suggests post-80s studio trickery while "Waiting in Vain Dub" has a more subdued grit of classic 70s dub style. Although there's nothing as raw, saturated, or genius as the pioneering 70s productions of King Tubby or Lee Perry, dub champion Scientist contributes a new mix of "Lively Up Yourself" (known here as "Lively Up Your Dub"), heavy with stereo-panned delay, triggered drums, & fragmented horns.

Bob Marley & the Wailers – In Dub, Vol. 1, Island Records B0015161-02, 2012.

Tracklist –

Roots, Rock Dub

Is This Love Dub

Forever Loving Jah Dub

Lively up Your Dub

Three Little Birds Dub

Crazy Baldhead Dub

Waiting in Vain Dub

Jamming Dub

One Love / People Get Ready Dub

She’s Gone Dub

Smile Jamaica Version

But I’m just not completely satisfied with the Nesta Dub so far. Decide for one last mega-dose of Marley Dub, I’d go back to the earlier days of B&tWs. The singles that Bob Marley & the Wailers cut for Lee 'Scratch' Perry's Upsetter label in the late 60s & early 70s are among some of the most historically significant in reggae. On The Complete Upsetters box set is some true Dub from one of the Triumvirate working with the soon-to-be King of Reggae. I tried to gather together all the Dub Versions that L'S'P & the Upsetters did with Robert Nesta Marley & the other boys & girls. It ended up being a lot, so I’ve made Volumes Here & Now.

Bob Marley & The Wailers ‎– The Complete Upsetter Collection 6xCD, 

Trojan Records TBOXCD013, 2000. 

Volume HERE –

Soul Rebel Dub

Try Me Dub

It’s Alright Dub

No Sympathy Dub

Rebel’s Hop Dub

Corner Stone Dub

Four Hundred Years Dub

No Water Dub

Reaction Dub

Soul almighty Dub

Shocks of Mighty Dub

Mr. Brown Dub

Dreamland (instrumental)

Copasetic Medley Dub (Bend Down Low/Nice Time/One Love/Simmer Down/Lonesome Feeling)

Downpresser Dub

Long Long Winter Dub

Love Light Dub

Man to Man Dub

Volume NOW –

Keep on Moving Dub

Don’t Rock My Boat Dub

Put it On Dub

Fussing & Fighting Dub

Memphis Dub

Riding High Dub

Kaya Dub

African Herbsman Dub

Stand Alone Dub

Sun is Shining Dub

Brain Washing Dub

Brand New Second Hand Dub

Concrete Jungle Dub

Rainbow Country Dub

Satisfy My Soul Dub

Natural Mystic Dub

I Know a Place Dub

Who Colt the Game Dub

Before I go, I have a request from any visitor who’s made it this far. My Marley in Dub search as led me to a missing volume. If anyone has a copy of Ijahman Levi - Ijahman & Bob Marley In Dub on Tree Roots from 1995 that they would share with me, please let me know. Thanks to an anonymous visitor, missing no more...& in less than one day. Phenomenal.

Bad like yaz,

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