Sound Systember 10

Channel One Sound System & the story of the other Mikey Dread. 

 

 

Channel One Sound System is one of the UK's foremost & best-loved Sound Systems. In 1979, Mikey Dread & his brother Jah T took over their father's Sound System. They began by providing music for local blues parties & dances.  Shortly thereafter, Mikey took the name Channel One in homage to the legendary Channel One studio in Jamaica.  In 1983, Channel One started playing at Notting Hill Carnival where they have played every year since, even doing the Covid-era 2020 Carnival online.

Channel One Sound play a unique selection of conscious Reggae, exclusive Dubplates, & uplifting Steppas.  Channel One's old-school style hand-built Sound System provides a rich heavyweight bass Sound complimenting their tight selection of old & new Roots music.

Here's a look at the inspiration of this tremendous, long enduring Sound. The enigmatic selector Mikey Dread was set loose in the Greensleeves archives, curating a serious set of Roots & Dub gems that have featured over the years on Channel One's unique hand built Soundsystem,  Revered Jamaican vocalists such as the Wailing Souls, Michael Prophet, Linval Thompson, Hugh Mundell & many more feature on this collection plus the second disc enters the Echo Chamber for their Dub counterparts from the likes of Sly & Robbie, Scientist, Augustus Pablo, & The Rockers All-Stars. These are the tracks they play when their Sound is shakin'.

Pictured on the back cover of this release is Mikey Dread working the Sound live

The note with the gatefold sez:
     "The heaviest vocal & Dub cuts from the vaults hand picked by the mighty Channel One Sound System, the Roots defenders of Notting Hill Carnival."

 

 

Channel One Sound System - Down in the Dub Vaults 2xLP, 2023.
decryption codes in comments

Side A -
Kingdom Rise Kingdom Fall -  Wailing Souls
Ghetto Rock - Reggae Regular
Just Talking - Michael Prophet
Trappers - Tetrack
Black Star Liner - Reggae Regular

Side B -
Joker Smoker - Tristan Palmer
Let Go This One - Anthony Johnson
Can't Pop No Style - Hugh Mundell
One More Chance - Linval Thompson
Bloody Eyes - Keith Hudson

Side C -
Kingdom Rise Kingdom Dub - The Roots Radics
Ghetto Dubbing - Reggae Regular
Just Dubbing - Hi-Times Band
Trappers Dub - Sly & Robbie
The Dub (It's Coming) - Reggae Regular

Side D -
Joker Smoker Dub - Dean Fraser & the Roots Radics
Let Go This Dub - The Roots Radics
Can't Pop No Style Dubwise - Rockers All Stars
One More Dub - The Revolutionaries
My Eyes Are Red - Keith Hudson

 

 

 

 

This one finds Mikey in action with that Mad Professor doing the Channel One Sound System thing. Produced & arranged by Mikey Dread featuring Ras Kayleb, Robert Dallas, Ras Tuffy, &
Danny Red. 

 

Mad Professor meets Channel One Sound System - Channel One Side, Ariwa ARILP281, 2016.

bonus - Intro: Mikey Dread
Cornmeal Dub    
Kings Dub    
Rastaman Dub    
Channel One Special    
Rebel Dub

 

 

 

Bass culture,
NØ