Johnny Clarke - A Ruffer Version: Johnny Clarke At King Tubbys 1974-78 '2008

Tracks list

Jamaican roots reggae crooner Johnny Clarke had a hot streak from the moment he
dropped his first dub-friendly crossover track, None Shall Escape the Judgement,
in 1974. Teaming hitmaking production from Bunny Lee and skilled engineering
from dub innovator King Tubby, A Ruffer Version: At King Tubbys 1974-1978
collects the brightest gems from Clarkes halcyon days of smoking-hot singles and
pairs them with Tubbys explosive dub remixes. Highlights are many over the
course of the collections 23 tracks, including the bass-heavy Rasta rhythm hymn
Enter in His Gates with Praise and the classic ska-touched slink of Move Out of
Babylon Rastaman. As was the case with many hits from the era when dub was
dawning, multiple versions and remixes were cut of the same rhythm tracks with
different vocalists, lyrics, or instrumentation comprising very familiar but
ultimately brand-new songs from the base elements. Ruffer Version has some
moments when it milks an awful lot of different angles out of a single rhythm,
as with four different takes on the basic framework of None Shall Escape the
Judgement, but all told, the repeating grooves lend themselves to the creation
of a hypnotic state before they become grating. Clarkes smooth voice competes
for top billing with Tubbys blasted production style, and several of the tracks
included here are nothing short of essential to anyone even remotely interested
in Jamaican music.

Tracklist:
01. Johnny Clarke - None Shall Escape the Judgement (3:41)
02. Johnny Clarke - Joshuas Words (3:24)
03. Johnny Clarke - Jah Jah Bless Joshua (3:32)
04. King Tubby & The Aggrovators - A Social Version (aka This a the Best Version
aka None Shall Escape Dub) (3:12)
05. Johnny Clarke - Enter Into His Gates With Praise (2:47)
06. King Tubby & The Aggrovators - This a the Hardest Version (2:46)
07. Johnny Clarke - Move Out of Babylon Rastaman (3:32)
08. Johnny Clarke - Commercial Locks (3:15)
09. King Tubby & The Aggrovators - A Moving Version (aka Close Up Dub) (3:22)
10. Johnny Clarke - The Ruler (aka Cold I Up) (2:58)
11. Johnny Clarke - Dont Be a Rude Boy (3:16)
12. Johnny Clarke - Dont Trouble Trouble (3:36)
13. Johnny Clarke - A Ruffer Dub (3:36)
14. Johnny Clarke - Poor Marcus (3:28)
15. Johnny Clarke - A Harder Version (3:29)
16. Johnny Clarke - Just Give Up the Badness (3:18)
17. King Tubby & The Aggrovators - Channel One Is a Joker (3:36)
18. Johnny Clarke - Peace and Love (In the Ghetto) (3:50)
19. Johnny Clarke - Blood Dunza (3:11)
20. King Tubby & The Aggrovators - Blood Dunza Dub (Alternate Mix) (3:09)
21. Johnny Clarke - Every Knee Shall Bow (3:37)
22. Johnny Clarke - Play Fool Fe Get Wise (3:33)
23. King Tubby - Play Fool Version (4:26)

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