Studio One - The Motown of Reggae

Studio One - The Motown of Reggae

A signature .45 record from Studio One

With the recent passing of Clement "Sir Coxsone" Dodd, a true legend in the world of reggae music, "Tings a Gwaan" magazine decided to bring to production an idea for a feature story that was brewing for a few months previously. Sir Coxsone was the Founder, Owner, and Legendary Producer of Studio One Records, a record label and production studio that has done for reggae music what Motown Records did for Rhythm & Blues music. Few will debate the fact that reggae music was born in the house of Studio One, led by the mastery of Father Dodd. As the world continues to mourn the passing of this legend, we will take a look at the forever lasting impact that Studio One has had on this music of ours.

Founded in Jamaica in the late 1950's, just prior to the island's release from the British colonial shackles and subsequent desire to establish its own global identity, Studio One established a foundation in reggae music which helped to put this likkle island on the global radar screen thus making it internationally recognizable. Nuff reggae music legends and worldwide ambassadors of the music were born in the house of Studio One. True reggae music pioneers such as Dennis Brown, Freddie McGregor, Toots & The Maytals, Burning Spear, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Marcia Griffiths, and a little known group called Bob Marley & The Wailers, all got their start at 13 Brentford Road, Kingston, Jamaica, the home of Studio One Records.

Father Dodd, @ home in the studio

Bob Marley & The Wailers (pre-dreadlocks days) and many others began @ Studio One - [Click pics for more info]

Before there was reggae music there was ska, a faster more rhythmic forefather to the rude bwoy style music we know today. With legendary producers such as "Scratch" Perry leading the way in the early 1960's, Studio One began to make its mark on the Jamaican music scene with numerous ska hits by groups such as the Skatalites. The more the ganja pipe burned over the years, the slower the music got and the creative vibes began to take it to a new level. Ska gave way to rocksteady, rocksteady to roots, roots to dub, and dub to dancehall, and so goes the chronology of reggae music in the late 60's to mid 70's. Instrumental in each transition of the development of this music, was Studio One Records which happened to be the breeding ground for virtually every wicked riddim and artist of these times. Artists such as Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, Sugar Minott, and Freddie McGregor came to Sir Coxsone @ Studio One with raw talent and a dream. Studio One honed their skillz, put some wicked production behind their vocals, and made them into international superstars who have forever changed the face of reggae.

Another major contribution of Sir Coxsone and Studio One was the establishment and popularizing of a soundsystem and sound clash culture. Studio One popularized its music in the streets of JA by playing the just bust, hot off-the-press releases on Coxsone's Downbeat Soundsystem. Led by legendary DJ's like King Stit , a style of talking and rhyming over the record (known as toasting) was born which evolved into dancehall reggae, which eventually gave birth to rap (yes, that rap). There was tremendous competition among the top soundsystems of that time to see who could play the hottest new Toots & The Maytals ("Bam, Bam") or Dawn Penn ("No, No, No") or Marcia Griffith ("Truly"), etc. This competition, backed by the toasting of the soundsystem DJs, led to sound clashes which featured one soundsystem versus another, with the battle for supremacy and bragging rights on the line. So today when you hear about a clash, featuring Stone Love versus Black Chiney , remember it all started with Studio One.

Although major recordings and productions at Studio One slowed drastically towards the end of the 1970's, the riddims originating at Studio One would continue to have a profound influence on dancehall reggae, which has been on a steady rise in popularity since the late 70s. Riddims such as "Real Rock", "Mr Bassie", "Hot Milk", and Satta-A-Masagana, all originated in the house of Studio One. If these riddim names sound unfamiliar, maybe you've heard of "Murderer" by Barrington Levy, "Raggy Road" by Capleton, and nuff odda big chunes on Studio One riddims. Pick up this Studio One anthology, and you are sure to hear 5 or 6 riddims that you thought originated with Sizzla, Capleton, Buju, or Beres. Trust mi, the influence that Studio One has had on this music goes deep and as today's top dancehall producers continue to put their own spin on classic Studio One riddims, they keep the legacy of this legendary studio alive.

Nuff respect and RASpect go out to Father Dodd and Studio One for the lasting impact they have left on reggae, the global industry of music, and on culture worldwide. What they began in the ghettos of Kingston has grown into a worldwide phenomenon, with diehard reggae fans from Kingston to Capetown, from Soweto to Sweden, and from Tivoli Gardens to Tokyo. Studio One established a sound, cultivated by improvisational techniques necessary due to lack of professional quality recording equipment. The Studio One artists, the worldwide ambassadors of reggae, brought with them a message which was the cry of the ghetto yute, lashing out against the shit-stem. They also encouraged listeners to just simply feel the vibes and put your troubles behind for a minute ["One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain" - Robert Nesta Marley]. Studio One helped to popularize the culture of the rasta and the rude bwoy, both of which are represented in the roots and dancehall segments of reggae music today. Simply put, the many contributions of Studio One to our music are too numerous to list. With their music and their message, they established the 1st generation of reggae lovers. With their timeless riddims and influential artists, present and future and generations of reggae lovers will always remember Sir Coxsone and Studio One, the sound that started it all.

Clement "Sir Coxsone" Dodd - R.I.P. .

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likkle \li-kkle\
1. little [ Common Jamaican pronunciation style of replacing the double T sound with a double K]

Nuff \nuff\
1. [literally] Enough
2. [figuratively] - Many, plenty, a lot.

Nuff odda big chunes \nuff-odda-big-chunes\
1. [expression] A lot more big tunes. (i.e. top hits)

Yute \Yoot\
1. [literally] Youth

Shit-stem \shit-stem\
1. [expression] - Intentional mispronunciation of the word "system" used to refer to a system of discrimination and racism meant to keep some people down.