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Soundclash: Heartbeat Pumps The Studio One Sound |
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You get the sense that Massachusetts-based Heartbeat Records is operating with a slight sulk in their step these days. Back in 1983 they were given the first really concerted opportunity at reissuing the vast Studio One catalogue, and since then they’ve managed some 35-plus Studio One releases. Yet judging by what I can plainly see from my own local record stores, it’s the newbie London-based label Soul Jazz’ own Studio One program that’s garnered the bulk of attention and bin space. And so you get HB A&R Director Chris Wilson’s sideswipe about the ‘over-use of compression on some recent UK releases,’ which he offers up on the back of the Heptones’ “Sweet Talking” booklet. We’ll get back to this ‘notes on the mastering’ question, but obviously HB is trying to reclaim the position of the Studio One legacy’s premier representative. And as the economists would point out, HB has a natural advantage – they got to Coxson Dodd first, they – it appears – have more master tapes at their disposal, and they also can re-cycle the original artwork of Studio One LPs. One look at the Dennis Alcapone release will convince you of the benefit of that (is there anyone not yet tired of Soul Jazz’ artwork template?). So, three recent reissues by HB are what’s on tap in this review. Really, I can end this now by summarily saying ‘go buy’. The classic Studio One sound is swathed all over these, and none more so than with the premier Studio One vocal group, the Heptones. You always have to make mention of Marley and the Wailers in reggae contexts, and so it’s surprising for many to learn that it was instead The Heptones who were the biggest selling group in Jamaica from the rocksteady to early reggae period (1966-71). So many of those chugging, classic Studio One rhythms have their origins in Heptones songs – “Equal Rights,” “How Can I Leave You” (aka Guiding Star), “Why Did You Leave Me to Cry”, “Give Me the Right,” and the list goes on. That’s not surprising when you realize that main Heptone Leroy Sibbles was also Studio One’s greatest creative bass player, a role he was coached into by the maestro Jackie Mittoo. Unlike other bass players, what distinguishes Sibbles’ riffs are their punching, dominating presence. You just hop on for the ride, which of course all the producers of the ‘70s did in borrowing these rhythms ad nauseum. If you want to understand the impact of Studio One’s sound, you probably should start with the Heptones. “Sweet Talking” showcase one stunner after the other. This is the Studio One engine purring along, almost effortless in its hit-making hooks. Stretching an extended mix out of “Let’s Try” proves a minor master stroke, with its fluid reggae rhythm in maximum kilter for ten minutes of picnic time head-bobbing. Those spry horns that open up the socially aware “Equal Rights” almost hide the fact that Sibbles has laid down one of the great bass lines you’ll ever hear. The songwriting is so good you can almost forget that the singing here is pure sweetness. On the classic “Pretty Looks Isn’t All,” another punchy rocksteady lick is accompanied by sublime vocals; it’s a killer combination that makes many regard the rocksteady period as the golden age in Jamaican music. Then again, the driving energy of the early reggae sound, as found on the incredible “Give Me The Right,” renders the academic arguments into minor consequences. It’s all just too good. John Holt’s “I Can’t Get You Off My Mind” was a nice surprise from HB in 2006. Though Holt’s biggest Studio One hit “I Want A Love I Can Feel” is oddly skipped, there is one classy croon after the other by the Paragons’ lead man. There are a few rocksteady gems here, probably done shortly after Holt and the Paragons left Duke Reid’s stable. A fully staffed Paragons lineup is present on the flawless “My Satisfaction,” harmonies and an easy-as-they come rhythm accompanying that distinctive soulful delivery Holt has always displayed. But it’s mostly Holt’s solo class on display here, along with more brilliant – does it ever end? – Studio One backing from that initial reggae phase. Opener and long-time Studio One favorite “Ok Fred” has an almost sultry, gentle bounce of a rhythm. Another punchy bassline combines with that early Sound Dimension’esque guitar sound on “Have You Ever Been In Love.” This tune also benefits from the unparalleled use of horn lines at Studio One, where so many of the great brass students of the Alpha Boys’ School ended up. That cheeky horn intro to the irresistible “Anywhere” is a perfect example, with its motif repeated throughout, counterpointing yet another top-drawer bouncing bass line. The original cover concept for Alcapone’s “Forever Version” made one thing clear – here we have a scamp. It’s a location shot at Port Royal, the historical pirate stronghold that’s a short drive from Kingston. When not appearing to light a fortress cannon on the front cover, Alcapone straddles another one on the back while two beauties accentuate his nonchalant visit just below him. And really, these recordings are in the same spirit, possibly making this – um, jokingly – the first ever Jamaican concept album. But it’s true that Dodd brought Alcapone in to offset U-Roy’s success over at Treasure Isle in 1970, and Forever Versions’ versions have a sameyness to them that reflect the fact they were conceived of as an LP. Alcapone’s higher-pitched yelps (think of someone just jokily shouting ‘yeeeaaahhhh’ all the time) are constantly echo delayed in their punctuating effect. The non-LP bonus tracks stand in some contrast to this, recorded as they were at different times and with different mixing. The youthful Alcapone at this point is close to peak form. On Delroy Wilson’s strutting rocksteady classic “Run Run,” Alcapone re-fashions the Baba Black sheep nursery rhyme lyric to “baba black sheep, have you any version, yes sir yes sir, a studio full.” That would be Studio One, of course, which by 1970 could already garner acknowledgment of its riches. Alcapone “versions” over hits by Wilson, the Heptones, Alton Ellis, the Wailers and others. His wag-like delivery is a mixture of a busy sing-song talk with, well, a not-too-latent cheekiness. This ends up working well on older ska rhythms too, like his “Dancing Version,” which is cut over the late-ska song Dancing Shoes by the Wailers. |
John Holt Heptones Dennis
Alcapone
One of the bonus cuts – and always a bonus when you hear it – “Power Version” is just one of those outings you’ll never forget. Over the driving ska hit “You Can’t Be Happy” by the Clarendonians, Alcapone throws in the kitchen sink, including some cockle-doodle-do’s. There are just too many riches at Studio One. Lucky for us. Throughout these CDs, Wilson and HB lay claim to “rare stereo mix(es) previously unreleased”. In Wilson’s “Notes on the Mastering,” (see above) his seeming critique of Soul Jazz’ approach also avers that HB is presenting the songs “as they were intended to [be].” That’s problematical, since the original releases were all in mono, not stereo. One can perhaps sympathize with HB, since it’s quite possible that the mono mix-down tapes were either lost or not kept by Dodd, leaving HB with only the 4 or 8-track originals from which to recreate the songs. It’s an undeniably clean and crisp stereo sound we’re presented with, and one can debate the merits of updating the sound in this way, but undeniably, the historicism is faulty in this approach. Wilson has, however, emerged as an able story teller. As a white Jamaican (Jamaican father, American mother) who grew up in and around Kingston during the '60s, his first person narratives provide a touch rarely found in the recounting of Jamaican history. That the Studio One sound can speak for itself is not in question, but the context is still in need of further development. There is much much more in the Studio One Vaults to continue looking forward to and HB appears to have a renewed vigor, with more releases planned. We’ll certainly report on all those here at dcsoundclash.com. Stay tuned. |
