Wayne Smith

Wayne Smith

Wayne Smith (born Ian Flemmings Smith; born 5 December 1965 - 17 February 2014) was a Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician best known for his 1985 hit "Under Me Sleng Teng", which is regarded as the track which initiated the digital era of reggae.

Biography
Smith grew up in the Waterhouse area of Kingston, Jamaica. He performed with sound systems and began recording in 1980 at age 14, initially working with producer Prince Jammy, his next door neighbour, who produced his debut album Youthman Skanking (1982) and the 1985 follow-up Smoker Super. Wayne Smith's early musical styles and lyrical meditations are consciously educated in, and grounded in an earlier roots reggae awareness, but slowed down in the spacious dancehall style of the time, backed by Earl "Chinna" Smith's High Times Players, Roots Radics, and with Scientist and King Tubby at the controls. By the mid-1980s, Wayne Smith embarked on the most influential period of his career, as reggae studios, sound engineers and producers moved away from the use of real instruments to a digitally based approach to sound. The change to digital was to have long term effects in music, namely in its significant influence on ragga and the creation of jungle music, rave and drum and bass, and Smith's 1985 recording of "(Under Mi) Sleng teng", is generally regarded as the beginning of ragga style reggae. The rhythm was a preset pattern programmed into the Casio MT-40 by Okuda Hiroko who was still in her first year with the company after producing one of Japan's first master's theses on reggae. The lyrics were inspired by Barrington Levy's "Under Mi Sensi". Although there are a number of conflicting stories about how it was first found, the commonly accepted view is that Wayne Smith and Noel Davey discovered it. Smith had further hits with "Come Along," which used the Stalag riddim, and "Ain't No Meaning in Saying Goodbye". After leaving Jamaica for New York in 1989, he established his own record label, Sleng Teng Records. He worked as well with several record producers from New York, Jamaica and Europe, such as Heartical Sound and Evidence Music. In 2011, Smith made his first European tour with Little Lion Sound from Switzerland. He returned to live in Jamaica in 2013 with his youngest daughter Arella and fiancé Fiona, settling in Mandeville. At the time of his death he was married to an American citizen named Valerie Weighall. Smith was admitted to Kingston Public Hospital on 14 February 2014 with severe stomach pains, and died on 17 February 2014, aged 48. He was survived by five children and three grandchildren.

Credits & Appearances (4)

Musicians
Vocals 3
Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
Youthman Skanking Wayne Smith Youthman Skanking DHLP 2005 LP Black Joy 1982 1982
Showdown Vol 7 Wayne Smith & Patrick Andy Showdown Vol 7 JJ 193 LP Hitbound 1984 1986
Sleng Teng Wayne Smith Sleng Teng GREL 91 LP Greensleeves 1986 1986

Also Appears On (28)

Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
Tougher Than Tough Various Artists Tougher Than Tough IBXCD 1 CD Island 1958-93 1993
300% Dynamite Various Artists 300% Dynamite SJRCD 043 CD Soul Jazz 196X-8X 1999
Original Riddims Various Artists Original Riddims TJCCD 246 CD Trojan 196X-8X 2006
Riot Radio Broadcast Various Artists Riot Radio Broadcast TJCCD 374 CD Trojan 196X-8X 2007
From Dubplate To Download Various Artists From Dubplate To Download GREZCD 4011 CD Greensleeves 1977-07 2007
King Jammy's At Channel 1 Various Artists King Jammy's At Channel 1 KSCD 006 CD Jamaican Recordings 1977-79 2005
Creation Rebel DJ Spooky & Various Artists Creation Rebel CD Trojan 197X 2007
Michael Prophet & Friends Michael Prophet & Friends Michael Prophet & Friends none LP Roots Tradition 197X-8X
Reggae Dub Various Artists Reggae Dub LP 3375066 LP Wagram 197X-8X 2020
Under Mi Sleng Teng Various Artists Under Mi Sleng Teng TJBDD 301 CD Trojan 1982-93 2007
Dance Hall Vibe's Vol 1 Various Artists Dance Hall Vibe's Vol 1 CS 004 LP Super Cliff Productions 1983 1983
Hypocrite Inna Dance Hall Style Various Artists Hypocrite Inna Dance Hall Style CD Channel One 1983
Party Sounds Presents Worries In The Dance Various Artists Party Sounds Presents Worries In The Dance JJ 191 LP Empire 1984
Radication Squad Presents Adam And Eve Various Artists Radication Squad Presents Adam And Eve JJ 194 LP Empire 1984 1984
10 To 1 Various Artists 10 To 1 LP Jammys 1985 1985
1985 Master Mega Hits Various Artists 1985 Master Mega Hits none LP Jammys 1985 1985
Powerhouse Presents Strictly Live Stock Various Artists Powerhouse Presents Strictly Live Stock GREL 81 LP Greensleeves 1985 1985
Stalag 17 Various Artists Stalag 17 LP Jammys 1985 1985
Tonos All Star Collection Various Artists Tonos All Star Collection TAAC LP 002 LP Tonos 1985 1985
Under Me Sleng Teng Extravaganza Various Artists Under Me Sleng Teng Extravaganza TRD 2385 LP Tad's 1985 1985
King At The Controls Various Artists King At The Controls VPCD 1733 CD VP 1985-89 2006
King Jammy's Selector's Choice Vol 1 King Jammy & Friends King Jammy's Selector's Choice Vol 1 VPCD 1744 CD VP 1985-89 2007
Prince Jammy Presents Vol 2 Various Artists Prince Jammy Presents Vol 2 LALP 004 LP Live And Love 1986 1986
Jah Children Invasion Chapter IV Various Artists Jah Children Invasion Chapter IV LP Tachyon 1987 1987
King Jammy - A Man And His Music Vol 2 Various Artists King Jammy - A Man And His Music Vol 2 CD 79202 CD RAS 198X
The Crowning Of Prince Jammy Various Artists The Crowning Of Prince Jammy PSCD 25 CD Pressure Sounds 198X 1999
King Jammy's Roots, Reality And Sleng Teng King Jammy King Jammy's Roots, Reality And Sleng Teng VPCD 5011 CD 17 North Parade 198X-9X 2015
Out Of Many Various Artists Out Of Many VPCD 1962 CD VP 19XX 2012
6 albums
4 credits
5 labels
1982 - 2004