Aggrovators at King Tubby`s Studio

[Rootsman]

I have picked up a CD with the above title on the Attack label.

The CD has no real liner notes only the list of musicians who appear.

I cannot find the CD listed on the archives.

Its a 17 track CD front cover shows a number of sound system speakers and the back cover is red and white.

I am trying to find out when about the tracks on this CD were recorded as it is a brilliant set of tracks on which I have not heard Tommy McCook sound better.

The tracks are :

Miitant Salute
Smile
Keep Skanking
Rocking Jamboree
His Majesty
Hop, Skip and Rock
African Roots
You`ve Caught Me Baby
You`ll Never Find
Riding West
Hot Lava
Mr Mister
Spring Time
Tollawah
Black Unity
Riding Uptown
Forgot To Say I Love You

[leggo rocker]

I have Riding West on an old Attack (Trojan) 12 inch.

That is indeed Tommy at his very best!

So maybe this is a compo of Attack stuff - possibly of singles.

I am guessing, but I am sure someone here wil actually know.

There's an awful lot of Agrovators stuff that turns up on various Cds LPs Singles and compos. I haven't heard a bad one yet!

[Lion]

Are classic Agrovators tracks from the albums.
Black Unitywww.roots-archives.com/release/1867
Tommy McCook :Instrumental on Justice label.

Lion

[Rootsman]

Hi Lion,

Thats interesting, most of those tracks listed are on the CD I have that are credited to the Aggravotors.

But I am thinking that these bands are not the same.

Is my CD wrongly credited to Aggravators.

Dave

[Lion]

Dave
don't make your self mad.
Aggrovators/Revolutionaries/Professionals.
The random of musicians around that time are all most the same line up.
And it's easy to put a name on it.
But the Aggrovatars is Bunny Lee studio band.
the cd is not wrongly credited.
check this out www.roots-archives.com/release/4122

Lion

[leggo rocker]

This LP mentioned by Lion

http://www.roots-archives.com/release/1867

is an instrumental LP not a dub LP. Actually, not my favourite Agrovators work.

I much prefer:

http://www.roots-archives.com/release/4456
or
http://www.roots-archives.com/release/2444

or ESPECIALLY:

http://www.roots-archives.com/release/780

That one REALLY rocks! It's unmissable!

I am ready to stand corrected as I am still learning so much in my reggae journey, but:

Your CD isn't wrongly accredited.

The confusion arises because neither the Revolutionaries, the Professionals or even the Agrovators (AKA aggravators etc) have a fixed line up.

They share the same wonderful pool of talented players of instruments.

Look at one Agrovators LP and you'll see Sly and Robbie on bass. Look at another and it's Barrat and Fullwood. Look at an LP by the Revolutionaries and the line up is basically the same as the Ags minus the horns section. So The Revs + Brass = The Ags (sort of!).

I always think of the Revs as being Sly and Robbie plus others. Whereas the Ags seem to float more on c hoice of bassist and drummer.

As for the Professionals, once again they aren't really a band so much as a pool of players. I had always understood them to be the Revolutionaries when playing for Joe Gibbs, but like I said, I am ready to be corrected on this opinion if it is in error.

See:

http://www.roots-archives.com/release/2476

Does this sound right to you old reggae sages out there?

[leggo rocker]

Seems Lion and I posted replies for Rootsman Dave at the same time.

And Lion's fact about Bunny Lee and the Ags is succinct. I hadn't realised that connection.

But Lion, would you agree Professionals = Joe Gibbs Studio?

[Lion]

Leggo agree Professionals = Joe Gibbs.

Don't forget Santa on drums with agrovators.

Lion

[leggo rocker]

Yes I Lion, I could never forget Santa on the drums!

It does seem that the core line up of the Revs shifts slightly less than that of the Ags.

And flip through the LPs and looking at the backs there's many many members making up these bands.

And of course then we have different mixers doing their magic.

For me, this is the joy of reggae. So much variety even from the same band - or even from the same riddim!

If I explain to a non-reggae friend that I have LPs that have ALL THE SAME TUNE for all tracks, they can't understand how that can work.

But we know it can, and did, and still does!

[Rootsman]

Hi Lion & Leggo,

I realise that the Aggravators, Revolutionaries, Professionals are basically the same group of musicians with a few varients.

However, I thought the Aggravators became the Revolutunaries during the latter half of the seventies whe the musical approach changed from Rockers to Steppers.

When listening to their music I feel their is a distinct difference in style and sound between the two bands.

Anyway, thanks guys for your input, you have actually answered my question and also given me a few good links to more music to investigate.

Regards

Dave