ranking dread

[dr benway]

I really like Ranking Dreads stuff - I think its that unique 'nasal' quality that his voice had, and his unusual phrasing. I have heard a live tape of him originating from a show in the Netherlands... if anyone's interested I'll see if I can dig up a link to it...

[jb welda]

i like ranking dreads records and i think this:

>Briggy is an example - nothing he recorded touches what
>he could do live on Jah Love

to be totally incorrect. pain is a great single, as are everyman a me bredren and dance inna montreal both from studio one i think. and his cut again to answer/pain riddim jamaica jamaica never sounded better than on record imo.

never did hear ranking dread live and direct though so maybe he surpasses his best on stage. hard to imagine though with revival time, and any number of killer tracks out there on wax.

one love
jah bill

[ACEtone]

I've been enjoying Girls Fiesta recently. I was spurred to check some of Ranking Dread's works by this very forum! I previously only had a few tracks by him.
He reminds me a bit of Jah Stitch, who I like.

What makes a lot of the DJs more exciting for me is the backing and production especially if the mix was done at Tubby's. This Girls Fiesta was mixed by Syd Bucknor at Chalk Farm inna Iglan (according to RA) - so while it sounds nice enough it doesn't have that extra special something. Enjoyable though...

I'm also checking Kunta Kinte Roots, though it hasn't hooked me yet...

[Dave K]

i like ranking dreads records and i think this:

>Briggy is an example - nothing he recorded touches what
>he could do live on Jah Love

to be totally incorrect. pain is a great single, as are everyman a me bredren and dance inna montreal both from studio one i think. and his cut again to answer/pain riddim jamaica jamaica never sounded better than on record imo.

one love
jah bill

Briggy riding the "Shenk I Sheck" riddim in a gospel style for 30 minutes + is a sight and sound to behold. Agree that "Pain" & "Jamaica Jamaica" are fine records, but 3 minutes of space only confines Briggy, IMO it can't define him. Have you heard some of the 78 - 82 Jah Love Briggy cassettes?

I went on a search for them in 1981. Leggo's Cash & Carry store on Orange Street was selling them...he said at the time that all people wanted was Briggy & Bobby Culture (on Jack Ruby) cassettes. Again, "taste is taste", but in terms of influence, you can't touch the general!

[seanmd]

I've got a few tapes with Briggy, Bobby Culture and Icho Candy on Jack Ruby circa 81. I have to say that it is probably the best bunch of sound tapes I've got, although they're lingering in my attic at the moment.

There's some great cuts on there, Revolution by Dennis Brown, Gunman by Michael Prophet, Road Block by Sammy Dread, Poor Millionaire by Gregory Isaacs all get the Briggy treatment. I went to a Coxsone do over a year later and the tunes/set was virtually identical and the Briggy influence on the DJs was pretty clear.

[jb welda]

>Have you heard some of the 78 - 82 Jah Love Briggy
>cassettes?

yes in fact i have a number of them and xferred a few to cd in the modern age so i could track mark them and be able to skip around them.

brigidier jerry is about my favorite dj ever.

i actually attended a few jahlovemuzik sessions back in the late 70s/early 80s and thought them well above most of those sort of session.

jahlovemuzik always had the quality factor in their favor and with ilawi as selector and brigadier (not to mention charlie chaplin and others, some more obscure than others) on the mike there were few who could touch them especially if you like culture vibes.

i regret never catching ranking dread in action. if only i had known jah reel back then perhaps i would have wised up. but i always loved his records, didnt really even know he appeared on sounds on any regular session or anything.

one love
jah bill

[Dadi Digi]

I did stand in the mans pressence myself. It was back in the 80's at a then favorite second hand record haunt called Base X on Dublin's Batchelors Walk. I used go there most Saturday mornings to root through the bins. It was this one time I came down the stairs and there was this "very" tall figure in a cream coloured wollen type trench coat and a Pork Pie or similar looking hat standing at the counter with some records in his hands. It was only when he had left the store that I found out that I was told that it was in fact Ranking Dread. He was staying at a place call Dun Laoighaire (pronounced "Dun Leer eeh") whilst on the run from UK cops. Word has it he was in Dublin for 2 or 3 years. Although I never spoke too him he certainly did have that "dont look pon me" look about him and he was a huge man. That memory and vison has always stuck with me.

Regarding his "Lots of loving" LP. It is a great LP in parts, but not so in other parts. The DEB tracks in particular are stand out super dooper but most of the rest is so so and I find some tracks tire very quicky which leads me to pull the tune.

[mickeyrose]

why should a murderer rip? can you tell me who he murdered
the police in england couldn't prove it..or are you one of those who goes by hear say...

[flashman]

He may be a minor figure among DJs of the period, but 'Jean Green' kills me everytime!

[ilawi malawi. jahlovemuzik original s]

i played on ranking dread album ,for sugar minnott i, ilawi plays drums on most of sugars first albums after leaving studio 1, i met sugar at studio 1, while playing with bagga walker ,bass. pablove black ,..organ and ..piano.privy ..guitar, some more musicans back to ranking dread ,never see much of him only afew times in london .jahlove muzik in 1982 .all di dj of my time were di real teacher dont care what they were saying they were sent by jah to do his work . now ? now u see di devil ..dance many faces , not here tojudge anyone but a brother make mention of briggy belcher as owner and jerry. miah ,ruebeun first ,all come see i and jahmike, learn that , rastafari selassie 1 i.and.i speeks trueth only...