Roots Archives Forum

I was chilling at the pub this evening when I heard a nice reggae tune with a similar bass line to Barrington Levy's Black Roses, except it was slightly more complex. Where BL's riddim had 2 chords, this one had a little more variation, but only slightly, for the most part was very very similar. It had a 80s or later sound, but live band as opposed to digi. Sounded like a nice tight Roots Radics riddim sound, but it could easily have been someone else.

Unfortunately, try as I might, I couldnt hear any lyrics, and what I could catch didn't remind me of any vocalists I know. All that struck me was that it was a very similar riddim to Black Roses, but better in that it had a slight more variation in chords. Unfortunately I dont know enough about music theory to give any more explination than that!

Earlier they played a Judge Dread thing which was frankly embarassing but had a nice riddim underneath the talking. It was the Je T'aime version (is there a instrumental cut of that?). And they played some Tom Jones and some soul Ive never heard, so the track Im after could be from any era really. Sounded like either mid to late 80s or modern in 80s roots style. Nice a crisp sound anyway. But I cant imagine its very recent, judging by the rest of their playlist.

Vocal and version of Barrington Levy's Black Roses here, to refresh your memory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Cvc0i4VPD4


I would be most greatful of any suggestions as to what this track Im after might be!

Cheers guys

revolution riddim, nuf big cuts. Originally taken from the paragons left with a broken heart. if not digi it could be
dennis brown- revolution
dennis brown-if this world were mine
barrington levy-come
barrington levy-here i come
little john- do mama
hugh b. channer-time tough
admiral tibet don't run don't hide
horace martin-shock me a shock
Maureen Pearson - Settle Steady
robert lee- youthman a fear
cocoa tea- 86 flood
nuf other cuts and modern relicks
good luck

great riddim, thanks to your request i´m skanking to it right now.
other cuts i know:

Rod Taylor - My Delight
Junior Reid - If You Would Be Mine
Carlton Livingston - If This Girl Was Mine
Icho Candy - No Substitute

Cheers frenchie! I hadnt twigged that Here I Come was the same riddim! Thanks for naming it for me and some other songs, that Dennis Brown cut is nice.

The riddim/song Im looking for is on a different riddim though. Say Revolution riddim chords are Am x2, Em x2 (repeated), well this one Im searching for has a similar 2 chords but also has a couple more thrown in every so often, something like C x2, D x2, Em x2, then back to the Am, Em main verse bit. Note: thats not the actual chords of the song, but as close as I can guess from my fading memory. But my point is that its definitely a completely different riddim to Revolution riddim. So the search is still on!

could it be more this style?

barrington levy - broader than broadway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKvCeivChto

al walker - chick chick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmkIFm7F7_k

the al walker is my favorite on this riddim
keeps on running in ya head!

Its a instrumental backing without the cutting in and out like in Here I come or Do Mama, and no overdubbed synths or sound effects. Most similar to the Dennis Brown backing but without the synth drum sound or Black Roses without the guitar licks.

Im fairly sure that it is a completely different riddim to Revolution, yet very similar. More different than any of the other cuts of revolution are to the Dennis Brown, at least what I have heard so far, Im still checking all these suggestions out!

@ Klaus5 - does your mystery song/riddim have a horns riff?

Don't forget that D. Brown did two Revolution tunes on the Brown Sugar LP as Part One and Part Two.

One of them is on Black Roses but the other has a different riddim.