Roots Archives Forum

Are all 12" songs extended? This may be a stupid question, but I do not know. It seems that the 12" songs I hear by bands like the Morwells, Barrington, etc, are extended, with drum & bass excursions, and massive delay on the vocals and instruments. It also seems as though the drummer uses a lot more snare in this kind of reggae, with some tasty snare rolls and stuff, instead of the one drop. I adore this sort of reggae - and would love to find out more about it. (Culture ~ Bad Dog is a great example). I am still discovering many roots artists, and would like to learn the subgenres of reggae. Also, do the Gladiators have any 12" material?

The Gladiators have a crucial 12" called "Pocket Money"... most 12"s are extended with dub's and/or deejay versions, but I already heard a few 12's with only one or two vocal tracks each side, no dub's or extended versions...

Blessings,

Gladiators have many 12"... Youll find Righteous Man on Winro... great... Pretending on St1US, really great... Happy Man on St1, superb...

Your feeling about a different reggae drumming is true but its in fact linked with years. 12" emerged in the late 70s, about 77, the time when the more speedy drumbeat of Rockers was ruling the JA charts (till 1980 more or less).
So the subgenre youre after is Rockers, sometime called stepper, but reading your description, you seem to be more a Jamaican reggae lover (like me ) the snare was not used the same way in the later UK steppers and you wot find the same mood.

Guidance

Cool, thanks for the replies! Sure, I am very particular about my reggae...I got into reggae through Bob Marley & the Wailers (I always add the Wailers, because gosh, what a tight band. Pioneers, & I don't think you can seperate Bob from the Wailers), saw Burning Spear a few times, and recently (past winter) started listening to an internet radio station that plays only roots reggae. I'm very partial to the 70s era stuff. I am not particularly fond of modern reggae, although a few bands such as Taj Weeks & Adowa do strike my fancy.

The rockers/steppers stuff really creates an atmosphere...especially the extended versions, because they take their time & explore the rhythmic possibilities. Atmosphere is quite important to me. My favorite part of reggae is the organ "bubble," & I favor music that has a good subtle organ cross-rhythm in there.

The Gladiators are my favorite of what I've heard right now, and I'd love to come across some of their extended tunes. I also really like Sugar Minott, Linval, some of the Mighty Diamonds (I guess older stuff. Alot of reggae bands seem, including Burning Spear, seem to have sounded "processed," maybe in the late 80s-early 90s.), Horace Andy, some of Culture's music, the two Freddies, etc etc. Really like Capital Letters, too. Okay, enough for now, but it's nice to ramble about this wonderful music to people who like it too.

My radio station only plays pre-digital reggae and I have lots of 12 inch cuts loaded up there. Take a listen!

When I play out at a dance, I ONLY take 12 inch 45s. I don't use LP tracks or 7 inch 45s.

Guno is right. I have many 12 inchers that are basically short LPs, with two vocal cuts each side. But more usually you get Vocal + Dub on side A and DJ + Dub or just a Dub version on the flip.

I got into 12 inch 45s quite late, almost by accident, having generally collected LPs. Now I am mad for 12 inchers and have collected a lot of them.

I had a real cool Greensleeves 12".
the b side had Ranking Joe- Natty General.
It extended to the most crucial dub.
It came out about 1981. Recorded at channel one,
mixed at tubby's by Scientist.
The backup musicians----The gladiators.
UNBELIEVABLE RYDYM.

Greensleeves GRED 38-A Tony Tuff & Ranking Joe - Have Good Times~Big Long Cock // Greensleeves GRED 38-B Ranking Joe - Natty General

One is called a 12" single & the other is called a 12" disco.

Thanks, you guys are great. What is the difference between a single and a disco? What is Eek considered? Rockers style, and he does toasting? Is that correct?

Single is like a giant 7", disco is extended or has its versions (although I feel if the version isnt mixed into the song it isnt a disco) Eek a Mouse started as rypton hylton very roots rockers, then changed up his style to his mouse style. Yes I.