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King Tubby

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

King Tubby's real name was Osbourne Ruddock. He was born in 1941 in Kingston, Jamaica, and began as a repairer of radios and televisions. In the late 1950s sound systems became popular, large sound installations with which DJs built outdoor parties. Tubby repaired their equipment, built large amplifiers and immersed himself in electronics and sound engineering. In 1968 he started his own sound system, Tubby's Hometown Hi-Fi, which stood out for echo and reverb effects that until then could only be heard in a studio.

Music and breakthrough

In that same year he went to work for the producer Duke Reid. He made versions of existing songs without vocals, over which the MCs of the sound systems could toast. He soon discovered that he could do much more with the faders and effects of the mixing desk. In 1971 he opened a studio of his own in Waterhouse. There he took instruments out and brought them back in, put echo and reverb on the drums and let the horns disappear into a thin squeal with a filter. In this way he played the mixing desk as an instrument. With Lee Perry he made Blackboard Jungle Dub (1973), one of the first dub albums. His best-known dub is King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown (1974), with Augustus Pablo on melodica.

Influence

Tubby did not record musicians himself. He worked with the tapes of other producers and made something new of them. For this reason he is often seen as the inventor of the remix, which later turned up everywhere in dance and electronic music. He also trained new engineers, such as King Jammy and Scientist. In 1989 he was shot dead near his home.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown and notice how the drums and bass keep dropping out and coming back, with echo behind them. Hear how Augustus Pablo's melodica floats above while Tubby takes the song apart at the mixing desk.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Mentioned in other articles

See also

Categories: ArtistsSka, rocksteady and reggaeDub