Jah Screw
Paul "Jah Screw" Love
Jah Screw (Paul Love) is not to be confused with the deejay Jah Screw (D. Jackson) who released the album Herb Base Function on Harry J Records.
Jah Screw (born Paul Love in Greenwich Farm, Jamaica, 9 Feb 1955) started selecting for the Echo Vibration in Greenwich Farm. In 1977 he and his friend Ranking Joe joined Ray Symbolic turning the sound to a more rub-a-dub oriented Sound System rather than the soul music focus it had previous. They (Screw and Joe) left the sound but rejoined it again in 1980. He was some time during these years also a selector for U-Roy's King Sturgav, perhaps after leaving Ray Symbolic the first time up until rejoining the sound in 1980. By this time he had also started producing together with Ranking Joe, his first production being »African Ting« with Ranking Joe. Together they set up the Sharp Axe label. The success from the label was enough encouragement for Jah Screw to set up his own label, Time.
Often he was producing his friend Ranking Joe but he also produced music for artists such as Earl 16, Tristan Palma, Dennis Brown and Barry Brown.
In 1984 he started laying rhythms in London. The version to the classic »African Beat« rhythm was what to become the foundation for Barrington Levy's massive hit »Under Mi Sensi«. Screw then produced the even more successful single »Here I Come« for Barrington.
Ever since then Barrington and Jah Screw have had a fruitful relationship releasing music up in to the 90's with Jah Screw even turning his hand at producing Jungle remixes of Barringtons music.
Jah Screw has written, arranged, engineered and produced a lot of influential reggae music. He has been an active producer until 1996 and is currently focussing on bringing his old dub recordings back to live to remaster them. He says in an interview, quoted on the greensleeve blog: "“I wasn’t getting the vibes to do any more production. I didn’t feel it and I’ve only been to the studio a few times this year. It’s expensive but I’ve never made enough money to build my own studio. I’ve always been a 100% producer and I give thanks that I could go somewhere in the business. Ideas are still running through my brain. I’m taking care of the tapes, even the twenty four tracks, and I’m keeping track. Luckily I still have most of the dubs on tape… my daughter recently sent me loads of two track tapes from England and Gussie Clarke has them now. We’re transferring all of the tapes over to CD.”
Writing credits
- King Tubby Meets Roots Radics - Dangerous Dub [1981]
Productions
- Barrington Levy - Here I Come [1985] - Barry Brown - Right Now [198X] - Earl Cunningham - John Tom [1984] - Earl Sixteen - Super Duper [1982] - King Tubby - King At The Control [1981] - King Tubby Meets Roots Radics - Dangerous Dub [1981] - Ranking Joe - Armageddon [1982] - Ranking Joe - Armageddon Time [1982] - Ranking Joe - Disco Skate [1981] - Ranking Joe - Shaolin Temple [1980] - Ranking Joe - Showcase [1981] - Ranking Joe - Tribute To John Lennon [1981] - Roots Radics Meets King Tubbys - More Dangerous Dub [1981] - Tony Tuff - Reggae In The City [1981]
Appears on
- Computer Boom Shock Attack
Mixing Engineer
- Barrington Levy - Here I Come [1985] - King Tubby Meets Roots Radics - Dangerous Dub [1981] - Ranking Joe - Tribute To John Lennon [1981] - Tony Tuff - Reggae In The City [1981]
Engineer
- Barry Brown - Right Now [198X] - Ranking Joe - Armageddon [1982]
As a musician
Percussions
- Barrington Levy - Here I Come [1985]
Arranger
- Ranking Joe - Armageddon [1982]
- "reggaepedia original article".
- "roots archive article with his professional work overview".
- "interview and biography from greensleeves records".
Missing: GFDL License... Sorry !! No harm intended, just information about his great influence in reggae music.