Sly and Robbie
Sly and Robbie are reggae's most prolific and long lasting production team. The rhythm section of drummer Lowell Dunbar (nicknamed Sly after Sly Stone, one of his favorite musicians) and bass guitarist Robert Shakespeare started working together in the mid 1970s, after having established themselves separately on the Jamaican music scene.
Sly and Robbie may well be the most prolific recording artists ever. One staggering estimate is that they have played on or produced some 200,000 songs.[1]
Before joining forces, Sly was drumming for the Skin Flesh and Bones band and Robbie was the bass player for the Aggrovators. They also used to play in clubs (Sly at Tit for Tat and Robbie at Evil People), and used to check each other out. They found out that they had the same ideas about music in general (both are huge fans of Motown, Philly Sound and Country & Western, in addition to Jamaican legendary labels Studio One and Treasure Isle), and Reggae production in particular. They first worked together for the newly created Channel One label and studio, operated by the Hoo Kim brothers.
Both members of the Rastafari movement they changed the face of Reggae several times: in 1976, they introduced a harder beat called "Rockers", which quickly replaced the then prevalent "One drop" style, then introduced the "rub a dub" sound in the early 1980s. Sly and Robbie were important in developing the trend towards computer assisted music and programmming in the mid 1980s.
Also in the early 1990s they introduced a novel sound with the hits "Bam Bam" and "Murder She Wrote" by Chaka Demus & Pliers. Chaka Demus' rough DJ vocals were matched with Pliers' sweet, melodic, soul-influenced singing; this unusal vocal pairing was championed by Sly and Robbie. This formula has since been used with great success by the likes of Shaggy (who teamed up with singers Rayvon or Rik Rok), Shabba Ranks, Maxi Priest and others. This predates and may have influenced the recent trend in some rap music where a song's "hook" or chorus is sung by a guest, while the verses are rapped.
In the "Bam Bam" style, Sly introduced Indian tabla sounds in his drum beats, while Robbie altogether stopped playing bass, on this particular project.
In 2003 they released a DJ mix album, Late Night Tales: Sly & Robbie, as part of the Late Night Tales series for Azuli Records.
Sly & Robbie continued to innovate during the 1990s and early 2000s, fusing Dancehall and Latin music sounds (La Trenggae) or Dancehall and hip hop/R&B (their 2004 Big Up riddim). In 2001, their "Strip to the Bone" album paired them with electro producer Howie B, and together they explored new dub territories.
Far from restricting themselves to the Jamaican scene, (in which they have played for virtually every prominent Jamaican musical artist from Beenie Man to Sean Paul to Peter Tosh, Black Uhuru, Gregory Isaacs Dennis Brown and others), they have been one of pop music's most sought after rhythm sections, playing for and producing superstars such as Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, the Rolling Stones, Grace Jones, Joan Armatrading, Gilberto Gil, Joe Cocker, Serge Gainsbourg, Simply Red, Michael Franti, Sting, Khaled, Tricky, Doug E. Fresh, Carlos Santana, Sinéad O'Connor, and many more.
They have produced songs for No Doubt including the hits 'Hey Baby' and 'Underneath it All'. They also produced some tracks off Suggs first album 'The Lone Ranger' including the hit version of Cecilia featuring Louchie lou and michie one which sold over 500,000 copies in the UK alone.
After 30 years together, they still tour and record relentlessly. Their last US tour was with Tony Rebel and Half Pint, during the Spring of 2005. During the Summer of 2005, they toured Europe and the UK with Bunny Rugs, lead singer for Third World. During the Fall of 2005 they were on the road with Sinéad O'Connor.
They have produced several new Jamaican artists for their Taxi label, including Kibaki, Mynimoo and Zennlocc, while they also recorded with their original group, the Revolutionaries, to produce Horace Andy's new album "Livin' it up".
Partial Discography
| Artist | Title | Year | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barry Reynolds | I Scare Myself | 1982 | Island |
| Beenie Man | Maestro | 1996 | Shocking Vibes |
| Black Uhuru | Positive | 1987 | Greensleeves |
| Black Uhuru | Brutal | 1986 | Greensleeves |
| Black Uhuru | Anthem | 1984 | Island |
| Black Uhuru | The Dub Factor | 1983 | Island |
| Black Uhuru | Chill Out | 1982 | Island |
| Black Uhuru | Tear It Up | 1982 | Island |
| Black Uhuru | Red | 1981 | Island |
| Black Uhuru | Sinsemilla | 1980 | Island |
| Black Uhuru | Showcase | 1979 | Virgin |
| Bob Dylan | Infidels | 1983 | CBS |
| Brent Dowe | My Everything | unkn | Circulation Music/Records |
| Bunny Wailer | Food/Serious Things | 1986 | Solomonic |
| Bunny Wailer | Dubdisco | 1980 | Solomonic |
| Bunny Wailer | Marketplace | 1984 | Solomonic |
| Bunny Wailer | sings The Wailers | 1980 | Solomonic Island |
| Bunny Wailer | Roots Radics Rockers Reggae | 1983 | Shanachie |
| Chaka Demus & Pliers | Tease Me | 1993 | Mango |
| Chaka Demus & Pliers | For every kinda people | 1996 | Island |
| Charlie Chaplin | Que Dem | 1986 | Powerhouse |
| Cornell Campbell | Follow Instructions | 1982 | Mobiler |
| Culture | Two sevens Clash | 1978 | Lightning Records |
| Culture | Harder than the Rest | 1978 | Virgin |
| Cutty Ranks | Can I Touch U Baby | 1999 | Circulation Music/Records |
| Dennis Brown | Brown Sugar | 1988 | RAS |
| Foundation | Heart feel it | 1989 | Island |
| Frankie Paul | Strictly ReggaeMusic | 1983 | Londisc |
| Grace Jones | Living my Life | 1982 | Island |
| Grace Jones | Nightclubbing | 1981 | Island |
| Grace Jones | Warm Leatherette | 1980 | Island |
| Gregory Isaacs | Showcase | 1980 | Taxi |
| Gregory Isaacs | Cool Ruler | 1978 | Virgin |
| Gregory Isaacs | Soon Forward | 1979 | Virgin |
| Gwen Guthrie | Gwen Guthrie | 1982 | Island |
| Half Pint | In fine Style | 1982 | Sunset |
| Half Pint | Victory | 1988 | RAS |
| Half Pint | Greetings | 1987 | Jet Star |
| Half Pint | showcase w. Michael Palmer | 1986 | Greensleeves |
| Half Pint/Junior Delgado | I want your love | 1987 | Powerhouse |
| Herbie Hancock | Rockit 12 inch maxi | 1983 | CBS |
| Home T4 | Sly & Robbie present | 1984 | Taxi |
| Ian Dury | Lord Upminister | 1981 | Polydor |
| Ini Kamoze | Pirate | 1986 | Island |
| Ini Kamoze | Statement | 1985 | Island |
| Ini Kamoze | Ini Kamoze | 1984 | Island |
| Jacob Miller | Jacob Killer Miller | 1980 | Island |
| Jimmy Cliff | Follow My Mind | 1975 | Warner |
| Jimmy Riley | Rhythm Driven | 1981 | Island |
| Joe Cocker | Sheffield Steel | 1982 | Island |
| Junior Reid | One Blood | 1990 | unknown |
| Kazumi Watanabe | Mobo 2 | 1983 | Gramavision Records |
| Kazumi Watanabe | Mobo 1 | 1982 | Gramavision |
| Linval Thompson | Starlight | 1988 | Mango |
| Linval Thompson | Linvall | 1977 | Vista Sounds |
| Linval Thompson | Rockers From Channel One | 1979 | Trojan |
| Mad Cobra | Hard to wet, Easy to dry | 1992 | Columbia |
| Material | The Third Power | 1991 | Axiom |
| Material | Seven Souls | 1989 | Island |
| Maxi Priest | Maxi | 1987 | Virgin |
| Michael Franti and Spearhead | Yell Fire! | 2006 | Anti |
| Michael Palmer | showcase w. Half Pint | 1986 | Greensleeves |
| Michael Rose | X-uhuru | 1998 | Tabou 1 / Taxi |
| Mick Jagger | She's the Boss | 1985 | CBS |
| Mighty Diamonds | Unruly Pickney | 1982 | MR |
| Mighty Diamonds | Tell Me What Wrong | 1980 | JIL |
| Mighty Diamonds | Vital Selection | 1981 | Virgin |
| Mighty Diamonds | Money Love | 1982 | Powerhouse |
| Mighty Diamonds | Backstage | 1982 | Music Works |
| Mighty Diamonds | Dubwise | 1982 | Music Works |
| Monty Alexander | meets Sly and Robbie | 2000 | Telarc |
| Peter Tosh | Wanted Dread and Alive | 1980 | EMI |
| Peter Tosh | Live at Montreux | 1979 | |
| Peter Tosh | Mystic Man | 1979 | EMI |
| Peter Tosh | Bush Doctor | 1978 | Rolling Stones |
| Peter Tosh | Equal Rights | 1977 | Columbia |
| Prince Far I | Cry Tuff Dub encounter II | 1979 | Virgin's Front Line |
| Prince Jammy | Kamikaze Dub | 1996 | Trojan |
| Prince Jammy | A Dub Extravaganza | 1992 | Charley |
| Revolutionaires | Goldmine Dub | 1979 | Greensleeves |
| Revolutionaries | Outlaw Dub | 1979 | Trojan |
| Revolutionaries | Dutch Man Dub | 1978 | Burning Vibrations |
| Rico | Man from Wareika | 1977 | Island |
| Ronnie Davis | Crucial | 1978 | Big Mac Soul Power |
| Serge Gainsbourg | Negusa Nagast | 1981 | Polygram |
| Serge Gainsbourg | Mauvaises nouvelles des etoiles | 1981 | Phillips |
| Serge Gainsbourg | au Palace | 1980 | Phillips |
| Serge Gainsbourg | Aux Armes | 1979 | Phillips |
| Shabba Ranks | A Mi Shabba | 1995 | Epic |
| Sly and Robbie | Sounds of Taxi | 1984 | Taxi |
| Sly and Robbie | Sly & Robbie | 1999 | Rhino |
| Sly and Robbie | presents Sound of Taxi 3 | 1987 | Taxi |
| Sly and Robbie | Sixties Seventies and Eighties | 1991 | Mango |
| Sly and Robbie | Sound of Sound | 1991 | Pow Wow |
| Sly and Robbie | Taxi Fare | 1987 | Heartbeat |
| Sly and Robbie | present Taxi Christmas | 1998 | RAS |
| Sly and Robbie | Ragga Pon Top | 1993 | Pow Wow |
| Sly and Robbie | Two Rhythms Clash | 1989 | RAS |
| Sly and Robbie | Massive | 1999 | nyc music |
| Sly and Robbie | Many Moods of | 1994 | Sonic Sounds |
| Sly and Robbie | Hits 1978-1990 | 1990 | Sonic Sounds |
| Sly and Robbie | Friends | 1998 | Island |
| Sly and Robbie | Mambo Taxi | 1997 | Island |
| Sly and Robbie | Drum and Bass Strip to the Bone | 1999 | Palm Pictures |
| Sly and Robbie | Hail up Taxi 2 | 1998 | Tabou1 / Taxi |
| Sly and Robbie | Hail up the Taxi | 1996 | Island |
| Sly and Robbie | Mysteries of Creation | 1996 | Axiom |
| Sly and Robbie | meet King Tubby | 1996 | House of Reggae |
| Sly and Robbie | The Punishers | 1996 | Island |
| Sly and Robbie | present Mykall Rose | 1995 | Taxi |
| Sly and Robbie | Funkcronomicon | 1995 | Axiom |
| Sly and Robbie | Remember Precious Times | 1992 | RAS Taxi |
| Sly and Robbie | Dub Rockers Delight | 1991 | Magnum Music Group |
| Sly and Robbie | DJ Riot | 1990 | Island |
| Sly and Robbie | Dubs for Tubs | 1990 | Rohit |
| Sly and Robbie | Silent Assassin with KRS-ONE and BDP | 1989 | Island |
| Sly and Robbie | The Summit | 1988 | Greensleeves |
| Sly and Robbie | present Gregory Isaacs | 1988 | RAS |
| Sly and Robbie | Rhythm Killers | 1987 | Island |
| Sly and Robbie | Taxi Connection Live in London | 1987 | Island |
| Sly and Robbie | The Sting | 1986 | Moving Target |
| Sly and Robbie | Electro Reggae | 1986 | Island |
| Sly and Robbie | Language Barrier | 1985 | Island |
| Sly and Robbie | A Dub Experience | 1985 | Island |
| Sly and Robbie | Kings of Reggae | 1983 | Keystone |
| Sly and Robbie | Crucial Reggae | 1981 | Island Mango |
| Sly and Robbie | Present Taxi | 1981 | Island |
| Sly and the Revolutionaries | Black Ash Dub | 1978 | Trojan |
| Sly Dunbar | Simply Slyman | 1978 | Virgin Frontline |
| Sly Dunbar | Sly Wicked and Slick | 1979 | Virgin |
| Sly Dunbar | Sly-Go-Ville | 1982 | Island |
| Sugar Minott | A True | 1984 | Arrival |
| Sugar Minott | Buy Off The Bar | 1983 | Powerhouse |
| Sugar Minott | Sugar & Spice | 1990 | RAS |
| Suggs | The Lone Ranger | 1995 | WEA |
| The Itals | Brutal out Deh | 1981 | Nighthawk |
| Toots Hibbert | Toots in Memphis | 1988 | Island Mango |
| Various | Music Works Showcase | 1982 | Music Works |
| Various | Raiders of the Lost Dub | 1981 | Mango |
| Various | Down in Jamaica | 1990 | Invitation |
| Various | La Trenga | 1997 | VP |
| Wailing Souls | Live On | 1994 | Island |
| Yami Bolo | Freedom and Liberation | 1998 | Tabou 1 / Taxi |
| Yellowman | Yellow like Cheese | 1987 | RAS |
Links
- www.officialslyandrobbie.com - official website
- slyrob.3va.net - fan website with a searchable discography database