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In Reggae Music, we speak about
"riddims" rather than "songs".
A riddim usually is a bass-line, combined with a
theme usually played by horns. Such riddims are
re-done throughout the decades by various
generations of Studio Bands.
Reggae is very much a Studio Music, even though
in the world wide Reggae Culture there are many
bands with their own repertoire, a'la Bob Marley
and the Wailers.
Tracks are usually recorded in the studio's as
instrumentals. Later, vocalists and Dub engineers
do things with these riddims and release them
under a wide variety of names. Some collectors
even make it a real quest to find just about every
release of a specific riddim or even a specific
recording of a riddim.
Most Reggae 7" vinyl singles come with a
vocal mix on the A side, and a "version"
or Dub on the other side. People would speak about
"chapters" with their
"versions".
Later, the 12" would enter the record
plants and a chapter and version would be
presented in one long non-stop mix. These chapter
and version mixes would be collected and released
on so called "Showcase" albums.
In the second episode of his excellent podcast,
Mick Sleeper shows this principal as he plays a
selection of excellent 1970's Rockers Reggae in
"Showcase Style".
Ire!
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