Sly and Robbie
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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.[link]
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 mega hit "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, , 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.
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
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 Rythm Driven 1981 Island
Joe Cocker Sheffield Steel 1982 Island
Junior Reid One Blood 1990 unknown
Kazumi Watanabe Mobo 2 1983 Gramavision
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 Palmer showcase w. Half Pint 1986 Greensleeves
Michael Rose X-uhuru 1998 Tabou 1 / Taxi
Mick Jagger Shes 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
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 & Robbie Sounds of Taxi 1984 Taxi
Sly & 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 PalmPictures 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 Sly-Go-Ville 1982 Island
Sly and Robbie Crucial Reggae 1981 Island Mango
Sly and Robbie Sly Wicked and Slick 1979 Virgin
Sly and Robbie Present Taxi 1981 Island
Sly and Robbie Black Ash Dub 1978 Trojan
Sly Dunbar Simple Sly Man 1978 Virgin Frontline
Sugar Minott A True 1984 Arrival
Sugar Minott Buy Off The bar 1983 Powerhouse Sugar Minott Sugar & Spice 1990 RAS
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
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