King David's Melody is a reggae album by Augustus Pablo

Augustus Pablo

Horace Swaby , known as Augustus Pablo, was a Jamaican roots reggae and dub record producer, melodica player and keyboardist, active from the 1970s onwards. He popularized the use of the melodica in reggae music...

, originally released in 1983 on his Rockers record label.

It is a collection of singles recorded between 1975 and 1982 for both the Rockers and Message record labels.

It features Robbie Shakespeare on bass guitar, Earl "Chinna" Smith on guitar and Horsemouth Wallace

Leroy Wallace

Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace is a Jamaican drummer who worked for several years at Studio One, and has worked with numerous reggae artists including The Gladiators, Inner Circle, Prince Far I, Sound Dimension, Gregory Isaacs, Burning Spear, Ijahman Levi and Pierpoljak. He starred as himself in the...

 on drums. Pablo produced the album and played melodica

Melodica

The melodica, also known as the "blow-organ" or "key-flute", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole,...

, piano

Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...

, organ

Organ (music)

The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...

, xylophone

Xylophone

The xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...

 and string synthesizer.

The songs were both recorded and mixed at Harry J and King Tubby's Studios in Kingston

Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...

, Jamaica

Jamaica

Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...

.

Much like the previous album, Earth's Rightful Ruler

Earth's Rightful Ruler

Earth Rightful Ruler is a reggae album by Augustus Pablo, originally released in 1982 on Message Records....

, the title of this album is in reference to Haile Selassie I, the former Emperor of Ethiopia

Emperor of Ethiopia

The Emperor of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1974. The Emperor was the head of state and head of government, with ultimate executive, judicial and legislative power in that country...

 and a figure who many Rastafarians believe was a descendent of King David, the ancient King of Israel.

A 2006 release by Shanachie featured three added bonus tracks.

Track listing

Side one

1. "King David's Melody"
2. "Zion High"
3. "Mr Bassie"
4. "Rastafari Tradition"
5. "West Abyssinia"
6. "Israel in Harmony"

Side two

1. "Rockers Mood"
2. "Sufferers Trod"
3. "Revelation Time"
4. "Selfish Youths"
5. "Corner Stone Dub"
6. "Kent Road"

Bonus tracks featured on 2006 Shanachie release

1. "Hot Milk (Extended Version)"
2. "Freedom Step"
3. "Jah Strength Ital Step"

Personnel

• Augustus Pablo
  Augustus Pablo
  Horace Swaby , known as Augustus Pablo, was a Jamaican roots reggae and dub record producer, melodica player and keyboardist, active from the 1970s onwards. He popularized the use of the melodica in reggae music...
  
   – keyboards
  Keyboard instrument
  A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
  
  , melodica
  Melodica
  The melodica, also known as the "blow-organ" or "key-flute", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole,...
  
  , piano
  Piano
  The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
  
  , organ
  Organ (music)
  The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
  
  , xylophone
  Xylophone
  The xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...
  
   and string synthesizer.
• Albert Malawi, Anthony "Benbow" Creary, Horsemouth Wallace
  Leroy Wallace
  Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace is a Jamaican drummer who worked for several years at Studio One, and has worked with numerous reggae artists including The Gladiators, Inner Circle, Prince Far I, Sound Dimension, Gregory Isaacs, Burning Spear, Ijahman Levi and Pierpoljak. He starred as himself in the...
  
   – drums
  Drum kit
  A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
  
  
• Leroy Sibbles
  Leroy Sibbles
  Leroy Sibbles is a Jamaican-Canadian reggae musician. He was the lead singer for The Heptones in the 1960s and 1970s.In addition to his work with The Heptones, Sibbles was a session bassist and arranger at Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd's Jamaica Recording and Publishing Studio and the associated Studio...
  
  , Robbie Shakespeare, Junior Dan, Michael Taylor, Bunny Jeffery, Fazal Prendergast – bass guitar
  Bass guitar
  The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
  
  
• Fazal Prendergast, Earl "Chinna" Smith, Clive Jeffery – guitar
  Guitar
  The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
  
  
• Teo Benjamin – percussion
• Sylvan Morris and the Professor – Mixing Engineer