Leroy Sibbles
Encyclopedia
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 One label during the prolific late 1960s, and was described as "the greatest all-round talent in reggae history" by Kevin O'Brien Chang and Wayne Chen in their 1998 book Reggae Routes.
The trio made their first recordings for Ken Lack
in 1966 with "School Girls" and "Gun Man Coming to Town", the latter the A-side of their début single. Though the songs didn't achieve hit status, the latter composition made the playlists at Radio Jamaica Rediffusion (RJR). They moved on to Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's Studio One where they stayed until 1971.
The Heptones were among the most influential groups of the rock steady era, along with The Pioneers
, The Gaylads
, The Paragons
, The Uniques
, and The Techniques
. Signature Heptones songs included "Baby", "Get in the Groove", "Ting a Ling", "Fattie Fattie", "Got to Fight On (To the Top)", "Party Time", and "Sweet Talking". The group's Studio One output has been collected on albums The Heptones, On Top, Ting a Ling, Freedom Line, and the Heartbeat Records
anthology, Sea of Love.
encouraged Sibbles to play the bass when he needed a bassist for his Jazz
trio.
When Mittoo left full time duties at Studio One, Sibbles auditioned singers, arranged sessions, sang harmony, and played bass as a part of the studio group variously known as the Sound Dimension and Soul Vendors. These musicians, with engineering supervision Sylvan Morris, played backing tracks used by vocalists Bob Andy
, Alton Ellis
, Horace Andy
, Carlton Manning, The Abyssinians
, The Gladiators
, Willi Williams
, Ken Boothe
, John Holt
, Burning Spear
, Dennis Brown
, Slim Smith
, and scores of others.
Sibbles was a contributor to tracks including "Freedom Blues" (which evolved into the Jamaican rhythm known as "MPLA") by Roy Richards, "Love Me Forever" by Carlton & The Shoes, "Satta Massagana
" and "Declaration of Rights" by the Abyssinians, "Stars" and "Queen of the Minstrels" by The Eternals, "Ten to One" by the Mad Lads, "Door Peep (Shall Not Enter)" by Burning Spear
, and the instrumental "Full Up", which was used by Musical Youth
for their huge worldwide hit "Pass The Dutchie
".
Because of the Jamaican process of versioning and the liberal recycling of rhythms in subsequent years, many of the songs, rhythms, and melodies written and recorded during the rocksteady era, the aforementioned in particular, continue to be referenced today. The most frequently referenced of Sibbles' bass lines is that found on the instrumental "Full Up", popularized internationally by Musical Youth
's recording of "Pass the Dutchie", an adaptation of The Mighty Diamonds
' "Pass the Kutchie". Sibbles' legacy also endures in Horace Andy's tribute to him, "Mr. Bassie". (While Sibbles has been credited with the original "Real Rock" bassline, this was more likely performed by Boris Gardiner
). The bass parts Sibbles and others developed in rocksteady
utilized a rhythmic space found in later roots reggae
, where the notes were not necessarily played or sustained on each downbeat of a 4/4 measure. Sibbles has explained that his style was to lag the downbeat slightly.
Other musicians involved in the Studio One rock steady sessions included Richard Ace and Robbie Lyn on keyboards; Bunny Williams, Joe Isaacs, and Fil Callendar on drums; Eric Frater and Ernest Ranglin
on guitar; and the horn section of Felix "Deadly Headley" Bennett
on saxophone and Vin Gordon
(a.k.a. "Don D. Jr.") on trombone.
, Niney The Observer
, Clive Chin
, Gussie Clarke
, Lloyd Campbell, Prince Buster
, Ossie Hibbert
, Phil Pratt
, Harry Mudie
, Geoffrey Chung
, Danny Holloway, Rupie Edwards
, and Joe Gibbs
.
Other Heptones releases from the early 1970s were Book of Rules (Trojan Records
) and the Harry Johnson-produced album Cool Rasta (Trojan), recorded just before the group benefited from the internationalization of reggae via Island Records
. The Danny Holloway-produced Night Food and Lee "Scratch" Perry-produced Party Time were the fruit of the association with Island.
As a solo artist, Sibbles worked with Lloyd "Bullwackie" Barnes
, Lloyd Parks
, Sly & Robbie, Augustus Pablo
, Bruce Cockburn
, and Lee Perry, but primarily produced himself. Sibbles moved to Canada
in 1973, where he married and remained for twenty years, and won a You Know Award for best male vocalist in 1983, and a 1987 Juno Award
for best reggae album in 1987. He left the Heptones in 1976, midway through a US tour. Also in Canada, he recorded an album for A&M
and licensed several albums to Pete Weston's Micron label, including Now and Strictly Roots. He continued to visit Jamaica, and performed at Reggae Sunsplash
in 1980, 1981, 1983, 1986, and 1990. Sibbles returned to the Heptones in 1991. In 1996 he recorded "Original Full Up" with Beenie Man
. He is featured in the 2009 documentary Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae. He continued to perform and record into 2010.
Jamaican Canadian
Jamaican Canadians are Canadians of Jamaican descent, or Jamaican-born people with Canadian citizenship. The population, according to Canada's 2006 Census, is 231,110. Jamaican Canadians comprise about 30% of the entire black Canadian population.-History:...
reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
musician. He was the lead singer for The Heptones
The Heptones
The Heptones are a Jamaican rocksteady and reggae vocal trio most active in the 1960s and early 1970s. They were one of the more significant trios of that era, and played a major role in the gradual transition between ska and rocksteady with their three-part harmonies.-History:Leroy Sibbles, Earl...
in the 1960s and 1970s.
In addition to his work with The Heptones, Sibbles was a session bassist and arranger at Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd
Coxsone Dodd
Clement Seymour "Sir Coxsone" Dodd, CD was a Jamaican record producer who was influential in the development of ska and reggae in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond...
's Jamaica Recording and Publishing Studio and the associated Studio One label during the prolific late 1960s, and was described as "the greatest all-round talent in reggae history" by Kevin O'Brien Chang and Wayne Chen in their 1998 book Reggae Routes.
Biography
Sibbles began singing in the 1950s and also played guitar, having been taught by Trench Town Rastas Brother Huntley and 'Carrot'. Barry Llewellyn and Earl Morgan had formed The Heptones in 1958, and Sibbles was in a rival group along with two friends. Sibbles joined The Heptones in 1965 after the two groups competed in a street-corner contest.The trio made their first recordings for Ken Lack
Ken Lack
Ken Lack was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae record producer active in the latter half of the 1960s, who also ran the Caltone and JonTom record labels.-Career:...
in 1966 with "School Girls" and "Gun Man Coming to Town", the latter the A-side of their début single. Though the songs didn't achieve hit status, the latter composition made the playlists at Radio Jamaica Rediffusion (RJR). They moved on to Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's Studio One where they stayed until 1971.
The Heptones were among the most influential groups of the rock steady era, along with The Pioneers
The Pioneers
The Pioneers: The Sources of the Susquehanna; a Descriptive Tale is a historical novel, the first published of the Leatherstocking Tales, a series of five novels by American writer James Fenimore Cooper...
, The Gaylads
The Gaylads
The Gaylads were one of the top Rocksteady vocal groups active in Jamaica between 1963 and 1973. The group, formed in Kingston, originally consisted of singers Harris "B.B." Seaton, Winston Delano Stewart and Maurice Roberts; Seaton and Stewart had previously been successful as the duo Winston &...
, The Paragons
The Paragons
The Paragons were a rocksteady band from Kingston, Jamaica, active in the 1960s. Their most famous track was "The Tide Is High", written by band member, John Holt.-Career:...
, The Uniques
The Uniques (Jamaican group)
The Uniques were a Jamaican rocksteady and reggae vocal group, formed in 1966 and active with varying line-ups until the late 1970s.-History:...
, and The Techniques
The Techniques
The Techniques were a Jamaican rocksteady vocal group mainly active in the 1960s.-History:The group was formed by Winston Riley in 1962 while still at school, with the initial line-up also featuring Slim Smith, Franklyn White, and Frederick Waite...
. Signature Heptones songs included "Baby", "Get in the Groove", "Ting a Ling", "Fattie Fattie", "Got to Fight On (To the Top)", "Party Time", and "Sweet Talking". The group's Studio One output has been collected on albums The Heptones, On Top, Ting a Ling, Freedom Line, and the Heartbeat Records
Heartbeat Records
Heartbeat Records is an independent record label based in Burlington , Massachusetts. The label specializes in Jamaican music. Founded by reggae music enthusiasts Bill Nowlin and Duncan Brown, the label's first release was a vinyl LP reissue of Linton Kwesi Johnson's Dread Beat an' Blood...
anthology, Sea of Love.
Studio One
Beyond his work as a singer-songwriter, Sibbles contributed to the collective output of Studio One as a bass player during the late 1960s. Keyboardist and arranger Jackie MittooJackie Mittoo
Jackie Mittoo was a Jamaican keyboardist, songwriter and musical director. He was a founding member of The Skatalites and was a mentor to many younger performers, primarily through his work as musical director for the Studio One record label.-Biography:He was born Donat Roy Mittoo in Browns Town,...
encouraged Sibbles to play the bass when he needed a bassist for his Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
trio.
When Mittoo left full time duties at Studio One, Sibbles auditioned singers, arranged sessions, sang harmony, and played bass as a part of the studio group variously known as the Sound Dimension and Soul Vendors. These musicians, with engineering supervision Sylvan Morris, played backing tracks used by vocalists Bob Andy
Bob Andy
Bob Andy is a Jamaican reggae vocalist and songwriter. He is widely regarded as one of reggae's most influential songwriters.-Career:...
, Alton Ellis
Alton Ellis
Alton Nehemiah Ellis, OD, was a Jamaican musician best known as one of the innovators of rocksteady music and was often referred to as the "Godfather of Rocksteady". In 2006, he was inducted into the International Reggae And World Music Awards Hall Of Fame.-Biography:Ellis was born in 1938 and...
, Horace Andy
Horace Andy
Horace Andy is a roots reggae songwriter and singer, known for his distinctive vocals and hit songs such as "Government Land", "Angel", "Five Man Army" and a cover version of "Ain't No Sunshine"....
, Carlton Manning, The Abyssinians
The Abyssinians
The Abyssinians are a Jamaican roots reggae group, famous for their close harmonies and promotion of the Rastafari movement in their lyrics.-History:...
, The Gladiators
The Gladiators (band)
The Gladiators are a Jamaican roots reggae band, most popular during the 1970s. The core was Albert Griffiths , Clinton Fearon and Dallimore Sutherland bass guitar and singer. The two most famous albums are Trenchtown Mix Up and Proverbial Reggae with songs as "Hearsay", "Jah Works", "Dreadlocks...
, Willi Williams
Willi Williams
Willi Williams is a Jamaican reggae and dub musician and producer. He is known as the "Armagideon Man" after his hit, "Armagideon Time", first recorded in 1978 at Studio One in Kingston. The song was covered by The Clash as the flipside of their "London Calling" single.-Biography:Williams was born...
, Ken Boothe
Ken Boothe
Ken Boothe OD is a Jamaican recording artist.-Biography:Ken Boothe was born in the Denham Town area of Kingston in 1948, the youngest of seven children, and began singing in school...
, John Holt
John Holt (singer)
John Holt is a reggae singer and songwriter.-Biography:Holt was born in Kingston in 1947. By the age of 12, he was a regular entrant in talent contests run at Jamaican theatres by Vere Johns...
, Burning Spear
Burning Spear
Winston Rodney, OD , also known as Burning Spear, is a Jamaican roots reggae singer and musician. Burning Spear is known for his Rastafari movement messages.-History:...
, Dennis Brown
Dennis Brown
Dennis Emmanuel Brown was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, which began in the late 1960s when he was aged eleven, he recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the major stars of lovers rock, a sub-genre of reggae...
, Slim Smith
Slim Smith
Slim Smith was a ska, rocksteady and reggae singer. In their book Reggae: The Rough Guide , Steve Barrow and Peter Dalton described Smith as "the greatest vocalist to emerge in the rocksteady era".-Biography:Smith first came to prominence as a member of the Victors Youth Band, who were highly...
, and scores of others.
Sibbles was a contributor to tracks including "Freedom Blues" (which evolved into the Jamaican rhythm known as "MPLA") by Roy Richards, "Love Me Forever" by Carlton & The Shoes, "Satta Massagana
Satta Massagana
Satta Massagana is a roots reggae album released by The Abyssinians officially in 1976. It is widely considered The Abyssinians crowning achievement and a classic roots reggae album....
" and "Declaration of Rights" by the Abyssinians, "Stars" and "Queen of the Minstrels" by The Eternals, "Ten to One" by the Mad Lads, "Door Peep (Shall Not Enter)" by Burning Spear
Burning Spear
Winston Rodney, OD , also known as Burning Spear, is a Jamaican roots reggae singer and musician. Burning Spear is known for his Rastafari movement messages.-History:...
, and the instrumental "Full Up", which was used by Musical Youth
Musical Youth
Musical Youth are a British reggae band. The group originally formed in 1979 at Duddeston Manor School in Birmingham, UK. They are best remembered for their successful 1982 Grammy-nominated single, "Pass the Dutchie". The group featured two sets of brothers, Kelvin and Michael Grant, plus Junior...
for their huge worldwide hit "Pass The Dutchie
Pass the Dutchie
"Pass the Dutchie" was a song recorded by the British group Musical Youth from their 1982 album The Youth of Today. It was a major hit, holding the number one position on the UK singles charts for three weeks in September and October 1982.-Background:...
".
Because of the Jamaican process of versioning and the liberal recycling of rhythms in subsequent years, many of the songs, rhythms, and melodies written and recorded during the rocksteady era, the aforementioned in particular, continue to be referenced today. The most frequently referenced of Sibbles' bass lines is that found on the instrumental "Full Up", popularized internationally by Musical Youth
Musical Youth
Musical Youth are a British reggae band. The group originally formed in 1979 at Duddeston Manor School in Birmingham, UK. They are best remembered for their successful 1982 Grammy-nominated single, "Pass the Dutchie". The group featured two sets of brothers, Kelvin and Michael Grant, plus Junior...
's recording of "Pass the Dutchie", an adaptation of The Mighty Diamonds
The Mighty Diamonds
Mighty Diamonds are a Jamaican harmony trio, recording roots reggae with a strong Rastafarian influence. The group, which comprised Donald "Tabby" Shaw, Fitzroy "Bunny" Simpson, and Lloyd "Judge" Ferguson, was formed in 1969, and remains together as of 2010...
' "Pass the Kutchie". Sibbles' legacy also endures in Horace Andy's tribute to him, "Mr. Bassie". (While Sibbles has been credited with the original "Real Rock" bassline, this was more likely performed by Boris Gardiner
Boris Gardiner
Boris Gardiner is a Jamaican singer, songwriter and bass guitarist.-Career:Gardiner performed on the tourist circuit for much of the 1960s and was a member of Carlos Malcolm & the Afro Caribs and Byron Lee's Dragonaires...
). The bass parts Sibbles and others developed in rocksteady
Rocksteady
Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around 1966. A successor to ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was performed by Jamaican vocal harmony groups such as The Gaylads, The Maytals and The Paragons. The term rocksteady comes from a dance style that was mentioned in the Alton...
utilized a rhythmic space found in later roots reggae
Roots reggae
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of the artists concerned, including the spiritual side of Rastafari and with the honoring of God, called Jah by rastafarians. It also is identified with the life of the ghetto sufferer, and the rural poor...
, where the notes were not necessarily played or sustained on each downbeat of a 4/4 measure. Sibbles has explained that his style was to lag the downbeat slightly.
Other musicians involved in the Studio One rock steady sessions included Richard Ace and Robbie Lyn on keyboards; Bunny Williams, Joe Isaacs, and Fil Callendar on drums; Eric Frater and Ernest Ranglin
Ernest Ranglin
Ernest Ranglin O.D. is a Jamaican guitarist and composer. Best known for his session work at the famed Studio One, Ranglin helped give birth to the ska genre in the late 1950s...
on guitar; and the horn section of Felix "Deadly Headley" Bennett
Headley Bennett
Felix Headley Bennett OD , more often known simply as Headley Bennett or Deadly Headley, is a Jamaican saxophonist who has performed on hundreds of recordings since the 1950s.-Biography:...
on saxophone and Vin Gordon
Vin Gordon
Vin Gordon is a Jamaican trombone player.-Biography:Gordon grew up in Jones Town, Kingston, Jamaica as one of eight children. He went to Kingston's catholic Alpha Boys School where he learned to play trombone and string bass. One of his tutors was Lennie Hibbert...
(a.k.a. "Don D. Jr.") on trombone.
Work with other producers
After Studio One, Sibbles and the Heptones recorded for other producers including Lee Perry, Harry J, JoJo Hoo KimJoseph Hoo Kim
-Career:Shortly after the Jamaican government banned gaming machines in the early 1970s, Joe Joe Hookim and his brother Ernest, abandoned their jobs as machine operators, and jumped into the music business. By 1973, the Hookims had opened their own studio, Channel One, with Joe Joe as its hands-on...
, Niney The Observer
Niney the Observer
Winston Holness, better known as Niney the Observer , is a Jamaican record producer and singer who was a key figure in the creation of many classic reggae recordings dating from the 1970s and early 1980s....
, Clive Chin
Clive Chin
Clive Chin is a Chinese Jamaican record producer whose work includes recordings by The Wailers, Dennis Brown, Lee Perry and Black Uhuru, among others...
, Gussie Clarke
Gussie Clarke
Augustus "Gussie" Clarke , is a reggae producer who worked with some of the top Jamaican reggae artists in the 1970s and later set up his own Music Works studio.-Career:...
, Lloyd Campbell, Prince Buster
Prince Buster
Cecil Bustamente Campbell, O.D. , better known as Prince Buster, and also known by his Muslim name Muhammed Yusef Ali, is a musician from Kingston, Jamaica. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of ska and rocksteady music...
, Ossie Hibbert
Ossie Hibbert
Oswald "Ossie" Hibbert is a Jamaican organist, keyboard player and record producer.-Biography:Hibbert began to be active in Jamaican music in the mid-1970s, working as a keyboard player as part of The Professionals, The Aggrovators and The Revolutionaries, and playing on dozens of albums by...
, Phil Pratt
Phil Pratt
Phil Pratt, born George Phillips is a Jamaican reggae singer and record producer.Phil Pratt worked at Studio One for Coxsone Dodd as a box-loader during the rocksteady period when Lee Perry was operating there, before moving to the United Kingdom in the early 1960s...
, Harry Mudie
Harry Mudie
Harry A. Mudie is a Jamaican record producer.-Biography:Harry Mudie attended the St Jago High School. In the mid fifties, he launched his own sound system "Mudies Hi-Fi", before going to the UK to study electronics and photography.Back in Jamaica in the late 1950s, Mudie began producing, mainly...
, Geoffrey Chung
Geoffrey Chung
Geoffrey Chung was a Jamaican musician, recording engineer, and record producer.-Biography:Chung was born in 1950 in Kingston, Jamaica...
, Danny Holloway, Rupie Edwards
Rupie Edwards
Rupie Edwards is a Jamaican reggae singer and record producer.-Biography:...
, and Joe Gibbs
Joe Gibbs
Joe Jackson Gibbs is a former American football coach, NASCAR Championship team owner, and two time NHRA Pro Stock team owner. He was the 20th and 26th head coach in the history of the Washington Redskins...
.
Other Heptones releases from the early 1970s were Book of Rules (Trojan Records
Trojan Records
Trojan Records is a British record label founded in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. The name Trojan comes from the Croydon-built Trojan truck that was used as Duke Reid's sound system in Jamaica...
) and the Harry Johnson-produced album Cool Rasta (Trojan), recorded just before the group benefited from the internationalization of reggae via Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
. The Danny Holloway-produced Night Food and Lee "Scratch" Perry-produced Party Time were the fruit of the association with Island.
As a solo artist, Sibbles worked with Lloyd "Bullwackie" Barnes
Lloyd Barnes
Lloyd Barnes , popularly known as Bullwackie, is the founder of the independent record label Wackies specialized in Jamaican music.-Career:...
, Lloyd Parks
Lloyd Parks
Lloyd Parks is a reggae vocalist and bass player.-Biography:Parks' interest in music was fuelled by his uncle Dourie Bryan, who played in a calypso band, and Parks became the band's singer...
, Sly & Robbie, 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...
, Bruce Cockburn
Bruce Cockburn
Bruce Douglas Cockburn OC is a Canadian folk/rock guitarist and singer-songwriter. His most recent album was released in March 2011. He has written songs in styles ranging from folk to jazz-influenced rock to rock and roll.-Biography:...
, and Lee Perry, but primarily produced himself. Sibbles moved to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1973, where he married and remained for twenty years, and won a You Know Award for best male vocalist in 1983, and a 1987 Juno Award
Juno Awards of 1987
The Juno Awards of 1987, representing Canadian music industry achievements of the previous year, were awarded on 2 November 1987 in Toronto at a ceremony in the O'Keefe Centre. Howie Mandel was the host for the ceremonies, which were broadcast on CBC Television....
for best reggae album in 1987. He left the Heptones in 1976, midway through a US tour. Also in Canada, he recorded an album for A&M
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
and licensed several albums to Pete Weston's Micron label, including Now and Strictly Roots. He continued to visit Jamaica, and performed at Reggae Sunsplash
Reggae Sunsplash
Reggae Sunsplash is a reggae music festival first staged in 1978 in the northern part of Jamaica. In 1985 it expanded with the addition of an international touring festival...
in 1980, 1981, 1983, 1986, and 1990. Sibbles returned to the Heptones in 1991. In 1996 he recorded "Original Full Up" with Beenie Man
Beenie Man
Anthony Moses Davis , better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Grammy award winning Jamaican reggae artist. He is the self-proclaimed "King of the Dancehall".-Biography:...
. He is featured in the 2009 documentary Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae. He continued to perform and record into 2010.
Solo discography
- Now (1980), Micron
- Strictly Roots (1980), Micron
- On Top (1982), Micron
- The Champions Clash (1985), Kingdom - with Frankie PaulFrankie PaulPaul Blake , better known as Frankie Paul, is one of Jamaica's best-loved and popular dancehall reggae artists. Born blind, he has been dubbed by some 'The Jamaican Stevie Wonder'.-Biography:...
- Selections (1985), Leggo Sounds - also released as Mean While (1986), Attic
- It's Not Over (1995), VPVP RecordsVP Records is an independent reggae record label, located in Queens, New York. It is best known for producing Caribbean singers.-The foundation:...
- Come Rock With Me (1999), Heartbeat
- Reggae Hit Bass Lines (2009), Ernie B
External links
- Leroy Sibbles at Roots Archives