That Dub got
some serious recognition in the 1970's is well documented. Sound systems
made and played out their own tunes from their own studio's. Initially these
studios and many of their representative soundsytems were from Kingstown
Jamaica and much of the technology and techniques in today's contemporary
dance and club music scene is clearly and for the most part honestly derived
from many of techniques and styles employed by those running their own studio
and sound..This is part of the story of the dub sounds which emanated outta
New York.
Much
less documented is the steady throughput of musicians and singers and players
who have stopped by the studio of Lloyd Barnes’ Bronx based collective later
to be collectively known as "Bullwackies" or "Wackies" At present there
is a sizeable amount of repressed and reissued C.D's and Vinyl releases
doing the rounds, here in London. Champion of all things "Wackies" is our
friend Rae Cheddae, he has been invaluable in getting this long overdue
article together.
Wackies
music has probably been given a higher profile recently as singer songwriter
Horace Andy has continued to gain higher profile in the states the UK and
Europe with his collaborations with the Bristol based sounds of "Massive
Attack" His much earlier works in the states with Lloyd Barnes and crew
produced the classic "Dance Hall style" album which for an introduction
to Wackies cannot be bettered.
Long time Wackies
aficionado Rae Cheddae explains," It was never intended for the music
to be one person so it was like basically cut the bull and lets call it
"Wackies". ‘Cause then it just covered everyone, Barbera Lesley, Clive
Hunt, Chalice, The Regals, Johnny Osbourne, Milton Henry, Jezz Reel, Robbie
Pascal, Jerry Harris and the Sylvester brothers. It was a stable bunch
of musicians whoever could turn up and play and were good that was your
criteria for getting into the studios, if you could do something or were
willing to do something.
The
New York based studio and production crew moved and grooved with the finest
of the Jamaican Heavy-weight Reggae artists. Bullwackies finely crafted
recording and production techniques may well have stemmed from the fact
that he began his musical career as a vocalist, this clearly drew out the
best in his collaborations with the likes of Wayne Jarrett, Horace Andy,
Junior Delahaye and The Love Joys, he has the ability and style to blend
sweet soulful lyricism with some raw powerful studio production. Lloyd's
move into studio production and ultimately vinyl releases came via quickly
created labels such as "City-line, Hardwax, Jumbo Caribbean Disco, Rawsw,
Aries and Senrab to touch on but a few.
Around 1983 Lloyd and his colleagues began releasing the material under
the now standardised name and logo of 'Wackies'.
Wackies
began issuing tunes on their various labels from about 1974 Denis Brown
was around in those early days cutting 'Righteous Man' he may well have
cut his first with them. Lloyd as I stated before was actually a singer
he did harmonies with Duke Reid, he also knew King Tubby. 
When
you listen to tracks on "Restless Roots Rockers." if you listen to it
very carefully you will hear that 'Tubby's' sound in it because he really
started off in Jamaica and mixed at Tubby's and later on moved to New
York to get himself a studio together. Wackies also had a sound system...which
they basically used to take onto the trains. Literally" One speaker one
box"
A lot
of his releases went under the label of 'City Line' as if you went to the
Bronx and went to the end of the City Line then everything every shop was
called 'City' something. Just before Coxsone moved to America on a permanent
basis Wackies were issuing stuff there was a tune called 'Crab Walking'
on a 7" you will see that the colours and the labels were very similar so
there are obvious comparisons to be drawn there.
Smart
Monkey
