You're Gonna Need Somebody Else

The first Dubhed excursion into reggae and dub soundscapes of 2026, with thirteen irresistible grooves to transport and transform you.

The selection spans over half a century from Derrick Morgan in 1968, through to Panda Bear and Sonic Boom's dub extravaganza, courtesy of Adrian Sherwood in 2023.

Sherwood's not the only master at the controls, he's joined by Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Bunny 'Striker' Lee, Tapper Zukie, Mad Professor, Jah Thomas and Scientist.

The line-up alone should give you a heads up that this is heavyweight. Turn the bass up, turn your phone off and let yourself go.

1) Midnight Calling: Roger Rivas ft. The Brothers Of Reggae  (2014)

2) Kaya (Album Version): Bob Marley & The Wailers (1971)

3) The Sun: Burning Spear (1977)

4) No Man Is An Island (Single Version) (Cover of Fred Waring & His Pennsylvanians): Johnny Clarke (1975)

5) Siren Dub: Danny Red (2016)

6) Zion: Knowledge (1978)

7) Rebel Rock: Mad Professor (1983)

8) Whirlpool Dub (Adrian Sherwood 'Reset In Dub’ Version): Panda Bear & Sonic Boom (2023)

9) Do The Beng Beng: Derrick Morgan (1968)

10) Yipee I Aah: New Age Steppers (1981)

11) Magic Touch: Glen DaCosta (1976)

12) Trade It All For More: Pama International (2009)

13) Keep On Dubbing: The Roots Radics (1981)

1968: Do The Beng Beng EP: 9

1971: Soul Revolution Part II: 2

1975: No Man Is An Island EP: 4

1976: Soldier & Police War / Magic Touch EP: 11

1977: Dry And Heavy: 3

1978: Hail Dread: 6

1981: Roots Splashdown: 13

1981: Wild Paarty Sounds: 10

1983: Dub Me Crazy Pt.3: The African Connection: 7

2009: Pama Outernational: 12

2014: Last Goodbye: 1

2016: Red And Conscious: 5

2023: Reset in Dub: 8

You're Gonna Need Somebody Else (45:59) (GD) (M)

I've created many dub-inflected selections in the past five years, too many to share them all today, but here's six from the archives to keep the vibe alive.

May 2021: Dubhed Excursion To The Outer Limits

June 2022: Tomorrow Is Promised To No One

July 2022: SunDub

April 2023: Dubby Happy People

June 2024: Growing In My Backyard

June 2025: Keep The Fire Burning Inside

No More Crying, Heartaches, Sorrows Or Pain

A "quick" post about Johnny Clarke that inevitably turned into a big detour...

Having been listening to it over the weekend, my intention was simply to post Johnny's 1977 classic Every Knee Shall Bow and a couple of accompanying versions. So, without further ado, here's the original single version, produced by Bunny 'Striker' Lee...

...followed by the self-produced extended version from 1978, featuring U-Roy and a superlative dub from King Tubby on the flipside...

...and last, but certainly not least, U-Roy's own take on the song, one of his last recordings before his untimely passing in 2021. This is huge in every sense, over 15 minutes in length and featuring Big Youth and Mick Jones, with Youth, Zak Starkey and Dave Sardy at the controls. 

And the detour? Right at the top of this post, looking on YouTube for Johnny Clarke clips, I discovered rediscovered a full set from the Mekudeshet Festival in Jerusalem on 19th September 2019, Johnny performing with Dub Asante Band and Matic Horns. Well worth an hour and a quarter of your time.

Humble Yourself, My Children

As highlighted by Ernie Goggins at the always entertaining 27 Leggies blog on 1st February, Jamaica is currently celebrating Reggae Month. Ernie marked the occasion with music from a personal favourite, on what would have been the legendary Dennis Brown's 65th birthday. In typical fashion, I'd celebrated Dennis Brown here two weeks early.

By way of compensation and further celebration, here's more Dennis, accompanied by several other reggae legends, on a selection of cuts from 1972 to 1977. Most of the songs feature the vocal A-side paired with the version B-side, predominantly featuring The Aggrovators, for an extended rhythm. Is there a better way to roll into the weekend? Possibly, but this is pretty much guaranteed to shake you from a slumber to a slink in less than an hour.

 

1) Can You Feel It (Sufferation Every Day) (12" Version By Niney The Observer): Junior Byles (1977)

2) Skylarking / A Better Version (12" Version By Bunny Lee / King Tubby): Horace Andy ft. The Aggrovators (1976)

3) Declaration Of Rights / Dub Of Rights (12" Version By Bunny Lee) (Cover of The Abyssinians): Johnny Clarke ft. The Aggrovators (1975)

4) Jah Jah Is The Conqueror / Conqueror Dub (12" Version By Bunny Lee): Linval Thompson ft. The Aggrovators (1975)

5) Invasion (Wa Da Da) / Invasion Version (12" Version By Bunny Lee) (Cover of Burning Spear): Jackie Edwards ft. The Aggrovators (1976)

6) Wolf And Leopards (12" Version By Niney The Observer): Dennis Brown (1976)

7) Stir It Up (Album Version By Bob Marley & Chris Blackwell): Bob Marley & The Wailers (1972)

Humble Yourself, My Children (43:12)