THE SMALL AXE PEOPLE: Once Upon A Version

The Small Axe People

Once Upon A Version

© 2003 The Small Axe People

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

Version is reggae music from the pre dub era.With tunes like 'Pop A Top' and 'The Law' produced by Andy Capp,which became big hits. Other people like Lee Perry and Herman Chin Loy also had big hits in the style.

notes

In 1969, reggae producer Rupie Edwards first used the term 'Version' to describe the b.side of a record by the vocal group The Saints. The record was not a great success - but the concept of the version was born.

Later that year - engineer/producer Lynford Anderson aka Andy Capp was working on a tune by Derrick Morgan called 'Fat Man' an old r&b tune. It couldn't get it to work so he called on keyboard player/vocalist/producer Lloyd Charmers for inspiration. Lloyd responded with an organ riff that copied the guitar riff of the new reggae rhythm which had taken the world by storm.

Andy Capp was impressed very impressed. But still it wasn't finished, to this pumping rhythm Andy added vocals. "Pop A Top, Pop A Top, Pop A Top" taken from a new soft drink just launched in Canada.

The two ideas the pumping organ and the vocals became 'Pop A Top'. It was a massive hit in Jamaica and in the UK - Andy responded with even more 'versions' of the rhythm - thereby putting himself forward not only as the first producer to create a new kind of sound, not only establishing the version concept, but adding vocal talking sounds to records - (something that predates deejaying, which is essentially rhyming) and also creating a 'Riddim' - multiple cuts of one rhtyhm, that dominate the reggae market today.

His next tune 'The Law' was just as revolutionary. On this one his use of echo, and reverb on the drums and vocals predates the work of King Tubby by at least three years. It was another massive hit yet again in Jamaica and in the UK for Andy Capp.

Other producers started to take note of this work - Lee Perry was the first with his own 'Clint Eastwood'
Which uses all the techniques first used by Andy Capp.

Lloyd Charmers the keyboard player on 'Pop A Top' also had an hit with 'Safari'. In fact nearly every producer in Jamaica and in the UK quickly jumped onto the 'Version' thing.

The next producer to move the idea along was Herman Chin Loy - he was the man who gave Augustus Pablo his name, where to be precise he gave it to Glen Adams first - one time keyboard player with the Hippy Boys/Upsetters.

Herman's bit hit 'To The Fields' was indicator of where he was going with the 'Version' sound, with Augustus Pablo on melodica and keyboards, and bands like the Now Generation and Soul Syndicate he took it to new heights. 'Version' contained elements of instrumentals, deejaying, and something which was to come - dub. But it was none of these things.

Dub could be seen as the next evolutionary step of 'Version' Yet the work of King Tubby was more dependent on studio technology, version is a lot more simpler - and could be played live with musicians swapping solos and lead roles - integrating DJs and vocalists without the use of any FXs.

And so we come to The Small Axe People. These albums try to tap into the spirit of the work of Andy Capp, Lee Perry, Lloyd Charmers ,Herman Chin Loy and Augustus Pablo. We hope you will enjoy them.

Remember -
'From Creation Came Version'

Ray Hurford/The Small Axe People - July 2004

reviews

Please log in to review this album.

  • Experience the various moods of Version music!
    author: Teacher & Mr. T

    In the fall of 2001 we received The Small Axe People's debut cd called "Original Version", the brainchild of Ray Hurford, editor, owner and writer of Small Axe, the reggaezine that has become an institution over the years, first on paper than on the internet. The music that leaped from our speakers was nearly freaky, experimental music and complety different from what we usually insert in our cd player. Every track more or less had the same stripped down repetitive sound, with the sound of the organ and, of course, the organ riffs making the difference. The whole idea and actually main inspiration came from a tune called "Pop A Top" by Andy Capp. The latter (real name Lynford Anderson) had put so much delay and non-standard sounds on "Pop A Top" that it was truly wild... the concept of the Version had been born in reggae. This may not be widely known, but it was a significant and also interesting moment in the transition to early reggae. The cd's "Version Wise" and "Jazzbo T At The Controls : Original Version" were the next releases that brought us more outings of this "Version" project, showing further development of the concept. The same goes for The Small Axe People's latest 12 track album, "Once Upon A Version". All albums so far have strongly reflected Ray Hurford's riddim obsession. On the follow up to his first Small Axe People release, Version Wise, his musical efforts developed with more melodic inflections, and here we're treated to a more rhythmic outing. Basically the concept remains the same, but now there are real drum patterns, some wicked bass lines, guitar riffs and nice organ parts. Thus "Once Upon A Version" has become a more accessible album than its predecessors. Even though it seemingly doesn't sound that freaky and experimental anymore, the music still requires intense and careful listening to experience the various moods.

email

Please log in to email this artist.