BONUS POST : AN IMAGINARY COMPILATION ALBUM : #361: DENNIS BOVELL

A Guest Posting by Khayem

Dennis Bovell ICA: Respond To The Cause

This ICA has been a long time – too long – in the making. JC mentioned in a post or a comment – possibly here or on my own blog – that he didn’t have much reggae or dub in his collection, so I thought that would be a good theme for an ICA. The problem is, I think this was at least a year ago, if not longer, so the chances are that things have changed dramatically since then! (JC adds……not really!)

No matter, the subject of my ICA is one of the greatest and original producers of any genre. Not constrained by reggae or dub, he was one of the originators of Lovers Rock and also found a spiritual connection with punk, post-punk and, continuing into the 21st century, a host of post-modern artists. He’s also a mean bass player and handy when stepping up to main vocal duties. I present to you the legend that is Dennis Bovell MBE.

His production and performance CV reads more like a Who’s Who of music legends: Linton Kwesi Johnson, The Slits, Orange Juice and Edwyn Collins solo, Janet Kay, Benjamin Zephaniah, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, Dubblestandart, Jah Wobble, Jarvis Cocker and The Pop Group. Amazulu, Bananarama, Thompson Twins and even Jack Johnson have all benefitted from a dub rinse over the decades.

And that’s not even touching on his own music, which started with Matumbi and The 4th Street Orchestra, and have included legendary releases as Black Beard, Dennis Curtis, Dennis Matumbi and of course Dennis Bovell. There are hundreds and hundreds of songs out there, many now available on his own site at Bandcamp as Dennis discovers more gems in the vault and records updated versions of old songs or something completely new.

Dennis Bovell is an unstoppable force of positive energy, and his impact on music changed my life before I even knew he was doing it. This ICA can only hope to hint at the magic and encourage you to go out there and discover more.

In time-honoured tradition, I’ve split the album into a vocal and a dub side, the first showcasing Dennis’ own music, the second shining a light on some of his revelatory reworks of some well-known songs and/or artist. I’ve cheekily slipped in a sixth track on side 1, but both sides come in at just under 21 minutes so I hope JC will let this one pass! (JC adds……of course!  There’s no hard and fast rule for ICAs)

Without further preamble, here’s your track-by-track guide

SIDE ONE

1) (I Can’t Get Enough Of That) Reggae Stuff by Matumbi (single, 1973)

Where it all started, really. Dennis moved from Barbados to London at an early age and co-founded 7-piece reggae band Matumbi in 1971. This was their debut single and, if it sounds familiar, it’s because it’s a cover of ‘Funky Stuff’ by Kool & The Gang. A great version and an obvious opener for this ICA though I’ll admit that I also had one eye on the inevitable ICA World Cup and the hope that Dennis & Co. get beyond the first round!

2) Fall Babylon (Version) by Dennis Bovell & Roots United ft. Skarra Mucci (single, 2020)

This single came out at the tail end of 2020, an apposite release following (what would turn out to be the first) lockdown and a coming together of generations. Jamaica’s Skarra Mucci guests on this alternative version, and there was a shining bright video to boot (check it out on YT).

3) Blood A Go Run by Dennis Matumbi (single, 1977)

Three singles were released between 1977 and 1978 under the nom de plume, Dennis Matumbi. I first heard Blood A Go Run on the 2003 compilation Decibel: More Cuts And Dubs 1976-1983, one of many, many DB collections, all highly recommended.

4) Empire Road by Matumbi (single, 1978)

This was the theme tune to the BBC TV series of the same name, which starred Norman Beaton. Empire Road also featured on the 1978 compilation Don’t Walk, Boogie, included in my parent’s modest record collection. Both the TV show and the song made a big impression on me and – unknown to me at the time – was my introduction to the genius of Dennis Bovell.

5) Afreecan by Dennis Bovell ft. I-Roy (‘Mek It Run’ album, 2012)

Had it not been for Dennis having neck surgery and strict medical orders to stop playing the bass until fully recovered, Mek It Run might never have seen the light of day, or at least so soon. Deciding to return to unfinished work during the enforced rest, Dennis discovered a stack of boxes in a lock-up, full of master tapes from the 1970s and 1980s. Utilising an I-Roy vocal from 1983, Afreecan is a retro future classic.

6) Bah Be Lon by Dennis Bovell (‘Brain Damage’ album, 1981)

After two dub albums as Black Beard, Brain Damage was the first released under his own name. An ambitious 16-track double album that takes reggae into the 1980s and pointed at a different direction from the more sanitised, pedestrian music that would popularise the genre for a new generation in that decade. The year before, Bovell also scored the film Babylon, which was based in part on his lived experience. Bah Be Lon doesn’t feature in the film as far as I can remember, but it narrates a similar sorry tale of racism and wrongful imprisonment.

SIDE TWO

7) Dub I Just A Man (Version of ‘Am I Just A Man’) by Steve Mason (‘Boys Outside/Ghosts Outside’ album, 2011)

I’ve been a fan of Steve Mason since I first heard The Beta Band and I’ve enjoyed his further excursions as King Biscuit Time, Black Affair and as a solo artist. Boys Outside as of itself is a brilliant album but it was a stroke of genius to bring in Dennis Bovell to create a dub companion. I could have picked any track, to be honest, it’s that good.

8) Funny Dub (Version of ‘It Noh Funny’) by Linton Kwesi Johnson (‘Sonny’s Lettah!’ single, 1979)

Dennis Bovell has worked extensively with Linton Kwesi Johnson throughout his career, not least 1980’s seminal LKJ In Dub. Rather than choose from there or it’s two follow ups, I’ve gone for an earlier dub of a song from LKJ’s debut Forces Of Victory, which appeared as a B-side on his second single. Much as I love LKJ reciting his words, Bovell’s dub creates a poetry all of it’s own.

9) Earthdub (Version of ‘Earthbeat’) by The Slits (single, 1981)

Dennis produced The Slits’ 1979 debut Cut and half of the 1981 follow up The Return Of The Giant Slits, not including the opening song Earthbeat. However, on the 12” single the song segues perfectly into a DB dub that bends the shape to near-snapping point, to memorable effect.

10) The Smoke (Dennis Bovell Rmx) by The Smile (single, 2022)

Dennis Bovell continues to be an in-demand producer and remixer, recent years seeing him rework JARV IS…, A Mountain Of One, Animal Collective and The Smile, Thom Yorke’s latest outfit and nothing like Radiohead, honest. On the strength of this, one can only hope that they ‘Do A Mason’ and ask DB to dub up their entire catalogue.

11) Radio Africa (Dub-Mix) by Latin Quarter (single, 1984)

I bought this on 12” vinyl back in the day, but only relatively recently discovered that there had also been a limited edition UK 12” with a couple of DB dub mixes on it. This is perhaps one of Dennis’ most straightforward dubs, but even as it strips away vocals and instrumentation, it puts so much more back, in terms of depth and space. A classic to close, and a selection I hope will have you looking out for more.

Khayem