Far Out 40: The best tracks produced by Studio One
Independent record labels are usually associated with the rebellion of the punk rock boom of the 1970s or the cool underground scene of indie rock. However, the history of independence in music stretches further back than Buzzcocks’ ‘Spiral Scratch’. The vibrant scenes of rocksteady, ska and reggae were firmly built upon independently run record labels, studios and sound systems, providing a national sound to the island nation of Jamaica. Among those operations, few names hold the same weight as the iconic Studio One.
The roots of Studio One came in 1954 when pioneering producer Clement Dodd – better known as Coxsone – established a sound system by the name of Downbeat Sound System, which mainly played imported records from the US. Through his sound system, Coxsone established himself as a major figure within the musical landscape of Jamaica, but soon he found himself craving a new sound. During the late 1950s, influenced by the imported American R&B played by the likes of Coxsone, artists like Prince Buster began to establish the earliest examples of ska and rocksteady music.
In the wake of Jamaican independence, Coxsone built upon his sound system, establishing Studio One – his very own record label and recording studio to nurture this vibrant new scene of Jamaican music. Forming the house band, The Skatalites, Studio One became a pioneering force within the ska scene. Throughout the day and all of the night, countless now iconic musicians would come and go from Coxsone’s studio, including the likes of Marcia Griffiths, The Ethiopians, Ken Boothe, and even Bob Marley.
It goes without saying that rocksteady and ska music would have been unrecognisable without the influence of Coxsone and Studio One. The producer devoted himself tirelessly to establishing this national sound that found a dedicated audience worldwide. When ska music arrived in the UK in the wake of Windrush, finding a natural audience within the early skinhead subculture, the music took on an entirely new lineage, culminating in the revolutionary sounds of 2 Tone. Whichever way you spin it, it simply would not have happened without Studio One.
The influence of Studio One was not limited to ska. They were also a major label in the development of reggae. Their house band, the Soul Brothers – who replaced The Skatalites after trombonist Don Drummond was arrested for murder – are credited with forming the basis of reggae music during the late 1960s. It was reggae that formed the basis of a variety of future genres, from dancehall to jungle, and it can all be traced back to that small studio in Kingston, Jamaica.
For a record label with such an unimaginably wide-reaching influence, it would be near impossible to neatly summarise the entirety of their output, but we have valiantly given it a go. Join us as we explore 40 of the greatest tracks to ever be produced by the independent revolution of Coxsone Dodd and Studio One.
The 40 greatest tracks produced by Studio One:
- The Skatalites – ‘Guns of Navarone’
- Marcia Griffiths – ‘Melody Life’
- Bob Marley – ‘One Love’
- Ken Boothe – ‘Don’t Want To See You Cry’
- The Wailers – ‘Simmer Down’
- Slim Smith – ‘Hip Hug’
- Alton Ellis – ‘Can I Change My Mind’
- The Heptones – ‘Give Give Love’
- Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus – ‘Good People’
- The Ethiopians – ‘Owe Me No Pay Me’
- Johnny Osbourne – ‘Jah Promise’
- Judah Tarafi Eskender – ‘Rastafari Tell You’
- Lord Tanamo – ‘Keep On Moving’
- Ken Parker – ‘How Strong’
- Dennis Brown – ‘Impossible’
- The Clarendonians – ‘Rudie Bam Bam’
- Delroy Wilson – ‘Get Ready’
- Lone Ranger – ‘Natty Chalwa’
- Prince Jazzbo – ‘Jah Dread’
- The Maytals – ‘He Will Provide’
- Jackie Opel – ‘You Too Bad’
- The Gaylads – ‘Joy in the Morning’
- Derrick Morgan & The Blues Blenders – ‘It’s Alright’
- The Eternals – ‘Queen of the Minstrels’
- Soul Brothers – ‘Bugaloo’
- The Heptones – ‘Why Must I’
- Dub Specialist – ‘Happy Feelings’
- The Viceroys – ‘Last Night’
- John Holt – ‘OK Fred’
- Melodians – ‘Little Nut Tree’
- Zoot Simms – ‘African Challenge’
- Dennis Brown – ‘No Man Is An Island’
- Jackie Mittoo – ‘Freak Out’
- Hortense Ellis – ‘Secretly’
- John Holt – ‘Let’s Dance’
- The Silvertones – ‘Burning In My Soul’
- The Skatalites – ‘Man in the Street’
- Theophilus Beckford – ‘Easy Snapping’
- Michigan & Smiley – ‘Nice Up the Dance’
- Jennifer Lara – ‘Consider Me’
