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One index for everything published: records, stories, watchable media, community memories and places. 343 records match.

recording · Well supported"Bam Bam" — Sister Nancy

"Bam Bam" is Sister Nancy's 1982 song, produced by Winston Riley for his Techniques label over the Stalag riddim (built from Ansel Collins's 1974 "Stalag 17"); it is now regarded as one of the most sampled reggae recordings in hip-hop history.

recording · Well supported"Breakfast in Bed" -- Lorna Bennett

'Breakfast in Bed', Lorna Bennett's 1972 cover of the Baby Washington soul song, was commissioned by producer Harry J and arranged by Geoffrey Chung; the single's success made Bennett the first woman to top the Jamaican singles chart, and its Scotty-voiced deejay B-side is a landmark of the toasting era.

recording · Well supported"Dat Sexy Body" -- Sasha

Sasha wrote and recorded 'Dat Sexy Body' in 1998 on a variation of the Bookshelf riddim; the track became a sleeper hit that only reached its full chart impact roughly five years after release, and was later remixed with reggaeton artist Ivy Queen.

person · Well supported"Deadly" Headley Bennett

Felix Headley "Deadly Headley" Bennett (1931-2016) was a Jamaican alto saxophonist trained at Alpha Boys School who worked as a session player from the 1950s, performing in the Studio One house band, Lynn Taitt's Jets and the Revolutionaries. He played on a vast number of ska, rocksteady and reggae recordings, including Bob Marley's first single "Judge Not" for Leslie Kong. Source note: Headley Bennett Wikipedia and AllMusic.

recording · Well supported"Diseases" — Michigan & Smiley

"Diseases" by Michigan & Smiley is a key early-1980s dancehall recording tied to the Diseases rhythm family, built around the duo's call-and-response style and the shift from roots-era studio bands toward rub-a-dub and early dancehall performance.

recording · Well supported"Easy Snappin'" — Theophilus Beckford

"Easy Snappin'," recorded by Theophilus Beckford around 1959, is frequently cited by historians as a transitional record between Jamaican R&B/shuffle and the ska sound that would emerge within a year or two - one of the clearest audible steps in ska's formation.

recording · Well supported"Full Up" - Sound Dimension

Sound Dimension's Studio One instrumental for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, built on Leroy Sibbles's bassline and Jackie Mittoo's keys; the rhythm later carried the Mighty Diamonds' "Pass the Kouchie" and, through it, Musical Youth's global "Pass the Dutchie.".

recording · Well supported"Girl I've Got a Date" - Alton Ellis

Alton Ellis's 1966 Treasure Isle single, produced by Arthur "Duke" Reid and often cited among the first rocksteady records as the ska tempo eased into a cooler, bass-forward groove; its bassline is frequently traced into later international hits.

recording · Probable"Gotta Be Mine" — Beenie Man

Beenie Man's "Gotta Be Mine" voiced producer Tony Kelly's 2001 Buy Out riddim, one of the era's most-versioned dancehall rhythms, also carrying cuts from Sean Paul and T.O.K.

recording · Probable"I'm Still in Love With You Boy" — Marcia Aitken

"I'm Still in Love with You Boy" by Marcia Aitken is a late-1970s female-voiced answer/version in the Alton Ellis song family, a compact example of Jamaican versioning across gendered perspectives and eras.

recording · Well supported"I'm Still in Love" — Alton Ellis

"I'm Still in Love," Alton Ellis's 1967 rocksteady ballad, became one of Jamaican music's most durable rhythms - reworked, versioned and sampled across reggae and dancehall for decades, including well-known dancehall re-cuts that introduced the melody to entirely new generations of listeners.

recording · Well supported"Java" - Augustus Pablo

Augustus Pablo's 1972 melodica instrumental, cut at Randy's with producer Clive Chin for the Impact! imprint and voted a top Jamaican instrumental of the year; a foundation of Pablo's rockers sound.

recording · Well supported"Never Let Go" — Slim Smith

Slim Smith's 1967 Studio One rocksteady single for Coxsone Dodd is widely cited by riddim historians as the horn-and-bassline source for one of Jamaican music's most versioned rhythms, later renamed for dancehall audiences after Lone Ranger's "The Answer" rode the same track.

recording · Well supported"None Shall Escape the Judgement" - Johnny Clarke

Johnny Clarke's 1974 hit for producer Bunny Lee, backed by the Aggrovators and mixed at King Tubby's - a defining record of the mid-1970s "flying cymbals" sound.

recording · Well supported"Oh Carolina" — Folkes Brothers

"Oh Carolina," recorded by the Folkes Brothers in 1960 and produced by Prince Buster, is built on Count Ossie's Nyabinghi drumming - a rare case of Rastafari ceremonial drums appearing directly on a commercial Jamaican pop record, years before that influence became widely recognized in reggae history.

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