Johnny Clarke & Jah Shaka - Babylon (12 inch version)

ABOUT Jah Shaka & Johnny Clarke (extracts from Wikipedia):

Johnny Clarke:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Clarke

Jah Shaka:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jah_Shaka

Jah Shaka Official Site:
http://www.jahshakasoundsystem.com/

Johnny Clarke: Born January 12, 1955, Whitfield Town, Kingston, Jamaica, is a reggae musician.

A Rastafarian, many of Clarke's songs concern his faith and the beliefs of the Rastafari movement, such as anti-violence (as heard on "Let Go Violence") and legalization of marijuana ("Legalize It"). He helped define the "Flying Cymbals" period that preceded the "Roots Rockers" sound of the mid to late 1970s. Clarke was one of the first Jamaican artists signed to Virgin Records' Frontline subsidiary in 1976, releasing the albums Authorized Version and Rockers Time Now on the label. Clarke enjoyed further hits in the early 1980s with producer S Douglas, before working again with Lee. His popularity in Jamaica, however, declined, and he relocated to London in 1983, recording with Mad Professor, as well as further recordings for Jamaican producers King Tubby, Errol Thompson, and Prince Jammy. He has since occasionally reappeared with new material - Rasta Nuh Fear in 1992, and Rock With Me in 1997 - and continues to tour regularly.

ABOUT JAH SHAKA: JAH SHAKA has been operating a London-based roots reggae soundsystem since the early 1970s. His name is an amalgamation of the Rasta term for God and that of a zulu warrior.

He started out on the Freddie Cloudburst soundsystem, before setting up his own.

Shaka is perhaps best known for sticking to his rastafarian beliefs in the 1980s whilst other soundsystems followed the Jamaican trend towards playing "slack" dancehall music. His refusal to compromise inspired a host of new UK reggae artists and soundsystems such as Eastern Sher, The Disciples, Iration Steppas, Jah Warrior, Conscious Sounds, The Rootsman and Abashanti-I. Non-reggae artists such as Basement Jaxx have also cited Jah Shaka as an influence during interviews.

On his own record label he has released music from Jamaican artists such as Max Romeo, Johnny Clarke, Bim Sherman and Prince Alla as well as UK groups such as Aswad and Dread & Fred. He has released a number of dub albums, often under the Commandments of Dub banner.

In 1980 Shaka played himself in the film Babylon (directed by Franco Rosso), operating his soundsystem in a soundclash at the climax of the story.

In 1989 Shaka visited Jamaica and worked with many musicians there, including King Tubby.

In 2000 he suffered numerous injuries during a house fire.

The Jah Shaka soundsystem continues to appear regularly in London, with occasional tours of the USA, Europe and Japan.

Shaka has also established the Jah Shaka Foundation to carry out assistance with projects in Ghana, where the foundation has bought seven acres of land in Agri, thirty miles outside of Accra. It has also managed to distribute medical supplies, wheelchairs, library books, carpentry tools, drawing materials (and of course records) to clinics, schools and Radio stations in the Accra area establishing important links with the local communities

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Johnny
• Clarke
• Jah
• Shaka
• Babylon
• (12
• inch
• version)

[SexyGuv77]

I just don't tire of this tune....it just sounds better and better everytime....the dub towards the end is the icing on the cake

[Toxde]

I remember buying this 12" in New Cross late 70s. Every Johnny Clarke tune was a must have at that time. Every Knee Shall Bow pre-release cost nearly half me Giro money!

[Terrra91]

I love steppers drum beats deh sound sick in dub.

[OzzyStaaRr786]

big tune dub at the end is to gully. bless it bless it. peace to eye jah rastafari.

[DestroyerOfEvil247]

THANK U 

[BBmatic]

The easily better Cha Cha 12" version is now on Youtube and criminally underwatched compared to this.

I can't paste a link here, search 'johnny clarke babylon cha cha' and see for yourself.

anyone disagrees...you're wrong, sorry :o)

[jetblakink]

I feel sorry for anyone that has not heard Jah Shaka, but know of all these tunes. Your really haven't heard them till you hear Shaka draw dem!... trusssssssss me!

[travelrocknroll]

shaka slay dem ! johnny clark rool

[mrbilnext]

love to hear this inna dance!!

[superadonai]

YAHWEH JAH RASTAFARI HAILE SELASSIE I BLESS DIS TUNE BLESSED LOVE TO ALL OF ISRAEL.....SELAH

[MrDroplick]

@BBmatic Yes the version on the Cha Cha label is kicking, This version was released on the Shaka label 12" vinyl in the early eighties. So this version was remixed by Jah Shaka and Mad Professor. They are both good within there own rights, but you would have to listen to Shaka playing both versions on his set(valve preferably) to truly appreciate them both. Nuff Respect!!! :-)

[MrDroplick]

@locsman He's got nuff more than 10 cuts and all of them are worries and problem!!!! :-)

[MrDroplick]

@locsman He' good nuff more than 10 cuts and all of them are worries and problem!!!! :-)