Playback with Black Market Dub
The best Jamaican vocal trio? It's Week 5 of Reggae Summer, and Brandon's pick is The Heptones' 1976 Island album Night Food — their Studio One classics re-cut at Harry J's studio into a lush, international-facing set.
We're joined by two experts in singing Jamaican music, Devin Morrison (The Expanders, "Man Like Devin," Long Beach Dub Allstars) and Joanne Highland, for a deep dive on harmony and the art of the vocal group. We cover the Heptones' rise through Coxsone's Studio One; Leroy Sibbles' double role as the label's house bassist and arranger; the Harry J re-recordings and Danny Holloway's production; the players in the room, including Robbie Shakespeare; standout tracks like "Book of Rules," "Sweet Talking," "I've Got the Handle" and "Love Won't Come Easy"; and our Favorite/Best game.
CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:21:42 - Who are The Heptones?
00:39:59 - Production and Vocal Trios
01:16:53 - Standout Songs
01:40:18 - Favorite/Best
02:00:39 - Final Thoughts
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at https://patreon.com/blackmarketdub Our music: https://blackmarketdub.bandcamp.com Vinyl: https://escapehatchrecords.com Instagram: @blackmarket_dub Watch the video episodes on YouTube: https://youtube.com/blackmarketdub Email us: blackmarketreggae@gmail.com