28-398: Leroy Sibbles (born Leroy Sibblies, 29 January 1949) is a Jamaican reggae musician and producer. He was the lead singer for The Heptones in the 1960s and 1970s. In addition to his work with The Heptones, Sibbles was a session bassist and arranger at Clement "Coxsone" Dodd 's Jamaica Recording and Publishing Studio and the associated Studio One label during the prolific late 1960s. He
56-574: A U-Know Award for best male vocalist in 1983, and a Juno Award for best reggae album in 1987. He left the Heptones in 1976, midway through a US tour. Also in Canada, he recorded an album for A&M and licensed several albums to Pete Weston 's Micron label, including Now and Strictly Roots . In 1990 he collaborated on the one-off single "Can't Repress the Cause", a plea for greater inclusion of hip hop music in
84-532: A Ling , Freedom Line , and the Heartbeat Records anthology, Sea of Love . Beyond his work as a singer-songwriter, Sibbles contributed to the collective output of Studio One as a bass player during the late 1960s. Keyboardist and arranger Jackie Mittoo encouraged Sibbles to play the bass when he needed a bassist for his Jazz trio. When Mittoo left full-time duties at Studio One, Sibbles auditioned singers, arranged sessions, sang harmony, and played bass as
112-465: A part of the studio group variously known as the Sound Dimension and Soul Vendors . These musicians, with engineering supervision Sylvan Morris, played backing tracks used by vocalists Bob Andy , Alton Ellis , Horace Andy , Carlton Manning, The Abyssinians , The Gladiators , Willi Williams , Ken Boothe , John Holt , Burning Spear , Dennis Brown , Slim Smith , and scores of others. Sibbles
140-515: A reggae LP" in the UK. Gardiner's music continued to be popular in Jamaica, but interest waned in the UK. During the 1970s he continued session work, including several recordings for Lee "Scratch" Perry including Junior Murvin 's " Police and Thieves ". The Boris Gardiner Happening recorded a version of " Ain't No Sunshine " in 1973 with Paul Douglas singing lead, and Boris Gardiner playing bass guitar, for
168-485: A rhythmic space found in later roots reggae , where the notes were not necessarily played or sustained on each downbeat of a 4/4 measure. Sibbles has explained that his style was to lag the downbeat slightly. Other musicians involved in the Studio One rock steady sessions included Richard Ace and Robbie Lyn on keyboards; Bunny Williams, Joe Isaacs, and Fil Callendar on drums; Eric Frater and Ernest Ranglin on guitar; and
196-462: A solo artist, Gardiner had a hit with the song "Elizabethan Reggae" in 1970, a version of Ronald Binge 's " Elizabethan Serenade ". When the single was released in the United Kingdom, the first copies were printed with the label incorrectly identifying Byron Lee (not Gardiner) as the performer. Lee was the producer of the track. The UK Singles Chart printed this error for the first chart entry and
224-645: Is bass on the influential reggae song " Real Rock ". Born in the Rollington Town area of Kingston , Jamaica, Gardiner attended Franklin Town Government School and St Monica's College, dropping out of education after being diagnosed with tachycardia . In 1960 he joined Richard Ace's band the Rhythm Aces, which also included Delano Stewart , later of the Gaylads . With the group he recorded "Angella", and
252-682: Is disproportionately held by the White Jamaicans, Chinese Jamaicans and the Afro-European (or locally called the Brown Man or Browning Class) - i.e. despite being a minority group(s) (less than 25% of the country's population) controls most of the country's wealth. Responses of the 2011 official census . A more precise breakdown of the Responses of the 2011 official census by the University of
280-658: The Cayman Islands , born Jamaicans, as well as Caymanians of Jamaican origin, make up 26.8% of the population. Outside of Anglophone countries, the largest Jamaican diaspora community lives in Central America, where Jamaicans make up a significant percentage of the population. According to the official Jamaica Population Census of 1970 , ethnic origins categories in Jamaica include: Black (Mixed) ; Chinese ; East Indian ; White ; and 'Other' (e.g.: Syrian or Lebanese ). Jamaicans who consider themselves Black (according to
308-617: The Broncos, named after the Bronco Club where they had a residency. He later played with Byron Lee 's Dragonaires . In the late 1960s and 1970s he worked extensively as a session musician as a member of the Now Generation, The Upsetters , The Aggrovators , and The Crystallites . While working at Studio One he played on hits such as The Heptones ' "On Top", Larry and Alvin 's "Nanny Goat", and Marcia Griffiths ' "Feel Like Jumping". As
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#1732902294005336-530: The Canadian music scene, with Dance Appeal , a supergroup of Toronto-area musicians that included Devon , Maestro Fresh Wes , Dream Warriors , B-Kool, Michie Mee , Lillian Allen , Eria Fachin , HDV , Dionne, Thando Hyman, Carla Marshall, Messenjah , Jillian Mendez, Lorraine Scott, Lorraine Segato , Self Defense, Zama and Thyron Lee White. Sibbles continued to visit Jamaica, and performed at Reggae Sunsplash in 1980, 1981, 1983, 1986, and 1990. He returned to
364-526: The Heptones in 1991. In 1996 he recorded "Original Full Up" with Beenie Man . Sibbles is featured in the 2009 documentary Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae . He continued to perform and record into 2010. Sibbles moved into production in 2009, and set up the Bright Beam record label. He has produced records by singer Sagitar and deejay Chapter, as well as his own recordings, including a successful cover version of "Harry Hippy". Jamaicans Jamaicans are
392-657: The United States' One-drop rule definition of Black), made up 92% of the working population. Those of non-African descent or mixed race made up the remaining 8% of the population. But according to a more precise study conducted by the local University of the West Indies - Jamaica's population is more accurately 76.3% African descent or Black, 15.1% Afro-European (or locally called the Brown Man or Browning Class), 3.4% East Indian and Afro-East Indian, 3.2% Caucasian, 1.2% Chinese and 0.8% Other. Wealth or economic power in Jamaica
420-920: The West Indies Many Jamaicans now live overseas and outside Jamaica, while many have migrated to Anglophone countries, including over 400,000 Jamaicans in the United Kingdom , over 300,000 in Canada and 1,100,000 in the United States . There are about 30,500 Jamaicans residing in other CARICOM member including the Bahamas , Antigua & Barbuda (12,000), Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago . There are also communities of Jamaican descendants in Central America, particularly Costa Rica , Nicaragua , and Panama . Most of Costa Rica's Afro-Costa Rican and Mulatto population, which combined represents about 7% of
448-401: The album Is What's Happening . In 1986, Gardiner recorded the single " I Wanna Wake Up with You ", which became a surprise number one hit in the UK. It spent two months in the top ten . The accompanying album, Everything to Me also included the follow-up hit, "You're Everything to Me", which peaked at number 11. The single "The Meaning of Christmas" (a re-recording of "C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S")
476-597: The citizens of Jamaica and their descendants in the Jamaican diaspora . The vast majority of Jamaicans are of Sub-Saharan African descent, with minorities of Europeans, Indians, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and others of mixed ancestry. The bulk of the Jamaican diaspora resides in other Anglophone countries , namely Canada , the United States and the United Kingdom . Jamaican populations are also prominent in other Caribbean countries , territories and Commonwealth realms , where in
504-691: The early 1970s were Book of Rules ( Trojan Records ) and the Harry Johnson-produced album Cool Rasta (Trojan), recorded just before the group benefited from the internationalisation of reggae via Island Records . Danny Holloway produced Night Food and Lee "Scratch" Perry-produced Party Time were the fruit of the association with Island. As a solo artist, Sibbles worked with Lloyd "Bullwackie" Barnes , Lloyd Parks , Sly & Robbie , Augustus Pablo , Bruce Cockburn , and Lee Perry, but primarily produced himself. Sibbles moved to Canada in 1973, where he married and remained for twenty years, and won
532-417: The first four weeks of its re-entry into the charts. After 28 February 1970, all printings gave Gardiner credit. Boris told Jamaican vlogger Teach Dem on February 14, 2023 that he did not receive a penny of royalties, or any payment, for "Elizabethan Reggae". His debut album, Reggae Happening , was also released in 1970 but did not chart. Music journalist Ian McCann said that the album "sold respectably for
560-525: The horn section of Felix "Deadly Headley" Bennett on saxophone and Vin Gordon (a.k.a. "Don D. Jr.") on trombone. After Studio One, Sibbles and the Heptones recorded for other producers including Lee Perry , Harry J , JoJo Hoo Kim , Niney The Observer , Clive Chin , Gussie Clarke , Lloyd Campbell , Prince Buster , Ossie Hibbert , Phil Pratt , Harry Mudie , Geoffrey Chung , Danny Holloway , Rupie Edwards , and Joe Gibbs . Other Heptones releases from
588-586: The instrumental "Full Up", popularised internationally by Musical Youth 's recording of "Pass the Dutchie", an adaptation of Mighty Diamonds ' "Pass the Kouchie". Sibbles' legacy also endures in Horace Andy's tribute to him, "Mr. Bassie". (While Sibbles has been credited with the original "Real Rock" bassline, this was more likely performed by Boris Gardiner ). The bass parts Sibbles and others developed in rocksteady used
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#1732902294005616-514: The local hits "A Thousand Teardrops" and "C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S" (written with his brother Barrington). The group split up and by 1963 Gardiner had joined Kes Chin and The Souvenirs as vocalist, and began learning guitar. He went on to join Carlos Malcolm & the Afro Caribs with whom he started playing bass guitar after the original bassist left, and when that band ended he started his own group,
644-494: The most influential groups of the rock steady era, along with The Pioneers , The Gaylads , The Paragons , The Uniques , and The Techniques . Signature Heptones songs included "Baby", "Get in the Groove", "Ting a Ling", "Fattie Fattie", "Got to Fight On (To the Top)", "Party Time", and "Sweet Talking". The group's Studio One output has been collected on albums The Heptones , On Top , Ting
672-418: The total population, is of Jamaican descent. Boris Gardiner Boris Gardiner (born 13 January 1943) is a Jamaican singer, songwriter and bass guitarist. He was a member of several groups during the 1960s before recording as a solo artist and having hit singles with " Elizabethan Reggae " (in 1970), " I Wanna Wake Up with You " and "You're Everything to Me" (both 1986). One of his most notable credits
700-491: The two groups competed in a street-corner contest. The trio made their first recordings for Ken Lack in 1966 with "School Girls" and "Gun Man Coming to Town", the latter the A-side of their début single. Though the songs did not achieve hit status, the latter composition made the playlists at Radio Jamaica Rediffusion (RJR). They moved on to Clement "Coxsone" Dodd 's Studio One where they stayed until 1971. The Heptones were among
728-571: Was a contributor to tracks including "Freedom Blues" (which evolved into the Jamaican rhythm known as "MPLA") by Roy Richards, "Love Me Forever" by Carlton & The Shoes, " Satta Massagana " and "Declaration of Rights" by the Abyssinians , "Stars" and "Queen of the Minstrels" by The Eternals, "Ten to One" by the Mad Lads, "Door Peep (Shall Not Enter)" by Burning Spear , and the instrumental "Full Up", which
756-459: Was described as "the greatest all-round talent in reggae history" by Kevin O'Brien Chang and Wayne Chen in their 1998 book Reggae Routes . The son of a grocer, Sibbles began singing in the 1950s and also played guitar, having been taught by Trench Town Rastas Brother Huntley and "Carrot". Barry Llewellyn and Earl Morgan had formed The Heptones in 1958, and Sibbles was in a rival group along with two friends. Sibbles joined The Heptones in 1965 after
784-411: Was used by Musical Youth for their huge worldwide hit " Pass the Dutchie ". Because of the Jamaican process of versioning and the liberal recycling of rhythms in subsequent years, many of the songs, rhythms, and melodies written and recorded during the rocksteady era, the aforementioned in particular, continue to be referenced today. The most frequently referenced of Sibbles' bass lines is that found on
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