Dread Beat an' Blood
Encyclopedia
Dread Beat an' Blood is an album by Poet And The Roots
released in 1978 on the Frontline label. It was produced by Vivian Weathers and Linton Kwesi Johnson
. The Poet is dub poet
Linton Kwesi Johnson
and The Roots are Dennis Bovell
, Jah Bunny, Desmond Craig, Winston Curniffe, Everald Forrest, Floyd Lawson, John Varnom, Lila Weathers and Vivian Weathers. Most of the tracks first appeared in Johnson's
1975 book of poetry Dread Beat an' Blood.
This album was the result of collaboration between Johnson
, who had been active as a journalist and reggae critic as well as a poet, and Bovell
a dub master and record producer. The combination of Bovell's heavy dub rhythms and Johnson's monotone intonation of his poetry created a whole new genre of reggae
: dub poetry
.
In subsequent re-releases of the album the artist is sometimes given as Linton Kwesi Johnson
.
Johnson was the first person to accurately describe the situation of the black British youth in the inner cities in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This theme runs through most of the songs on this and his other albums but it particularly evident in the last vocal song on the album 'All Wi Doin' Is Defendin' which it is remarkably prescient as it foresees the Brixton riot (1981) in some detail and justifies it before it had even happened. All media commentators and politicians were shocked by this event. Not Linton Kwesi Johnson. Lyrics include "Send in the riot squad quick because we're running wild" "All we need are bottles and bricks and sticks" and these were indeed the principal weapons used by the 1981 rioters. "All Wi Doin' is Defendin' so get ready for war!" for Johnson was correct in seeing the forthcoming riot as an essentially defensive act by the black youth of Brixton after years of victimisation by the police.
The album was listed in the 1999 book The Rough Guide: Reggae: 100 Essential CDs.
On some later re-releases on CD the following tracks also appear
Poet And The Roots
Poet and the Roots are a reggae band formed to record dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson's poems with dub reggae backing tracks.Johnson released his later material under his own name, although some of the musicians from this group appeared on his subsequent albums....
released in 1978 on the Frontline label. It was produced by Vivian Weathers and Linton Kwesi Johnson
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Linton Kwesi Johnson is a UK-based dub poet. He became the second living poet, and the only black poet, to be published in the Penguin Classics series. His poetry involves the recitation of his own verse in Jamaican Patois over dub-reggae, usually written in collaboration with renowned British...
. The Poet is dub poet
Dub poetry
Dub poetry is a form of performance poetry of West Indian origin, which evolved out of dub music consisting of spoken word over reggae rhythms in Jamaica in the 1970s....
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Linton Kwesi Johnson is a UK-based dub poet. He became the second living poet, and the only black poet, to be published in the Penguin Classics series. His poetry involves the recitation of his own verse in Jamaican Patois over dub-reggae, usually written in collaboration with renowned British...
and The Roots are Dennis Bovell
Dennis Bovell
Dennis Bovell is a reggae guitarist, bass player and record producer. He was a member of the British reggae band Matumbi, and released dub-reggae records under his own name as well as the pseudonym 'Blackbeard'....
, Jah Bunny, Desmond Craig, Winston Curniffe, Everald Forrest, Floyd Lawson, John Varnom, Lila Weathers and Vivian Weathers. Most of the tracks first appeared in Johnson's
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Linton Kwesi Johnson is a UK-based dub poet. He became the second living poet, and the only black poet, to be published in the Penguin Classics series. His poetry involves the recitation of his own verse in Jamaican Patois over dub-reggae, usually written in collaboration with renowned British...
1975 book of poetry Dread Beat an' Blood.
This album was the result of collaboration between Johnson
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Linton Kwesi Johnson is a UK-based dub poet. He became the second living poet, and the only black poet, to be published in the Penguin Classics series. His poetry involves the recitation of his own verse in Jamaican Patois over dub-reggae, usually written in collaboration with renowned British...
, who had been active as a journalist and reggae critic as well as a poet, and Bovell
Dennis Bovell
Dennis Bovell is a reggae guitarist, bass player and record producer. He was a member of the British reggae band Matumbi, and released dub-reggae records under his own name as well as the pseudonym 'Blackbeard'....
a dub master and record producer. The combination of Bovell's heavy dub rhythms and Johnson's monotone intonation of his poetry created a whole new genre of reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
: dub poetry
Dub poetry
Dub poetry is a form of performance poetry of West Indian origin, which evolved out of dub music consisting of spoken word over reggae rhythms in Jamaica in the 1970s....
.
In subsequent re-releases of the album the artist is sometimes given as Linton Kwesi Johnson
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Linton Kwesi Johnson is a UK-based dub poet. He became the second living poet, and the only black poet, to be published in the Penguin Classics series. His poetry involves the recitation of his own verse in Jamaican Patois over dub-reggae, usually written in collaboration with renowned British...
.
Johnson was the first person to accurately describe the situation of the black British youth in the inner cities in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This theme runs through most of the songs on this and his other albums but it particularly evident in the last vocal song on the album 'All Wi Doin' Is Defendin' which it is remarkably prescient as it foresees the Brixton riot (1981) in some detail and justifies it before it had even happened. All media commentators and politicians were shocked by this event. Not Linton Kwesi Johnson. Lyrics include "Send in the riot squad quick because we're running wild" "All we need are bottles and bricks and sticks" and these were indeed the principal weapons used by the 1981 rioters. "All Wi Doin' is Defendin' so get ready for war!" for Johnson was correct in seeing the forthcoming riot as an essentially defensive act by the black youth of Brixton after years of victimisation by the police.
The album was listed in the 1999 book The Rough Guide: Reggae: 100 Essential CDs.
Track listing
All tracks by Linton Kwesi JohnsonLinton Kwesi Johnson
Linton Kwesi Johnson is a UK-based dub poet. He became the second living poet, and the only black poet, to be published in the Penguin Classics series. His poetry involves the recitation of his own verse in Jamaican Patois over dub-reggae, usually written in collaboration with renowned British...
- "Dread Beat an Blood" – 2:51
- "Five Nights of Bleeding (For Leroy Harris)" – 4:32
- "Doun De Road" – 2:25
- "Song of Blood" – 6:26
- "It Dread Inna Ingland (For George Lindo)" – 4:04
- "Come Wi Goh Dung Deh" – 3:44
- "Man Free (For Darcus HoweDarcus HoweDarcus Howe is a British broadcaster, writer, and civil liberties campaigner. Originally from Trinidad, he moved to America in the 1960s, then arrived in England intending to study law, where he joined the British Black Panthers, the first such branch of the organization outside the United States...
)" – 5:53 - "All Wi Doin' Is Defendin'" – 2:57
On some later re-releases on CD the following tracks also appear
- "Command Counsel"
- "Defense (dub)"
Personnel
- Bass - Floyd Lawson, Vivian Weathers
- Drums - Lloyd "Jah Bunny" Donaldson, Winston "Crab" Curniffe
- Engineer - Dennis BovellDennis BovellDennis Bovell is a reggae guitarist, bass player and record producer. He was a member of the British reggae band Matumbi, and released dub-reggae records under his own name as well as the pseudonym 'Blackbeard'....
- Guitar - Dennis BovellDennis BovellDennis Bovell is a reggae guitarist, bass player and record producer. He was a member of the British reggae band Matumbi, and released dub-reggae records under his own name as well as the pseudonym 'Blackbeard'....
, John Varnom, Vivian Weathers - Keyboards - Desmond Craig on "All Wi Doin' is Defendin'"
- Mixed By - Dennis BovellDennis BovellDennis Bovell is a reggae guitarist, bass player and record producer. He was a member of the British reggae band Matumbi, and released dub-reggae records under his own name as well as the pseudonym 'Blackbeard'....
- Percussion - Everald Forrest, Lloyd "Jah Bunny" Donaldson, Winston "Crab" Curniffe, Linton Kwesi JohnsonLinton Kwesi JohnsonLinton Kwesi Johnson is a UK-based dub poet. He became the second living poet, and the only black poet, to be published in the Penguin Classics series. His poetry involves the recitation of his own verse in Jamaican Patois over dub-reggae, usually written in collaboration with renowned British...
- Vocals - Linton Kwesi JohnsonLinton Kwesi JohnsonLinton Kwesi Johnson is a UK-based dub poet. He became the second living poet, and the only black poet, to be published in the Penguin Classics series. His poetry involves the recitation of his own verse in Jamaican Patois over dub-reggae, usually written in collaboration with renowned British...
, Lila Weathers, Vivian Weathers