Roots Radics
Encyclopedia
The Roots Radics Band was formed in 1978 by bass
player Errol "Flabba" Holt
and guitarist Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont
. They were joined by many great musicians. As a combined force the Roots Radics became a well-respected studio
and stage band, which dominated the sound in the first half of the 1980s. They supported artists like Bunny Wailer
, Gregory Isaacs
and Israel Vibration
and have released several albums to their name as well. As an aside, 'Radics' sounds very much like 'Radix', which is the Latin word for 'Root' also.
Somewhere late in 1979 the band recorded the riddim
s for Barrington Levy
's first songs for producer Henry "Junjo" Lawes, credited at the time as the Channel One Stars
. With hindsight these riddims are now considered the birth of Jamaican dancehall
music. They were also the backing band on several Eek-A-Mouse
albums including Bubble Up Yu Hip (1980), Wa-Do-Dem (1981), Skidip (1982), The Mouse and the Man (1983) and The Assassinator (1983).
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player Errol "Flabba" Holt
Errol Holt
Errol Holt , also known as Errol Carter and by his nickname Flabba, is a Jamaican bass guitar player who was a member of The Morwells and the Roots Radics and has played on hundreds of Jamaican albums.-Biography:...
and guitarist Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont
Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont
Eric Lamont , better known as Bingy Bunny, was a Jamaican guitarist and singer who recorded with the Roots Radics and The Morwells as well as recording solo material...
. They were joined by many great musicians. As a combined force the Roots Radics became a well-respected studio
Studio band
A studio band is a musical band that is in regular employment of a Music Recording business for the purpose of playing music on recordings featuring a separate performer. The term may also refer to a band that does not perform live....
and stage band, which dominated the sound in the first half of the 1980s. They supported artists like Bunny Wailer
Bunny Wailer
Bunny Wailer, , also known as Bunny Livingston and affectionately as Jah B, is a singer songwriter and percussionist and was an original member of reggae group The Wailers along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh...
, Gregory Isaacs
Gregory Isaacs
Gregory Anthony Isaacs was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in the New York Times, described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae". His nicknames include Cool Ruler and Lonely Lover....
and Israel Vibration
Israel Vibration
Israel Vibration is a reggae harmony trio, originating from Kingston, Jamaica. Lascelle "Wiss" Bulgin, Albert "Apple Gabriel" Craig, and Cecil "Skelly" Spence all overcame childhood polio, and went on to be one of the most successful roots groups to form in Jamaica in the late 1970s...
and have released several albums to their name as well. As an aside, 'Radics' sounds very much like 'Radix', which is the Latin word for 'Root' also.
Somewhere late in 1979 the band recorded the riddim
Riddim
Riddim is the Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word "rhythm," but in dancehall/reggae parlance it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song. Thus, a dancehall song consists of the riddim plus the "voicing" sung by the deejay. The resulting song structure may be taken for...
s for Barrington Levy
Barrington Levy
Barrington Levy is a reggae and dancehall artist from Jamaica.-Career:In 1976, Levy formed a band with his cousin, Everton Dacres, called the Mighty Multitude; the pair released "My Black Girl" in 1977...
's first songs for producer Henry "Junjo" Lawes, credited at the time as the Channel One Stars
Channel One Studios
Channel One is a recording studio in Maxfield Avenue, West Kingston, Jamaica. The studio was built by the Hoo Kim brothers in 1972, and has had a profound influence on the development of reggae music....
. With hindsight these riddims are now considered the birth of Jamaican dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
music. They were also the backing band on several Eek-A-Mouse
Eek-a-Mouse
Eek-A-Mouse is a Jamaican reggae musician. He is one of the early artists to be described as a "singjay".-Biography:...
albums including Bubble Up Yu Hip (1980), Wa-Do-Dem (1981), Skidip (1982), The Mouse and the Man (1983) and The Assassinator (1983).