The Aggrovators
Encyclopedia
The Aggrovators were a dub
/reggae
backing band in the 1970s & 1980s, and one of the main session
bands
of producer
, Bunny Lee
. The line-up varied, with Lee using the name for whichever set of musicians he was using at any time. The band's name derived from the record shop that Lee had run in the late 1960s, Agro Sounds. Alumni of the band included many musician
s who later went to make names for themselves in reggae music. Legends such as Jackie Mittoo
, Sly and Robbie
, Tommy McCook
, and Aston Barrett
were all involved with the band at one point or another. Other regular members included Carlton "Santa" Davis, Earl "Chinna" Smith, Ansel Collins, Bernard "Touter" Harvey, Tony Chin, Bobby Ellis
, and Vin Gordon
. The band recorded Lee's most popular output from the 1970s, with the instrumental b-sides of Lee's single releases on the Jackpot and Justice labels generally credited to The Aggrovators and mixed by King Tubby
.
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
/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...
backing band in the 1970s & 1980s, and one of the main session
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
bands
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
of producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, Bunny Lee
Bunny Lee
Edward O'Sullivan Lee, better known as Bunny "Striker" Lee is a prominent, prolific and successful record producer best known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...
. The line-up varied, with Lee using the name for whichever set of musicians he was using at any time. The band's name derived from the record shop that Lee had run in the late 1960s, Agro Sounds. Alumni of the band included many musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s who later went to make names for themselves in reggae music. Legends such as Jackie Mittoo
Jackie Mittoo
Jackie Mittoo was a Jamaican keyboardist, songwriter and musical director. He was a founding member of The Skatalites and was a mentor to many younger performers, primarily through his work as musical director for the Studio One record label.-Biography:He was born Donat Roy Mittoo in Browns Town,...
, Sly and Robbie
Sly and Robbie
Sly and Robbie is the prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production team of drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare who joined in the mid 1970s after having established themselves separately in Jamaica as professional musicians...
, Tommy McCook
Tommy McCook
Tommy McCook was a Jamaican saxophonist. A founding member of The Skatalites, he also directed The Supersonics for Duke Reid, and backed many sessions for Bunny Lee or with The Revolutionaries at Channel One Studios in the 1970s.-Biography:McCook was born in Havana, Cuba, and moved to Jamaica in...
, and Aston Barrett
Aston Barrett
Aston Barrett , often called "Family Man" or "Fams" for short, is a Jamaican bass player and Rastafarian.-Biography:...
were all involved with the band at one point or another. Other regular members included Carlton "Santa" Davis, Earl "Chinna" Smith, Ansel Collins, Bernard "Touter" Harvey, Tony Chin, Bobby Ellis
Bobby Ellis
Bobby Ellis born 2 July 1932, is a Jamaican trumpet player. He has worked with many reggae artists including Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, and The Revolutionaries.-Biography:...
, and Vin Gordon
Vin Gordon
Vin Gordon is a Jamaican trombone player.-Biography:Gordon grew up in Jones Town, Kingston, Jamaica as one of eight children. He went to Kingston's catholic Alpha Boys School where he learned to play trombone and string bass. One of his tutors was Lennie Hibbert...
. The band recorded Lee's most popular output from the 1970s, with the instrumental b-sides of Lee's single releases on the Jackpot and Justice labels generally credited to The Aggrovators and mixed by King Tubby
King Tubby
King Tubby was a Jamaican electronics and sound engineer, known primarily for his influence on the development of dub in the 1960s and 1970s...
.
Albums
- 1975 - Shalom Dub (King TubbyKing TubbyKing Tubby was a Jamaican electronics and sound engineer, known primarily for his influence on the development of dub in the 1960s and 1970s...
& The Aggrovators) - 1975 - Brass Rockers (Tommy McCookTommy McCookTommy McCook was a Jamaican saxophonist. A founding member of The Skatalites, he also directed The Supersonics for Duke Reid, and backed many sessions for Bunny Lee or with The Revolutionaries at Channel One Studios in the 1970s.-Biography:McCook was born in Havana, Cuba, and moved to Jamaica in...
& The Aggravators) - 1975 - Cookin (Tommy McCook & The Aggrovators)
- 1975 - King Tubby Meets The Aggrovators At Dub Station (Tommy McCook & The Aggrovators)
- 1975 - Show Case (Tommy McCook & The Aggrovators)
- 1976 - Rasta Dub 76
- 1976 - Reggae Stones Dub
- 1977 - Kaya Dub
- 1977 - Aggrovators Meets The Revolutioners At Channel One Studios
- 1977 - Disco Rockers (Tommy McCook & The Aggrovators) (aka Hot Lava)
- 1978 - Guerilla Dub (The Aggrovators & The RevolutionariesThe RevolutionariesThe Revolutionaries is a Jamaican reggae band.-Career:Set up in 1975 as the house band of the Channel One Studios owned by Joseph Hoo Kim, The Revolutionaries with Sly Dunbar on drums and Robbie Shakespeare on bass, created the new "rockers" style that would change the whole Jamaican sound The...
) - 1978 - Jammies In Lion Dub Style
- 1979 - Rockers Almighty Dub (The Aggrovators & The Revolutionaries)
- 197X - Presents Super Dub Disco Style (Bunny LeeBunny LeeEdward O'Sullivan Lee, better known as Bunny "Striker" Lee is a prominent, prolific and successful record producer best known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...
& The Aggrovators) - 1982 - Dubbing In The Back Yard (King Tubby & The Aggrovators)
- 1983 - Scientist Presents Neville Brown With The Aggrovators At Channel One
Compilations
- 1975-77 - Bionic Dub (The Aggrovators & King Tubby & Bunny Lee)
- 197X - Bunny Lee Meets King Tubby & Aggrovators
- 1973-77 - Creation Dub (The Aggrovators & King Tubby)
- 1974-76 - Dub Jackpot (The Aggrovators & King Tubby)
- 1975-76 - Dub Justice
- 1975-79 - Dub Gone Crazy (The Aggrovators & King Tubby)
- 1973-78 - Dubbing It Studio 1 Style
- 1975-77 - Foundation Of Dub (King Tubby & The Aggrovators)
- 197X - Instrumental Reggae (The Aggrovators featuring Bobby EllisBobby EllisBobby Ellis born 2 July 1932, is a Jamaican trumpet player. He has worked with many reggae artists including Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, and The Revolutionaries.-Biography:...
& Tommy McCook) - 1975-76 - Johnny In The Echo Chamber
- 1973-77 - Straight To I Roy Head (Bunny Lee & King Tubby & The Aggrovators)