The earliest I can remember is from the 80's - we had Iko, Day-o (although I think it was a cover), Oh Carolina, Kingstontown... but I think it dates earlier than that, just never hit the mainstream until then.  Then there was that reggaeish "Life In A Northern Town" by Dream Academy that maybe was late 70's?

Anyone have any insight?

I believe it started in the 1960s, actually.

I believe it started in the 1960s, actually.


Really? Do you know any good examples of earlier reggae?  I don't think I've heard it and I'd like to.. if you can recommend one for me to download I'd appreciate it  :)

Sorry, I'm not a reggae buff by any means. So I couldn't really recommend anything. That was just sort of a random fact I had heard.

I'm thinking maybe "I Smoke Two Joints" was an earlier form of reggae but I'm not sure when that came out.

I'm thinking maybe "I Smoke Two Joints" was an earlier form of reggae but I'm not sure when that came out.




;D That is a band? A song?

I gotta find that. 8)

I believe it started in the 1960s, actually.
Definitely a reggae tune, 007 by Desmond Dekker & Aces from 1967.

;D That is a band? A song?

I gotta find that. 8)


"I Smoke Two Joints" is a song - it's a pretty funny one.  Although now that I think of it, it can't be that early because it mentions video games.

"I Smoke Two Joints" is a song - it's a pretty funny one.  Although now that I think of it, it can't be that early because it mentions video games.


Oh yes, I know that song. It's kind of funny. I think it came out sometime in the 80's. The name of the group that performed it is The Toys, but another group by that same name did "A Lover's Concerto" in the 60's. :-\\ What are the odds of two bands having the exact same name? :o

Definitely a reggae tune, 007 by Desmond Dekker & Aces from 1967.


Eno, how did I know you'd be the one with the answer?  :)

Thanks!

Eno, how did I know you'd be the one with the answer?  :)

Thanks!


It is the first record I can recall being reggae

;D That is a band? A song?

I gotta find that. 8)

SMOKE TWO JOINTS by Sublime

(she was living in a single room with three other individuals.
One of them was a male and the other two, well, the other two were females.
God only know what they were up to in there.
And furthermore susan, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to learn that all four of them
Habitually smoke marijuana cigarettes... reefers)

I smoke two joints in the morning.
I smoke two joints at night.
I smoke two joints in the afternoon, it makes me feel alright
I smoke two joints in time of peace, and two in time of war
I smoke two joints before I smoke two joints,
And then I smoke two more

Smoked cigarettes ’til the day she died
Toke a big spliff of some good sensimillia
Smoked cigarettes ’til the day she died
Toke a big spliff of some good sensamill...
Easy-e were ya ever caught slippin’? hell no!

Daddy he once told me son you be hard workin’ man
And momma she once told me son you do the best you can
But, then one day I met a man who came to me and said
Hard work good, and hard work fine but first take care of head


Whoa, rock me tonight,
Whoa-oh, jah sake,
Whoa-ohh

SMOKE TWO JOINTS by Sublime

(she was living in a single room with three other individuals.
One of them was a male and the other two, well, the other two were females.
God only know what they were up to in there.
And furthermore susan, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to learn that all four of them
Habitually smoke marijuana cigarettes... reefers)

I smoke two joints in the morning.
I smoke two joints at night.
I smoke two joints in the afternoon, it makes me feel alright
I smoke two joints in time of peace, and two in time of war
I smoke two joints before I smoke two joints,
And then I smoke two more

Smoked cigarettes ’til the day she died
Toke a big spliff of some good sensimillia
Smoked cigarettes ’til the day she died
Toke a big spliff of some good sensamill...
Easy-e were ya ever caught slippin’? hell no!

Daddy he once told me son you be hard workin’ man
And momma she once told me son you do the best you can
But, then one day I met a man who came to me and said
Hard work good, and hard work fine but first take care of head


Whoa, rock me tonight,
Whoa-oh, jah sake,
Whoa-ohh


Do you happen to know the year, Jiminy?

Do you happen to know the year, Jiminy?

SUBLIME - 40 Oz. to Freedom  — 1992

'Israelites' by Desmond Dekker
'Everything I own' - Ken Boothe
'Uptown top ranking' - Althea and Donna
'Love of the common people' - Nicky Thomas
'Help me make it through the night' - John Holt
'Young, gifted and black' - Bob and Marcia
'The pied piper' - Bob and Marcia

All of this happened before the 80s. There's got to be loads more . . . :)

'Israelites' by Desmond Dekker 1969
'Everything I own' - Ken Boothe 1974
'Uptown top ranking' - Althea and Donna 1977
'Love of the common people' - Nicky Thomas 1970
'Help me make it through the night' - John Holt 1974
'Young, gifted and black' - Bob and Marcia 1970
'The pied piper' - Bob and Marcia 1971

Thank you for the dates, Philip. That is very kind of you.  :)

Thank you for the dates, Philip. That is very kind of you.  :)
No problem.

some people (those being not me) like to call the original version of "The tide is high" by the Paragons a reggae song...that would date it back to 1956.  But Reggae has been around for quite some time...it evolved out of Calipso, which is from even earlier. 

After a little searching I have found that Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) by Harry Belafonte is from 1956.

I'm not sure if this early version took the reggae form or not..

After a little searching I have found that Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) by Harry Belafonte is from 1956.

I'm not sure if this early version took the reggae form or not..


I felt it was more calypso, ADH13 but I may be wrong. Great song - first heard it on the film 'Beetlejuice'.  :)

I felt it was more calypso, ADH13 but I may be wrong. Great song - first heard it on the film 'Beetlejuice'.  :)


it is Calypso, but the styles are similar

it is Calypso, but the styles are similar


I always associate Reggae with electrical instruments and Calypso with acoustic ones.

I always associate Reggae with electrical instruments and Calypso with acoustic ones.


Yeah, isn't that the big difference?

it is Calypso, but the styles are similar


Thanks, Billy.  :)

don't know just wanted to post.

The answer is; Reggae started in 1968 but it's origins can be traced back to the late 1950's.
In Jamaica in the 50's, American Rhythm & Blues was very popular and people would go to sound system dances to hear the hottest sounds coming from America.  The different sound systems were very competitive and were always trying to get hold of an exclusive record that the other sound systems didn't have.  In the end it became clear that the only way to have a truly exclusive record was to make one yourself.  So, the owners of the sound systems became record producers and made their own records in the style of American R&B.  The Jamaican musicians gradually developed this style, and by putting the emphasis on the half beat or "off beat", they created a new style of music known as Ska.  This new style became very popular with Jamaicans.  Artists famous for ska include The Skatalites, Prince Buster, Laurel Aitken & Derrick Morgan.  Ska existed between 1959 and 1966.  During 1966, the music began to gradually slow down and a new form was created known as Rocksteady.
I'll continue with this another time, I have to go now...   :)

The slower pace of Rocksteady allowed the musicians more space to experiment and the basslines in particular became more interesting.  Some of the best known songs in the rocksteady style include; The Tide Is High - The Paragons, Rock Steady - Alton & The Flames, The Upsetter - Lee 'Scratch' Perry, 007 - Desmond Dekker & The Aces and Train To Skaville - The Ethiopians.  Towards the end of 1968, the Rocksteady style began to speed up slightly and gradually evolved into what became known as Reggae.
Reggae music continued to change throughout the 70's and the DJ style became very popular.  DJ's talking over records or "toasting" as it's known, was the beginning of Rap.  Reggae producers started to experiment with different studio effects, and Dub Reggae was invented. 
The most famous Reggae star ever; Bob Marley, started out back in the days of Ska in the early 60's, he later recorded songs in the Rocksteady style and then became responsible for introducing Reggae to an international audience.

I think I've waffled on enough now, I hope somebody finds this interesting...  :)

The slower pace of Rocksteady allowed the musicians more space to experiment and the basslines in particular became more interesting.  Some of the best known songs in the rocksteady style include; The Tide Is High - The Paragons, Rock Steady - Alton & The Flames, The Upsetter - Lee 'Scratch' Perry, 007 - Desmond Dekker & The Aces and Train To Skaville - The Ethiopians.  Towards the end of 1968, the Rocksteady style began to speed up slightly and gradually evolved into what became known as Reggae.
Reggae music continued to change throughout the 70's and the DJ style became very popular.  DJ's talking over records or "toasting" as it's known, was the beginning of Rap.  Reggae producers started to experiment with different studio effects, and Dub Reggae was invented. 
The most famous Reggae star ever; Bob Marley, started out back in the days of Ska in the early 60's, he later recorded songs in the Rocksteady style and then became responsible for introducing Reggae to an international audience.

I think I've waffled on enough now, I hope somebody finds this interesting...  :)


wow...yes, I found that incredably interesting...thank you...that clears all this up

I agree, that was interesting.. and exactly what I was trying to figure out.

Thanks!

Hey, I'm glad you found it interesting!  :)

Another interesting point; Calypso actually comes from the island of Barbados.  Jamaica had it's own traditional music form similar to calypso, called Mento...
The Ska sounds of 60's Jamaica were revived in 1979 by British bands like Madness, The Specials, The Selecter, Bad Manners and The Beat.

One more question if you don't mind...

Were mainstream reggae artists like UB40 and Bob Marley actually listened to in Jamaica?

Or are they "Americanized" styles of reggae that Jamaicans would have made fun of?

One more question if you don't mind...

Were mainstream reggae artists like UB40 and Bob Marley actually listened to in Jamaica?

Or are they "Americanized" styles of reggae that Jamaicans would have made fun of?


Bob Marley was definitely listened to in Jamaica.  He was, and still is, a national hero and his music is genuine reggae.  Practically every other Jamaican reggae artist would name Bob Marley as their main influence.
UB40 however, are probably not very popular with Jamaicans.  Being a British band and featuring members of different races, they are probably seen to be "pretenders" and not "real" reggae.  A lot of Jamaican artists are grateful to UB40 though, as they have covered a lot of classic Jamaican reggae songs and therefore made a lot of money for the writers of those songs.

And ADH 13, I'm happy to answer any questions you have!  It's cool that you're interested in reggae...  :)

I don't like reggae enough to listen to it all the time or anything, but I do like the purity of it.

It seems uninfluenced by society, trends and thug-ness (for lack of a better word)

Their music is relaxing and their lyrics seem to be peaceful, free-spirited and without hostility.  I like to listen to it when I'm angry, it tends to calm me down a bit.

I don't listen to a lot of reggae to be honest, in fact I haven't listened to any for months now.  I've got quite a good collection of reggae CD's and you're right, it's good music to listen to if you want to relax or "chill out".  I got interested in reggae because I used to play in a Ska band (I'm a drummer by the way) and we were asked to be the backing band for a couple of Jamaican guys called Dave Barker and Dennis Alcapone.  Thses guys are well known in the reggae scene.  I had to change my style of playing slightly and really liked the more laid back approach after the fast stuff I was used to playing.
I listen to lots of different music, it depends on my mood really.  I still like a lot of the music I started listening to around 1979-1980....
:)