Freedom Fighters Dub-Force of Music
Although the Royals’ lineup had shifted on a number of occasions, in the mid-’70s a more dramatic cleft occurred, forcing Roy Cousins to take stock. While he mulled his next move, the singer/producer kept his group’s name alive with the release of Pick Up the Pieces, a stunning compilation of the Royals’ best recent work, with a second set, Ten Years After, following in 1978. Thanks to DJ Lloyd Coxsone, who set the London scene shaking with dubs of Ten Years After’s songs, Cousins struck a deal with United Artists. The label, via their Ballistic imprint, released both Pick Up the Pieces and Ten Years After, as well as Freedom Fighter Dub, whose ten versions were drawn evenly from both vocal albums. Freedom Fighter itself was credited to Force of Music, a moniker that encompassed just about every name musician then on the scene. the Royals never used one studio exclusively, and even the dub set was divvied up, with various tracks mixed down byErrol Thompson, Ernest Hoo Kim, and Scientist. The echoing-in-the-ether of “Smoke Pipe Dub,” the militant sound of “Pagan Front Dub,” and the melody laced “Free Nambia Dub” each highlight the diversity of the approaches within. “Tribute to Lloyd Coxsone in Dub” is just exuberant, a fitting homage to the man who helped make it all happen; Cousins gratefully dedicated the album to him. The bulk of the vocal tracks were stunning versions of classic riddims, most arranged in roots reggae style, with only a few falling into rockers territory. The dubs invariably toughened them up, although “Promised Land”‘s cheery atmosphere still shines through on “Fresh Cow Milk Dub,” while the sweet melody of “Freedom Fighters” bubbles to the surface of “Free Namibia Dub” The vocal sets cemented the Royals’ vocal reputation in stone, this dub set did the same for Cousins’ productions.
all of the corresponding vocal versions to The Force Of Music’s Freedom Fighters Dub LP can be found on The Royals – Pick Up The Pieces anthology on Pressure Sounds and The Royals – Ten Years after CD reissue on Tamoki Wambesi.
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