Give Thanks And Praise

My Sunday gift to you is You. No, not you, Yabby You!

Forty-seven minutes of Vivian Jackson, with The Prophets and solo, in full vocal style and on a dub excursion with King Tubby and, right at the end, Tony Tuff.

I didn't cotton on to Yabby You until Andrew Weatherall sampled him for the intro to the Boy's Own Mix of Abandon by That Petrol Emotion in 1990. I was surprised to find that thirty six years later, having considerably grown my reggae and dub collection (mostly CD and digital), I still have relatively little by Yabby You.

Today's selection was prompted by revisiting Walls Of Jerusalem, the 1976 album by The Prophets, where Yabby You first made a name for himself. One side of vocal songs, dubbed up by King Tubby on the flip side, it's one that I habitually break out each year when the clocks go back and the promise of Spring is in the air.

Three songs are drawn from Deliver Me From My Enemies (1977), credited to The Yabby You Vibration, a formidable studio ensemble including Sly & Robbie, Earl 'Chinna' Smith. Bernard 'Touter' Harvey, Clinton 'Basie' Fearon, Albert Griffiths, Tommy McCook, Bobby Ellis and Ansel Collins.

Nippon Skank and Beirut Massacre were recorded in 1980 and released on the 1982 album  African Queen, which was effectively licensed without Vivian's knowledge or consent, a sadly common practice at the time of ripping off the artists, who wouldn't see a penny in revenue.

Yabby You passed in January 2010, age 63, but to paraphrase one of his songs, I can at least give thanks and praise for the incredible music that Yabby You recorded in his lifetime.

1) Tribulation: The Prophets (1976)

2) I Love My Lady / Lady Love Dub: Yabby You & Michael Prophet (1980)

3) Nippon Skank: Yabby You (1980)

4) Conquering Dub: Yabby You & The Prophets (1972)

5) Love In Zimba: The Yabby You VIbration (1977)

6) Firey Dub (Version By King Tubby): The Prophets (1976)

7) Stranger In Love (Cover of John Holt): The Yabby You VIbration (1977)

8) Dub Of Jerusalem (Version By King Tubby): The Prophets (1976)

9) Blood A Go Run Down King Street: The Yabby You VIbration (1977)

10) Dub Plague (Version By King Tubby): The Prophets (1976)

11) Beirut Massacre: Yabby You (1980)

12) Falling Babylon aka Babylon A Fall (Version) (12" Mix By Tony Tuff aka Winston Morris): Yabby U (1979)

Give Thanks And Praise (47:09) (GD) (M)