King Tubby (born Osbourne Ruddock, January 28, 1941 โ February 6, 1989) was… Read Full Bio ↴King Tubby (born Osbourne Ruddock, January 28, 1941 โ February 6, 1989) was a Jamaican electronics and sound engineer, known primarily for his influence on the development of dub in the 1960s and 1970s. Tubby's innovative studio work, which saw him elevate the role of record producer to a creative height previously only reserved for composers and musicians, would prove to be highly influential across many genres of popular music. He is often cited as the inventor of the concept of the remix, and so may be seen as a direct antecedent of much dance and electronic music production.
Early life
In the 1950s, King Tubby's musical career began with the sound systems, which were set up on the streets of Kingston to play dance music for the people. As a talented radio repairman, Tubby was soon in great demand at most of the major sound systems of Kingston, as the tropical weather of the Caribbean Island, (often combined with sabotage by rival sound system owners) prompted many malfunctions in the equipment. Tubby would eventually form his own sound system, Tubby's Hometown Hi-Fi, which became a crowd favourite due to high sound quality, exclusive releases and Tubby's own echo and reverb sound effects, at that point something of a novelty.
Remixes
Tubby began working as a disc cutter for producer Duke Reid in 1968. Reid, one of the major figures in early Jamaican music alongside rival Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd, ran Treasure Isle studios, one of Jamaica's first independent production houses, and was a key producer of Ska, Rocksteady and eventually Reggae recordings. Asked to produce instrumental versions of songs for sound system MCs or toasters, Tubby initially worked to remove the vocal tracks with the sliders on Reid's mixing desk, but soon discovered that the various instrumental tracks could be accentuated, reworked and emphasised through the settings on the mixer and primitive early effects units. In time, Tubby (and others) began to create wholly new pieces of music by shifting the emphasis in the instrumentals, adding sounds and removing others and adding various special effects, like echoes, reverb and phase effects. Partly due to the incredible popularity of these early remixes, 1971 saw Tubby's soundsystem consolidate its position as one of the most popular in Kingston and so he decided to open a studio of his own.
Dub music production
King Tubby's production work in the 1970s would see him become one of the best-known celebrities in Jamaica, and would generate interest in his production techniques from musicians across the world. Tubby built on his considerable knowledge of electronics to repair, adapt and design his own studio equipment, which made use of a combination of old devices and new technologies to produce a studio capable of the precise, atmospheric sounds which would become Tubby's trademark. With a variety of effects units connected to his mixer, Tubby was able to 'play' the mixing desk like an instrument, bringing instruments and vocals in and out of the mix (literally 'dubbing' them) to create an entirely new genre: dub music.
Using existing master tapes or his own highly skilled session musicians, Tubby would twist the instrumental parts of songs into unexpected configurations which highlighted the heavy rhythms of their bass and drum parts with minute snatches of vocals, horns and keyboard. These techniques mirrored the actions of the soundsystem selectors, who had long used EQ equipment to emphasise certain aspects of particular records, but Tubby was able to use his custom-built studio to take this technique into unexpected areas, often transforming a hit song to the point where it was almost unrecognizeable from its original.
Tubby engineered/remixed songs by Jamaica's top producers such as Lee Perry, Bunny Lee, Augustus Pablo and Vivian Jackson that featured artists such as Johnny Clarke, Cornell Campbell, Linval Thompson, Horace Andy, Big Joe, Delroy Wilson, Jah Stitch and many others. In 1973, he began recording vocals to put along the instrumentals. It is unlikely that a complete discography of Tubby's production work could be created based on the number of labels, artists and producers with whom he worked, and subsequent repressings of these releases sometimes contained contradictory information. His name is credited on hundreds of b-side labels, with the possibility that many others were by his hand yet uncredited, due to similarities with his known work.
By the later part of the decade, though, King Tubby had mostly retired from music, still occasionally recording remixes and tutoring a new generation of artists, including King Jammy and Scientist. In the 1980s, he focused on the management of his own labels, Firehouse, Waterhouse and Taurus, which released the work of Anthony Red Rose, Sugar Minott, Conroy Smith and other popular musicians. He has been cited numerous times as influential to modern musicians including Animal Collective's Panda Bear (Noah Lennox).
Death
King Tubby was shot and killed on February 6, 1989 by unknown persons outside his home in Duhaney Park, upon returning from a session at his Waterhouse studio. It is thought that the murder was probably in a robbery attempt.
Early life
In the 1950s, King Tubby's musical career began with the sound systems, which were set up on the streets of Kingston to play dance music for the people. As a talented radio repairman, Tubby was soon in great demand at most of the major sound systems of Kingston, as the tropical weather of the Caribbean Island, (often combined with sabotage by rival sound system owners) prompted many malfunctions in the equipment. Tubby would eventually form his own sound system, Tubby's Hometown Hi-Fi, which became a crowd favourite due to high sound quality, exclusive releases and Tubby's own echo and reverb sound effects, at that point something of a novelty.
Remixes
Tubby began working as a disc cutter for producer Duke Reid in 1968. Reid, one of the major figures in early Jamaican music alongside rival Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd, ran Treasure Isle studios, one of Jamaica's first independent production houses, and was a key producer of Ska, Rocksteady and eventually Reggae recordings. Asked to produce instrumental versions of songs for sound system MCs or toasters, Tubby initially worked to remove the vocal tracks with the sliders on Reid's mixing desk, but soon discovered that the various instrumental tracks could be accentuated, reworked and emphasised through the settings on the mixer and primitive early effects units. In time, Tubby (and others) began to create wholly new pieces of music by shifting the emphasis in the instrumentals, adding sounds and removing others and adding various special effects, like echoes, reverb and phase effects. Partly due to the incredible popularity of these early remixes, 1971 saw Tubby's soundsystem consolidate its position as one of the most popular in Kingston and so he decided to open a studio of his own.
Dub music production
King Tubby's production work in the 1970s would see him become one of the best-known celebrities in Jamaica, and would generate interest in his production techniques from musicians across the world. Tubby built on his considerable knowledge of electronics to repair, adapt and design his own studio equipment, which made use of a combination of old devices and new technologies to produce a studio capable of the precise, atmospheric sounds which would become Tubby's trademark. With a variety of effects units connected to his mixer, Tubby was able to 'play' the mixing desk like an instrument, bringing instruments and vocals in and out of the mix (literally 'dubbing' them) to create an entirely new genre: dub music.
Using existing master tapes or his own highly skilled session musicians, Tubby would twist the instrumental parts of songs into unexpected configurations which highlighted the heavy rhythms of their bass and drum parts with minute snatches of vocals, horns and keyboard. These techniques mirrored the actions of the soundsystem selectors, who had long used EQ equipment to emphasise certain aspects of particular records, but Tubby was able to use his custom-built studio to take this technique into unexpected areas, often transforming a hit song to the point where it was almost unrecognizeable from its original.
Tubby engineered/remixed songs by Jamaica's top producers such as Lee Perry, Bunny Lee, Augustus Pablo and Vivian Jackson that featured artists such as Johnny Clarke, Cornell Campbell, Linval Thompson, Horace Andy, Big Joe, Delroy Wilson, Jah Stitch and many others. In 1973, he began recording vocals to put along the instrumentals. It is unlikely that a complete discography of Tubby's production work could be created based on the number of labels, artists and producers with whom he worked, and subsequent repressings of these releases sometimes contained contradictory information. His name is credited on hundreds of b-side labels, with the possibility that many others were by his hand yet uncredited, due to similarities with his known work.
By the later part of the decade, though, King Tubby had mostly retired from music, still occasionally recording remixes and tutoring a new generation of artists, including King Jammy and Scientist. In the 1980s, he focused on the management of his own labels, Firehouse, Waterhouse and Taurus, which released the work of Anthony Red Rose, Sugar Minott, Conroy Smith and other popular musicians. He has been cited numerous times as influential to modern musicians including Animal Collective's Panda Bear (Noah Lennox).
Death
King Tubby was shot and killed on February 6, 1989 by unknown persons outside his home in Duhaney Park, upon returning from a session at his Waterhouse studio. It is thought that the murder was probably in a robbery attempt.
Invasion
King Tubby Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Invasion' by these artists:
A.G.A.M.A Ya I'm back Yeah I'm coming hard like a bad cramp Something …
Abducted Agujeros negros se abren de la nada Todo estaba planeado des…
Abductors Deep inside do you believe The intelligent life's humanity…
ADX Beyond the sky and in the outer space A galaxy…
Ali.i.a.n When I grew up I was raised to not give…
Alinian Out there, over the hills There's a whole army of…
b.e.n.n.y. Yeah Finna buss the doors up out this bitch Its time for…
Bleach For every man there is a cause which he would…
BOOSTED P.S.I. Feel my wrath Feel my burn You don't know me You will learn …
Brutal Begude Notre continent est envahi Depuis des dรฉcennies Par des mili…
Chaneys From now on, everything that's here Everything will belong t…
Chthonic Rode with gloomy wind and magical clouds Soldiers equipped w…
Chumbawamba The first world's got greedy, we're consuming it all The thi…
D.A.R.P.A. Mis granos estรกn en guerra Con las uรฑas de mis manos Que…
D.O.V.E. D.A.W.G. Ya I'm back Yeah I'm coming hard like a bad cramp Something …
D.R.P. Mis granos estรกn en guerra Con las uรฑas de mis manos Que…
DIMINISH THE GODS Worlds burning in the Great Conjunction Adamantium limbs cra…
DJ G-BROWN One two Outer Space A very cold and pretty place Gravity wil…
DJ Magic Mike & Techmaster P.e.b. It's a Zom-B invasion I'm contemplating on assassinating the…
Dr. P Intro: Let's get down to business I don't got no time to…
dr.P Mis granos estรกn en guerra Con las uรฑas de mis manos Que…
e-axe Invasiรณn cerebral Alarido visceral Desertornadolidominรณ ยฟM…
Eisley The colors were burning up his eyes The bright lights of…
Electro-Z Just transformed my ride Now it got curtains (Transform!) Ba…
Eminem So let's get down to business I don't got no time…
Eviscerate [Lyrics: Mario] Now! The first light The illusion of lif…
F.O.O.L La hype j'connais l'tableau, nique un vernissage Quand y'a d…
False Images Existence will dissolve before your eyes It's only a matter …
Fondlecorpse the invasion has started the legion is here the end has arri…
Frisco It's a invasion, it's a invasion It's a invasion, it's a…
Funker Vogt Prepare for invasion Prepare for invasion Prepare for invas…
Haken One One less One less file One less life for us to live Hold…
Headspace Naively, I had been attracted to the city as a…
I Am Abomination There's plenty of room in hell But you all deserve worse T…
I-Metra Feel my wrath Feel my burn You don't know me You will learn …
Invasion Years gone by On track to destruction Voices of wild indigna…
Iron Maiden [Harris] The Vikings are coming You'd better get ready for …
Iuly.B Uh, uh, yo Doo, doo, doo, doo Doo, doo, doo, doo Doo, doo,…
James Lavelle Show them only Flesh you needed You want it for you too (sta…
Jeru the Damaja Verse One: Police all on my dick like I shot somebody Cause…
John 5 and the Creatures The story begins with Dr. Nauthiz A star creature, who has…
Jupiter Society This is the end of the world No heard warning Life went…
K.S. Ratliff and Black Magic 94 banlieue on se prรชte main Forte mafia k'1 Fry, putain…
kenta-v.ez. Ka mate! ka mate! Ka ora! ka ora! Ka mate! ka mate! Ka…
L'Entourage La hype j'connais l'tableau, nique un vernissage Quand y'a d…
Lenin Was A Zombie A dangerous virus broke out the secret lab in Colorado It…
Lil' Wayne Tell us that you would like to Have the lyrics of…
Los Mortero Desde el norte se acerca la bestia desde el norte con…
M. Iwata & H. Sakimoto Yeah Finna buss the doors up out this bitch Its time for…
Macka B Look here old chap it's us who gave you civilization Invasio…
magdalene That day the ground trembled with the sound of rumbling…
Magnum You wouldn't believe your eyes You wouldn't believe your ear…
Marvin & DJ Jack Nimble That's just how I feel My trust gone get me killed I…
Monoplasma Una invasiรณn que nos dejรณ sin ilusiรณn Ya no eres dios,…
N-ter When I grew up I was raised to not give…
Nekrogoblikon A rotting old cabin collapses in gloom, This is a requiem…
Nempty White men floating in the waters It's the curse that will…
Nicolas Makelberge The trenches are cold Eyes, mortars in my soul Day, night …
No Relax ะQuะน bien me siento rodeado de razัn!, Todos me dicen: "por…
Noisuf-X Yeah Y'all already know what the fucking going on 2X in…
ortofรกlico chisme Hay noticias desde oriรณn Amenazas de extinciรณn De la poblaci…
P-Brane Mis granos estรกn en guerra Con las uรฑas de mis manos Que…
Pรกnico En perfectas escuadras de belleza Los pรกjaros invaden la tar…
R-Sunset Yeah Finna buss the doors up out this bitch Its time for…
Rabbit Junk from the shadows, we watch, we listen, we taste the air,…
Rebelution Extermination Conquest to kill all they believe in New desti…
Red White and Black Gray skin and yellow fins Our new cosmopolitan Invade Weโre…
Red.Chamber Diego no dora Invade yo block and we Invade yo block and…
Righteous Jams Invasion used to be this band But now we're playing Righteou…
Rings Of Saturn Desecrate this wasteland to a state unprecedented I am the …
Robert Del Naja/U.N.K.L.E. La hype j'connais l'tableau, nique un vernissage Quand y'a d…
Ronald-V Ka mate! ka mate! Ka ora! ka ora! Ka mate! ka mate! Ka…
Sacrificium Tagaeri Alien muerto Sangre expuesta, El que teme es de afuera. Lanz…
Scintilla Orbital craft falling to the earth clinging to the ground…
Simon Bookish So, it could have been Berlin, I suppose, or perhaps…
Skrewdriver They came across the border in the middle of the…
Strip Music What happens when You can't stop screamin' Starring to t…
Stupeflip Walecrou, walecrou, walecrou, walecrou, wa-walecrou, wa-wale…
Styles P feat. Jadakiss & Junior Reid Intro: Let's get down to business I don't got no time to…
T.C.L Get ready for (x10) Get ready for the invasion, Self-satisf…
Terror ""Eyes of a parasite mark of a fake what made…
The Browning We are the end We are the end We are the end Invasion We…
The Green Leaf i wanna watch you i wanna see you shakin' and light in…
The Lizards' invasion Years gone by On track to destruction Voices of wild indigna…
The Other This ain't a test alarm, this is what we have…
The Reavers Yeah gather your thoughts and take Notice i'm focused Holdin…
U.N.K.L.E./Robert Del Naja La hype j'connais l'tableau, nique un vernissage Quand y'a d…
UNKLE Show them only Flesh you needed You want it for you too (sta…
Unkle (Featuring 3 D) Show them only Flesh you needed You want it for you too (…
Urgehal Invasion storming through the land Invasion coming from the…
V&K 94 banlieue on se prรชte main Forte mafia k'1 Fry, putain…
Various Artists For every man there is a cause which he would…
Vinnie Vincent You fired the first shot without fair warning Love's silver…
Vinnie Vincent Invasion You fired the first shot without fair warning A silver bulle…
X-Cite Yeah Y'all already know what the fucking going on 2X in…
yare yare Nunca me voy a conformar Sabes que siempre pido mรกs El desie…
We have lyrics for these tracks by King Tubby:
African Roots I dreamed I had a good job and I got…
King Tubby Ooh ooh Baby I That love Tudululu Baby I Baby I love yo…
King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown Ooh ooh Baby I That love Tudululu Baby I Baby I love yo…
King Tubby Special Ooh ooh Baby I That love Tudululu Baby I Baby I love yo…
King Tubby's Conversation Ooh ooh Baby I That love Tudululu Baby I Baby I love yo…
King Tubby's Explosion Ooh ooh Baby I That love Tudululu Baby I Baby I love yo…
King Tubby's Meets Rockers Uptown Ooh ooh Baby I That love Tudululu Baby I Baby…
King Tubby's Patient Ooh ooh Baby I That love Tudululu Baby I Baby I love yo…
King Tubby's Rock Ooh ooh Baby I That love Tudululu Baby I Baby I love yo…
King Tubby's Special Ooh ooh Baby I That love Tudululu Baby I Baby I love yo…
Rock King Tubby's Ooh ooh Baby I That love Tudululu Baby I Baby I love yo…
Rocking Dub Rock me, give me that kick now Rock me, show me…
Rocking Jamboree Dub Rock me, give me that kick now Rock me, show me…
The Skatalites meet King Tubby Ooh ooh Baby I That love Tudululu Baby I Baby I love yo…
Tubby Ooh ooh Baby I That love Tudululu Baby I Baby I love yo…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@zaidshanan4882
46 years old yet still ahead of its time.....!
Hail King Tubby The Dub Inventor !
@trevorsmall7088
King Tubby Piercing the Sound Barrier ๐ฅโกโกโก
@odedfried-gaon2880
Today's Classic Reggae/Dub Corner... the King, hisself.
#OdedFriedGaon #OdedMusic #OdedTodaysClassicReggaeCorner #Audiode
@TheBiggamuz
my uncle osborne was a peaceful man, shouldnt happen, i cried again today
@zaidshanan4882
This is a King Tubby Masterpiece....!
@w.markneedham1521
KIng Tubby - RIP, best
@RegularfellafromLondonUK
Bliss listening.
@jimmcc2133
The power swells forth as that kicks in, I mind disappears.
@Datpleb
came from YT algorithm suggestion "What Will Future Homes Look Like? Filmed in the 1960's - Narrated by Walter Cronkite" - then mercury man, then this. Quite a journey, but great discovery
@everything777
Same! The intro sounded like 1960s techno. Wasn't expecting this!