Real Rock
Encyclopedia
"Real Rock" is a 1967
instrumental reggae
song by Sound Dimension, one of the house bands of producer Coxsone Dodd
's famous Studio One. It is significant for giving rise to perhaps the most popular reggae riddim
of all time, having been versioned
hundreds of times by artists ranging from The Clash
to KRS-One
to 311
. According to a 2004 New York Times article, Dodd considered the song his crowning achievement.
The riddim's signature three-note Hammond organ
figure was played by the legendary Jackie Mittoo
.
1967 in music
The summer of 1967 is "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco. It also became an important year for psychedelic rock, with releases from The Beatles The summer of 1967 is "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco. It also became an important year for psychedelic rock, with releases from The Beatles The...
instrumental 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...
song by Sound Dimension, one of the house bands of producer Coxsone Dodd
Coxsone Dodd
Clement Seymour "Sir Coxsone" Dodd, CD was a Jamaican record producer who was influential in the development of ska and reggae in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond...
's famous Studio One. It is significant for giving rise to perhaps the most popular reggae riddim
Riddim
Riddim is the Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word "rhythm," but in dancehall/reggae parlance it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song. Thus, a dancehall song consists of the riddim plus the "voicing" sung by the deejay. The resulting song structure may be taken for...
of all time, having been versioned
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...
hundreds of times by artists ranging from The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
to KRS-One
KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
to 311
311 (band)
311 is an American rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. The band was formed in 1988 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Nick Hexum, lead guitarist Jim Watson , bassist Aaron "P-Nut" Wills and drummer Chad Sexton...
. According to a 2004 New York Times article, Dodd considered the song his crowning achievement.
The riddim's signature three-note Hammond organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
figure was played by the legendary 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,...
.
Partial list of songs using the "Real Rock" riddim
- "Real Rock," Sound Dimension (1967)
- "Rockers' Rock," Augustus PabloAugustus PabloHorace Swaby , known as Augustus Pablo, was a Jamaican roots reggae and dub record producer, melodica player and keyboardist, active from the 1970s onwards. He popularized the use of the melodica in reggae music...
(1973) - "Cool Out Son," Junior MurvinJunior MurvinJunior Murvin is a Jamaican reggae musician. He is best known for the single "Police and Thieves", produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry in 1976. Murvin's soaring voice and the infectious rhythm made "Police and Thieves" into an international hit during the summer of that year. It peaked at #23 in the...
(1978) - "Friday Evening," Joe TexJoe TexJoseph Arrington, Jr. , better known as "Joe Tex", was an American Southern soul singer-songwriter, most popular during the 1960s and 1970s...
& U Black (1978) - "Stop The Fussing & Fighting," Dennis BrownDennis BrownDennis Emmanuel Brown was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, which began in the late 1960s when he was aged eleven, he recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the major stars of lovers rock, a sub-genre of reggae...
(1978) - "Cool Out Son," Junior MurvinJunior MurvinJunior Murvin is a Jamaican reggae musician. He is best known for the single "Police and Thieves", produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry in 1976. Murvin's soaring voice and the infectious rhythm made "Police and Thieves" into an international hit during the summer of that year. It peaked at #23 in the...
(1979) - "Nice Up The Dance," Michigan & SmileyMichigan & SmileyMichigan and Smiley were a Jamaican singing combo of the late 1970s first wave of dancehall music, consisting of Papa Michigan and General Smiley .-Career:...
(1979) - "Armagideon Time," Willi WilliamsWilli WilliamsWilli Williams is a Jamaican reggae and dub musician and producer. He is known as the "Armagideon Man" after his hit, "Armagideon Time", first recorded in 1978 at Studio One in Kingston. The song was covered by The Clash as the flipside of their "London Calling" single.-Biography:Williams was born...
/"Armagideon Time," The ClashThe ClashThe Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
(both 1980) - "Lend Me Your Chopper," Johnny OsbourneJohnny OsbourneJohnny Osbourne is a popular Jamaican reggae and dancehall singer, who rose to success in the late 1970s and mid 1980s. His album Truths and Rights was a notable roots reggae success, and featured "Jah Promise" and the album's title track, "Truths and Rights"...
(1983) - "The Real Rock" ShineheadShineheadShinehead is an English-born Jamaican reggae singer/toaster/rapper.-Career:He began his music career by performing for different New York reggae dancehall sound systems in the 1980s, most notably Tony Screw's Downbeat The Ruler, based in The Bronx.His recording debut was in 1986 on the African...
(1990) - "If I Ever Fall In Love Again," SanchezSanchez (singer)Sanchez is a Jamaican Reggae and dancehall singer-Biography:Jackson was given the nickname 'Sanchez' due to his football skills - a reference to a footballer of that name. After working with several Kingston sound systems he began recording and had his first hit with "Lady In Red", recorded for...
(1993) - "Black Cop," KRS-OneKRS-OneLawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
(1993) - "Un Spectacle De Plus," Billy Ze KickBilly Ze KickFor the 1985 French film, see Billy Ze Kick .Billy Ze Kick were a French rock and reggae band from Rennes formed in 1990 composed of young musicians. To the non French-speaking world, information about them is difficult to come by. Formed as Billy Ze Kick Et Les Gamins En Folie, they split in 1994...
(1993) - "All Mixed Up," 311311 (band)311 is an American rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. The band was formed in 1988 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Nick Hexum, lead guitarist Jim Watson , bassist Aaron "P-Nut" Wills and drummer Chad Sexton...
(1995) - "Too Greedy," Super CatSuper CatSuper Cat is a deejay most popular during the late 1980s and early 1990s dancehall movement. Super Cat was born in Jamaica and was nicknamed Wild Apache. His nickname, the "Wild Apache" was given to him by his mentor Early B...
(1995) - "Original," RaggasonicRaggasonicRaggasonic are a French reggae group composed of Big Red , Daddy Mory and Frenchie ....
(1998) - "Keep In Touch," SizzlaSizzlaSizzla Kalonji, or simply Sizzla in are de reggae musician. He is one of the most commercially and critically successful contemporary reggae artists and is well-known for his above-average prolificacy...
(2003) - She Loves Me Now, Cocoa TeaCocoa TeaCocoa Tea is a Jamaican reggae/dancehall singer, songwriter, and DJ.- Biography :Cocoa Tea was popular in Jamaica from 1985, but has become successful worldwide only since the 1990s...
(1999)(Sundance 2008)