Yabby You
Encyclopedia
Vivian Jackson better known as Yabby You (or sometimes Yabby U), was a reggae
vocalist and producer
, who came to prominence in the early 1970s through his uncompromising, self-produced work.
in 1946. One of seven children, Jackson left home at the age of twelve to find work at a furnace in Waterhouse. At seventeen, the effects of malnutrition
had left him hospitalized, and on his release he was left with severe arthritis
which had partially crippled his legs. His physical condition meant that he was unable to return to his previous work, and he was forced into hustling a living on the streets of Kingston.
His Christian
beliefs were markedly different from that of his Rastafarian contemporaries, which often prompted debate on religio-philosophical matters, and it was after one of these discussions that Jackson first headed towards a recording studio
, having heard music "like a strange ting, inside a my thoughts - like an angel a sing".
Another spell in hospital meant that finding money for recording
was difficult, but eventually the "Conquering Lion" single
was released late in 1972, credited to 'Vivian Jackson and the Ralph Brothers'. Cut for King Tubby
, the popularity of the song
and its distinctive introduction (the chant of "Be-you, yabby-yabby-you") earned Jackson the nickname "Yabby You", which has remained with him during his entire career.
The next few months saw the recording of several more singles, released under different names on various record label
s, (although usually credited to 'Vivian Jackson and the Prophets', and often featuring a King Tubby 'version' on the b-side
); culminating in the release of the Conquering Lion album
. A King Tubby mixed dub set, King Tubby's Prophesy of Dub, was also issued, albeit on a limited run of 500 copies, helping to establish Jackson as a roots
artist.
Yabby's success allowed him to branch out as a producer, and he began working with both upcoming and more established artists
including Wayne Wade
, Michael Rose, Tommy McCook
, Michael Prophet
, Big Youth
, Trinity
, Dillinger
and Tapper Zukie
, while continuing to release his own material.
Jackson continued to record, produce and perform (often with the aid of crutches) until the mid 1980s. He re-emerged in the early 1990s, issuing both new and old material, and his recordings have been the subject of several high quality reissues in recent years. In 2000 he released a singles remix
project with Glen Brown
. The album included remixes of "Conquering Lion" by Smith and Mighty, and a remix of Glen Brown by Small Axe and Terminal Head.
He died on 12 January 2010, aged 63, after suffering a ruptured brain aneurysm
.
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...
vocalist and producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, who came to prominence in the early 1970s through his uncompromising, self-produced work.
Biography
Jackson was born in Kingston, JamaicaKingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
in 1946. One of seven children, Jackson left home at the age of twelve to find work at a furnace in Waterhouse. At seventeen, the effects of malnutrition
Malnutrition
Malnutrition is the condition that results from taking an unbalanced diet in which certain nutrients are lacking, in excess , or in the wrong proportions....
had left him hospitalized, and on his release he was left with severe arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
which had partially crippled his legs. His physical condition meant that he was unable to return to his previous work, and he was forced into hustling a living on the streets of Kingston.
His Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
beliefs were markedly different from that of his Rastafarian contemporaries, which often prompted debate on religio-philosophical matters, and it was after one of these discussions that Jackson first headed towards a recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
, having heard music "like a strange ting, inside a my thoughts - like an angel a sing".
Another spell in hospital meant that finding money for recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
was difficult, but eventually the "Conquering Lion" single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
was released late in 1972, credited to 'Vivian Jackson and the Ralph Brothers'. Cut for King Tubby
King Tubby
King Tubby was a Jamaican electronics and sound engineer, known primarily for his influence on the development of dub in the 1960s and 1970s...
, the popularity of the song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
and its distinctive introduction (the chant of "Be-you, yabby-yabby-you") earned Jackson the nickname "Yabby You", which has remained with him during his entire career.
The next few months saw the recording of several more singles, released under different names on various record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s, (although usually credited to 'Vivian Jackson and the Prophets', and often featuring a King Tubby 'version' on the b-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
); culminating in the release of the Conquering Lion album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
. A King Tubby mixed dub set, King Tubby's Prophesy of Dub, was also issued, albeit on a limited run of 500 copies, helping to establish Jackson as a roots
Roots reggae
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of the artists concerned, including the spiritual side of Rastafari and with the honoring of God, called Jah by rastafarians. It also is identified with the life of the ghetto sufferer, and the rural poor...
artist.
Yabby's success allowed him to branch out as a producer, and he began working with both upcoming and more established artists
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
including Wayne Wade
Wayne Wade
Wayne Wade is a roots reggae singer best known for his work with producer Yabby You in the 1970s.-Biography:Wade's career began in the mid-1970s, working with Yabby You, 1976's "Black Is Our Colour" immediately achieving success in Jamaica...
, Michael Rose, Tommy McCook
Tommy McCook
Tommy McCook was a Jamaican saxophonist. A founding member of The Skatalites, he also directed The Supersonics for Duke Reid, and backed many sessions for Bunny Lee or with The Revolutionaries at Channel One Studios in the 1970s.-Biography:McCook was born in Havana, Cuba, and moved to Jamaica in...
, Michael Prophet
Michael Prophet
Michael Prophet is a roots reggae singer known for his "crying" tenor vocal style, whose recording career began in 1977.-Biography:...
, Big Youth
Big Youth
Manley Augustus Buchanan , better known as Big Youth , is a Jamaican deejay, mostly known for his work during the 1970s....
, Trinity
Trinity (musician)
Trinity aka Junior Brammer is a reggae deejay and producer, whose career began in the mid-1970s and continued into the 1990s.-Biography:Born in 1954, Brammer was educated at the Alpha Boys School...
, Dillinger
Dillinger (musician)
Dillinger is a reggae artist.-Biography:As a young man growing up in Kingston, Dillinger would hang around Dennis Alcapone's El Paso sound system...
and Tapper Zukie
Tapper Zukie
Tapper Zukie is a reggae deejay and producer.-Biography:Tapper was the nickname given to him by his grandmother in his youth, while Zukie was a name that came from his friends' association as a young boy - their gang was called 'The Zukies'.In 1973 his mother, concerned with Zukie's tendency to...
, while continuing to release his own material.
Jackson continued to record, produce and perform (often with the aid of crutches) until the mid 1980s. He re-emerged in the early 1990s, issuing both new and old material, and his recordings have been the subject of several high quality reissues in recent years. In 2000 he released a singles remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
project with Glen Brown
Glen Brown
Glen Brown , also known as 'God Son' and 'The Rhythm Master', is a Jamaican singer, musician, and record producer, working primarily in the genres of reggae and dub...
. The album included remixes of "Conquering Lion" by Smith and Mighty, and a remix of Glen Brown by Small Axe and Terminal Head.
He died on 12 January 2010, aged 63, after suffering a ruptured brain aneurysm
Aneurysm
An aneurysm or aneurism is a localized, blood-filled balloon-like bulge in the wall of a blood vessel. Aneurysms can commonly occur in arteries at the base of the brain and an aortic aneurysm occurs in the main artery carrying blood from the left ventricle of the heart...
.
Discography
- Conquering Lion (1975) Vivian Jackson (released as Ram A Dam in the UK, by Lucky)
- Chant Down Babylon Kingdom (1977) Nationwide (reissued as King Tubby Meets Vivian Jackson)
- Deliver Me from My Enemies (1977) Grove Music
- Beware (1978) Grove Music (reissued (1991) ROIRROIRROIR , or Reach Out International Records, is a New York City-based record label founded in 1979 by Neil Cooper.ROIR was founded the same year that the Sony Walkman launched, and initially, the label exclusively distributed its releases in cassette format...
) - Jah Jah Way (1980) IslandIsland RecordsIsland Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
- African Queen (1980) Clappers
- Fleeing from the City (1991) ShanachieShanachie RecordsShanachie Records was founded in 1976 by Richard Nevins and Dan Collins. According to Harvey Pekar , it is one of the largest independent record labels in the world, and is currently distributed by E1 Music. Starting as a label that specialized in fiddle music, they began releasing work by Celtic...
Collaborations
- King Tubby's Prophesy of Dub (1976) Prophets (reissued (1994) Blood and Fire)
- Vocal & Dub (1979) Prophet (Yabby You and Michael ProphetMichael ProphetMichael Prophet is a roots reggae singer known for his "crying" tenor vocal style, whose recording career began in 1977.-Biography:...
) - Yabby You Meets Trinity At Dub Station (circa 1979) Yabby U (with TrinityTrinity (musician)Trinity aka Junior Brammer is a reggae deejay and producer, whose career began in the mid-1970s and continued into the 1990s.-Biography:Born in 1954, Brammer was educated at the Alpha Boys School...
) - Yabby You & Michael Prophet Meets Scientist At The Dub Station (1981) Prophet (with Michael Prophet and ScientistScientist (musician)Scientist, born Hopeton Brown in Kingston, Jamaica, 1960 , was a protégé of King Tubby , one of the originators of dub music.-Biography:...
) - Time to Remember (1982) Prophet (with King TubbyKing TubbyKing Tubby was a Jamaican electronics and sound engineer, known primarily for his influence on the development of dub in the 1960s and 1970s...
) - Prophecy (1982) WLN (with Michael Prophet and Wayne WadeWayne WadeWayne Wade is a roots reggae singer best known for his work with producer Yabby You in the 1970s.-Biography:Wade's career began in the mid-1970s, working with Yabby You, 1976's "Black Is Our Colour" immediately achieving success in Jamaica...
) - Yabby U Meets Sly & Robbie Along With Tommy McCook (1982) WLN (with Tommy McCookTommy McCookTommy McCook was a Jamaican saxophonist. A founding member of The Skatalites, he also directed The Supersonics for Duke Reid, and backed many sessions for Bunny Lee or with The Revolutionaries at Channel One Studios in the 1970s.-Biography:McCook was born in Havana, Cuba, and moved to Jamaica in...
) - Yabby You Meets Mad Professor & Black Steel in Ariwa Studio (1993)