Alfonso III de Aragon
General standard
A dubplate indicates a Long-playing record out of fragile acetate in a hurry in only one and single specimen bound for a Sound system which in with the exclusive property. The dubplate is not intended to be marketed.
Current direction
One compares today the dubplate to the special which is a disc single in a hurry exclusively for a Sound system and on which an artist (Chanteur or Deejay) modifies the words of one of his tubes to make of it a homage to the sound-system which ordered it to him (one also speaks about VIP mix, especially in the current electronic music).
History of the dubplates and the specials
Appearance of the dubplates
In the beginning, at the end of the years 1950, the dubplate indicates a promotional disc that the producers send to the sound-systems to measure their popularity before a possible pressing in 45 turns. If the reaction of the public is good, the piece is then normally in a hurry. Whereas music industry jamaïcaine is stammering, to press one 45 turns which would not meet any success is an enormous risk that the producers seek to reduce to the maximum by having recourse to the dubplates.
But the immediate passion of Jamaïcains for their local music induced a fast development of music industry jamaïcaine, and, the risk of failure being clearly reduced, one directly presses from now on the 45 turns without passing by the stage of the dubplates .
Innovation and exclusiveness
The dubplates do not disappear therefore and become even a major instrument in the evolution of the music jamaïcaine. For the producers, they make it possible to take the temperature of the sounds and to observe almost instantaneously the reaction of the public to the last innovations which they bring. If this reaction is good, the producers are confirmed in the musical orientation that they took. For the sound-systems and their owners, the dubplate is a means of being distinguished from their competitors from his exclusive character: one goes to " Downbeat" (sound-system of Studio One) rather than to another because only can pass to him before everyone the last pieces in version dubplate of the Heptones or the Wailers.
An implicit agreement is tied between labels and producers: the dubplates are used to make the promotion of pieces before their exit and to test innovations before the process is not completely engaged, and to attract the most possible world in a sound-system.
Birth of the Dub
It is besides during the gravage of a dubplate that the Dub is created in 1967: the operator charged with the gravage forgets to connect the vocal track and only the rhythmic naked one is engraved. But reaction of the public vis-a-vis what is not finally that an accidentally instrumental version is such as she convinces the producers to generalize the instrumental versions, which are then used to fill the faces B of 45 turns, then, with the inventiveness of Lee Perry or King Tubby (of which the first experiments occur by engraving dubplates at the end of the years 1960), is found barded sound effects to become the dub that one knows since the years 1970.
Dubplate with the special one
With the beginning of the year 1980, appears the fashion not-contradicted until today of the specials (see definition). The special one does not have any more the character of promotional disc of the initial dubplate. On the other hand, it goes even further in the principle of exclusiveness, since from now on, the piece is recorded directly and exclusively for the sound-system, without intervention of the producer. An artist parodies there thus plagiarizes even there one of his tubes in form of homage more or less glorificator and warrior to a sound-system (the dubplates can also consist of one pot-rotted by the artist of its tubes).
In the dubplates that it signs, the singer Johnny Osbourne thus generally transforms his I don' T want No ice cream coils 'cause it' S too cold for me in I don' T want No ice cream sound 'causes it' S too software for me .
What counts, it is obviously not the quality of the sound nor the artistic performance: the sound-systems do not have the means of recording of the great labels and the specials are recorded with goes-quickly. It is not even the innovation since the artist does not create completely new words nor a new melody and the dubplates besides are more often carried out on traditional riddims already tested and known of all, that on the rhythmic original one of the piece (except if this one is traditional).
In addition, it is necessary to make immediately identifiable the dubplate : by the use of a traditional riddim and the parody of an already existing piece, the public seizes instantaneously the exclusive character of the dubplate . More especially as this one generally includes/understands the name of the sound even of its members (one speaks about " nominatifs"). This last practice grew blurred since the residents of the sound-systems took the practice to leave to them sound to be " transféré" in another or to found theirs: after their departure, the sound cannot pass any more a dubplate in which the name of a competitor ex-member is quoted from now on!
With dimensions the artist is, the more the dubplate has value (multiplied by ten value if the artist is deceased or " retraité"). Rumors of specials of Bob Marley frequently circulated in the reggae medium, but their existence appears rather improbable considering the fashion of the specials posterior with died of the singer.
Besides the specials are mainly used at the time of clashes (tournaments by interposed vinyls) between different Sound system S. large the sound-systems carry out sometimes specials exclusively intended for a precise clash in which the name of the competitor sound is mentioned and discredited.
| Random links: | Bari | The Man with back | Henry Scheffer | Robert Boudrioz | Alfonso_III_d'Aragon |