Four different artists. Four different styles. Four different messages. But one producer and one riddim connecting them all.
The foundation for all four tracks is the Things And Time riddim, also known as Back Out With It. This is a Studio One classic that was originally created by the legendary Coxsone Dodd in 1970. The riddim first appeared on a Wailing Souls cut titled Back Out With It. The group later recut the track at Channel One under the same title, and by 1976 it had evolved into Things And Time, the name that would stick and define this rhythm for decades to come.
Winston Riley recognized the timeless quality of the riddim and brought it back in a major way during 1986. From conscious singers delivering Rastafari messages to hardcore deejays chatting pure dancehall lyrics, the riddim held everything. Riley understood that a truly great riddim doesn’t limit you. It opens doors.
The riddim would be revived again in 1991, 1999, and 2002, each time finding new artists and new interpretations. But the 1986 version remains one of the most memorable, capturing that crucial moment when digital dancehall was taking over but the roots of reggae music still ran deep.
Winston Riley, born May 14, 1943 in Kingston, Jamaica, was one of the most successful and influential reggae producers of all time. But before he stepped behind the mixing board, he was a singer. In 1962, at just 16 years old, Riley formed The Techniques vocal harmony group alongside Keith ‘Slim’ Smith, Frederick Waite, and Franklyn White.
For Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle label they scored a string of hits during the ska and rocksteady years. Songs like Queen Majesty and You Don’t Care are now regarded as rocksteady classics, timeless tracks that still get played today. Riley sang bass in the group, but even then he had a producer’s ear. His fellow Techniques member Jimmy Riley recalled years later how Winston would correct the other singers, telling them exactly how to phrase a line or hit a harmony.
In 1968, Winston Riley left The Techniques to focus on production. He founded his Techniques record label and immediately found success. His 1969 productions of Come Back Darling by Johnny Osbourne and the Sensations and Who You Gonna Run To by The Shades showed he had the touch. But it was Double Barrel in 1971 that made Winston Riley an international name. It topped the UK Singles Chart in May 1971 and also hit number one in the Netherlands, becoming one of the first international reggae hits.
Two years later, in 1973, Riley produced what would become his most important and enduring contribution to reggae music: the Stalag riddim. First released as Stalag 17, an instrumental track by Ansell Collins named after the World War II film, the riddim became the most sampled reggae backdrop of all time. Over 400 songs have been built on that foundation, spanning decades and genres.
Riley’s production work in the late ’70s and throughout the ’80s was relentless. In 1979, he produced General Echo’s hugely influential album The Slackest, which pushed boundaries and opened doors for a more explicit style of deejaying. That same era saw him launching the careers of Sister Nancy, Buju Banton, Cutty Ranks, Lone Ranger, and Frankie Paul. These weren’t just hit records. Riley was shaping the sound of an entire generation.
When Super Cat’s Boops dropped in 1992, produced by Riley, it became arguably that year’s biggest Jamaican hit. The topically humorous and controversial track about sugar daddies generated heated debates, spawned numerous answer records, and brought Super Cat international success. Riley’s streak of successful productions continued well into the 1990s with hits for Red Dragon, Cutty Ranks, a teenage Buju Banton, Admiral Tibet, and Courtney Melody.
Throughout his career, Riley maintained his base on Orange Street in downtown Kingston. During the ’60s and ’70s, Orange Street was known as “Beat Street” because it was lined with record shops and recording studios, including Augustus Pablo’s Rockers International. Riley’s Techniques Records became a fixture there, and in 2008 he began an ambitious project to transform the location into a refurbished studio and Jamaican music museum, preserving the legacy of that golden era.
Tragically, Winston Riley’s life was cut short. In 2011, he was the victim of a series of violent attacks. He was shot in August, stabbed in September, and then shot again in the head and arm on November 1, 2011 at his home in Kingston. He never recovered from those injuries and passed away on January 19, 2012, at the age of 68. His son Kurt Riley, one of Jamaica’s best known radio DJs, continues the family’s musical legacy.
A. Yami Bolo – Jah Jah Made Them All
B. Little John – Run For Cover
High Power Music – HPD 0011
On the first single, we start with Yami Bolo’s conscious classic, Jah Jah Made Them All. He was born Rolando Ephraim McLean on October 1, 1970, and grew up in Kingston 13. At a young age he joined Sugar Minott’s Youth Promotion Crew. He voiced When A Man’s In Love on the Stalag riddim, which became a dance floor favorite. Produced by Augustus Pablo, Struggle in Babylon showed the world what Yami Bolo was about: conscious lyrics, deep Rastafari spirituality, and that distinctive voice described.
When the slackness era hit, he didn’t budge. He stuck to his convictions, spreading messages of peace, love, and righteousness. He’s released over 20 albums and worked with several top producers. On Jah Jah Made Them All, his voice has that distinctive, mystical quality that some describe as “a cry out in the wilderness.” On this track, he’s delivering a spiritual message over Riley’s production, proving that conscious reggae could still dominate dancehall in 1986.
Closing out the first single is Little John, born John McMorris in 1970. He has been in the reggae game almost his whole life. He cut his first tune at just nine years old. Songs like 51 Storm, and Robe showed he had something special. By the early ’80s, Little John was everywhere, recording nonstop and voicing on every riddim imaginable. With over 15 albums in that decade alone, he worked with Sugar Minott’s Youth Promotion, King Jammy’s, Kilimanjaro, Gemini, and Junjo Lawes’ Volcano Hi Power. Little John started producing, launching his Romantic label and Romantic Hi Fi sound system. That era’s now captured on the compilation In The Mood: Little John’s Romantic Label 1986–1990.
By 1986, when Run For Cover was recorded, Little John was at the peak of his powers. The song captures Little John’s energetic style, that ability to command attention and keep the vibe moving. This is classic mid-’80s dancehall, when the digital era was in full effect but artists like Little John still carried the torch from the earlier generation. Riley’s production gives him the perfect platform to shine. Even when his releases slowed down, he never disappeared from the scene. His 2024 Rebel Salute performance proved the energy’s still strong.
A. Thriller U – I’ll Prove It To You
B. Johnny P – Fight Fi Old Brok
Techniques – WRT 45
On the secong single Thriller U, born Eustace C. Hamilton on August 14, 1969, brings his signature lovers rock sweetness to the Things And Time riddim with the song I’ll Prove It To You. The song showcases Riley’s ability to transform a militant riddim into something tender without losing its foundation.
His debut LP dropped in 1986 when he was just 17, featuring Waiting For You, which hit number one on the UK Album Charts and stayed there for eight weeks. His first single Juggling topped the Jamaican charts for over five weeks. His 1989 recording of ‘It’s Over,’ produced by Hugh “Redman” James, really established him. The heartbreak anthem became a massive hit. That same year, Sweetest Sound with Admiral Tibet on Bobby Digital’s Peanie Peanie riddim became a dancehall favorite. He had a gift for lovers rock that made him stand out. Throughout the late ’80s and ’90s he poured out hits, keeping him on the charts.
He also covered pop songs with a reggae twist. His 1990 version of George Michael’s Careless Whisper and 1991’s take on Jennifer Rush’s The Power Of Love both became favorites. In 1997, he joined forces with Singing Melody, Tony Curtis, and Lukie D to form L.U.S.T. a supergroup aimed at putting “the flava back into reggae.”
Flip the record over and you’re in a completely different world with Johnny P who brings us Fight Fi Old Brok. The song delivers that hardcore dancehall energy that Johnny P was known for. His flow rides the riddim with confidence, his voice cutting through with authority.
Born Orville John Morgan on May 20, 1965 in Kingston, he grew up in the Maxfield Avenue area and started on the Afro Tone sound system before moving to Love Child and Tyrant in St. Mary. But it was Winston Riley’s Techniques sound system where he became the number one DJ.
Tunes like Breath A Badda Mi for Riley’s Techniques label and Tight Clothes for Red Man International showed his potential. In 1987 Johnny P became the first deejay to record with Sly and Robbie as producers. By 1988, the combination trend was everywhere and Johnny P was at the center of it. Come Love Me with Cocoa Teae was massive! He also voiced Young And She Green and Stick By Me with Thriller U for Winston Riley and King Jammy. Bike Back in 1990 on King Jammy’s Punanny riddim became a dancehall classic. Throughout the ’90s, Johnny P kept delivering with hits but his output slowed down at the end of the decade.
[These tracks were digitized directly from vinyl using a Technics SL-1210MK2 turntable equipped with an Ortofon cartridge. The recordings were captured in 24-bit/96kHz WAV format via SoundForge]