In the same week that the sad news emerged from Jamaica of Sly Dunbar’s passing, the Burning Sounds label reissues a dub album by The Revolutionaries, the house band for Channel One Studio.
When The Revolutionaries were formed in 1975, it was Sly Dunbar who really set the tone. His sharp, driving, four-on-the-floor patterns defined the rockers sound and left the looser roots riddims of the early ’70s behind. That approach caught fast, and for the next few years, roughly 1975 to 1978, it became the dominant sound across Jamaica. With Sly on drums and Ranchie McLean on bass, later replaced by Robbie Shakespeare, the band powered countless roots anthems, deep dub cuts, and early dancehall sides, often without their name even being front and center.
But when they did step out on their own, they made it count. Across labels like Joe Gibbs, Well Charge, Ballistic, and Greensleeves, they released a strong run of instrumental and dub albums, including Revolutionary Sounds, Vital Dub Well Charged, Earthquake Dub, Top Ranking Dub, Goldmine Dub, and Dial M For Murder In Dub Style. These records didn’t just document an era, they helped define it.
One of the lesser known album in The Revolutionaries’ catalogue is Dutch Man Dub, first released in the UK in 1979 on Burning Vibrations, a subsidiary of Burning Sounds. It slipped out with little fanfare, and for years it stayed under the radar. Now, more than 45 years later, it’s finally in circulation again on black wax and CD. And it’s good to have it back where it belongs.
Back then, the record came with almost no credits. Even with sleeve notes now tucked inside, we still don’t know who handled the mixing or exactly who played on the sessions at Channel One. That lack of detail only adds to the atmosphere. You’re left alone with the music, and it holds up just fine on its own.
The riddims are deep and disciplined, rooted firmly in the band’s rockers phase. Basslines stay low and locked, drums snap with confidence, and the echoes move through the mix without taking over. Night Dub and the very familiar sounding Dutch Man evolve at their own pace, giving you space to settle in. And Man In The Street and Africa Is A Must keep the pulse steady and sure. Listening now, Dutch Man Dub still feels solid and focused, a strong example of Channel One dub doing exactly what it’s meant to do.