Reggae

Buying reggae records: roots, dub and the great labels

In short: The Vinyl Room currently has 342 reggae records. The biggest style group is roots reggae, plus plenty of dub, rocksteady and ska as well as dancehall and lovers rock. Many records are UK pressings – labels like Trojan and Island brought Jamaican music to Europe. In our Plattenparty stream early reggae is called (translated) “really sensational music” – “but somehow you only get into it later”. ▶ Plattenparty video at 2:09:31

From ska to dub – the styles

• Ska – early-sixties Jamaica: fast, horns, the offbeat on the guitar.
• Rocksteady – roughly 1966 to 1968: slower, more vocals, more bass.
• Roots reggae – the seventies: Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Dennis Brown, Big Youth; spiritual and political.
• Dub – instrumental versions in which the engineer builds a new track from echo, reverb, bass and drums.
• Lovers rock and dancehall – romantic reggae from London and the new sound of the eighties.

Why collect reggae on vinyl?

Because reggae is a record culture: sound systems played records, not tapes, and the B-side of many singles carries the dub version. Many recordings only came out in Jamaica in small runs – or in Britain, home to a large Jamaican community. Dub records are a collecting field of their own; in the stream, the dub that Thomas keeps bringing along gets special praise. ▶ Plattenparty video at 2:10:24

Which labels matter to collectors?

• Trojan – London, from 1968: ska, rocksteady and early reggae for the UK market. Our biggest reggae label.
• Studio One and Coxsone – the label and studio of Clement “Coxsone” Dodd in Kingston; the house band Sound Dimension played on countless recordings.
• Island – founded by Chris Blackwell in 1959; from 1973 the label of Bob Marley & The Wailers.

From our stock

Roots reggae

Dub

Rocksteady & ska

Trojan

Browse by style: Roots reggae · Dub · Rocksteady · Ska · Dancehall · Lovers rock

FAQ

What is dub? An instrumental version in which the engineer brings bass and drums to the front and works with echo and reverb – made famous by King Tubby and Lee Perry.

Why are so many reggae records UK pressings? Because labels like Trojan and Island released Jamaican music in Britain, home to a large Jamaican community.

What is rocksteady? The bridge from ska to reggae, roughly 1966 to 1968 – slower than ska, with more weight on vocals and bass.

Are Jamaican original pressings rare? Many are: they often came out in small runs for the home market. The country of pressing is listed with every record.

→ Grading explained · How to spot a first pressing · The Collector’s Room · Plattenparty on YouTube