Roots Reggae Singer JAH 9 CHANNEL 1 CLASSIC SONG

AG Select PR, Kingston – With her latest single “Steamers a Bubble”, rising roots-reggae singer Jah9 (Janine Cunningham) has added lyrical fire to the Apartment riddim, a Channel One classic- originally recorded in 1982. The instrumental featured the original Roots Radics band with Lincoln ‘Style Rotterdam’ Scott on drums, Errol ‘Flabba’ Holt on bass, Eric ‘Bingy Bunny’ Lamont on guitar and Wycliffe ‘Steelie’ Johnson (of Steelie and Cleevie) on keyboards. The song’s producer Franklyn ‘Ben-Up’ Irving (Shamala/Hit Bound Records) served as percussionist and chief curator of sorts as the instrumental went unreleased for almost 30 years till its 2010 reincarnation as the Inna De Yard Riddim on the song of same name. That single was recorded by Deraja featuring Paquito via the Maka Fresh label.   In explaining the long gap between the track’s creation and re-launch, Franklyn says that his reluctance to release it was influenced by prior disappointments in the industry. “In 1982, my first production, “Robbery” by O’Neal Dyer, was released in the UK under the ChaCha label. I never heard from ChaCha about anything regarding the song and that threw me off so I left music to pursue other ventures. A conversation with Earl “Chinna” Smith in 2009 led me to restore the track and after converting the format we then recorded Derajah’s song in 2010. I knew I wanted a woman on the riddim and after hearing Jah9 I felt it was perfect for her.”   Jah9’s vocals were recorded by Rory Gilligan of Stone Love and mixed in the UK by Mark Gamble, who also created the dubstep version. With its exclusive vinyl release, ‘Steamers’ will introduce the classic sounds to a new generation of reggae lovers.  Still, ardent roots reggae fans will welcome the pairing of the Roots Radics’s easy rockers flow with that of Jah9’s jazz on dub sensibilities.  Inspired by visits to Chinna’s St. Andrew Park home which is as legendary as the gifted guitar Melchizedek himself, the song paints a picture of a typical visit to Inna De Yard. Jah9, who released her debut album New Name in May, will be promoting the song as she makes her way across Europe in the coming months. Steamers a Bubble will also be featured on Channel One’s upcoming special commemorative release celebrating some forty years in the business.   Founded in 1973 by the legendary Hoo Kim brothers, the Maxfield Avenue based studio was the starting point for many greats like Sly and Robbie. In its formative years Channel One recorded some of the biggest tracks in reggae history, churning out hits from The Mighty Diamonds (“I Need a Roof”) and Delroy Wilson (“It’s a Shame”) among others. This studio is largely considered one of Jamaica’s most successful, for its longevity as well as the solid string of hits that it spawned between 1983 and 1993 alone.  Steamers a Bubble promises to be a timeless anthem for chalice blazers and roots reggae lovers alike.