CHUNE

Riddim: Another Bites the Dust

Producer: Junjo Lawes

I don’t love the rub-a-dub era solely because of the slow, thunderous riddims. The early ’80s were also the heyday of DJ teams, either as official duos or frequent combinations. To wit: Michigan & Smiley as the former, Yellowman and Fathead as the latter. Clint Eastwood & General Saint brought an easy-going vibe to the proceedings—cah Papa Eastwood natty dread/and Papa Saint a baldhead/but all get together and thinking ahead—as well as some healthy contributions to the “random animal-noise interjection” family of ad-libs. (Count the “oink!”s on this one if you dare.) Junjo used the track with multiple acts on his Volcano label/sound, from Toyan to Yellowman, and others hopped on it as well, though it never became one of the major riddims of the era.

Additional Listening:

• Eastwood & Saint performance and interview on the British show Black on Black

• Toyan, “Toyan On the Go”

• Johnny Osbourne, “Baccara” (aka “Backra”/”Baccra”)