ENTITY · RIDDIM
Real Rock
Well supported
Studio One instrumental cut by the Sound Dimension in 1967 and one of the most versioned rhythms ever recorded. Willie Williams's "Armagideon Time" (1979) is its most famous vocal cut; its rolling bass line, tight drums and trombone melody have carried roots singers, dancehall deejays and UK jungle alike. The keyboard plays fills rather than the hook, and which keyboard is not documented: the accounts that name a model say Hammond, a reader who knows the record says Farfisa Compact, and no session paperwork has been read either way.
At a glance
- Type
- Riddim →
- Confidence
- Well supported
- Sources
- Studio One discographies; riddim genealogies. Also: Ray Hurford, "Real Rock Riddim", Reggae Vibes, 13 February 2019, drawn from Hurford and Jean Scrivener, "Rhythm Wise One & Two", read via the Internet Archive snapshot of 16 June 2024; John Arkell, A Student's Guide to GCSE Music for the Edexcel Specification, which sets the recording as a study work and gives its instrumentation; Jamaica Observer, "Jackie Mittoo: Original beatmaster", 1 August 2017, for the Hammond attribution.
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Debate & reception
What people argued about this record — two documented positions each time, kept apart from verified fact. Browse every argument in the archive →
Who authors a riddim? Bass, keys and the credit for the version
One side
Session musicians as uncredited authors
The other
Producers and labels as rights-holders
A long-running, documented industry debate framed from both sides. One position holds that the session musicians who wrote the foundation basslines and keyboard figures - the players behind rhythms like Real Rock and Full Up - are the uncredited authors of the version tradition. The other holds that authorship and rights sit properly with the producers and labels who commissioned, owned and marketed the masters. Neutral; a matter of public discussion, not a claim against any person.
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Compiled and researched by The Jamaica Music Atlas music desk. The sources that informed it are credited above.
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