WAYNE SMITH - UNDER MI SLENG TENG, 1985 7”

In the mid 80’s, after turning out several successful sessions with the likes of King Tubby and the Channel One studio in Kingston, Wayne Smith returned to recording with his first sound system owner and producer Prince Jammy, who by then was known as King Jammy. Around late 1984 he was directly involved in what is considered by many to be a pivotal shift in Jamaican recording history, by creating the first fully computerized rhythm in reggae music and launching the digital era of dancehall, or ragga. Smith discovered the computerized pattern on a Casio MT-40 home keyboard while apparently attempting to recreate the riff to 50’s rocker Eddie Cocharans’ Somethin’ Else. He then rearranged the rhythm before taking it to Jammy’s studio where it was recorded as a backing track for him and other artists such as Johnny Osbourne. The resulting song, Under Mi Sleng Teng, was a massive hit around the world and led to countless versions. From its initial release at Jammy’s soundclash in early 1985 it has become one of the most sampled Jamaican rhythms, with nearly 200 versions and continues to provide the basis for a number of reggae songs.