Whos got this dance when sleng teng first dropped? Please post.
Give thanks in advance
MrE

MrEnergizer wrote:

Whos got this dance when sleng teng first dropped? Please post.
Give thanks in advance
MrE

Though I would like to hear the Jammys side to this, it was'nt when Sleng teng first dropped... I have a Youth Promotion from 30 1 85 vs Gemini where Promotion are playing Sleng Teng and they say they are playing it exclusive.. That was the first JA tape I heard it on... The tape is posted in the Youth Promotion section if you want to check it out my friend. It has Wayne Smith doing it live on there too......

I think Coxsone dropped Sleng Teng against Saxon at the Peoples Club clashes in January 85 and I'm sure I heard Unity play it in January too...

PEACE

Jayman,
I am by no means questioning you, I would just like to know how it was possible for these other sounds to play Sleng Teng before Jammys released it or even played it? Did they play Jammy's version or did they build their own riddims? How had they learned about it? From reading Beth Lesser's book on Jammy I got the impression that nobody knew about Sleng Teng before the clash against Black Scorpio...

/Mathias

Wayne Smith built the Sleng Teng rhythm himself so maybe the version Promotion are playing is one of the first dub-plates of it. The fact that he's also in the dance doing it live may mean he could have taken the dub-plate to the dance.... Just a theory, but you cant argue with the facts that this dance vs Gemini was definately an earlier date than the Jammys, Scorpio clash that has been posted. Also they say they are the only sound playing it.
If you also listen to Youth Promotion at the House of Stars 84 (there is a released LP of this called George Phang presents Strictly Livestock on Greensleeves records) You hear Wayne Smith sing a prototype version of Sleng Teng, not on the Sleng Teng rhythm, but more linkage between Wayne Smith and Youth Promotion...
I think there may have been 2 clashes between Jammys and Scorpio not far apart so the one where Jammys debuts Sleng Teng could have been at an earlier date, but tapes from the other clash have not surfaced YET! so maybe we will find a definative answer one day.

As for Coxsone playing it in January 85, again it is documented on tape so that is fact. Coxsone have strong links with Sugar Minott, so maybe they got Sleng Teng from him... Again Theory, but a possible reason..

A very interesting subject and one I'm sure we have not heard the last of!

PEACE

thx for the info Jayman.
MrE

Hopefully we will get a definitive answer to this riddle soon - as it would be nice to trace the history of this famous riddim in the dancehall.
The info provided here is very useful - thanks.