Vivian Neville Jackson (14 August 1946 – 12 January 2010), better known as Yabby You (or sometimes Yabby U), was a reggae vocalist and

producer Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

, who came to prominence in the early 1970s through his uncompromising self-produced work.

Biography

Jackson was born in the Waterhouse district of

Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley Inter ...

in 1946. One of seven children, Jackson left home at the age of twelve to find work at a furnace in Waterhouse. At seventeen, the effects of malnutrition had left him hospitalized, and on his release, he was left with severe

arthritis Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In som ...

which had partially crippled his legs. His physical condition meant that he was unable to return to his previous work, and he was forced into hustling for a living on the streets of Kingston. His beliefs were markedly different from that of his Rastafarian contemporaries, believing in the divinity of Jesus rather than Haile Selassie I, earning him the nickname 'Jesus Dread'; This often prompted debate on religio-philosophical matters, and it was after one of these discussions that Jackson first headed towards a recording studio, having heard music ''"like a strange ting, inside a my thoughts – like an angel a sing"''. Another spell in hospital meant that finding money for recording was difficult, but eventually, the "Conquering Lion" single was released late in 1972, credited to 'Vivian Jackson and the Ralph Brothers'. Cut for King Tubby, the popularity of the song and its distinctive introduction (the chant of ''"Be-you, yabby-yabby-you"'') earned Jackson the nickname "Yabby You", which remained with him during his entire career. The next few months saw the recording of several more singles, released under different names on various record labels (although usually credited to 'Vivian Jackson and the Prophets', and often featuring a King Tubby 'version' on the

b-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

), culminating in the release of the ''Conquering Lion'' album. A King Tubby mixed dub set, ''King Tubby's Prophesy of Dub'', was also issued, albeit on a limited run of 500 copies, helping to establish Jackson as a

roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...

artist. Yabby's success allowed him to branch out as a producer, and he began working with both upcoming and more established artists, including

Wayne Wade Wayne Wade (born 19 March 1959) is a Jamaican singer, songwriter and musician. Biography Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Wade attended Excelsior High School from 1972 to 1976. His career began in the mid-1970s, working with Yabby You, 1976's "B ...

, Michael Rose, Tommy McCook, Michael Prophet,

Big Youth Manley Augustus Buchanan (born 19 April 1949, Trenchtown, Kingston, Jamaica),Thompson, Dave (2002) "Reggae & Caribbean Music", Backbeat Books, better known as Big Youth (sometimes called Jah Youth), is a Jamaican deejay, mostly known for his ...

, Trinity, Dillinger and Tapper Zukie, while continuing to release his own material. Jackson continued to record, produce and perform (often with the aid of crutches) until the mid-1980s. He re-emerged in the early 1990s, issuing both new and old material, and his recordings have been the subject of several high quality reissues in recent years. In 2000, he released a singles

remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...

project with Glen Brown. The album included remixes of "Conquering Lion" by Smith and Mighty, and a remix of Glen Brown by Small Axe and Terminal Head.

Shanachie Records Shanachie Records is an American, New Jersey-based record label, founded in 1975 by Richard Nevins and Dan Collins. The label is named for the Gaelic word ''seanchaí'' (anglicised as shanachie), an Irish storyteller. It was previously distribu ...

released a three-CD box set in 2014. Shanachie Records chief Randall Grass explained in an interview with the website ''Midnight Raver'': On 14 August 2014, Shanachie Records announced their plans to release a Willi Williams/Yabby You project titled "Unification: From Channel One To King Tubbys With Willi Williams And Yabby You," which includes tracks recorded in the late seventies and never released.

Death

He died on 12 January 2010, aged 63, after suffering a ruptured brain aneurysm.Modell, Josh (2010)
And another: R.I.P. Yabby You
, '' The A.V. Club'', 14 January 2010Yabby You s'est éteint
", Reggaefrance.com, 14 January 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2010

Discography

*'' Conquering Lion'' (1975) Vivian Jackson (released as ''Ram A Dam'' in the UK, by Lucky) *''

King Tubby Meets Vivian Jackson ''King Tubby Meets Vivian Jackson'' (also known as ''Chant Down Babylon'' and ''Walls Of Jerusalem'') is the second album by Jamaican musician Yabby You (Vivian Jackson), in collaboration with Jamaican sound engineer and dub music pioneer King T ...

'' (1976) Prophet (also known as ''Walls Of Jerusalem'', released as ''Chant Down Babylon Kingdom'' in the UK by Nationwide) *''Deliver Me from My Enemies'' (1977) Grove Music *''Beware'' (1978) Grove Music (reissued (1991) ROIR) * ''Jah Jah Way'' (1980) Island *''African Queen'' (1980) Clappers *One Love One Heart (1983) Shanachie *''Fleeing from the City'' (1991) Shanachie *''Yabby The You Man'' (1995) *''Jah Will Be Done'' (1997) Prophet Records Compilations *''Jesus Dread 1972–1977'' (1997), Blood and Fire *''Deeper Roots'' (2012), Pressure Sounds – Yabby You & Brethren *''Deeper Roots Part 2'' (2014), Pressure Sounds – Yabby You & the Prophets Compilation appearances *'' The Rough Guide to Reggae'' (1997), World Music Network *''

The Rough Guide to Dub ''The Rough Guide to Dub'' is a world music compilation album originally released in 2005. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the release covers the roots of dub music, focusing on the period 1973-1980. Curation was performed ...

'' (2005), World Music Network Collaborations *''King Tubby's Prophesy of Dub'' (1976) Prophets (reissued (1994) Blood and Fire) *''Vocal & Dub'' (1979) Prophet (Yabby You and Michael Prophet) *''Yabby You Meets Trinity at Dub Station'' (circa 1979) Yabby U (with Trinity) *''Yabby You & Michael Prophet Meets Scientist at the Dub Station'' (1981) Prophet (with Michael Prophet and Scientist) *''Time to Remember'' (1982) Prophet (with King Tubby) *''Prophecy'' (1982) WLN (with Michael Prophet and

) *''Yabby U Meets Sly & Robbie Along With Tommy McCook'' (1982) WLN (with Tommy McCook) *''Yabby You Meets Mad Professor & Black Steel in Ariwa Studio'' (1993)

References

External links

Yabby You biography at Billboard.comYabby You at Roots Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yabby You 1946 births 2010 deaths Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica Dub musicians Jamaican record producers ROIR artists Jamaican reggae musicians Deaths from intracranial aneurysm Island Records artists