Watch This! Dubbing At Tuff Gong

When people think of Tuff Gong they usually think of Bob Marley and rightly so, as he
was nicknamed and often called Tuff Gong and from this his early releases which came
out on the Tuff Gong label.
But Tuff Gong was also the name of a recording complex
named after Bob Marley that included a top level recording studio, pressing plant and
distribution centre that would allow Reggae music to carry on many years after his sad
and far too early demise.

Bob Marley had taken over the former residence of Island Records boss Chris Blackwell,
Island House, 56 Hope Road around 1974.
Just before The Smile Jamaica Concert
3rd December of the same year the house was ambushed by gunmen.
Bob’s manager
Don Taylor was hit five times and Bob was shot in the arm and his wife Rita Marley was
hit in the head by a stray bullet.
How no one was fatality killed is staggering.
Immediately
after the concert Bob Marley started his self- imposed exile from Jamaica, settling in London,
England.
This would lead to the apply named Exodus album being recorded there in the
summer of 1977.
It would not be until the One Love Peace Concert in Kingston’s
National Arena on the 22nd April 1978 that would see Bob’s return to the Island.
Marley felt it was important to show his commitment to the people of Jamaica and on
his return to 56 Hope Road he began construction of his own recording studio with the
help of music mogul Tommy Cowen.
Unfortunately Bob Marley’s short life would end on
the 11th May 1981 from cancer, which originated from a football injury many years earlier
to his toe.
His passing would lead to 56 Hope Road being turned into a museum to the
legend of Reggae music.

A new location would have to be found to carry on Bob’s work and to create a place where
people could not only record but to press up and distribute their music.
This tied in with the
decision of record producer Ken Khouri to retire from the music business and sell his Federal
Records studio and pressing plant situated at 220 Marcus Garvey Drive, Kingston 11.
The buyer would be Rita Marley and the Tuff Gong International Organisation.

Engineers working at the new facility included Errol Browne who had worked at Treasure Isle
studios and Hopeton Overton Browne known as Scientist.
Named by the great producer
Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee who having worked with him previously at King Tubby’s and Channel 1
Studios described his ground breaking style as being like that of a scientist.
We focus for this release on the work carried out by the great Scientist on the songs of the
Black Solidarity label run by Ossie Thomas (A.K.A.
Joe the Boss) recorded at Tuff Gong Studios.
One of the foremost recording, Pressing and distribution facilities on the Jamaican Island set up
from the work of Bob Marley to carry forward reggae music.

Hope you enjoy the set…