Completely Random Riddim Diving: Babatunde

Okay so, you may or may not have seen a review we did for the most recent Norris Man album as of this writing, 2020's "Emerge" from Stingray Records (pretty good album, definitely check it out). That album, because I'm a giant overthinker, got me going through my own mental catalogue of Norris Man tunes and I eventually found my way to becoming fixated with one of my absolute favourites from the Trenchtown native, the FLATTENING 'H.I.M. Never Fail Man'.

I mean.... it's just.... yep. Just a fantastic song and were I to sit down to make a proper list and arrive at the conclusion that 'H.I.M. Never Fail Man' is THE best Norris Man song that I've heard altogether, I wouldn't be surprised in the sligtest. The riddim on this one is a redo of an old Studio One set originally called the Created By The Father Riddim after a Dennis Brown classic of the same name (a song, literally, over half a century old now) and it passed through the palms of a variety of different producers before arriving here as the Babatunde Riddim. Now, I don't have an album with this song on it (a quick bit of research reveals that such a thing probably does not exist, which is a damn shame), but there is another song on the same riddim that I do have an actual disc for and if you'll give me a minute, I'll go dig it up (which will turn into about forty-five because it's going to take awhile to actually convince myself to get up and then another while to actually find it) (see! I typed that like ten minutes ago... still sitting here) (okay I have it, it's probably been half an hour). See, despite how fantastic Norris Man's cut clearly is, he may not have had the best tune on the resurrected form of the riddim as Capleton also laid it to ruins with the destructive, 'Who I Am'. That song did appear on an album which I do own, 1999's combination album with Anthony B, "One Mission".

The tune came via Henfield Records, as did another track on the same riddim that I found, 'Spread Jah Love' by Jah Cure, which appeared on a couple of his albums, one of which, "Freedom Blues" even mentions in the credit that Dennis Brown retains publishing rights of that particular song (and, maybe, others I would think). Anthony B, Luciano (twice), Shadowman (who is given credit for the actual riddim) and others also appear on Henfield's version of the track. But it didn't stop there as, also doing a remake of the riddim was Safire Music, a couple of years later. This one, I'm far less familiar with, and I was shocked to see names such as Jah Cure, Bushman and even Beres Hammond had voiced it. My attentions gravitated towards a pair of selections I'm confident that I've NEVER heard before, 'Destiny' and 'Hail Highly Selassie'. The former comes via Achis Reggae favourite, Lutan Fyah, while behind the latter was none other than a Mr. Steve, who also happens to be a lesser-known favourite of mind and someone who I so often look forward to hearing from but so rarely do, and is better known as Steve Machete.

"Come mek wi hail Haile Selassie I

Don't vote fi dem imposta

Come mek wi hail Haile Selassie i

How dem ahgo fight 'gainst Rasta?"

These songs were produced by Safire Music, who did their own lick of the Babatunde a year or two after Henfield. Safire didn't do too much in their time, but along with a remake of the Created By The Father, they'd also lay down a version of the I Love King Selassie, popularized by Black Uhuru... which may make for a fun sequel to this post some day. Until then, do some mining and check out the GORGEOUS Babatunde Riddim.