Scientist – Scientist Wins The World Cup

The story of Scientist – Scientist Wins The World Cup and its connection to the Junjo reissue revolves around some fascinating and often contentious aspects of reggae and dub music, including producer credits, licensing issues, and the role of legendary figures in the genre.

The Original Release: Scientist Wins the World Cup (1982)

Scientist Wins The World Cup was a 1982 dub album by Hopeton Brown, better known as 'Scientist', a pioneer in the genre. Scientist was a protege of King Tubby, the originator of dub, and rose to fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s for his unique and highly experimental dub mixing style. His albums often had catchy titles related to contemporary events or fantastical themes (e.g., Scientist Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires). Scientist Wins the World Cup was released by Greensleeves Records, a British label known for reggae and dub.

The album was recorded at Channel One Studio in Jamaica, and the rhythms were provided by the famous Roots Radics band, known for their tight, heavy rhythms that dominated the sound of early dancehall. The album's title was a playful nod to the 1982 FIFA World Cup, which was a major global event at the time.

The Junjo Connection

The rhythms on Scientist Wins The World Cup were produced by Henry "Junjo" Lawes, one of the most influential reggae producers of the early 1980s. Junjo played a key role in the shift from roots reggae to the emerging dancehall sound, and many of the rhythms on this album were versions of popular tracks from his productions. The rhythms came from sessions originally used for vocal tunes by artists like Barrington Levy, Johnny Osbourne, and Michael Prophet.

The Dispute and Reissue Controversy

Fast forward to 2015, when VP Records (which had acquired Greensleeves) released reissues of several classic Scientist albums, including Scientist Wins the World Cup. These reissues sparked controversy due to disputes over the credits and rights to the music.

Here's the crux of the controversy:
Scientist's Claim: Scientist argued that he had been the creative force behind these albums and that his work as a dub mixer had been essential to their identity. He felt that he deserved more recognition and compensation for his contributions. The dispute centered around the ownership of the "dub mixes" and whether they belonged to Scientist or the producer (Junjo Lawes, in this case).

Greensleeves/VP's Position: VP Records maintained that the rights to the album, including the dub mixes, belonged to them, as they had purchased the catalog from Greensleeves. They attributed the production to Junjo Lawes since the rhythms were created by him and the Roots Radics band.

Reissue Credits: When VP reissued these albums, including Scientist Wins The World Cup, the new liner notes credited Junjo Lawes as the producer, but Scientist felt that his role had been diminished. These reissues also included other legal changes, and the covers were altered to reflect Junjo's prominence, further fueling Scientist’s frustration.

This situation reflects broader issues in reggae and dub music, where the lines between producers, mixers, and musicians can sometimes blur, leading to disputes over credit and royalties. In the early days of dub, producers like King Tubby and Scientist were essentially remixing pre-existing rhythms, but their creative manipulation of the tracks transformed them into something new. The legal and financial recognition of that transformation has often been murky.

In this case, the Scientist vs. Junjo reissue saga highlights the importance of understanding the collaborative nature of reggae and dub music, where multiple parties contribute to the final product. It's also a reminder of how the music industry’s legal framework often lags behind the creative innovations of artists, leading to disputes over intellectual property and rightful credit.

Am looking for a spare cover - if anyone has one to sell, let me know!

Dice Lloyd Bradley en "Bass Culture" que esta serie de discos de Scientist (las de los "cómics" por llamarla de alguna forma) llaman la atención por sus icónicas portadas más que por una genuina innovación en los derroteros del dub. Y algo de razón tiene en que no es una vuelta de tuerca a lo que su mentor, King Tubby, venía haciendo desde mediado de los setenta ni mucho menos se acercan a la genialidad (y locura) del mismísimo The Upsetter, Lee Perry (¿alguna vez alguien lo ha hecho?). Pero esto no es razón para quitarle mérito esta serie incontestable ya que si algo hizo Scientist fue perfeccionar el sonido, los efectos y la técnica de grabación del dub y hacerlo sonar con una precisión, profundidad y fidelidad que cuesta pensar que se grabó hace más de 40 años atrás. Y eso es razón suficiente para instalarlo como uno de los grandes nombres del Dub.

If you have a spare sleeve to sell please contact me in PM
Thanks

In my humble opinion Scientist released three of the essential dub albums in the early 1980s: 'Heavyweight Dub Champion' (1980), '... Rids The World Of The Evil Curse Of The Vampires' (1981), and '... Wins The World Cup' (1982); all on the excellent Greensleeves label.

The reason each of these albums are so well regarded (by me, at least) is the sheer strength of the tunes that Scientist engineers to dub perfection. As pointed out by renzelkouten below, Johnny Osbourne, Hugh Mundell, and Wayne Jarrett cuts are treated on this particular album; strong in their original state, but given true knowledge by the Scientist.

Strongly recommended to fans of reggae, dub, and the psychedelic.

Essential piece of dub education from King Tubby's Protege Scientist.

Fantastic bass heavy music with gorgeous melodies and horn drops courtesy of Roots Radic as well as featuring fantastic vocal contributions most notably from some of Johnny Osbourne's finest works as well as the vocal talents of Hugh Mundell (RIP) and the always outstanding Wayne Jarrett.

Paticular standouts include Never Stop Fighting, In Your Eyes and the monumental Give a Little Love (Just give that track a listen!). As with all Scientist releases from this time it has a brilliant Tony McDermott cover and, perhaps because it was the first I heard, is my favourite of them all.

Light enough to cheer your mood and yet ultra heavy. The fine vocalists add an almost romantic edge to Scientists clinically cool top rate dub compositions.