The Aggrovators (aka Agrovators, and many other spellings) were a dub/reggae backing band in the 1970s and 1980s, and one of the main session bands of producer Bunny Lee. The line-up varied, with Lee using the name for whichever set of musicians he was using at any time. The band's name derived from the record shop that Lee had run in the late 1960s, Agro Sounds. Alumni of the band included many musicians who later went on to make names for themselves in reggae music. Legends such as Jackie Mittoo, Sly and Robbie, Tommy McCook, and Aston Barrett were all involved with the band at one point or another. Other regular members included Carlton "Santa" Davis, Earl "Chinna" Smith, George "Fully" Fullwood, Ansel Collins, Bernard "Touter" Harvey, Tony Chin, Bobby Ellis, and Vin Gordon. The band recorded Lee's most popular output from the 1970s, with the instrumental B-sides of Lee's single releases on the Jackpot and Justice labels generally credited to The Aggrovators and mixed by King Tubby.
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Links to Peel[]
While Peel played numerous dub tracks credited to the Aggrovators (often with mixing engineer King Tubby), the same shifting cast of musicians was used in the studio by producer Buddy Lee as the backing band on other reggae tracks played by the DJ that were put out under the name of the vocalist.
Available tracklistings of Peel shows suggest that the Aggrovators featured most often as a credited artist on collections of vintage dub from the 1970s that were released in the late 1980s and beyond.
Many musicians who played with the Aggrovators were featured by Peel in other roles, with notable examples including the celebrated rhythm section and production duo Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, who had first worked together in the Revolutionaries in-house band of the Channel One studio and label.
Festive Fifty Entries[]
- None
Sessions[]
- None
Other Shows Played[]
- 1975
- 09 December 1975 (& King Tubby): Lee's Dub (LP - Shalom Dub) Klik
- 1977
- 19 October 1977 (And Jammy): Joe Gibbs Feel It (7") Jackpot
- 1980
- 29 March 1980 (BFBS): Something Nice About Dub (album - Rockers Almighty Dub) Clocktower
- 10 April 1980 (BFBS): Rockers Almighty Dub (v/a album - Rockers Almighty Dub) Clocktower
- 26 April 1980 (BFBS): 21 Guns Salute To Brother Marcus (v/a album - Rockers Almighty Dub) Clocktower
- 13 May 1980: Something Nice Bout Da Dub (LP - Rocker's Almighty Dub)
- 31 May 1980 (BFBS): Storm & Lightning (v/a album - Rockers Almighty Dub) Clocktower
- 1989
- 18 July 1989: A Colder Version (LP - Johnny In The Echo Chamber (Dubwise Selection 1975-1976)) Attack
- 19 July 1989: A Crabit Version (album - Johnny In The Echo Chamber (Dubwise Selection 1975-1976)) Attack
- 20 July 1989: Running Over (album - Johnny In The Echo Chamber (Dubwise Selection 1975-1976)) Attack
- 07 August 1989: Chiney Man Version (album - Johnny In The Echo Chamber (Dubwise Selection 1975-1976)) Attack
- 10 August 1989: A Ruffer Version (album - Johnny In The Echo Chamber (Dubwise Selection 1975-1976)) Attack
- 12 August 1989 (BFBS): A Colder Version (album - Johnny In The Echo Chamber (Dubwise Selection 1975-1976)) Attack
- 19 August 1989 (BFBS): Since I Dub (album - Johnny In The Echo Chamber (Dubwise Selection 1975-1976)) Attack
- 31 August 1989: Soldering Version (LP - Johnny In The Echo Chamber - Dubwise Selection 1975-1976) Attack
- 21 November 1989 (& King Tubby, Observer Allstars): Rasta Locks (album - King Tubby's Special 1973-1976) Trojan
- 22 November 1989 (& King Tubby, Observer Allstars): Dubbing With The Observer (LP - King Tubby's Special 1973-1976) Trojan
- 07 December 1989 (& King Tubby, Observer Allstars): Mister D. Brown Skank (album - King Tubby's Special 1973-1976) Trojan
- 18 December 1989 (& King Tubby, Observer Allstars): Another Version (album - King Tubby's Special 1973-1976) Trojan
- 1990
- 02 January 1990: Everybody Needs Version (v/a album - Now This Is What I & I Call Version) Trojan
- 03 January 1990 (& King Tubby, Observer Allstars): Parade Dub (album - King Tubby's Special 1973-1976) Trojan
- 08 January 1990 (& King Tubby, Observer Allstars): Straight To The Boy Nineyhead (album - King Tubby's Special 1973-1976) Trojan
- 13 January 1990 (BFBS): Everybody Needs Version (v/a album - Now This Is What I & I Call Version) Trojan
- 13 June 1990 (and King Tubby's): Straight To Edward's Head (album - Dub Jackpot) Attack
- 19 June 1990 (and King Tubby's): Life Time Dub (album - Dub Jackpot) Attack
- 18 July 1990: Creation Dub (album - Dub Justice) Attack
- 26 July 1990: Don't Try To Dub I (album - Dub Justice) Attack
- 10 September 1990: A Confusing Version (album - Dub Justice) Attack
- 1991
- 03 November 1991 (& Johnny Clarke): A Colder Version (album - Johnny In The Echo Chamber (Dubwise Selection 1975-1976)) Attack
- 15 November 1991 (BFBS) (& Johnny Clarke): A Colder Version (album - Johnny In The Echo Chamber (Dubwise Selection 1975-1976)) Attack
- 1992
- 25 January 1992 (& King Tubby, Observer Allstars): Casanova Dub (album - King Tubby's Special 1973-1976)
- 1995
- 07 April 1995 (& Tommy McCook): Inspiring Dub (LP-King Tubby Meets The Agrovators At Dub Station) Trojan
- 15 April 1995 (BFBS) (& Tommy McCook): Inspiring Dub (LP-King Tubby Meets The Agrovators At Dub Station) Live And Love
- 21 April 1995 (& Tommy McCook): The Dub Station (LP - King Tubby Meets The Agrovators At Dub Station) Basement
- 24 April 1995 (BBC World Service) (& Tommy McCook): Inspiring Dub (LP-King Tubby Meets The Agrovators At Dub Station) Live And Love
- 29 April 1995 (BFBS): The Dub Station (LP - King Tubby Meets The Agrovators At Dub Station) Basement
- 2000
- 10 February 2000 (& Revolutionaries): Seven Million Dollar Man (LP: Agrovators Meets the Revolutioners At Channel One) Third World
- 12 September 2000 (& Dirty Harry): The Poor Barber (Compilation LP: Essential Dub) Metro
- 26 September 2000: Don't Cut Off Your Dreadlocks (LP - King Tubby Essential Dub) Metro
- 2001
- March 2001 (FSK) (& King Tubby, Linval Thompson): Straight To The Capitalist Head (Money Version) (v/a CD - Dub / Original Bass Culture) Metro
- 21 March 2001 (& King Tubby): Straight To The Capitalist Head (Compilation CD - Dub Original / Bass Culture) Metro
- 12 October 2000 (Radio Eins): A Rougher Version
- 2002
- 02 January 2002: Not Just Another Dub (LP – Dubbing It Studio 1 Style) Jamaican
- 03 October 2000: A Rougher Version (Metro)
- 14 November 2002: This Is The Hardest Version (Lp - Flashing Echo) Trojan
- 05 December 2002: (& King Tubby): I Trim The Barber (Compilation LP - Flashing Echo: Trojan In Dub 1970-1980) Trojan
- 2003
- 05 March 2003: Channel One Is A Joker (v/a LP- Flashing Echo) Trojan
- 05 March 2003 (Radio Mafia): Channel One Is A Joker (v/a album - Flashing Echo - Trojan in Dub 1970-1980) Trojan
- 13 March 2003 (Radio Eins): Channel One Is A Joker (v/a album - Flashing Echo: Trojan In Dub 1970-1980) Trojan
- 15 March 2003 (BBC World Service): Straight To Channel One Head