The first Ring the Alarm was the very first instalment of Songs About Security, way, way back in May this year, when Beyonce regaled us with her (completely different) song of the same name. (We’re now up to 27 editions of this amazingly popular and brilliant feature.)
This version comes from Jamaican artist Tenor Saw – born Clive Bright – and was released in 1985. At this point Jamaican music was entering the first stages of its ‘digital’ era – when the rhythms employed were largely electronic rather than played on more traditional instruments.
Often producers would record a rhythm which was then used as the basis for any number of tracks. This was the case here, with Tenor Saw singing over the ‘Stalag’ rhythm by Winston Riley. It was far and away the biggest hit using that rhythm – and in the dancehalls that year.
So feel free to skank or groove wherever you might be.
You may have noticed that I have not bothered to provide any ‘security’ justification for the tune’s inclusion. That’s well observed. It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?
