"Real Rock" is an instrumental

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

song by the Jamaican band Sound Dimension. It was recorded in 1967 at Jamaica Recording Studio in

Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long spit (landform), sand spit which connects the town of Por ...

, and released as a single in 1968 by Studio One. The song was produced by Clement "Coxsone" Dodd and performed by Eric Frater (guitar), Boris Gardiner (bass guitar), Phil Callender (drums), Denzel Laing (percussion), Vin Gordon (trombone) and

Jackie Mittoo Donat Roy Mittoo (3 March 1948 – 16 December 1990), better known as Jackie Mittoo, was a Jamaican-Canadian keyboardist, songwriter and musical director. He was a member of The Skatalites and musical director of the Studio One record label. ...

(keyboards), who played the

riddim In Jamaican dancehall music, a riddim is the instrumental accompaniment to a song and is synonymous with the rhythm section. Jamaican music genres that use the term consist of the ''riddim'' plus the ''voicing'' (vocal part) sung by the deeja ...

's signature three-note

Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created ...

figure. The song is significant for giving rise to perhaps the most popular reggae riddim of all time, having been versioned hundreds of times by artists including

The Clash The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...

KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an abbreviation of "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone") and Teacha, is an American rapper from the Bronx. He rose to prominence as part of the ...

and 311. According to a 2004 ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' article, C. Dodd considered the song his crowning achievement.

Partial list of songs using the "Real Rock" riddim

* "Real Rock", Sound Dimension (1967) * "Rockers' Rock", Augustus Pablo (1973) * "Cool Out Son", Junior Murvin (1978) * "Friday Evening",

Joe Tex Yusuf Hazziez (born Joseph Arrington Jr.; August 8, 1935 – August 13, 1982), known professionally as Joe Tex, was an American singer and musician who gained success in the 1960s and 1970s with his brand of Southern soul, which mixed the style ...

& U Black (1978) * "Stop The Fussing & Fighting",

Dennis Brown Dennis Emmanuel Brown CD (1 February 1957 – 1 July 1999) was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, which began in the late 1960s when he was aged eleven, he recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the major stars of l ...

(1978) * "Cool Out Son", Junior Murvin (1979) * "Nice Up The Dance", Michigan & Smiley (1979) * " Armagideon Time", Willi Williams (1977) /

(1979) * “Pie In The Sky”,

Scientist A scientist is a person who Scientific method, researches to advance knowledge in an Branches of science, area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engag ...

(1982) * "Lend Me Your Chopper" / "Lend Me the 16", Johnny Osbourne (1983) * "Eni Meeni Mini Mo", Tenor Saw (1985) * "Dem A Go Feel It", Frankie Paul (1985) * "The Real Rock", Shinehead (1990) * "If I Ever Fall In Love Again", Sanchez (1993) * "Black Cop",

(1993) * "Un Spectacle De Plus", Billy Ze Kick (1993) * “Roots Reality and Culture”,

Bounty Killer Rodney Basil Price OD (born 12 June 1972), known as Bounty Killer, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay. AllMusic describes him as "one of the most aggressive dancehall stars of the '90s, a street-tough rude boy with an unrepentant fl ...

(1994) * "All Mixed Up", 311 (1995) * "Too Greedy",

Super Cat William Anthony Maragh (born 25 June 1963),Huey, Steve " Super Cat Biography, Allmusic, retrieved 18 July 2010 also known as Super Cat, is a Jamaican DJ and toaster who achieved widespread popularity during the late 1980s and early 1990s danc ...

(1995) * "Original",

Raggasonic Raggasonic are a French ragga group composed of Big Red (born Stéphane Joaquim), Daddy Mory (born Mory Samaké) and Frenchie They were discovered after the compilation ''Rapattitude'' was released in the early 1990s. Two official albums were re ...

(1998) * A hidden track at the end of

Seeed Seeed is a German Hip hop music, hip hop, reggae and dancehall band based in Berlin. Founded in 1998, they have become well known in Germany and its neighboring countries. Musical style and lyrics Seeed consists of eleven band members, inc ...

's ''New Dubby Conquerors'' album (2001) * "Keep In Touch",

Sizzla Miguel Orlando Collins (born 17 April 1976), known by his stage name Sizzla Kalonji or Sizzla, is a Jamaican reggae musician. He is one of the most commercially and critically successful contemporary reggae artists and is noted for his high num ...

(2003) * "She Loves Me Now",

Cocoa Tea Colvin George Scott (3 September 1959 – 11 March 2025), better known as Cocoa Tea, was a Jamaican reggae singer and songwriter. Life and career Born in the fishing village of Rocky Point, Clarendon Parish, Jamaica on 3 September 1959, Cocoa ...

(1999) (Sundance 2008)

Track listing

References

External links

*
Real Rock Riddim
at Frenkieh.com

Riddim In Jamaican dancehall music, a riddim is the instrumental accompaniment to a song and is synonymous with the rhythm section. Jamaican music genres that use the term consist of the ''riddim'' plus the ''voicing'' (vocal part) sung by the deeja ...

Database {{Authority control 1967 songs 1968 singles Jamaican reggae songs Riddims Songs written by Coxsone Dodd