Tenor Saw – Ring The Alarm

Just some vintage dancehall, hailing from the early days of digital reggae. Released in 1985 on the Techniques label, it was considered an instant classic and since those days the tune has lost nothing of its freshness.

“Ring The Alarm” is the best known cut of one of the most infectious riddims ever, Winston Riley’s Stalag riddim. It’s also a perfect example of Tenor Saw’s style: his airy voice and the simply-structured repetitive melodies with short, barely sung notes. This combination of the riddim and the vocals are simply irresistible.

The song was Tenor Saw’s response to the fact that the sound system he was performing for in a sound clash wasn’t getting the recognition it deserved. That sound system was Sugar Minott’s ‘Youth Promotion’.

The video’s a nice one as well, especially with the images of “the making of” a vinyl record. Ah, just wondering how long ago that must have been.