To mark the 40th anniversary of the Sleng Teng rhythm, VP Records will release a seven-inch vinyl edition of ‘Under mi Sleng Teng’, the song by Wayne Smith that spearheaded its remarkable success.
A release from the Queens, New York-based company gave the release date of the song as August 22. It will be serviced to sound system operators globally
The VP Records reissue is part of big plans for Sleng Teng’s latest milestone. Lloyd “King Jammy” James, who produced the song, says he will release a ‘Sleng Teng’ Worldwide album featuring artists from around the world.
Jack Reuben, manager for the legendary producer, hinted of things to come.
“The line-up for this album reads like a dream team, I won’t drop names but rest assured it will be worth the wait,” he said.
While King Jammy is credited as producer of the Sleng Teng, the beat was actually created in late 1984 by musician Noel Davey at the producer’s recording studio in Waterhouse, Kingston.
Smith’s song was the first release on the uptempo rhythm which helped spark dancehall music’s digital age. Other songs on the Sleng Teng include ‘Under mi Fat Thing’ by Anthony Redrose and ‘Buddy Bye’ by Johnny Osbourne.
The seven-inch ‘Under mi Sleng Teng’ is one of several songs that will be reissued by VP Records this summer. Others include ‘We Nah Leave’ by John Holt, a King Jammy-produced version of Junior Murvin’s ‘Police And Thieves’, and ‘Hang on To Your Love’ by The Tamlins.