A
discomix, or simply a
disco, is an extended
reggae 12-inch single that typically features the vocal track followed by a
Dub music version or a deejay version of the same track.
[Heath, ML (2010) " Joe Gibbs: 12" Reggae Discomix Showcase Volumes 4 and 5", PopMatters, 7 October 2010, retrieved 2011-01-01][Anderson, Rick " Reggae Discomix Showcase, Vol. 3 Review", AllMusic, retrieved 2011-01-01] The format became popular in the mid-1970s, with the extended bass range of 12-inch singles being better suited to dub music.
The first big hit discomix was a retake by the Jays of the old
Coxsone Dodd Viceroys' Studio One tune, "Ya Ho". The Jays were members of
Roy Cousins' outfit the Royals, with toaster
Ranking Trevor. Their discomix version of "Ya Ho" was released in 1976, backed with the Revolutionaries and recorded at Joseph Hoo Kim's Channel One Studios.
[O'Brien Chang, Kevin & Chen, Wayne (1998) Reggae Routes: The Story of Jamaican Music, Ian Randle Publishers, , p. 56] The popularity of the format led to
Black Echoes magazine (later
Echoes) publishing a weekly 'Reggae Disco Chart'.
[ Echoes, 8 November 1986, p. 2]
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