Helmut Philipps ADD
Ranking Barnabas' 70s Dub Album 'The Cold Crusher' Returns to Wax
01/11/2026 by Reggaeville
Ranking Barnabas or simply Barnabas, is one of the many unsung heroes of Jamaican dub music, which is usually associated with names such as King Tubby, Lee Perry, Scientist, or Prince Jammy.
Barnabas was born Stanley Bryan in Kingston in 1960, a few years later he became a regular at the legendary Channel One Studios. In the 1970s, Channel One was the hot spot in Jamaica's studio landscape, offering the best technology and producing reggae at an internationally competitive level. Stanley Bryan was an all-rounder. During the day, he sat at the mixing desk as an engineer and mixed, to name just one, the Eek-A-Mouse classic "Wa-Do-Dem."
If the drummer dropped out during a recording, Barnabas stepped in. And at night, he took the microphone at the Channel One Sound System as Ranking Barnabas and toasted over riddims that he had frequently recorded himself in the studio. It was the heyday of Jamaican dub, and Barnabas was the often uncredited creator of countless dubs for maxi-singles and single B-sides. Although he contributed to countless Dub LPs, only The Cold Crusher was released under his name. Barnabas' only LP was released in a mini edition in the USA, was never repressed, and became a highly priced, sought-after rarity.
The Italian label Jamdung, known for its high-quality reissues, has now unearthed The Cold Crusher after 50 years and reissued it with a new artwork that matches the original design. The album has been restored to high quality in Berlin by Dubplates & Mastering and features detailed liner notes by dub specialist Helmut Philipps (Dub – The Sound Of Surprise) and Lee Perry biographer David Katz (People Funny Boy, Solid Foundation). Two renowned reggae authors who have collaborated for the first time on this reissue. Photo on cover by legendary Beth Lesser.
Stanley "Barnabas" Bryan did not live to see the release of his album. He passed away while working on the reissue on August 18, 2025, at the age of 65. Thus, the reissue of The Cold Crusher unexpectedly became his musical legacy.
The vinyl is available on February 6, 2026 and can be pre-ordered here: Bandcamp | Cinedelic | HHV
https://www.reggaeville.com/artist-details/reggaeville/music/audio/ranking-barnabas-the-cold-crusher-full-album/
TRACKLIST
01. Roast Fish & Stout
02. Raw Meat
03. White Whale
04. Cold Crusher
05. 11-9-0
06. Dub Them Roots Man
07. Murderer
08. Run For Cover
09. Dub Me Right
10. Corn Meal Porridge
ALBUM CREDITS
Bass – Robbie Shakespeare
Drums – Sly Dunbare
Guitar [Lead] – Rad Brya
Guitar [Rhythm] – Jah Bunny
Horns – Herman Marquis, Tommy McCook
Organ – Bobby Kalphat
Percussion – Scully, Sticky
Piano [Acoustic] – Ansel Collins
Producer – Phil Pratt
Remix [Dub Mix] – Barnabas
Engineer – Bunny Tom Tom
Photography by Beth Lesser
Liner Notes – David Katz & Helmut Philipps
Recorded At Channel One Recording Studio
Licensed From Phil Pratt
Manufactured by Schallplattenfabrik Pallas GmbH
Lacquer Cut at Dubplates & Mastering
Mastered at Dubplates & Mastering
Distributed by Kudos
Listen to Ranking Barnabas - The Cold Crusher here:
