OLDIES SUNDAY: The Cables – Baby Why (1968)

With “Reggae Month” coming to a close, Reggae is still constant on Oldies Sunday! Last Sunday, we highlighted what’s possibly the first ever Reggae song released called “Nanny Goat” by Larry And Alvin. The thing is, there’s another song that was released in 1968 that was debated to also be the first Reggae song, and it comes from the singing group The Cables called, “Baby Why“.

Produced by “Sir Coxsone” Dodd, the track was released through the Studio One Label in 1968. The Cables combined great vocals and sound to sing about a lover who exited the relationship for another, and they expressed the various emotions and thoughts experienced as a result. “Baby Why” was a slow burner for the group as it was strategically played on various sound systems, building its buzz for months before an official release. The single became a hit for the group, and has been debated along with Larry And Alvin’s “Nanny Goat” and Toots & The Maytals’ “Do The Reggay” to be the first real Reggae song. “Baby Why” was featured on the group’s 1970 debut album, “What Kind Of World“, and was later remixed by Dennis Alcapone and Prince Jazzbo.

The Cables consisted of Singers Keble Drummond, Elbert Stewart, and Vince Stoddart, and they recorded a string of singles for “Sir Coxsone” Dodd’s Studio One in the late 60s before parting ways with label in the 1970s. Since the release of “Baby Why”, the group went on to release many more singles and one more album before going through a series of breakups and reunions over the years.