Every night we'd get clobbered by them, but we'd climb up another notch. 'What was really cool was having a chance to open for Bob Marley, Sly and Robbie, and Black Uhuru. 'We were the first guys down the pike - we had that opportunity,' longtime Blue Riddim drummer Steve 'Duck' McLane says, warm memories audible in his voice. Pat's Blue Riddim Band had a reg-gay old time in the 70's. Kansas City's PBR, as it was, and frequently still is, affectionately known, held its own with the king of reggae that night. Local fans knew and loved Marley's music, but their regular exposure to roots-reggae came from the opening act, Pat's Blue Riddim Band, and that group's frequent visits to KC's Parody Hall and Lawrence's Off the Wall Hall. Twenty-three years ago, Bob Marley played Hoch Auditorium at the University of Kansas. Unfortunately singer and trumpet player Scott Korchak passed away in September 2007.

Here is a great read on the band written by Mike Warren in The Pitch in 2002, a Kansas City entertainment newspaper. Chances are if you were in college at that time and had a penchant for reggae you crossed paths with BRB. Their Sunsplash performace was nominated for a Grammy for best reggae album. Their 1982 set as dawn was rising over the stage is legendary and they earned 2 encores from the crowd of 20,000 Jamaicans who were mesmerized by their 'blue eyed reggae.' They toured the US non-stop in the mid-80's. This group of blue eyed, white dudes from Lawrence Kansas have the distinction of being the very first American reggae band to be invited to play at a Reggae Sunsplash concert. Never heard of them you say? Well then you are in for a treat. They had a minor underground hit with 'Nancy Reagan' in the mid-80s and they also recorded a great and very hard-to-find 12' remix of the song featuring Ranking Roger called 'Nancy Goes To Moscow.' I picked up their only LP 'Restless Spirit' at the famous Princeton Record Exchange in the mid-80's on a whim and it became a staple on my turntable. In that same vein the Blue Riddim Band were America's first reggae band. A few weeks ago I called The Untouchables America's first ska band.

Real rock riddim bass cover