Israel Vibration (JM)

About

Also known as: Israeil Vibration, Israel Vibrations

Few reggae groups have a backstory as striking as Israel Vibration. Lascelle "Wiss" Bulgin, Albert "Apple Gabriel" Craig, and Cecil "Skelly" Spence first crossed paths as children at a rehabilitation clinic in Kingston, all three recovering from polio, and years later turned that shared experience into one of the most distinctive harmony groups in roots reggae. Funded by a grant from the Twelve Tribes of Israel after a member overheard them singing in the woods outside Kingston, their debut single "Why Worry" landed in 1976 and quickly earned them support slots alongside Dennis Brown and Bob Marley. Their 1978 album The Same Song, backed by members of Inner Circle and produced by Tommy Cowan, broke them internationally and led to a UK deal with EMI's Harvest label. After a split in the early 1980s, they reunited through RAS Records and spent decades recording with the Roots Radics, releasing well over a dozen albums for the label. Apple Gabriel departed for a solo career in 1997, while Wiss and Skelly kept Israel Vibration going. Both Craig and Spence have since passed away, leaving Bulgin as the sole surviving member.