Booty Call

Well after all the talk of sunshine, it rained on our parade for a while today. But all was not lost, we day tripped it over to Blackbeard's Castle in the tourist heavy area of Charlotte-Amalie.

When you think pirates, you think Blackbeard. Sure there's Capt. Hook, Black Bart, even William Kidd, but Blackbeard is king. For some reason, he is the most notorious and memorable of all the scoundrels to ever sail the Seven Seas. ARGH!

It's very much the same for Reggae. Bob Marley is king and everyone else is second fiddle. Well today AM is all about playing second fiddle.

Eric Donaldson first appeared on the Reggae scene after his song Cherry Oh Baby won the Jamaican Festival Song Competition in 1971. He would go on to capture that title four more times, but never achieve success off of the islands.

A group that did enjoy some limited success abroad with their dance floor friendly mix of Disco and Reggae was Third World. Their 1978 cover of the Gamble & Huff hit Now that We Found Love, was followed up by the original tune Try Jah Love.

Peter Tosh started out a Wailer, but broke out as a solo artist in the mid 70's. A controversial figure, his music was more politicized than Marley's. A devout Rastafarian, he was a big proponent of cannabis use. From his 1976 debut album of the same name, Legalize It.

Next up is arguably Reggae's biggest crossover next to Marley, the incomparable Jimmy Cliff. A legend in the Reggae world, he never quite gained the international recognition of Marley. He did however help bring Reggae to the mainstream with the 1972 film, The Harder They Come. The crime drama starred Cliff and featured a soundtrack which included some of his biggest hits including The title track as well as one of my all-time favorite songs, Many Rivers To Cross.

Just like pirates of yore, with a little direction, a sense of adventure, and some digging, the hidden treasures of Reggae are waiting to be discovered.

I'm just sayin'.

Cherry Oh Baby
Now That We Found Love
Legalize It
The Harder They Come
Many Rivers To Cross

Jimmy Cliff- The Harder They Come (1972)


Jimmy Cliff- Many Rivers To Cross (1 June 1984 Philipshalle Düsseldorf, Germany)