Hello, we're still on that island with a huge place in the global music catalogue, Jamaica. A production hothouse and they say the Weed makes you slow and lazy-go figure. Without the ganja driven reggae music Jamaica would have remained a Caribbean backwater and dare i say would never have given us Bolt, the fastest man in the world.
Today in the spotlight a man with a bigger career as he's known for, likely because his entry into global awareness came 40 years ago and being a reggae artist and converted muslim isn't the stuff media are to keen to follow up upon. I'm not sure but even in Jamaica they must have scratched behind their ears upon hearing one of their leading stars at the time becoming a muslim, militant american blacks had done so but that could be seen as a revolt opposing the hypocritical Christian US churches, quiet different from their Jamaican counterparts. I guess Cliff by that time (75) had seen enough of the world and its ways, and that Christianity was a morally corrupted religion (that started right at its beginning in 365 AD with the inclusion of the old testament). Cliff has proven he ain't no 'april fool' and at 63 today he's probably good for some more great music.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
It's one of the music industry's great ironies that today, outside of reggae circles, Jimmy Cliff is perhaps better known for his film appearances than his music. Even after a string of hits, the singer never quite managed to break into the mainstream, although he seemed poised for international stardom during the late '60s/early '70s. The singer was born in St. Catherine, Jamaica, on April 1, 1948, with the less prosaic name James Chambers. His talent was evident from childhood, and he began his career appearing at local shows and parish fairs.
Feeling ready for the big time at the age of 14, he moved to Kingston and took the surname Cliff to express the heights he intended on reaching. Cliff recorded two unsuccessful singles before he was spotted by Derrick Morgan, who brought him to Leslie Kong. His first single for the budding producer, "Hurricane Hattie," was an instant hit. Unusually, Cliff remained with Kong until the producer's death; most Jamaican artists flit from studio to studio. The singer's loyalty was rewarded, however, by a string of follow-up hits. In the early years, the pair helped set the ska scene alight, both in Jamaica and in Britain, where the singer's singles were picked up by Island Records. "Miss Jamaica," "King of Kings," "One Eyed Jacks," and "Pride and Passion" have since become classics of the original ska era.
By 1964, Cliff's star was so bright that he was selected as one of Jamaica's representatives at the World's Fair. A successful residency in Paris followed, and Island head Chris Blackwell eventually convinced the singer to relocate to Britain. The label itself was in the process of shifting away from Jamaican music and into progressive rock, and thus Cliff began composing songs with an eye to cross over into that market.
It was a risky plan, but ultimately a successful one. In 1968, Cliff released his debut album, the excellent Hard Road to Travel, and won the International Song Festival with "Waterfall," a song that became a smash hit in Brazil. He swiftly moved to that country to take advantage of his success, but even greater heights were in the offing. The following year, "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" proved to be his international breakthrough. The single soared to number six on the British charts, and charmed its way into the Top 25 in the States. The song's anti-war follow-up, "Vietnam," proved to be less popular, even if Bob Dylan called it the best protest song he'd ever heard. Regardless, Cliff's new album, 1969's Wonderful World, was critically acclaimed, and saw the singer starting to build a following amongst the AOR crowd.
The title track, a cover of Cat Steven's "Wild World," was another smash in 1970, and Desmond Dekker took Cliff's own "You Can Get It if You Really Want" to number two in Britain. And then tragedy struck. Leslie Kong, who had continued to oversee Cliff's career during this entire period, died unexpectedly of a heart attack in August 1971. The singer was at a loss, as he'd grown up under the producer's wing and was abruptly forced to fend for himself. One of the last projects Kong had undertaken was overseeing the soundtrack to the movie The Harder They Come. Produced and written by Perry Henzell, this powerful film featured Cliff in the leading role, and upon its release swiftly became an underground classic. The soundtrack, which boasted a clutch of Cliff's own compositions, was an equally seminal record.
This should have pushed the singer into the mainstream, but Island dropped the ball and turned their attention to Bob Marley instead. The timing was also off in the U.S., where the movie didn't see release until 1975. Cliff left Island's roster and signed to Reprise in the U.S. and EMI in the U.K., but fared no better on either label. 1973's Unlimited, 1974's Struggling Man, and the following year's Brave Warrior were unable to sustain the success never mind improve upon it. During this time, Cliff converted to Islam and traveled to Africa in search of his roots, and his newfound religious devotion began to heavily influence his music.
In 1975, with the release of The Harder They Come in the U.S., Cliff's second album for the year, Follow My Mind, immediately grabbed America's attention and became his first album to reach into the bottom of the chart. Reprise then decided it was time for a greatest-hits collection, although this would be accomplished via a live album. Rolling Stones' producer Andrew Loog Oldham was brought in to oversee the project, and Cliff was sent out on the road to tour and record. What the label received was one of Cliff's most ferocious albums to date, Live -- In Concert. The singer was not ready to wallow in nostalgia, and across the rest of the decade he continued releasing albums that were thoroughly modern in sound and fierce in delivery.
Cliff closed his account with Reprise in the new decade with 1981's "Give the People What They Want, and moved to Columbia. He formed a new backing band, Oneness, and embarked on a tour of the U.S. with Peter Tosh; there was also a fabulous performance at Reggae Sunsplash that year. 1983's The Power and the Glory inaugurated his partnership with Kool & the Gang, and the album was nominated for a Grammy. Its follow-up, Cliff Hanger, would win the award in 1985. However, 1989's Hanging Fire became his last effort for Columbia, although the singer continued to release material in both Jamaica and the U.K. During this period, Cliff also co-starred in the movie Club Paradise. He returned to the American charts in 1993 with his cover of "I Can See Clearly Now," from the soundtrack for Cool Runnings, which glided into the Top 20. More singles and albums have followed, and the singer remains a potent musical force. A comeback album of sorts, Black Magic, which featured duets with high profile stars like Sting, Joe Strummer, Wyclef Jean and others, appeared in 2004.
On December 15, 2009, Cliff was officially announced as an inductee and was inducted on March 15, 2010. In the spring and summer of 2010, Cliff embarked on an extensive tour of the US and Canada. he's released many dozens of albums and the number of compilations runs in the hundreds during his almost 50 year career.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
In 1973, when the movie The Harder They Come was released, reggae was not on the radar screen of American pop culture. The soundtrack went a ways toward changing that situation. It is a collection of consistently excellent early reggae songs by artists who went on to thrive with reggae's increased popularity, and others for whom this is the most well-known vehicle. Jimmy Cliff is both the star of the movie and the headliner on the soundtrack. He contributes three excellent songs: the hymnal "Many Rivers to Cross," "You Can Get It If You Really Want," and "The Harder They Come" (the latter two are repeated at the end of the album, but you probably wanted to hear them again anyway). Interestingly, the better production values of his songs actually seems to detract from them when compared to the rougher, but less sanitized, mixes of the other tracks. All the songs on this collection are excellent, but some truly stand out. Toots & the Maytals deliver two high-energy songs with "Sweet and Dandy" and "Pressure Drop" (covered by the Clash among others). The Harder They Come is strongly recommended, collections don't come much better than this.
VA - Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come I (flac 247mb)
101 Jimmy Cliff – You Can Get It If You Really Want 2:39
102 Scotty – Draw Your Brakes 2:56
103 The Melodions – Rivers Of Babylon 4:15
104 Jimmy Cliff – Many Rivers To Cross 3:00
105 The Maytals – Sweet And Dandy 2:58
106 Jimmy Cliff – The Harder They Come 3:39
107 Slickers, The – Johnny Too Bad 3:01
108 Desmond Decker – Shanty Town 2:45
109 The Maytals – Pressure Drop 3:40
110 Jimmy Cliff – Sitting In Limbo 4:54
111 Jimmy Cliff – You Can Get It If You Really Want 2:42
112 Jimmy Cliff – The Harder They Come 2:42
VA - Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come I (ogg 97 mb)
Disc Two Crucial Reggae 1968-1972
Some liberal interpretation of what can constitute the bonus material of a deluxe edition went into this. The additional material on the second disc is not outtakes from the soundtrack or some such intimately related work, but 18 high-grade vintage reggae tracks from the late '60s and early '70s. The 18 songs on disc two include some core reggae classics, among them some of the biggest reggae-pop crossovers of 1968-1972, including Dekker's "Israelites," Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" (yes, Nash was American, but this was recorded in Jamaica), Dave & Ansel Collins' zany instrumental "Double Barrel," and Cliff's "Wonderful World, Beautiful People." These are spiced with somewhat lesser-known delights like the Maytals' "Do the Reggay," Cliff's "Viet Nam", and Donaldson's "Cherry Oh Baby," famously covered by the Rolling Stones on their Black and Blue album. The additional disc, though strictly speaking not directly related to the soundtrack, does what the bonus material on deluxe editions should do, make a classic album better.
VA - Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come II (flac 338mb)
201 Desmond Dekker & The Aces – Israelites 2:37
202 The Uniques – My Conversation 2:40
203 The Maytals – Do The Reggay 3:18
204 Jimmy Cliff – Viet Nam 4:52
205 Johnny Nash – I Can See Clearly Now 2:42
206 The Ethiopians – Reggae Hit The Town 2:23
207 Dave & Ansel Collins – Double Barrel 2:49
208 Desmond Dekker & The Aces – It Mek 2:31
209 The Melodians – Sweet Sensation 3:42
210 Jimmy Cliff – Let Your Yeah Be Yeah 3:04
211 Eric Donaldson – Cherry Oh Baby 3:01
212 Dave & Ansel Collins – Monkey Spanner 2:45
213 The Maytals – 54-46 (That's My Number) 2:58
214 The Melodians – It's My Delight 3:13
215 Jimmy Cliff – Wonderful World, Beautiful People 3:15
216 The Maytals – Pomp & Pride 4:27
217 Johnny Nash – Guava Jelly 3:15
218 Jimmy Cliff – The Bigger They Come, The Harder They Fall 3:11
VA - Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come II (ogg 132mb)
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Today in the spotlight a man with a bigger career as he's known for, likely because his entry into global awareness came 40 years ago and being a reggae artist and converted muslim isn't the stuff media are to keen to follow up upon. I'm not sure but even in Jamaica they must have scratched behind their ears upon hearing one of their leading stars at the time becoming a muslim, militant american blacks had done so but that could be seen as a revolt opposing the hypocritical Christian US churches, quiet different from their Jamaican counterparts. I guess Cliff by that time (75) had seen enough of the world and its ways, and that Christianity was a morally corrupted religion (that started right at its beginning in 365 AD with the inclusion of the old testament). Cliff has proven he ain't no 'april fool' and at 63 today he's probably good for some more great music.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
It's one of the music industry's great ironies that today, outside of reggae circles, Jimmy Cliff is perhaps better known for his film appearances than his music. Even after a string of hits, the singer never quite managed to break into the mainstream, although he seemed poised for international stardom during the late '60s/early '70s. The singer was born in St. Catherine, Jamaica, on April 1, 1948, with the less prosaic name James Chambers. His talent was evident from childhood, and he began his career appearing at local shows and parish fairs.
Feeling ready for the big time at the age of 14, he moved to Kingston and took the surname Cliff to express the heights he intended on reaching. Cliff recorded two unsuccessful singles before he was spotted by Derrick Morgan, who brought him to Leslie Kong. His first single for the budding producer, "Hurricane Hattie," was an instant hit. Unusually, Cliff remained with Kong until the producer's death; most Jamaican artists flit from studio to studio. The singer's loyalty was rewarded, however, by a string of follow-up hits. In the early years, the pair helped set the ska scene alight, both in Jamaica and in Britain, where the singer's singles were picked up by Island Records. "Miss Jamaica," "King of Kings," "One Eyed Jacks," and "Pride and Passion" have since become classics of the original ska era.
By 1964, Cliff's star was so bright that he was selected as one of Jamaica's representatives at the World's Fair. A successful residency in Paris followed, and Island head Chris Blackwell eventually convinced the singer to relocate to Britain. The label itself was in the process of shifting away from Jamaican music and into progressive rock, and thus Cliff began composing songs with an eye to cross over into that market.
It was a risky plan, but ultimately a successful one. In 1968, Cliff released his debut album, the excellent Hard Road to Travel, and won the International Song Festival with "Waterfall," a song that became a smash hit in Brazil. He swiftly moved to that country to take advantage of his success, but even greater heights were in the offing. The following year, "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" proved to be his international breakthrough. The single soared to number six on the British charts, and charmed its way into the Top 25 in the States. The song's anti-war follow-up, "Vietnam," proved to be less popular, even if Bob Dylan called it the best protest song he'd ever heard. Regardless, Cliff's new album, 1969's Wonderful World, was critically acclaimed, and saw the singer starting to build a following amongst the AOR crowd.
The title track, a cover of Cat Steven's "Wild World," was another smash in 1970, and Desmond Dekker took Cliff's own "You Can Get It if You Really Want" to number two in Britain. And then tragedy struck. Leslie Kong, who had continued to oversee Cliff's career during this entire period, died unexpectedly of a heart attack in August 1971. The singer was at a loss, as he'd grown up under the producer's wing and was abruptly forced to fend for himself. One of the last projects Kong had undertaken was overseeing the soundtrack to the movie The Harder They Come. Produced and written by Perry Henzell, this powerful film featured Cliff in the leading role, and upon its release swiftly became an underground classic. The soundtrack, which boasted a clutch of Cliff's own compositions, was an equally seminal record.
This should have pushed the singer into the mainstream, but Island dropped the ball and turned their attention to Bob Marley instead. The timing was also off in the U.S., where the movie didn't see release until 1975. Cliff left Island's roster and signed to Reprise in the U.S. and EMI in the U.K., but fared no better on either label. 1973's Unlimited, 1974's Struggling Man, and the following year's Brave Warrior were unable to sustain the success never mind improve upon it. During this time, Cliff converted to Islam and traveled to Africa in search of his roots, and his newfound religious devotion began to heavily influence his music.
In 1975, with the release of The Harder They Come in the U.S., Cliff's second album for the year, Follow My Mind, immediately grabbed America's attention and became his first album to reach into the bottom of the chart. Reprise then decided it was time for a greatest-hits collection, although this would be accomplished via a live album. Rolling Stones' producer Andrew Loog Oldham was brought in to oversee the project, and Cliff was sent out on the road to tour and record. What the label received was one of Cliff's most ferocious albums to date, Live -- In Concert. The singer was not ready to wallow in nostalgia, and across the rest of the decade he continued releasing albums that were thoroughly modern in sound and fierce in delivery.
Cliff closed his account with Reprise in the new decade with 1981's "Give the People What They Want, and moved to Columbia. He formed a new backing band, Oneness, and embarked on a tour of the U.S. with Peter Tosh; there was also a fabulous performance at Reggae Sunsplash that year. 1983's The Power and the Glory inaugurated his partnership with Kool & the Gang, and the album was nominated for a Grammy. Its follow-up, Cliff Hanger, would win the award in 1985. However, 1989's Hanging Fire became his last effort for Columbia, although the singer continued to release material in both Jamaica and the U.K. During this period, Cliff also co-starred in the movie Club Paradise. He returned to the American charts in 1993 with his cover of "I Can See Clearly Now," from the soundtrack for Cool Runnings, which glided into the Top 20. More singles and albums have followed, and the singer remains a potent musical force. A comeback album of sorts, Black Magic, which featured duets with high profile stars like Sting, Joe Strummer, Wyclef Jean and others, appeared in 2004.
On December 15, 2009, Cliff was officially announced as an inductee and was inducted on March 15, 2010. In the spring and summer of 2010, Cliff embarked on an extensive tour of the US and Canada. he's released many dozens of albums and the number of compilations runs in the hundreds during his almost 50 year career.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
In 1973, when the movie The Harder They Come was released, reggae was not on the radar screen of American pop culture. The soundtrack went a ways toward changing that situation. It is a collection of consistently excellent early reggae songs by artists who went on to thrive with reggae's increased popularity, and others for whom this is the most well-known vehicle. Jimmy Cliff is both the star of the movie and the headliner on the soundtrack. He contributes three excellent songs: the hymnal "Many Rivers to Cross," "You Can Get It If You Really Want," and "The Harder They Come" (the latter two are repeated at the end of the album, but you probably wanted to hear them again anyway). Interestingly, the better production values of his songs actually seems to detract from them when compared to the rougher, but less sanitized, mixes of the other tracks. All the songs on this collection are excellent, but some truly stand out. Toots & the Maytals deliver two high-energy songs with "Sweet and Dandy" and "Pressure Drop" (covered by the Clash among others). The Harder They Come is strongly recommended, collections don't come much better than this.
VA - Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come I (flac 247mb)
101 Jimmy Cliff – You Can Get It If You Really Want 2:39
102 Scotty – Draw Your Brakes 2:56
103 The Melodions – Rivers Of Babylon 4:15
104 Jimmy Cliff – Many Rivers To Cross 3:00
105 The Maytals – Sweet And Dandy 2:58
106 Jimmy Cliff – The Harder They Come 3:39
107 Slickers, The – Johnny Too Bad 3:01
108 Desmond Decker – Shanty Town 2:45
109 The Maytals – Pressure Drop 3:40
110 Jimmy Cliff – Sitting In Limbo 4:54
111 Jimmy Cliff – You Can Get It If You Really Want 2:42
112 Jimmy Cliff – The Harder They Come 2:42
VA - Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come I (ogg 97 mb)
Disc Two Crucial Reggae 1968-1972
Some liberal interpretation of what can constitute the bonus material of a deluxe edition went into this. The additional material on the second disc is not outtakes from the soundtrack or some such intimately related work, but 18 high-grade vintage reggae tracks from the late '60s and early '70s. The 18 songs on disc two include some core reggae classics, among them some of the biggest reggae-pop crossovers of 1968-1972, including Dekker's "Israelites," Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" (yes, Nash was American, but this was recorded in Jamaica), Dave & Ansel Collins' zany instrumental "Double Barrel," and Cliff's "Wonderful World, Beautiful People." These are spiced with somewhat lesser-known delights like the Maytals' "Do the Reggay," Cliff's "Viet Nam", and Donaldson's "Cherry Oh Baby," famously covered by the Rolling Stones on their Black and Blue album. The additional disc, though strictly speaking not directly related to the soundtrack, does what the bonus material on deluxe editions should do, make a classic album better.
VA - Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come II (flac 338mb)
201 Desmond Dekker & The Aces – Israelites 2:37
202 The Uniques – My Conversation 2:40
203 The Maytals – Do The Reggay 3:18
204 Jimmy Cliff – Viet Nam 4:52
205 Johnny Nash – I Can See Clearly Now 2:42
206 The Ethiopians – Reggae Hit The Town 2:23
207 Dave & Ansel Collins – Double Barrel 2:49
208 Desmond Dekker & The Aces – It Mek 2:31
209 The Melodians – Sweet Sensation 3:42
210 Jimmy Cliff – Let Your Yeah Be Yeah 3:04
211 Eric Donaldson – Cherry Oh Baby 3:01
212 Dave & Ansel Collins – Monkey Spanner 2:45
213 The Maytals – 54-46 (That's My Number) 2:58
214 The Melodians – It's My Delight 3:13
215 Jimmy Cliff – Wonderful World, Beautiful People 3:15
216 The Maytals – Pomp & Pride 4:27
217 Johnny Nash – Guava Jelly 3:15
218 Jimmy Cliff – The Bigger They Come, The Harder They Fall 3:11
VA - Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come II (ogg 132mb)
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
6 comments:
hello!
dead link?
re-up, please.
thanks.
Hello Anon, sure why don't you try again
thank you very much!!!
sorry, but part two in flac is not a disc two.
it is "jammys from the roots 1977-1985".
re-up disc two another, please.
thanks in advance.
Ah Yes the quicker they come, anyway it was right above the correct file i guess why don't you try again
thanks.
it was most kind of you...
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