Very very sad to read this on the news.
When ever anyone asks who is the best singer you have ever seen in the flesh, this is the answer. He was wonderful live & I was always blown away by the sheer power he had
Jimmy Cliff RIP
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Re the ‘sheer power’ I spoke about. I remember seeing him support Madness at Old Traffor CC in 2004. During his set his microphone cut out, yet I could still pick his voice out over the rest of the music in the 30 seconds it was down. I was quite near the front, but I don’t think many singers could do that!
It made me think of this
Many threads to read.
ISWYDT
Jimmy was, inevitably I suppose, given the time when I started paying attention to music beyond the rock world, one of the ways into reggae and beyond for me. Due thanks to Island and their Jamaican roots, I bought the soundtrack album and went from there. He was a huge talent and a real musical ambassador. I can see clearly now that I owe him a huge debt for introducing me to the music he loved and grew up with. Condolences to his wife and family and all who loved him.
The Harder They Come soundtrack album should be sub-titled “An Introduction To Reggae” … it was for me.
For me ‘The Harder they Come’ and ‘Catch A Fire’ are a case of … OK, let’s go backwards.
In fairness to them, that’s exactly what did the Specials (ska) and UB40 (rocksteady/early reggae) did.
I’m listening intently to Jamaican music right now, but none of it sold a bean internationally.
RIP Jimmy, but my fave of his was a swinging 60s tune I saw recently on Beat Club that sounded far more like Manfred Mann than Bob Marley!
It was terrific.
However… legend.
Your mention of Beat Club, deram, led me to this clip….
He is a fine mover.
Here he is several years later, doing a Tiny Desk.
That one foot shuffle ! Hot dang.