National Library of Jamaica
31 � ports a d.readlock hairstyle, 'I met Johnny Nash in Jamaica plaiting his locks in a long-flo,,._ about five yea1;s ago. He was on ing style that retains the woven vacation. \Ve had some records appearance of corn rows. 'Haile on the radio, a1�d him listen to it. Selassie is stronger than any,' the Him kind of get interested in tho Rasta man affirmed the day type of lyric and type of melody. after his second sold-out per Johnny did Stir It Up and later fonnance at tho Lyceum in finished I Can See Oleady Now London in July. 'He is Imperial there.' Maje ty the Abnighty, the Crea ash's Stir It Up was sweeter tor. Rim can "do whatever him and more refined than Marley's want. He is earth's rightful own version, which appeared on ruler.' Suggesting that Selassie Gatch a Fire, the first "Vlailer·s had been deposed as Emperor or release in Engand. Yet Stir It Up trying to do anything but take was a mall hit compared ,,·ith notes in the face of such faith is, .r ash' own I Can See Clearly a Robin Denselow noted in the }..'ow, an American number one Guardian, 'like talking to a genial which helped give him a hit creature f1·om outer space'. follow-up with Marley's Guava Jelly. Streisand's hairdresser/pro The universal sentiment ducer Jon Peters had her record Yet popular as he may be at the ong, ·which she released as a home for these aspects of his single shortly after Clapton had persona, Marley has been cham gone to number one in tho States pioned by pop celebrities and with I Shot the Sheriff. That tw1e critics alike for his words and had originally appeared on tho music. The plight of the Wailers' second albwn, Burnin', Jamaican slum-dweller is an as a plea for mercy from the exper·ience of suffering and re accused, ,,·ho admitted that 'I pression v.rith which rebellious hot the she1·iffjBut I did not pop fans can ompathise. 'Why shoot the deputy.' can't we roam this open cow1try/ 'Someone told me Clapton was Oh why can't we be what we doing the recording. I said, want to be/We want to be free', great!' Marley enthused at Ham is a universal sentiment. mersmith. '\''hen I heard it, in Marley rccogni es the duality of sounded good. Eric Clapton did his appeal. 'People are people, all right to it. I feel we haYe too pooplo think good, people think much musical break. Eric-.Clsp bad,' he said in the Hammer ust went in, "I shot the smith offices of Island Records, riff," wham, right into the where he had just conferred with erse. "·ham, "I shot the sheriff," his mentor, label chief Chri other verse. Meanwhile, we Blackwell. 'In Jamaica, there is shot the sheriff, hit some music, not just for Jamaica. I thin!· then the ver·se. Pcnple can dig it universal. I talk Jamaica. To be on an LP, but for a 45 it can't tmi ver al, I still have to talk work. vVhen you do an original Jamaica. People m.ight have a song, someone can listen and try hard time w1cler. tanding what and improYe on what you did.' I'm really saying, but some songs I leave J·amaica and deal with Explosive lines uni vor al people.' Marley's genial personal mmuwr It is these that are hi most belies the re,·olutionary tono of famou numbers, song that non his lyrics. His albums sound like Jamaicans can relate to without the work of a man dedicated to embarrassment. Sti1· It Up is a perhaps violent social change. sexy number taken to the BBC Burnin' took its title from the Top Twenty by Johnny ash in track Burnin' and Lootin'. Revo 1971, Guava Jelly a Nash follow lution from Natty Dread, the up later recorded by Barbra most recent album, affirmed that Streisand on B1ttterjly, and I 'It takes a revolution to make a Shot the She1·ijj, a worldwide hit solution.' Talkin' Blues included for Eric Clapton. the literally explosive lines 'I fef'l It was the Nash connection that lilm bombing a church/Now you first won Marley a white audi lrnow that the preacher is lying.' ence. He had been active in tho The composer grinned when Jamaican recording industry asked about the latter lyric. sinco 1962, and the \Vailers, 'Some people might not appre fonnccl in 196+, had done much ciate that, because them love to puptLl>wise tho infant reggae God and feel the church is a holy form, a refuwmout of thl:) ska placo. The Man himself isn't in bt,at that briefly received British nne church. People. talk about notice in the mid-Sixties. Liko one church and another church, most musical pioneers, Marley who preach. That isn't the real had to be plagiarised before his thing. Anyone can read dem own work was accepted. Bible and get dem education .... 36 THIE �.SitDEAS
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