Junior Murvin's Police & Thieves & Show # 869

Jamaican musician Junior Murvin is perhaps best known for his song “Police & Thieves”, however he started his career recording under the name Junior Soul.  Influenced by Curtis Mayfield as a youth, Murvin first began performing live in Montego Bay, but then after his family relocated to Kingston.  He would audition for producer Lee “Scratch” Perry and Coxsone Todd.  His audition was unsuccessful, but this didn’t deter Murvin.  He had minor hit for the Crystal label in Jamaica with his song “Solomon” in 1972.  He also wrote songs for artists such as Derrick Harriott and Keith & Tex.  Performing in Kingston hotels and tourist hotels, Murvin also played with The Hippy Boys, The Mighty Falcons and The Tornadoes.  Following a second audition for legendary and innovative producer Lee “Scratch” Perry at his Black Ark Studio in 1976, the two decided to record his song “Police & Thieves”. With Perry’s studio backing band The Upsetters and a small lyrical adjustment, the song was recorded by Perry and released shortly afterwards. Reportedly improvised as The Upsetters performed the music, dub and remix versions done by Perry quickly followed. However, the song about police brutality, gang war and societal unrest, became a hit in Jamaica. 

The album Police & Thieves, which contained the song of the same name, was released through Island Records in 1977.  The album, often viewed as one of the best produced albums to come out of Perry’s Black Ark Studio, is now seen as a classic album that dug deep into elements of roots reggae.  The overall feel of the album is also heavily seeped in soul influences.  Murvin’s falsetto vocal often rises above the music, operating in conjunction with the socially conscious lyrics.  The opening track “Roots Train” blends roots reggae and soul with infectious, dance inducing rhythms.  With lyrics such as “You gotta be righteous/You gotta be clean in thought, word, and deed/To get on board the train”, Murvin sets the tone for this album with its rich soulful, reggae elements in combination with lyrics drawing on spiritual salvation and signaling positivity in a sea of negativity.  “Solomon” is a reworking of Murvin’s earlier hit.  This version, with its soulful horn sections and heavy bass and drums, captivates the listener.  “Tedious” is pulsating with its burning dub rhythms as the lyrics urge for unity in a land that is divided.   Like many of the songs created during this time period, they were often reflections of the ongoing struggles of the common people in Jamaica.  Crime, corruption and political related issues ran rampant.   Socially conscious lyrics run not only throughout the Police & Thieves album, but throughout the music that was created by Junior Murvin's career.  Other tracks such as “Lucifer” has drawn comparisons to Max Romeo’s “Chase The Devil”, with its heavy lyrical weight and even deeper bass and drum grooves that compliment this darker track in a distinctive way.  “Workin’ In the Cornfield” contrasts the hard working individual with the wealthy.  

With its lyrical context and mesmerizing music complemented by Lee “Scratch” Perry’s use of space and innovation, Police & Thieves was destined to become a landmark album for roots reggae music. Throughout all the tracks on Murvin’s debut, the songs captivate as they search for hope in bleakness. It’s not hard to see why this album works so well. But, the story doesn’t end there. In addition to the album, the single “Police & Thieves” would receive an even bigger response in the UK. It became a club hit there. The song became an anthem with the disenfranchised black community in the UK when the Noting Hill Carnival broke out in a riot in 1976. The song was then covered by The Clash. The band's Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon were involved in the riots and inspired to cover the song. Murvin’s version was re-released as a single in 1980 climbing the Top 40 UK singles charts to number 23. “Police & Thieves” appeared in the 1978 movie Rockers by Theodoros Bafaloukos and in Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels in 1998. It was also re-recorded several times by Murvin, in addition to being covered by other artists that were inspired either by his or the version done by The Clash.

Two other songs of note that were recorded with Lee “Scratch” Perry were the songs “Bad Weed” and “Philistines On The Land”. These songs along with their B-sides used similar rhythms to “Police & Thieves”. But, the two would never record another album together again. Throughout his career Murvin worked with a number of different producers such as Joe Gibbs and Errol Thompson in 1979 for the single “Cool Out Son”, Henry “Junjo” Lawes for the 1984 album Muggers In The Streets, Prince Jammy and King Tubby.  The song “Cool Out Son” was later featured on the soundtrack to the Skate 3 video game in 2010.  In 1982, Murvin worked with reggae musician Mikey Dread. With Dread at the controls, he produced the album Bad Man Possee, which delved even further into dub rhythms. Murvin continued making music throughout his life. He released eight full-length albums and many singles. The music always retained that soulful, roots reggae influence balanced with a social consciousness that resonated with audiences.

Punky Reggae Party Playlist (Originally Aired On February 13th, 2020):  

1.  Junior Murvin - Police & Thieves (Police & Thieves - Island Records - 1977)
2.  Big Youth - Screaming Target (Screaming Target - Trojan Records - 1972)
3.  Mikey Dread - Love The Dread (Dread At The Controls - Trojan Records - 1979)
4.  Bob Marley - Punky Reggae Party (Jamming/Punky Reggae Party Single - Island Records - 1977)
5.  Desmond Dekker & The Aces - Israelites (Israelites - Pyramid - 1968)
6.  Charley Pride - The Snakes Crawl At Night (Country Charlie Pride - RCA Victor - 1966)
7.  Brent & Harry - Foolin' Around (16 Great Country Songs by 16 Great Canadian Country Artists - Banff - 1963)
8.  Brent Williams - Saginaw, Michigan (On The Go - Paragon - 1970)
9.  Brent Williams - Anybody Goin' To San Antone (On The Go - Paragon - 1970)
10. George "Wild Child" Butler - Open Up Baby (Open Up Baby/Big Momma, Little Momma Single - Jewel Records - 1967/Open Up Baby - Charly R&B - 1985)
11. Little Walter - Just A Feeling (Teenage Beat/Just A Feeling Single - Checker Records - 1955)
12. Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Rock Me (Rock Me/Lonesome Road Single - Brunswick - 1938)
13. Lee "Scratch" Perrty - Roast Fish & Corn Bread (Roast Fish, Collie Weed, and Corn Bread - Lion of Judah - 1978)
14. Max Romeo - I Chase The Devil (War Ina Babylon - Island Records - 1976)
15. Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey (Marcus Garvey - Island Records - 1975)
16. U-Roy - Chalice In The Palace (Dread In A Babylon - TR International/Virgin Records - 1975)
17. Rough Francis - Waxed Curb (Urgent Care - 2020)
18. Big Joanie - Baby Rust (Crooked Room EP - Sistah Punk Records - 2016)
19. JONCRO - Degenerates (Lions Den Session - 2020)
20. JONCRO - Bunununus Riddim (Dub Plate) (Bunununus Riddim (Dub Plate) Single - 2020)
21. Culture - Two Sevens Clash (Two Sevens Clash - Joe Gibbs Record Globe - 1977)
22. Dr. Alimantado - Born For A Purpose (Born For A Purpose/Reason For Living Single - Ital Sounds - 1977)
23. Augustus Pablo - King Tubby Meets the Rockers Uptown (King Tubby Meets the Rockers Uptown - Yard International/Clock Tower Records - 1976)
24. Toots & The Maytals - Monkey Man (Sweet And Dandy - Beverley's Records - 1969)
25. Un Blonde - Spine (Un Blonde EP - Yew Nork - 2013)
26. Yves Jarvis - Victim Sundry Rock Song Stock (Victim Sundry Rock Song Stock - Flemish Eye - 2020)
27. OGBMs - Ousah (The Ends - Black Box Recordings - 2020)
28. OGBMs - Not Again (The Ends - Black Box Recordings - 2020)

DOWNLOAD/LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE.

Coming Up On Revolution Rock in February 2021!

It’s February, which means that throughout this month Revolution Rock will devote each episode that airs in February to theme based programming. Dave and co-host Adam have some cool programming lined up ranging from reggae, dub, blues, jazz, hip hop, punk, post-punk, garage and surf.  Revolution Rock airs every Saturday from 7-9 PM EST on CJAM 99.1 FM in Windsor/Detroit. It can be streamed and downloaded cjam.ca. This year is also a first for the show as we have now become syndicated with other campus stations across Canada. Revolution Rock and its programming can now also be heard on CFUV 101.9 FM in Victoria, BC (Wednesdays 7-9 AM PST), on CKUW 95.9 FM in Winnipeg (Mondays 2-4 AM CST), on Caper Radio/CJBU FM in Sydney, Nova Scotia (Tuesdays 12-2 PM AST) and on CFRC 101.9 FM in Kingston, ON (Thursdays 9-11 PM EST).  

Continue reading to find out about this year's Theme Month schedule:

Destiny Street: A Special on Richard Hell’s 2021 Release Destiny Street Complete and Other Selections (Featuring An Interview With Richard Hell)
Saturday February 6th, 2021
7-9 PM EST
CJAM 99.1 FM (www.cjam.ca)

Richard Hell is an author, poet, musician and actor. Known as one of the originators and pioneers during the early days of New York punk, Hell quit the music world in 1984 to focus on writing, only reappearing a few times on some music projects. Having co-founded Television, being one of the original members of The Heartbreakers (featuring Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan of The New York Dolls), Hell formed Richard Hell & The Voidoids in 1976 and released their debut album, Blank Generation in 1977. Hell’s look and aesthetic would go on as a template for punk music that would influence others, most notably The Sex Pistols, who in turn would influence their own music scene. The Voidoids first album is seen as a classic, with its title track still sounding as vital and thought provoking today. When it came time to put out a follow up to Blank Generation, Richard Hell and his band were in a different state. The album was recorded over a three-week period at Chelsea Sound Studios in New York City and produced by Alan Betrock. Never completely satisfied with the way it was originally released in 1982, Destiny Street has been an often misunderstood album in Richard Hell’s discography. Originally released on the Red Star label, Destiny Street’s master tapes were said to have been lost preventing any type of remix. In 2009, a cassette version of the bed tracks of drums, bass and rhythm guitars were discovered and Hell, along with a few other guest guitars (Marc Ribot, Ivan Julian and Bill Frisell) recorded new parts to this album. It was titled Destiny Street Repaired. However in 2021, after the master tape/multi-tracks of the original recording sessions were found and a remix was done, Destiny Street Complete was released by Omnivore Recordings. The set contains four versions of the album, along with a few outtakes. The original 1982 version remastered, the 2009 Destiny Street Repaired version, a newly remixed version of Destiny Street and a collection of demos that show early and different versions of the songs that would make up this album. Destiny Street Complete re-establishes the great moments of Destiny Street for everyone to hear. On this episode of Revolution Rock, we will play selections from Destiny Street Complete, other selections from Hell’s discography as well as featuring an exclusive interview with Richard Hell.

Punky Reggae Party: Reggae and its influence on the 70s UK punk scene
Saturday February 13th, 2021
7-9 PM EST
CJAM 99.1 FM (www.cjam.ca)

Many people have heard the song “Police & Thieves”, it was covered by The Clash on their debut album. This was many people’s introduction to this song and to reggae. It is however a reggae song originally by Jamaican reggae musician Junior Murvin. “Police & Thieves” has its roots in Jamaica where it was recorded in 1976. Following a second audition for legendary and innovative producer Lee “Scratch” Perry at his Black Ark Studio in 1976, the two decided to record his song “Police & Thieves.”  With Perry’s studio backing band The Upsetters and a small lyrical adjustment, the song was recorded by Perry and released shortly afterwards. Dub and remix versions done by Perry quickly followed. However, the song about police brutality, gang war and societal unrest, became a hit in Jamaica. A reflection of the times in Jamaica, the song would be released via Island Records and would receive an even bigger response in the UK. It became a club hit there. The song became an anthem with the disenfranchised black community in the UK when the Noting Hill Carnival broke out in a riot. The song was then covered by The Clash.  The band's Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon were involved in the riots and inspired to cover the song.  Murvin’s version was re-released as a single in 1980 climbing the Top 40 UK singles charts to number 23. This is just one of the examples of reggae being influential. Featured heavily in UK clubs in the late 70s thanks to DJs like Don Letts, other artists would also elicit an influence such as Toots & The Maytals, Mikey Dread, Desmond Dekker & The Aces and Bob Marley. In July 1977, Bob Marley released a single called Punky Reggae Party. This song with lyrics such as “New wave craze/New phrase/New Wave/New craze” and “I’m saying/The Wailers will be there/The Damned, The Jam, The Clash/Maytals will be there/Dr. Feelgood too,” Marley wrote this song about the positive response in the UK of The Clash’s cover of Junior Murvin’s “Police & Thieves”. The sounds of reggae and dub’s influence can be heard all over. It found its way into punk music and helped pave the way for the sounds that were to become post punk. On this episode of Revolution Rock, we will celebrate Black History Month by featuring sets of music devoted to reggae and its influence on punk music, as well as different genres from black artists such as blues, soul, jazz and more.

Public Strain: Women’s Public Strain and Other Music (Featuring An Interview With Patrick Flegel & Michael Wallace)
Saturday February 20th, 2021
7-9 PM EST
CJAM 99.1 FM (www.cjam.ca)

The second and final album released by the Calgary rock band Women was titled Public Strain. Recorded in the span of ten months in the dead of winter in Calgary by Chad VanGaalen, Public Strain explored more post punk sounds, often darker and more jarring, but at the same time there is something strangely beautiful that permeates this record. The album received widespread critical acclaim, eventually being long listed on the nominees for the Polaris Prize in 2011. Prior to this album’s release Women put out their debut album Women in 2008. Also recorded by Chad VanGaalen in a basement with boom boxes and tape machines, the album displayed a lo-fi sound. Women generated buzz in various media publications at the time. In a press release the album’s sound was described as "Sometimes light and spacious, at other times eerie and dense with an ominous weight, this self titled album touches upon Velvet Underground, Swell Maps or This Heat while not really having any obvious precursors - a lo-fi masterpiece cloaked in layers of vibrato and guitar wash."  Women toured heavily from 2008-2009. They also toured in support of Public Strain, but that tour was cut short in October 2010. Following a show that occurred in October 2010 in Victoria BC, Women stopped playing as a band. The band members went their separate ways. Bassist Matthew Flegel and drummer Michael Wallace went on to form the band Viet Cong (before changing their name to Preoccupations), guitarist/vocalist Patrick Flegel would continue creating music eventually creating music as Cindy Lee and Christopher Reimer joined the band The Dodos as their touring guitarist while collaborating and creating music until he passed away in his sleep unexpectedly in 2012. In 2020, Flemish Eye and Jagjaguwar announced a reissue of Public Strain along with an EP of outtakes and rare tracks called Rarities 2007-2010 in celebration of the album’s 10th anniversary. In celebration of this, Revolution Rock will have an entire episode devoted to the music of Women’s Public Strain and its lasting influence, as well as featuring selections from the band members of Women other bands. Expect to hear selections from the album Public Strain and from other material in Women’s catalogue, along with music from Cindy Lee, Preoccupations, Chris Reimer and more  This episode will also feature an interview with Patrick Flegel (of Women/Cindy Lee) and Michael Wallace (of Women/Preoccupations).  

Revolution Surf 2021: The Wild West
Saturday February 27th, 2021
7-9 PM EST
CJAM 99.1 FM (www.cjam.ca)

Surf rock is known for its reverb drenched guitar sounds and solos, drums and relation to surf culture. Starting in the 60s it has since infiltrated several genres of music. But, Western surf music or surf music with Wild West elements is kind of hard to pinpoint. You could go back to the early days of the Spaghetti Western movies and more specifically the films of Sergio Leone, which featured music from Italian film music composer Ennio Morricone. He often created epic, cinematic soundscapes in Western films incorporating elements of surf rock, along with other genres such as country and folk as well as unconventional sound effects at the time. The soundtrack to films such as For A Few Dollars More and The Good, The Bad & The Ugly have gone on to influence music in unexpected ways. Surf music, or surf guitar finds its way into all kinds of music nowadays it seems. But, Western themed surf music basically has elements of country and folk mixed in with it. Surf itself in its early days in the 60s often took influence from other cultures of music. In the case of guitarist Dick Dale, he added Middle Eastern and Mexican music influences into his songs that in turn helped create a style now common in the genre. Dick Dale’s “Misirlou” originates from a folk song that has been played in numerous different languages.  It has ties to many different musical origins such as Greek Rebetiko, Middle Eastern Belly Dancing and Jewish Klezmer.  The Ventures even had an album of instrumental/surf based country songs called The Ventures Play Country Classics in 1963. It’s not surprising since The Ventures explored and tackled many different genres in their music with their own sense of innovation. However, these are not the only examples of Western themes appearing in surf music or vice versa. Toronto’s The Sadies have blended garage, surf, country and folk in their music as well. They have several albums featuring surf music while mixing in other elements of music. On this edition of Revolution Surf, the program will be made up entirely of surf and instrumental music that contains Western themes. It will also feature guest hosts such as Derk Brigante of The Surfphony of Derstruction 2000, Carley of CJAM FM’s Everything’s No Good and Brady Holek of CJAM FM’s The Mighty Mezz.