Jimmy Cliff: (30 July 1944 - 24 November 2025) Anthology 2003

 

James Chambers (30 July 1944 – 24 November 2025), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer and actor. He is considered one of Jamaica's most celebrated musicians, and has been credited with helping to popularise reggae music internationally. At the time of his death, he was the only living reggae musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievements in

the arts and sciences. He was also nominated for the Grammy Awards seven times, winning twice. A shining star of reggae since the early '60s, Jimmy Cliff was one of the most powerful factors in bringing Jamaican music to worldwide popularity with both his powerful songs of peace and unity and his lead role in the 1972 film The Harder They Come. Cliff's star power in the movie might have been his most visible contribution to making the entire world aware of reggae, but his music remained his primary focus for decades afterward. 
                         

He was involved in music from childhood, and at the age of 14, he moved to Kingston and took the surname Cliff to express the heights he intended on reaching. He recorded two singles before he was introduced to producer Leslie Kong. Between 1962 and 1967, Cliff produced multiple hit ska tunes with

Kong's help, growing so popular that he was selected as one of Jamaica's representatives at the 1964 World's Fair. In 1967, he signed on with Island Records. The label initially tried to market his sounds to rock audiences, which didn't completely work, but still yielded interesting results like a reggae-fied take on "Whiter Shade of Pale." His career took off in the late 1960s. His international debut album was Hard Road to Travel, released in 1967. It received excellent reviews and included "Waterfall" (composed by Nirvana's Alex Spyropoulos and Patrick Campbell-Lyons), which became a hit in Brazil and won the International Song Festival.
                             

He became even more popular over the next few years, with the 1969 single "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" becoming an international hit and Bob Dylan calling his 1970 anti-war tune "Vietnam" the best protest song he'd ever heard. Cliff's 1971 album Wild World scored another hit for him with a cover of Cat

Stevens' song of the same name. In August of that year, Cliff's producer, mentor, and friend Kong died unexpectedly of a heart attack. One of the last projects Kong had undertaken was overseeing the soundtrack to the movie The Harder They Come. Around the same time, Bob Marley was also making waves around the world, and Cliff's music began reaching new audiences who were understanding reggae for the first time. 
                              

Throughout the '70s, Cliff released new music steadily, though he walked a nonlinear path with multiple label switches and a short-lived retirement from music in the late '70s that involved a conversion to Islam and travel to Africa in search of his spiritual roots. He still managed to release multiple albums a year

most years throughout the decade, with highlights like 1973's Struggling Man and 1975's Follow My Mind seeing respectable success across international markets. In 1975, The Harder They Come was released in the U.S., enhancing Cliff's hold on the States and necessitating a live album to capitalize on his newfound fame. The Rolling Stones' producer Andrew Loog Oldham was brought in to oversee the project, 1976's In Concert: The Best of Jimmy Cliff. The remainder of the '70s and the entirety of the '80s were active times for Cliff. 
                              

Amid constant touring, he released new albums almost annually, with 1983's The Power and the Glory inaugurating an ongoing partnership with Kool & the Gang, and 1985's Cliff Hanger taking home that

year's Grammy for Best Reggae Recording. A comeback album of sorts, Black Magic, which featured duets with high-profile stars like Sting, Joe Strummer, and others, appeared in 2004. Cliff was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009, cementing his importance in the music industry and his impact on the arts. In 2012, he partnered with Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong for Rebirth, a nostalgic return to form. Cliff teamed with Wyclef Jean in 2022 for the album Refugees. 
                                   

Cliff is considered one of Jamaica’s most celebrated musicians, and is credited with helping to popularise reggae music internationally. He has been described as, for a brief period, rivaling Bob Marley as the most prominent musician in the genre. Writing for The Guardian, David Katz called him an "itinerant

ambassador who introduced the music and culture of his island to audiences across the globe", and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's website described him as "reggae's first champion". On 24 November 2025, Cliff's wife announced that he had died earlier that day from pneumonia. He had been hospitalised following a seizure. Cliff was 81. Prime Minister Andrew Holness, in a public statement after his death, said that Cliff's music "lifted people through hard times, inspired generations, and helped to shape the global respect that Jamaica enjoys today."
                                                

Jimmy Cliff – Anthology
Label: Island Records – 314 556 766-2, A&M Records, Hip-O Records
Format: 2 x CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: Jul 1, 2003
Genre: Reggae
Style: Reggae, Ska, Reggae-Pop

CD1.

                            

01. Miss Jamaica   2:25
Producer – Leslie Kong
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
02. Huricane Hattie   2:44
Producer – Leslie Kong
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
03. King Of Kings   3:22
Producer – Leslie Kong
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
04. Waterfall   2:26
Written-By – G. Spyropoulos, P. Campbell-Lyons
05. Time Will Tell   3:18
Arranged By – Larry Fallon
Producer – Larry Fallon, Leslie Kong
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
06. Wonderful World, Beautiful People   3:13
Arranged By – Larry Fallon
Producer – Larry Fallon, Leslie Kong
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
07. Come Into My Life   2:55
Arranged By – Larry Fallon
Producer – Larry Fallon, Leslie Kong
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
08. Hard Road To Travel   2:35
Producer – Leslie Kong
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
09. Viet Nam   4:50
Arranged By – Larry Fallon
Producer – Larry Fallon, Leslie Kong
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
10. Many Rivers To Cross   2:44
Producer – Leslie Kong
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
11. Sufferin' In The Land   3:08
Producer – Larry Fallon, Leslie Kong
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
12. Use What I Got   2:48
Producer – Larry Fallon, Leslie Kong
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
13. You Can Get It If You Really Want   2:46   
Producer – Jimmy Cliff
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
14. Let Your Yeah Be Yeah   3:03
Producer – Jimmy Cliff, Leslie Kong
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
15. Wild World   3:51
Producer – Cat Stevens
Written-By – Cat Stevens
16. Bongo Man   4:03
Producer – Jimmy Cliff, Leslie Kong
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
17. Sitting In Limbo   5:04
Producer – Guilly Bright, Jimmy Cliff
Written-By – Guilly Bright, Jimmy Cliff
18. Goodbye Yesterday   3:20
Producer – Guilly Bright, Jimmy Cliff
Written-By – Guilly Bright, Jimmy Cliff
19. The Harder They Come (Single Version)   3:12
Producer – Chris Blackwell, Jimmy Cliff
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
20. Trapped   3:24
Producer – Cat Stevens
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
21. Oh Jamaica   3:27
Producer – Jimmy Cliff
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
22. Fundamental Reggay   3:00
Producer – Jimmy Cliff
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
23. Under The Sun, Moon And Stars   4:06
Producer – Jimmy Cliff
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff

Flac Size: 458 MB

CD2.

                             

01. Struggling Man (Album Version)   3:27
Producer – Jimmy Cliff
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
02. Better Days Are Coming   3:13
Producer – Jimmy Cliff
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
03. Sooner Or Later   5:19
Producer – Jimmy Cliff
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
04. House Of Exile   4:32
Producer – Jimmy Cliff
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
05. Action Speaks Louder Than Words   3:39
Producer – Jimmy Cliff
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
06. If I Follow My Mind   2:46
Producer – Jimmy Cliff, Trevor Lawrence
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
07. Brave Warrior   4:18
Producer – Jimmy Cliff
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
08. Stand Up And Fight Back   3:16
Producer – Bob Johnston, Jimmy Cliff
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff, A. K. Baah
09. I Am The Living (Album Version)   5:00
Producer – Chuck Tranel, Jimmy Cliff, Luther Dixon
Written-By – Allee Willis, Deniece Williams, Jimmy Cliff
10. Love Again   3:01
Producer – Jimmy Cliff, Oneness
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff, Phil Ramacon
11. What Are You Doing With Your Life   3:45
Producer – Jimmy Cliff, Oneness
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
12. Shelter Of Your Love (Single Version)3:31   
Producer – Jimmy Cliff, Oneness
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
13. Give The People What They Want   3:49
Producer – Jimmy Cliff, Oneness
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
14. Rub-A-Dub Partner  2:56 
Producer – Jimmy Cliff, Oneness
Written-By – Berton McLean
15. We All Are One   4:31
Producer – Amir Bayyan, Jim Bonnefond, Jimmy Cliff, Khalis Bayyan, Oneness
Written-By – Amir Bayyan, Hugh Harris (6), Joseph Williams, Raymond Harris 
16. Club Paradise   3:02
Producer – Jimmy Cliff, Steve Goldman
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
17. Love Me, Love Me   4:23
Producer – I.B.M.C., Jimmy Cliff, Khalis Bayyan
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
18. She Was So Right For Me   4:44
Producer – I.B.M.C., Jimmy Cliff, Khalis Bayyan
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
19. I Can See Clearly Now   3:15
Producer – Paul Henton
Producer [Additional] – Jimmy Bralower
Remix – Jimmy Bralower
Written-By – Johnny Nash

Flac Size: 477 MB

VIETNAM  LYRICS

                                      

Hey, Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam
Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam

Yesterday I got a letter from my friend
Fighting in Vietnam
And this is what he had to say
'Tell all my friends that I'll be coming home soon
My time it'll be up some time in June
Don't forget, he said to tell my sweet Mary
Her golden lips as sweet as cherries

                                

And it came from
Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam
Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam

It was just the next day his mother got a telegram
It was addressed from Vietnam
Now mistress Brown, she lives in the USA
And this is what she wrote and said
Don't be alarmed, she told me the telegram said
But mistress Brown your son is dead

And it came from
Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam
Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam
Somebody please stop that war now

                                  

It was just the next day his mother got a telegram
It was addressed from Vietnam
Now mistress Brown, she lives in the USA
And this is what she wrote and said
Don't be alarmed, she told me the telegram said
Oh, but mistress Brown your son is dead

And it came from
Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam
Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam
Somebody please stop it

Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam
Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam
What I'm saying now somebody stop that war

Alpha Blondy: Jah Glory! 1982 + Cocody Rock!!! 1984 + Apartheid Is Nazism 1985 + Revolution 1987

 

Hailing from the Cote d'Ivoire, Alpha Blondy is among the world's most popular reggae artists. With his

12-piece band Solar System, Blondy offers a reggae beat with a distinctive African cast. Calling himself an African Rasta, Blondy creates Jah-centered anthems promoting morality, love, peace, and social consciousness. With a range that moves from sensitivity to rage over injustice, much of Blondy's music empathizes with the impoverished and those on society's fringe.
                                     

He was born a member of the Jula tribe in Dimbokoro and named Seydou Kone, after his grandfather. His grandmother, Cherie Coco, raised him. He was always a rebellious child and for this, Coco named him

"Blondy," her unique pronunciation of the word "bandit." When he started performing professionally, he took on the name Alpha (the first letter in the Greek alphabet) so his name literally translates to "first bandit." Though he grew up listening to African folkloric music such as yagba and gumbe, his primary musical influences were such Western bands as Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Hendrix, the Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and soul artists like Otis Redding. 
                         

One night, record producer Clive Hunt heard Blondy sing and invited him to record six songs. Unfortunately, Hunt absconded with the tape. Shortly afterward, he returned to the Ivory Coast, where he

was arrested for threatening the ambassador at the New York Ivorian embassy because the diplomat felt that Blondy's English was too good for him to be an Ivorian native. While at the police station, Blondy's temper again flared and he slapped a policeman (after the cop slapped him first). He spent a week in jail and then stayed briefly at the Bingerville Asylum in Abidjan, where he was declared reasonably sane and released. Soon afterward, he began honing his songwriting and performing skills. Later, he dedicated an album to the patients of Bingerville.
                              

Blondy got his big break from friend Fulgence Kass, an employee of Ivory Coast Television who helped him land a spot on the Premiere Chance talent show. Singing three of his own tunes plus Burning Spear's

"Christopher Columbus," the young artist was a hit with the audience. Blondy then hooked up with producer G. Benson who recorded his eight-song debut album Jah Love in a single day. The most popular song, "Brigadier Sabari," was an account of Blondy's run-in with an Abidjan police street raid in which he was nearly beaten to death. It was the first time a West African artist had dared to mention random police brutality in public. After releasing the album, he and the newly formed Solar System band signed to EMI. 
                                   

             
They recorded his second album, Cocody Rock, in Paris in 1984. Later he returned to Tuff Gong to record

his third album, Jerusalem(1986). By the release of his 1987 album Revolution, Blondy had established himself as an international artist. Three years before he had been voted the number one artist by a Radio France international poll. His popularity continues to grow, and he continues steadily releasing albums. His 1992 album, Masada, was released in over 50 countries around the world and went double gold in France.
                       

                          

Yitzhak Rabin followed in 1998; Paris Percy appeared in spring 2001. Although it was recorded in 1999,

the album Elohim appeared in 2002 in Europe and three years later in America. The career-spanning Akwaba: The Very Best of Alpha Blondy was released in 2005, then Jah Victory followed in 2007. The 2011 release Vision was issued by the Wagram label, while his 2013 effort Mystic Power launched his relationship with the VP imprint. The veteran reggae label issued his 2015 release Positive Energy, which featured guest appearances from Tarrus Riley and Ijahman Levi.
                              

01. ALPHA BLONDY - JAH GLORY!  1982

                                       

A dynamic early 80s album with Blondy establishing his sound and style. It hasn't yet been released on a US label. 

Alpha Blondy And The Natty Rebels – Jah Glory
Label: VP Records – VP2427
Format: CD, Album, Reissue 2010
Country: US
Released: 1982    
Genre: Reggae
Style: Reggae, Roots Reggae

TRACKS

                              

01. Rasta Poué  5:21
02. Bintou Were Were   4:57
03. Jah Glory   4:06
04. Dou Nougnan   4:56
05. Brigadier Sabari   4:44
06. The End   6:16
07. Bebi Yere Yé   6:40
08. Rasta Fou   7:11
09. Rasta Poué (Version Dub)   5:05

LINE - UP

                            

Vocals – Alpha Blondy
Backing Vocals – Toinet, Bibie, Jane
Bass – Ka Massa
Executive Producer – George T Benson
Guitar – Lwe Afree, Yaw Mao
Percussion, Drums – M'Hmad Suley
Piano, Keyboards – Geo Kwak
Written-By, Composed By, Arranged By – Alpha Blondy

Flac Size: 331 MB

02. ALPHA BLONDY - COCODY ROCK!!! 1984

                                  

Alpha Blondy's 1982 first album, a smash hit featuring an all-local band the Natty Rebels, had all the accessibility and directness that made him an international star. Two cuts are agreeable reggae in English;

the rest is Afro-reggae and a lot more interesting for that. In some ways Blondy's music is typical of the Ivory Coast: light, accomplished, and geared to a regional rather than local audience. Though the notes don't tell you so, Cocody Rock is a re-release of Blondy's 1984 second album, recorded in Paris and Kingston with a mix of African and Jamaican musicians (plus Kassav's Jocelyne Beroard on backup vocals).
                                     

Alpha Blondy – Cocody Rock!!!
Label: VP Records – VP2426
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered 2010
Country: US
Released: 1984    
Genre: Reggae
Style: Roots Reggae

TRACKS

                                 

01. Cocody Rock (Featuring – Les Wailers)   4:53
02. Téré    5:47
03. Super Powers    5:15
04. Interplanetary Revolution    4:33
05. Fangandan Kameleba    5:23
06. Bory Samory    4:57
07. Cocody Rock (Dub Version)    5:41
08. Téré (Dub Version)    5:52

LINE - UP

                        

Vocals – Alpha Blondy
Backing Vocals – Annette Lowman, Eugénie Kuffler, Jocelyne Béroard, Paula Moore, Véronique Kone
Bass – Aston "Family Man" Barrett (tracks: 1), Kamassa Seth
Drums – Carlton Barrett (tracks: 1), Michel Abishira, Personne, Hervé Lecoz (tracks: 1, 2)
Guitar [Solo] – Afri Lue Eugène, Christian Polloni, Earl "Chinna" Smith (tracks: 1)
Keyboards – Earl "Wire" Lindo (tracks: 1), George Kwaku, Martin Meissonnier, Robbie Lynn (tracks: 1)
Rhythm Guitar – Afri Lue Eugène, Francois Cuffy, Julie Morillon, Lloyd "Gitsy" Willis (tracks: 1)
Vocals, Producer, Written-By, Arranged By – Alpha Blondy

Flac Size: 300 MB

03. ALPHA BLONDY - APARTHEID IS NAZISM 1985

                                  

While it might be sacrilege in reggae circles to say that any artist could challenge Bob Marley's mastery of the genre, Alpha Blondy fires a dead-on shot literally heard around the world with Apartheid Is Nazism.

Furthermore, this work proves that great reggae does not have to come from Jamaica. "Afriki" opens the album with a nod to Jamaica, but while the music is classic, offbeat reggae, there is a strong African feel here, especially in the backing vocals. On every track, the carefully arranged and smartly played music of Blondy's band, the Solar System, tickles the ears with muscular polyrhythms and a variety of stealthily intoxicating percussion. Maneuvering skillfully on top of all of this is Blondy's uniquely plaintive voice. 
                          

Alpha Blondy – Apartheid Is Nazism
Label: EMI Pathé Marconi – 1598882
Format: CD, Album, Reissue 1987
Country: France
Released: 1985
Genre: Reggae
Style: Reggae, Roots Reggae

TRACKS

                             

01. Afriki    5:03
02. Jah Houphouet    5:20
03. Apartheid Is Nazism    4:45
04. Idjidja    5:00
05. Sahel    4:06
06. Sebe Allah Y'e    4:43
07. Kiti    5:14
08. Come Back Jesus    5:30
09. Djinamory    4:39

LINE - UP

Alpha Blondy: Vocals

THE SOLAR SYSTEM

                                              

Julie Mourillon, Sam Camara: Rhythm guitar
Christian Polloni, Yao Mao: Lead guitar
Georges Kouakou: Keyboards
Kamassa Seth: Bass
Jose Shillingford, Michel Abihssira: Drums
"Lick": Percussion

GUESTS

Michel Camikas, Nyaha Yodan Emmanuel, Patrick Artero: Horns
Anne-Marie Constant, Manow Bale, Paula Moore, Rochelle Robertson: Backing vocals

Flac Size: 298 MB

04. ALPHA BLONDY - REVOLUTION 1987

                             

After the critical acclaim Alpha Blondy received from Apartheid Is Nazism, he was quick to put out

another album the following year. Perhaps he should have taken more time. The most interesting and experimental track is the ten-minute "Jah Houphouet Nous Parle," in which Blondy takes a tape of a speech given by the former president of the Ivory Coast, M. Felix Houphouet Boigny, and puts it to some sleak, pulsating music. Unfortunately, if you don't speak French, you won't be able to understand the speech, which Blondy calls a "masterpiece."

Alpha Blondy – Révolution
Label: Pathé – 7486552
Format: CD, Album
Country: France
Released: 1987
Genre: Reggae
Style: Reggae-Pop

TRACKS

                            

01. Sweet Fanta Diallo    5:18
02. Blesser    5:30
03. Jah Houphouet Boigny Nous Parle (Rassemblement Démocratique Africain) Featuring – Houphouët Boigny   10:37
04. Rock And Roll Remedy    4:07
05. Time    4:06
06. Election Koutcha    5:36
07. Miri (Featuring – Aîcha Kone)   5:44

LINE - UP

                             

Alpha Blondy: Vocals
Backing Vocals – Corinne Polloni, Monique (10), Ragaï Tchonang, Wiper 
Bass – Jumbo, Kamassa Seth
Cello – Alen Hoïst
Drums – José Shilligford, Samuel Kone
Horns – Lionel Jouot, Manou, Manu Dibango, Patrick Artero
Keyboards – Georges Kouarou, Thierry T.
Lead Guitar – Christian Polloni
Percussion – Lick 
Rhythm Guitar – Julie Mourillon, Sam Camus, Yao Mao
Tuba – Michel Godard
Violin – Dominic Piffarelly, Jean-Luc Pinot

Flac Size: 246 MB

Alpha Blondy - 1992 - Masada HERE  
Alpha Blondy - 1986 - Jerusalem HERE

Peter Tosh: Legalize It 1976 (2 CD Legacy Edition 2011) + Bush Doctor 1978

 

Born Winston Hubert McIntosh in the rural parish of Westmoreland, Jamaica, in 1944, he moved to the notorious slum of Trench Town (so named because it was built on the “trenches” that drained the

sewage of nearby Kingston) at age 16. His mother strongly influenced him, and her sensibility would become apparent in both his lyrics and views; she was particularly concerned that he have a Christian upbringing. He attended the local church daily, and his experience there – singing in the choir and learning to play the organ – formed a sort of musical apprenticeship that prepared him for his subsequent career.
       

Peter sought refuge from the rigors of poverty in pop music, notably the R&B and doo-wop beamed to the Caribbean by stations in Florida and Louisiana. Having cultivated his guitar skills and his expressive baritone vocals, he began playing with fellow Trenchtown roughnecks Bob Marley and

Neville “Bunny” Livingstone in the early 1960s; because he never knew his father, he came to see the group as his first real family, and his bandmates as his brothers. This nexus was the very earliest seed of the Wailers, who scored a #1 hit in 1964 with the ska jam “Simmer Down.” The band’s affinity for American soul and gospel was further ignited by a burgeoning interest in global rhythms and the teachings of the Rastafarian religion.
                

As the ’60s wound down – and world political consciousness heated up – the Wailers pioneered a new musical direction: slower than ska and rock steady, this new sound combined thick grooves with more socially relevant lyrics (strongly informed by the tenets of Rastafari). What we now recognize as

modern reggae was born. Tosh was the backbone and heartbeat of the Wailers as well the group’s most accomplished musician – and a constant in the band throughout the arrivals and departures of his musical brethren. His tireless guitar, keyboards, percussion and other instruments, meanwhile, formed the foundation of the Wailers’ sound and essentially set the course of reggae music. He was also a prolific and powerful songwriter, his militant perspective offering a bracing contrast to Marley’s more reassuring tone; in a sense he played Lennon to his bandmate’s McCartney.
                       

This was borne out in his solo work, especially in such stirring songs as the purposeful plaint “Equal Rights,” the unstoppable unity anthem “African,” the ganja manifesto “Legalize It” and his

mesmerizing, indelible take on Joe Higgs’ “Stepping Razor.” The latter title was also one of Tosh’s nicknames (alongside Bush Doctor, The Toughest and other monikers) – a highly fitting one, given the slashing wit of his wordplay, the keenness of his intellect, and the cool slice of his guitar. “I’m dangerous,” Tosh sang on the latter song, and as everyone from local toughs to government enforcers would come to understand, he wasn’t kidding.
               

Tosh began recording and released his solo debut, Legalize It, in 1976 with CBS Records company. The

title track soon became popular among endorsers of marijuana legalization, reggae music lovers and Rastafari all over the world, and was a favorite at Tosh’s concerts. His second album Equal Rights followed in 1977. Tosh organized a backing band, Word, Sound and Power, who were to accompany him on tour for the next few years, and many of whom performed on his albums of this period.
           

In 1978 the Rolling Stones record label Rolling Stones Records contracted with Tosh, on which

BOB MARLEY - MICK JAGGER - PETER TOSH

the album Bush Doctor was released, introducing Tosh to a larger audience. The album featured Rolling Stones frontmen Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and the lead single – a cover version of The Temptations song “Don’t Look Back” – was performed as a duet with Jagger. It made Tosh one of the best-known reggae artists.
                

Mystic Man (1979), and Wanted Dread and Alive (1981) followed, both released on Rolling Stones

Records. Tosh tried to gain some mainstream success while keeping his militant views, but was largely unsuccessful, especially compared to Marley’s achievements. That same year, Tosh appeared in the Rolling Stones’ video Waiting on a Friend. In 1984, after the release of 1983’s album Mama Africa, Tosh went into self-imposed exile, seeking the spiritual advice of traditional medicine men in Africa, and trying to free himself from recording agreements that distributed his records in South Africa.
                

          
Tosh also participated in the international opposition to South African apartheid by appearing at Anti-Apartheid concerts and by conveying his opinion in various songs like “Apartheid” (1977, re-recorded

1987), “Equal Rights” (1977), “Fight On” (1979), and “Not Gonna Give It Up” (1983). In 1991 Stepping Razor – Red X was released, a documentary film by Nicholas Campbell, produced by Wayne Jobson and based upon a series of spoken-word recordings of Tosh himself, which chronicled the story of the artist’s life, music and untimely death. In 1987, Peter Tosh seemed to be having a career revival. He was awarded a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Performance in 1987 for No Nuclear War, his last record.
                

On 11 September 1987, just after Tosh had returned to his home in Jamaica, a three-man gang came to his house on motorcycles demanding money. Tosh replied that he did not have any with him

BOB MARLEY - PETER TOSH

but the gang did not believe him. They stayed at his residence for several hours and tortured Tosh in an attempt to extort money from him. Over the hours, as various associates of Tosh arrived to visit him, they were also taken hostage by the gunmen. The gunmen became more and more frustrated, especially the chief thug, Dennis "Leppo" Lobban, a man whom Tosh had previously befriended and tried to help find work after a long jail sentence. Tosh said he did not have any money in the house, after which Lobban and the fellow gunmen began opening fire in a reckless manner.
                  

PETER TOSH - BOB MARLEY - THE WAILERS

Tosh was shot twice in the head and killed. Herbalist Wilton "Doc" Brown and disc jockey Jeff 'Free

I' Dixon also died as a result of wounds sustained during the robbery. Several others in the house were wounded, including Tosh's common law wife Andrea Marlene Brown, Free I's wife Yvonne ("Joy"); Tosh's drummer Carlton "Santa" Davis, and musician Michael Robinson.
             

PETER TOSH - LEGALIZE IT 1976 (2 CD LEGACY EDITION 2011)

           

Legalize It is the debut studio album by Jamaican singer-songwriter and former Wailer Peter Tosh,

released in June 1976. It was recorded at Treasure Isle and Randy's, Kingston. Legalize It is one of the two solo albums released in 1976 by Wailers members, along with Bunny Wailer's album Blackheart Man. Bob Marley and his new Wailers also released Rastaman Vibration. The song was written in

response to his ongoing victimization by the Jamaican police and as a political piece pushing for the legalization of cannabis, particularly for medical use. In 1977, Tosh backed this up by saying "We are the victims of Rasclot circumstances. Victimization, colonialism, gonna lead to bloodbath". Tosh also said "Herb will become like cigarettes", in an NME interview in 1978.

Peter Tosh – Legalize It
Label: Columbia – 88697 74690 2, Legacy – 88697 74690 2
Series: Legacy Edition
Format: 2 x CD, Album, Deluxe Edition, Reissue, Remastered 2011
Country: US
Released: 1976
Genre: Reggae
Style: Roots Reggae

CD 1.

                

01. Legalize It
02. Burial
03. Watcha Gonna Do
04. No Sympathy
05. Why Must I Cry
06. Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)
07. Ketchy Shuby
08. Till Your Well Runs Dry
09. Brand New Second Hand
10. Legalize It (Demo)
11. No Sympathy (Demo)
12. Why Must I Cry (Demo)
13. Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised) (Demo)
14. Ketchy Shuby (Demo)
15. Till Your Well Runs Dry (Demo)
16. Brand New Second Hand (Demo)

MP3 @ 320 Size: 167 MB
Flac  Size: 374 MB

LEGALIZE IT LYRICS

                      

Legalize it
Don't criticize it
Legalize it, yeah yeah
And I will advertise it

Some call it tamjee (tamjee)
Some call it the weed (tamjee)
Some call it marijuana (marijuana), ayy-yeah
Some a dem call it ganja (ganja)

Never mind, got to legalize it
And don't criticize it
Legalize it, yeah, yeah
And I will advertise it

                        

Singers smoke it
And players of instrument too
Legalize it, yeah, yeah
That's the best thing you can do

Doctors smoke it
Nurses smoke it
Judges smoke it
Even lawyer too

So you've got to legalize it
And, uh, don't criticize it
Legalize it, yeah, yeah
And I will advertise it

It's good for the flu
Good for asthma
Good for tuberculosis
Even umara composis

Go to legalize it
Don't criticize it
Legalize it, yeah, yeah
I will advertise it

       

Birds eat it
Ants love it
Fowls eat it
Goats love to play with it

So you've got to legalize it
And don't criticize it
Legalize it, yeah, yeah
And I will advertise it

Keep on telling you legalize it

CD 2. (ORIGINAL JAMAICAN MIX)       

                 

  
01. Legalize It
02. Burial
03. Watcha Gonna Do
04. No Sympathy
05. Why Must I Cry
06. Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)
07. Ketchy Shuby
08. Till Your Well Runs Dry
09. Brand New Second Hand
10. Legalize It (Alternate Version)
11. Burial (Dub Version 1)
12. Watcha Gonna Do (ShaJahShoka Dubplate) (ShaJahShoka Dubplate)
13. Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised) (ShaJahShoka Dubplate)
14. Second Hand (ShaJahShoka Dubplate)
15. Burial (Dub Version 2)
16. Legalize It (Dub Version)

LINE - UP

Backing Vocals – Bunny Wailer, Judy Mowatt, Peter Tosh, Rita Marley
Bass – Aston "Family Man" Barrett
Drums – Carlton "Santa" Davis, Carlton Barrett
Guitar – Al Anderson (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 7, 9), Donald Kinsey (tracks: 4, 8)
Guitar [Reggae Guitar] – Peter Tosh
Harp – Ras Lee, Robbie Lee
Keyboards – Tyrone Downey
Written-By – N. Livingston (tracks: co-writer on 2, 8), Peter Tosh

MP3 @ 320 Size: 172 MB
Flac  Size: 338 MB

PETER TOSH - BUSH DOCTOR 1978

            

Bush Doctor is the third studio album by Jamaican reggae singer Peter Tosh. It was released in 1978 on

Rolling Stones Records. The album features Mick Jagger as guest vocalist on one song, while Keith Richards plays guitar on two tracks. The rhythm section featured Sly and Robbie. The track "Stand Firm" was rarely played live due to its controversial nature.
               

Peter Tosh – Bush Doctor
Label:EMI – 7243 5 39181 2 5
Series: The Definitive Remasters
Format: CD, Album, Remastered 2002
Country: Europe
Released: 1978
Genre: Reggae
Style: Roots Reggae, Dub

TRACKS

           

01. (You Gotta Walk) Don't Look Back  (Vocals [Additional] – Mick Jagger) 5:16
02. Pick Myself Up    3:59
03. I'm The Toughest    3:53
04. Soon Come    3:56
05. Moses - The Prophet    3:35
06. Bush Doctor (Guitar – Keith Richards)   4:04
07. Stand Firm  (Guitar – Keith Richards)   6:08
08. Dem Ha Fe Get A Beatin    4:12
09. Creation    6:26

BONUS TRACKS       

    
10. Lesson In My Life (Outtake)    5:32
11. Soon Come (Long Version)    5:16
12. I'm The Toughest (Long Version)    5:10
13. Bush Doctor (Long Version)    5:42
14. (You Gotta Walk) Don't Look Back (Version)    5:00
15. Tough Rock Soft Stones (Previously Unreleased)    4:30

LINE - UP

Bass, Guitar – Robbie Shakespeare
Drums, Percussion [Gato Box] – Sly Dunbar
Guitar, Synthesizer [Moog], Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Mikey Chung
Keyboards – Keith Sterling
Percussion – Larry McDonald, Uziah "Sticky" Thompson
Piano, Organ, Piano [Fender Rhodes], Clavinet – Robert Lyn

BUSH DOCTOR LYRICS

                         

Warning
The surgeon general warns
Cigarette smoking is dangerous, dangerous
Hazard to your health
Does that mean anything to you?

Dem legalize marijuana
Right here in Jamaica
Dem say it cure glaucoma, yeah
I man-a the bush doctor, yeah

So, there'll be
No more smoking and feeling tense
When I see them a-come
I don't have to jump no fence

Legalize marijuana, yeah
Down here in Jamaica, yeah
Only cure for asthma, yeah
I man a-the minister, yeah

So, there'll be no more
Police brutality
No more disrespect for humanity

              

Legalize marijuana, yeah
Down here in Jamaica, yeah
It can build up your failing economy, yeah
Eliminate the slavish mentality

So, there'll be no more
Illegal humiliation
And no more police interrogation

Legalize marijuana
Down here in sweet Jamaica
Only cure for glaucoma
I man a-the bush doctor, yeah

And there be
(No more) no more need to smoke and hide
When you know you're taking
A legal ride

So, legalize marijuana
Down here in Jamaica (yeah)
It's the only cure for glaucoma
I man a-the minister

MP3 @ 320 Size: 176 MB
Flac  Size: 463 MB