A final delve into the forgotten songs of the 1960’s for the moment. Today the songs are all linked by their connection to Rocksteady. A successor of ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was the dominant style of music in Jamaica for nearly two years, performed by many of the artists who helped establish reggae and which found popularity in the UK during the late 1960’s.
“007 (Shanty Town)” is a 1967 rocksteady song by Jamaican band Desmond Dekker and the Aces, released as a single from their debut album of the same name. “007” was Dekker’s first international hit. The single was a number one hit in Jamaica and reached number 14 in the UK, making it the first Jamaican-produced record to reach the UK top 20. It was also a hit for Musical Youth in 1983. “007 (Shanty Town)” has been called “the most enduring and archetypal” rude boy song. Its title and lyrics refer to the cool imagery of films such as the James Bond series and Oceans 11, admired by “rudies”. Michael Veal identifies “007 (Shanty Town)” as one of the songs that demonstrated the viability of Jamaican music in the UK.
Al Capone” is a song and single by Jamaican singer-songwriter Prince Buster. It was first released in 1964. At the time the song was written, many Jamaicans had a fascination with films from Hollywood, particularly gangster and Western films. Al Capone, the American gangster from the 1920s and 1930s, held a particular interest for Jamaican listeners. Primarily an instrumental, the song starts with the sound of a car crash, gun fire and squealing tyres. Buster’s backing group, the All Stars, provide jazzy horns while piano playing keeps the rhythm. It was not until 1967 that the song became a hit for Prince Buster, making No. 18 in the UK, and staying on the singles chart for 13 weeks. It was a crossover success, as British youth saw the image of Jamaicans wearing sunglasses and dressed in a rude boy style as iconic.
“Liquidator” is a reggae instrumental by Jamaican band Harry J Allstars. Carlton “Carly” Barrett has said that the instrumental was originally for a song by Tony Scott, “What Am I to Do”. Harry Johnson bought the rights from Scott, licensed the track to Trojan and credited it to the Harry J Allstars. But Alton Ellis has said that the core of the song was a lift from his rocksteady hit “Girl I’ve Got a Date” It reached No. 9 in the UK in November 1969 and was certified silver in the UK in April 2022.
“Return of Django” is a 1969 instrumental by the Upsetters, a studio band, led by Lee “Scratch” Perry, who wrote and produced the song. The Upsetters was the name given to the house band which comes from Perry’s nickname of Upsetter, after his song “I Am the Upsetter”, a musical dismissal of his former boss Coxsone Dodd. Backed with “Dollar in the Teeth”, it rose to No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1969. When other commitments prevented the All Stars from touring, another band named The Hippy Boys were recruited to do the subsequent tour in the United Kingdom. This line-up remained the studio band that is most associated with the name, going on to eventually form the nucleus of Bob Marley’s backing band The Wailers.
“Many Rivers to Cross” is a song written and recorded in 1969 by Jimmy Cliff. Cliff was aged 21 when he wrote and recorded the song. He stated he wrote the song due to the trouble he was having making it as a successful musical artist after originally finding success in his home of Jamaica, beginning at age 14, before moving to the United Kingdom. He commented, “When I came to the UK, I was still in my teens. I came full of vigor: I’m going to make it, I’m going to be up there with the Beatles and the Stones. And it wasn’t really going like that, I was touring clubs, not breaking through. I was struggling, with work, life, my identity, I couldn’t find my place; frustration fueled the song.” Whilst not entering the UK charts, Rolling Stone ranked it No. 325 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
