Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 212 Jimmy Cliff

Rebirth - Jimmy Cliff

Universal

Produced by Tim Armstrong

Released 16th July 2012

US Chart #76

UK Chart #83

Personnel
Vocals, percussion – Jimmy Cliff
Backing vocals – Aimee Allen, Ashli Haynes, Dash Hutton, Jean McClain, Jordis Unga, Nicki Bonner, Tim Hutton
Baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone, flute – James King
Bass guitar – J Bonner
Drums – Scott Abels
Lead guitar, rhythm guitar – Tim Armstrong
Organ – Dan Boer
Piano, guitar – Kevin Bivona
Saxophone – David Moyer, Liam Philpot
Trumpet, trombone – Jordan Katz, Michael Bolger

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Rebirth had been the first Jimmy Cliff album for eight years and hooking up with Tim Armstrong of Rancid had been a stroke of genius I reckon. A number of the songs on the album are Cliff originals written prior to entering the studio but once there he co-wrote Cry No More, Children's Bread, Reggae Music and Outsider with Armstrong and then there are cover versions of Guns of Brixton (The Clash), Ruby Soho (Rancid) and World Upside Down (a co-write with Jamaican artist Joe Higgs).

I had a lot of love for this album when it came out, and still do four years on. The album was nominated and won a Grammy for The Best Reggae Album, and rightly so I reckon.

Rolling Stone had it at #12 in their 50 Best Albums of 2012.

It's such a great album and it's no wonder pretty much all of the critics were high in praise for it (yes I know, they do get some things right every once in a while).

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!

Rewind: 1972 - The Harder They Come Soundtrack Released

Dedicated to Marie from Montreal 

The Harder They Come - Soundtrack

Released 7th July 1972

Island Records

1.  "You Can Get It If You Really Want"  - Jimmy Cliff.  

2."Draw Your Brakes" - DJ Scotty.

3.  "Rivers of Babylon" - The Melodians.
4. "Many Rivers to Cross"-  Jimmy Cliff.
5. "Sweet and Dandy" - The Maytals.
6. "The Harder They Come" - Jimmy Cliff.
7. "Johnny Too Bad" - The Slickers.
8. "007 (Shanty Town)" - Desmond Dekker.
9. "Pressure Drop"- The Maytals.
10. "Sitting in Limbo"- Jimmy Cliff .
11. "You Can Get It If You Really Want" - Jimmy Cliff.
12. "The Harder They Come" - Jimmy Cliff .

Only the title track was specifically written for the film by Jimmy Cliff, the other three tracks were earlier singles of his. The remaining tracks that make up the album were chosen by Perry Henzell (the Director and Co-Writer of the Film) from Singles that had been released in Jamaica between 1967-72 and includes Desmond Dekker, Toots and the Maytals, The Slickers, DJ Scotty, and The Melodians.

The album gave Reggae a voice in the USA when it was released there in 1973 (reaching the lower reaches of the Billboard Chart). Rolling Stone Magazine's Top 500 Albums of All Time places The Harder They Come Soundtrack at #119. 

The album actually contains a few of my favourite Reggae tunes (Johnny Too Bad, Pressure Drop, Sweet and Dandy, and Many Rivers To Cross) and it still stands up as great Reggae Album and one of the best Soundtracks ever (in my opinion).

I had read somewhere a couple of years ago that plans were underway to remake the film and that filming was due to start in 2013, not sure what became of that but this year word came that Jimmy Cliff would reprise his role as Ivanhoe Martin in the Jamaican Crime Drama.

Happy Birthday Jimmy Cliff

Born on this day in 1948 Reggae Legend Jimmy Cliff.

Rockpalast (Full Show).

The Harder They Come Soundtrack.

Glastonbury 2011 (Full Show).

World Music Festival California 2012.

 

Soundtrack4Life Album of The Year

So here it is, the Album of the Year. It's been a great year for music, some truly amazing albums that have thrilled us no end and have given many hours of listening pleasure. The one album though that has dominated the year and has never been off the playlist is Bruce Springsteen's 'Wrecking Ball'.

 ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Probably one of the finest releases by Springsteen since 'The Rising' and one that speaks right into the times we are living in.

It was live in a concert setting though that the songs of 'Wrecking Ball' found their loudest voice and that's why the Concert Bootleg of the Year also goes to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band for their performance on the final date of the European Leg of the Tour in Finland at The Olympic Stadium, Helsinki on 31st July. 

CONCERT BOOTLEG OF THE YEAR

A couple of shows on the European Leg had flirted with the 4 Hour mark but this show now goes down in history as the longest show of his career - 4 Hours and 6 Minutes and if you include the 5 Song Pre-show Acoustic Set, it clocks in at just under Four and a Half Hours!

REGGAE ALBUM OF THE YEAR

 Tim Armstong of Rancid did a wonderful job on this of bringing back the sound of old school 1970's Reggae and Jimmy Cliff sounds as good as he ever has done.

POP ALBUM OF THE YEAR

 People tend to write her off because she is a little bit eccentric at times but this album saw her at her best for many years, great writing and superb tunes, and some brilliant live performances throughout the year showed that she still has something to offer.

ROCK ALBUM OF THE YEAR

 After patching things up with Cherrie Curie and Joan Jett, 2013 is looking promising for a return of The Runaways. In the middle of the peace talks came this nice slice of rock and roll. Lita Ford kind of lost her way a bit but this was a nice return to form.

BLUES ALBUM OF THE YEAR

 Dion D'Mucci seems to get better with age and after a four year absence he returned with an album loaded with fantastic blues numbers that proved that he is still very much 'The King of the New York Streets'.

COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR

 There was a wealth of good Country Music released in 2012 (yeah, I know that sounds like a strange thing to say!) but the standout album was clearly this one by the King of Country music, Johnny Cash. Drawing upon the Gospel sounds of Cash this 51 track collection is just too wonderful for words.

PUNK ALBUM OF THE YEAR

 The Cockney Rejects seemed to have found a fresh breath of air since the making of their movie of the same name as the album, and whilst I would not confess to being the biggest fan of all that the band have done through the years, this album really took me by surprise. It's hard to find a track on it that is not good.

THE OLD MAN WHO'S STILL GOT IT ALBUM OF THE YEAR

  Okay, it's not a real category but I couldn't end this without giving some kudos to the 73 year old Ian Hunter for releasing a really brilliant musical explosion of old school rock and roll that still shows that he's got it and is not likely to lose it anytime soon. Really worth getting.

Soundtrack4Life Best of 2012 Part One Album of the Year Nominations

Well, it's that time of year again when we dig through all the things that have made us smile, sing out loud, excite us with new possibilities in the world of music. This is not the final result but merely those that are Nominated for the particular areas noted. The final decision will be made at the start of December 2012.

Nominations For Album Of The Year

Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball

It should come as no real surprise that Springsteen's album heads the nominations as we have been giving great kudos to the album throughout the year as we have sought to follow The Wrecking Ball Tour from the warm-up shows at The Apollo and at SXSW to the full tour from Atlanta on 21st March all the way through to the latest show in Pittsburgh three days ago. 

Unlike 'Working on a Dream', which faded from our minds not long after it's release (not many memorable songs at all we think), 'Wrecking Ball' is loaded with great songs that shine a spotlight upon what is going on in the world today through all the economic chaos and the uncertainty that it has brought to many. By far it's his best record for ages and 7 months on it's still being played here.

 Ian McNabb - Little Episodes

 An album that is brilliant just for it's sheer simplicity. It's not an overly glossy production or bombastic tunes, but a great set of songs that show off the voice and the writing talent of McNabb. Another album that came out in the first quarter of the year and one that is still a delight to listen to.

Jimmy Cliff - Rebirth

 One of the surprises of the year for me was the return of Jimmy Cliff. Last year he had released a great little EP called 'Sacred Fire' that was quite outstanding and Tim Armstrong of Rancid once again was at the controls in the recording of this. A couple of brilliant covers in 'Guns of Brixton' (The Clash) and 'Ruby Soho' (Rancid) and a sound that reminds us so much of the great reggae that Cliff was releasing for Island Records back in the 1970's.

Dion - Tank Full of Blues

 The King of the New York Streets returned to recording after an absence of four years to bring yet another fine collection of the blues and show that the old man still has got a great voice. There wasn't a single track on the album that was a disappointment and it was a superb addition to his discography.

Sinéad O'Connor - How About I Be Me (and You Be You?)

 Another surprise for me earlier in the year was the release of this one. O'Connor has not always been one who is an easy listen and far too often she does things that leave you wondering what on earth she is all about. But the album far exceed my expectation and contains some of her finest writing in a while.

Joey Ramone - Ya Know?

 This was always going to be a tough one to listen to because Joey had meant so much and had been a part of our Soundtrack4Life since The Ramones first released their debut album back in 1976.

'Rock 'n' Roll is the Answer' was released as a single on Record Store Day and gave us the first taste of what was to come. It might not be everyone's cuppa tea but it made us laugh, cry, whoop with delight and sit and wonder what might have been had Joey not died! 

Yellowcard - Southern Air

Yellowcard are not a band that we normally listen to and so on hearing the opening track 'Awakenings' and totally loving it there were clear grounds to investigate further and the conslusion is that this album warrented a place on the list of best albums of the year. It's only fault as was said when we first wrote about it back in August is the inclusion of a cover of Coldplay's 'Fix You' (not a fan of Coldplay and probably never will be!).

Jimmy Cliff - Rebirth 2012

Jimmy Cliff has had a pretty stellar career, releasing more than 20 albums, appearing in a movie and providing the soundtrack for lovers of 1960's and 70's Reggae and Ska. So it comes as no real surprise that Jimmy Cliff returns to do what Jimmy Cliff does best.

At the controls of this album is Tim Armstrong of Rancid (who know a thing or two about Ska themselves) and he has done a great job working alongside Cliff to bring an album of 13 songs that actually have a great feel of some of those early Trojan/Island Reggae classics.

Checkout the great covers of 'Guns of Brixton' (The Clash) and 'Ruby Soho' (Rancid).

1) World Upside Down
2) One More
3) Cry No More
4) Children’s Bread
5) Bang
6) Guns Of Brixton
7) Reggae Music
8) Outsider
9) Rebel Rebel
10) Ruby Soho
11) Blessed Love
12) Ship Is Sailing
13) One More (Alternate Version)

One of my favourite releases of the year so far and certainly added to the list of albums that are possible Album of the Year!