Toots and The Maytals Monkey Man: This 1969 proto ska classic was a top 40 hit in the UK and later covered by The Specials who are my all time favorite second wave Ska band and actually how I came to know this song originally. Amy Winehouse also has a great cover of his chune. Toots and The Maytals were ska and rocsteady pioneers and he first to use the term Reggae in a song with 1968 Do The Regay.Toots Hibert was and is a great singer, His raspy Otis Redding like voice was one of the things that turned me on the Jamaican music as a youth. Pressure Drop which I discovered from the magnificent Harder They Come soundtrack as a kid was and remains one of my all time favorite songs and was a gateway drug for Punk Rock after hearing the Clash cover I was sold. The connection between Jamaican music and english punk was a huge influence on a 14 year old me. Back to Toots: he and the Maytals had a gang if classics including 54-46 Thats my Number, the cover of Louie Louie, Reggae Got Soul, Funky KingstonJohnny Cool Man and he original Bam Bam which was recreated by Sister Nancy and is one of the all time greatest JA riddims. His later Toots in Memphis is a masterpiece with Toots covering soul records and was produced by Steve Cropper the man behind alot of he Stax classics on the record. Live hes still out there touring I must have seenhim 10 plus times. In his 70s he still got it in droves. Besides Bob Marley he is the most important roots Reggae artist and was a huge influence on Nesta. He is the OG vocalist of all things Yard musically and a national treasure and this re-issue makes me happy! #SaluteTootsHibert #JaLove #KnowYourRoots #SuperYardmanBreakin’ #EasyStar (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpFhFXcB1Vt/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1dgxf6eyi38sz
