Toots & the Maytals

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Toots Hibbert at the Rudolstadt Festival 2017
Chart positions
Explanation of the data
Albums
Funky Kingston
  US 164 11/01/1975 (13 weeks)
Reggae Got Soul
  US 157 07/17/1976 (5 weeks)
True love
  CH 84 06/06/2004 (3 weeks)
  US 177 04/24/2004 (4 weeks)
Singles
Monkey Man
  UK 47 04/25/1970 (4 weeks)

Toots & the Maytals is a Jamaican vocal trio. The group has been successful in the reggae business since the early 1960s and holds the record of 31 No. 1 singles in Jamaica.

Band history

The group, named after their home village May Pen, began their career in the Ska era. An audition at Studio One , overseen by producer Clement "Sir Coxone" Dodd and Prince Buster , went well, and they recorded their first single, Hallelujah . The first hits soon appeared with Six and Seven Books Of Moses (1963) and Broadway Jungle (1964). The religious and socially critical lyrics of songwriter Toots Hibbert , like those of his colleagues Desmond Dekker and Justin Hinds , stand out from the average consisting mainly of love songs.

In 1966 the band won the first Jamaican Song Festival with the piece Bam-Bam . A drawn out melody line sung in falsetto contrasts here with harsh spoken vocals . In the text Toots made it clear that his attitude is peaceful, but that troublemakers can expect trouble with him. The whole thing is underlaid with a relaxed calypso groove and the constantly repeating "Bam-Bam" of the background vocals.

Shortly after the song was released, Toots was sentenced to 18 months in prison for possession of marijuana (but only served 6 months). When Toots was allowed to leave prison, a new musical style, rocksteady , had replaced ska.

The group is now working with producer Leslie Kong . In 1968 Toots processed his prison experiences in the song 54-46 That's My Number ( reissued a year later as 54-46 Was My Number ). In the same year they give the music style that is supposed to replace rocksteady its name with the single Do The Reggay - another spelling is still used, but it is the birth of reggae . In 1969 they won the " Jamaican Song Festival " for the second time. Her title Sweet And Dandy is a song about a nervous wedding couple.

In 1970 they released Monkey Man , which was covered nine years later by the British band The Specials and was supposed to usher in the so-called "second wave of ska". In the same year they recorded Pressure Drop , a “screaming orgy” by Toots Hibbert, which exemplifies the band's powerful, raw sound. In 1971 Leslie Kong died and the group now worked with Chris Blackwell , producer of Bob Marley .

In 1972 they win the Song Festival for the third time with Pomp & Pride . The reggae film The Harder They Come , in which Jimmy Cliff plays the lead role, a " rude boy ", is also released. The Maytals contribute two songs ( Sweet and Dandy and Pressure Drop ) to the soundtrack and can be seen during the recording in the studio.

In 1973 they released Funky Kingston , their first long-playing record that did not consist of pre-recorded single material. The title song Funky Kingston is a synthesis of funk and reggae. The album also contains a cover version of Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver - "West Virginia" becomes "West Jamaica" here. After the album In The Dark (1974) comes Reggae Got Soul (1976), with Steve Winwood (including The Spencer Davis Group , Blind Faith and Traffic ) helping out on the organ . The Grammy- nominated Toots - live (1980) record earned them an entry in the Guinness Book of Records as it was available in record stores the day after it was recorded. Toots in Memphis (1988) was also nominated for a Grammy , where Toots, accompanied by Sly Dunbar on drums and Robbie Shakespeare on electric bass , tackled Motown classics like Otis Reddings Hard to Handle or Eddie Floyds and Steve Croppers Knock On Wood tries. Skafather (1998), consisting of new editions of old hits, brings a third Grammy nomination.

In 2005 they won the Grammy for True Love (2004) in the category of best reggae album . Famous guest stars such as guitarists Keith Richards ( The Rolling Stones ), Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck , the third wave ska group No Doubt , the ragga musician Shaggy , the former Bob Marley colleague Bunny Wailer , Marcia are involved Griffiths , also formerly in Marley's band, Ken Boothe and country musician Willie Nelson .

In 2014 Toots & the Maytals played Rub A Dub on William White's album Open Country , which was recorded in Jamaica.

Band line-up

The Maytals as backing band for Toots Hibbert 2017

Discography

Selection of albums

  • 1964: Never Grow Old
  • 1965: The Sensational Maytals
  • 1968: Sweet and Dandy
  • 1970: From The Roots
  • 1970: Monkey Man
  • 1971: Greatest Hits
  • 1972: Slatyam Stoot
  • 1973: Funky Kingston
  • 1974: In The Dark
  • 1976: Reggae Got Soul
  • 1979: Pass The Pipe
  • 1980: Just Like That
  • 1980: Toots Live
  • 1981: Knock Out!
  • 1988: Toots in Memphis
  • 1997: Never Grow Old
  • 1997: Recoup
  • 1998: Skafather
  • 1999: Live in London
  • 2002: World Is Turning
  • 2004: True Love
  • 2010: Flip and Twist

Selection of singles

  • 1963: Hallelujah
  • 1963: Six And Seven Books Of Moses
  • 1964: Broadway Jungle
  • 1964: Pain In My Belly
  • 1964: He's So Real
  • 1964: It's you
  • 1964: Someone Is Going To Bawl
  • 1964: Neither Silver Nor Gold
  • 1965: Never You Change
  • 1965: John and James
  • 1966: Bam-Bam
  • 1968: Reborn
  • 1968: 54-46 That's My Number (UK:silversilver)
  • 1968: Do The Reggay
  • 1969: Just Tell Me
  • 1969: Desmond Dekker Came First
  • 1969: Sun, Moon and Star
  • 1969: Sweet and Dandy
  • 1970: Monkey Man
  • 1970: Peeping Tom
  • 1970: One Eyed Enos
  • 1970: She's My Scorcher
  • 1970: Pressure Drop
  • 1970: Pomps & Pride
  • 1983: Spiritual Healing
  • 1984: Peace, Perfect Peace

literature

  • Stambler, Irwin: The Encyclopedia Of Pop, Rock And Soul . 3rd revised edition, New York City, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989, pp. 688f ISBN 0-312-02573-4 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Chart sources: CH UK US
  2. ↑ Music Sales Awards: UK
  3. ↑ Go-Local Jamaica: Archived copy ( memento of the original from October 10, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved February 22, 2009 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.golocaljamaica.com
  4. ↑ Open Country Record Review , accessed August 9, 2014

Web links

Commons : Toots and the Maytals  - collection of images, videos and audio files