Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Jango Song Of The Day-Junior Murvin

Artist:Junior Murvin
Song:Police & Thieves
Album:Police & Thieves





Police & Thieves was the biggest hit for Junior Murvin in 1976. Normally I would recommend a various artists comp but the album is such an essential part of the career of producer Lee "Scratch" Perry that this remastered edition of the album is highly recommended. Junior Murvin was born Murvin Junior Smith in Port Antonio, Jamaica 1949. As a child, he sang along with Nat King Cole and Billy Eckstine records and later Sam Cooke and Curtis Mayfield. He began performing publicly after his family moved to Montego Bay. He moved to Kingston and after an unsuccessful audtion for producer Coxsone Dodd, he recorded for Derrick Harriott's Crystal label. He had some minor hits but by 1976 Murvin had become dissatisfied with his level of success. Legendary producer Lee "Scratch" Perry sat in on that original audtion. But now he had his own label and Perry and Murvin immediately wrote and recorded Police & Thieves. The song was a big hit in Jamaica and England and became even bigger in England when The Clash covered the song in 1977. The album is also considered to be one of Perry's greatest productions. It's available in a remastered version on CD with bonus tracks and also in a 2CD deluxe edition. Junior Murvin has continued to perform and record occasionally. But he never recorded with Lee "Scratch" Perry again. Police & Thieves was truly lightning in a bottle. Here's Junior Murvin performing Police & Thieves on Top Of The Pops 1976.

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