Monday, April 30, 2012

THE HARDER THEY COME   -   Various Artists

YEAR:  1972
LABEL:  Island
TRACK LISTING:  You Can Get It If You Really Want  -  Jimmy Cliff,  Draw Your Brakes  -  Scotty,  Rivers of Babylon - The Melodians,  Many Rivers To Cross  -  Jimmy Cliff,  Sweet and Dandy  -  Toots & the Maytals,  The Harder They Come  -  Jimmy Cliff,  Johnny Too Bad  -  The Slickers,  007 (Shanty Town)  -  Desmond Dekker,  Pressure Drop  -  Toots & the Maytals,  Sitting In Limbo  -  Jimmy Cliff,  You Can Get It If You Really Want (Instrumental) -  Jimmy Cliff,  The Harder They Come (Shorter Version)  -  Jimmy Cliff
BONUS TRACKS:  (on the 2-disc "Deluxe Edition" the 2nd disc is entitled: REGGAE HIT THE TOWN:  CRUCUAL REGGAE 1968 - 1972):  Israelites  -  Desmond Dekker & the Aces, My Conversation  -  The Uniques,  Do the Reggay - Toots & the Maytals,  Viet Nam  -  Jimmy Cliff,  I Can See Clearly Now  -  Johnny Nash,  Reggae Hit the Town  -  The Ethiopians,  Double Barrel  -  Dave & Ansel Collins,  It Mek  -  Desmond Dekker & the Aces,  Sweet Sensation  -  The Melodians,  Let Your Yeah Be Yeah  -  Jimmy Cliff,  Cherry Oh Baby - Eric Donaldson,  Monkey Spanner - Dave & Ansel Collins,  54-46 (That's My Number)  -  Toots & the Maytals,  It's My Delight  -  The Melodians,  Wonderful World Beautiful People  -  Jimmy Cliff,  Pomp & Pride  -  Toots & the Maytals,  Guava Jelly  -  Johnny Nash,  The Bigger They Come the Harder They Fall  -  Jimmy Cliff
IMPRESSIONS:  The landmark soundtrack from the landmark film which almost single-handedly broke reggae in the U.S. (and probably most of the world).  The film was the first major motion picture produced in Jamaica by Jamaicans focusing on Jamaican issues and the soundtrack (long considered one of the best and most important soundtrack albums of all-time) was an essential primer of reggae music (especially with the addition of a bonus disc in the 2003 Universal Music Deluxe Edition which continued the gathering of important early reggae hits). 
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  You Can Get It If You Really Want  -  Jimmy Cliff,  Draw Your Brakes  -  Scotty,  Rivers of Babylon  -  The Melodians,  Many Rivers To Cross  -  Jimmy Cliff,  Sweet and Dandy  -  Toots & the Maytals,  The Harder They Come  -  Jimmy Cliff,  Johnny Too Bad  -  The Slickers,  007 (Shanty Town)  -  Desmond Dekker,  Pressure Drop  -  Toots & the Maytals,  Israelites  -  Desmond Dekker & the Aces,  My Conversation  -  The Uniques,  Viet Nam  -  Jimmy Cliff,  I Can See Clearly Now  -  Johnny Nash,  Reggae Hit the Town  -  The Ethiopians,  Double Barrel  -  Dave & Ansel Collins,  It Mek  -  Desmond Dekker & the Aces,  Let Your Yeah Be Yeah  -  Jimmy Cliff,  54-46 (That's My Number)  -  Toots & the Maytals,  Pomp & Pride  -  Toots & the Maytals,  Guava Jelly  -  Johnny Nash
FACT SHEET:  THE HARDER THEY COME is a soundtrack album for the 1972 film starring Jimmy Cliff and directed by Perry Henzell.  The Uniques' "My Conversation" was used in the LOST episode "Everybody Hates Hugo".

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