“All the peacemaker-turn-war-officer/hear what I say”

Junior Murvin – “Police & Thieves” from Police & Thieves (1976)

At Jordy’s behest, I will celebrate my return to regular posting with a veritable cavalcade of cops and robbers. That is, a number of versions of Junior Murvin’s 1976 rocksteady classic “Police & Thieves.”  I hope to post a number of dub versions of the riddim, and top it all off with a not-so-secret cover by the only band that mattered. But, before all that, enjoy the classic Junior Murvin vocal on one of my favorite reggae tunes. Listen to that hi-hat! The weird guitar sound! The super-high singing! I love it.

N.B. I will be using tracks from the superb Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry boxset, Arkology. Here is a bit from the liner notes:

“A guy might be out there with his guitar, chantin’, an’ Scratch is inside smokin’ a spliff, tunin’ in to that guy, who doesn’t even know that Scratch is tunin’ into him. All of a sudden, Scratch jus’ come out an’ say: ‘Come inside here’. He search an’ find a riddim and say: ‘I hear dat, an’ I hear it on dis riddim!’ That’s how we did ‘Police and Thieves’, Junior Murvin.” –Max Romeo

Look for more police, more thieves, tomorrow.

Buy it here

Posted by Glenn