Toots in Memphis

Last updated
Toots in Memphis
Toots in Memphis.jpg
Studio album by
Toots Hibbert
Released1988
Studio Ardent
Genre Reggae, R&B, soul
Label Mango [1]
Producer Jim Dickinson
Toots Hibbert chronology
Reggae Greats
(1984)		Toots in Memphis
(1988)		Do the Reggae 1966–70
(1988)

Toots in Memphis is an album by the Jamaican musician Toots Hibbert. [2] [3] Released in 1988, Toots in Memphis was recorded without the Maytals. [4] [5] The majority of the album's tracks are covers of American R&B songs.

Contents

The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Reggae Recording". [6] Toots supported the album by embarking on a three-month tour of North America, where he was backed by his late-1980s lineup of the Maytals. [7]

Production

Recorded in 10 days at Ardent Studios, in Memphis, the album was produced by Jim Dickinson. [8] [9] [10] The backing band included the rhythm section of Sly and Robbie, with Memphis musicians such as guitarist Teenie Hodges; Michael Chung contributed as well. [11] [12]

The concept for what became Toots in Memphis transformed over the years. A few years before, Toots had pondered making a roots R&B album with Ry Cooder. [13] The idea for a Memphis album originated in part with Chris Blackwell and record executive Jerry Rappaport, both of whom advocated for some of the song selections. [14] At one point Rappaport had wanted Toots to record in New Orleans with the Neville Brothers; Toots, while in the studio with Dickinson, was somewhat annoyed that he couldn't record more of his original songs. [13]

"Love the Rain" is a version of Ann Peebles's "I Can't Stand the Rain". [15] "See It My Way" is the only song that Toots had a hand in writing. [16]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [17]
Robert Christgau B+ [18]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [19]
The Philadelphia Inquirer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [20]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]

Spin wrote that, "here the concept of 'cover' is transformed to 're-cover'—recover past songs to make a musical future." [21] Robert Christgau thought that, "like all aging soul men, he can no longer flush out the gravel at will, but the vocalese is incorrigibly exuberant, the material ranges within the concept, and Sly & Robbie synthesize the unimaginable groove you'd expect." [18] The Gazette noted that, "emotionally, Hibbert never loses his focus, even through a weeping performance of 'Love Attack' that would be maudlin were it not so heartfelt." [22] The Sunday Times stated that, "here reggae has consciously come full circle, revisiting its own black American roots in the southern soul associated with the Stax label in Memphis." [23]

The Chicago Tribune determined that "sinuous Memphis soul simply explodes when the added rhythmic push of reggae is put behind it"; the paper later named Toots in Memphis the best album of 1988. [24] [25] The Philadelphia Inquirer concluded that Toots "has made a reggae album that percolates without compensating, that swings without being bound to the horse-and-buggy rhythm." [20] The St. Louis Post-Dispatch opined that Toots in Memphis "may be the best R&B and the best reggae album to come out this year." [26] The Republican declared: "If you've been bored by scores of lounge bands slamming through 'Knock on Wood' or embarrassed for them as they attempted 'Love and Happiness', you're in for a treat, as Hibbert brings a new dimension to them and rekindles your interest." [27]

AllMusic wrote that, "though Toots never quite takes these tunes away from Otis Redding, Al Green, James Carr, or any of the other masters who first recorded them, he never fails to put his own stamp on the material, and the result is one of the great cross-cultural party albums of all times." [17]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."I've Got Dreams to Remember" 
2."Knock on Wood" 
3."Love and Happiness" 
4."Love Attack" 
5."Hard to Handle" 
6."Love the Rain" 
7."It's a Shame" 
8."Precious, Precious" 
9."Freedom Train" 
10."See It My Way" 

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Island Records</span> British-Jamaican record label

Island Records is a Jamaican multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another label recently acquired by PolyGram, were both at the time the largest independent record labels in history, with Island having exerted a major influence on the progressive music scene in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s. Island Records operates four international divisions: Island US, Island UK, Island Australia, and Island France. Current key people include Island US president Darcus Beese, and MD Jon Turner. Partially due to its significant legacy, Island remains one of UMG's pre-eminent record labels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toots and the Maytals</span> Jamaican musical group

The Maytals, known from 1972 to 2020 as Toots and the Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group, one of the best known ska and rocksteady vocal groups. The Maytals were formed in the early 1960s and were key figures in popularizing reggae music.

"54-46 " is a song by Fred "Toots" Hibbert, recorded by Toots and the Maytals, originally released on the Beverley's label in Jamaica and the Pyramid label in the UK. A follow-up version released a year later, "54-46 Was My Number", was one of the first reggae songs to receive widespread popularity outside Jamaica, and is seen as being one of the defining songs of the genre. It has been anthologised repeatedly and the titles of several reggae anthologies include "54-46" in their title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sly Dunbar</span> Drummer

Lowell Fillmore "Sly" Dunbar is a Jamaican drummer, best known as one half of the prolific Jamaican rhythm section and reggae production duo Sly and Robbie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toots Hibbert</span> Jamaican musician (1942–2020)

Frederick Nathaniel "Toots" Hibbert, was a Jamaican singer and songwriter who was the lead vocalist for the reggae and ska band Toots and the Maytals. A reggae pioneer, he performed for six decades and helped establish some of the fundamentals of reggae music. Hibbert's 1968 song "Do the Reggay" is widely credited as the genesis of the genre name reggae. His band's album True Love won a Grammy Award in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sly and Robbie</span> Jamaican rhythm section and production duo

Sly and Robbie were a prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production duo, associated primarily with the reggae and dub genres. Drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare teamed up in the mid-1970s after establishing themselves separately in Jamaica as professional musicians. Shakespeare died in December 2021 following kidney surgery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robbie Shakespeare</span> Jamaican bass guitarist (1953–2021)

Robert Warren Dale Shakespeare was a Jamaican bass guitarist and record producer, best known as half of the reggae rhythm section and production duo Sly and Robbie, with drummer Sly Dunbar. Regarded as one of the most influential reggae bassists, Shakespeare was also known for his creative use of electronics and production effects units. He was sometimes nicknamed "Basspeare".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcia Griffiths</span> Jamaican singer (born 1949)

Marcia Llyneth Griffiths is a Jamaican singer. One reviewer described her by noting "she is known primarily for her strong, smooth-as-mousse love songs and captivating live performances".

Beverley's was a Jamaican record label active between 1961 and 1971, owned by the record producer Leslie Kong. Beverley's was essential to the development of ska and rocksteady into reggae. The label launched the careers of Jimmy Cliff and Bob Marley, having released Cliff's first recording "Dearest Beverley" in 1961 and Marley's early singles "Judge Not" and "One Cup of Coffee" in 1962.

<i>True Love</i> (Toots & the Maytals album) 2004 studio album by Toots & the Maytals

True Love is an album by Toots & the Maytals. It is a collection of their classics re-recorded with guest artists including Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Trey Anastasio, No Doubt, Ben Harper, Bonnie Raitt, Manu Chao, The Roots, Ryan Adams, Keith Richards, and The Skatalites. The album was produced and conceived by Richard Feldman and released on the V2 label.

<i>Funky Kingston</i> 1973 studio album by Toots and the Maytals

Funky Kingston is the name of two albums by Jamaican reggae group Toots and the Maytals. The first was issued in Jamaica and the United Kingdom in 1973 on Dragon Records, a subsidiary label of Island Records, owned by Chris Blackwell. A different album, with the same cover and title, was issued in the United States in 1975 on Mango Records. That album was compiled from three previous Maytals albums by Island Records employee Danny Holloway and peaked at #164 on the Billboard 200. It was also voted the eleventh best album of 1975 in the annual Jazz & Pop poll. In 2003, the American version was placed at number 378 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, 380 in a 2012 revised list and 344 in a 2020 revised list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Harvey</span> Musical artist

Carl Harvey is a Jamaican born Canadian guitarist and record producer who recorded as a member of Crack of Dawn and The Aggrovators in the 1970s, and later became guitarist for Toots & the Maytals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry McDonald (percussionist)</span> Musical artist

Larry McDonald is a Jamaican percussionist. He was born in Port Maria, Jamaica in 1937. McDonald played congas with Carlos Malcolm's band, Toots and the Maytals and the Count Ossie Band. He plays a wide variety of traditional percussion instruments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bunny Wailer</span> Jamaican musician (1947–2021)

Neville O'Riley Livingston, known professionally as Bunny Wailer, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and percussionist. He was an original member of reggae group The Wailers along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he is considered one of the longtime standard-bearers of reggae music. He was also known as Jah B, Bunny O'Riley, and Bunny Livingston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Douglas (musician)</span> Jamaican Grammy Award-winning musician

Paul Douglas is a Jamaican Grammy Award-winning musician, best known for his work as the drummer, percussionist and bandleader of Toots and the Maytals. His career spans more than five decades as one of reggae's most recorded drummers. Music journalist and reggae historian David Katz wrote, “dependable drummer Paul Douglas played on countless reggae hits."

<i>Reggae Got Soul</i> 1976 studio album by Toots and the Maytals

Reggae Got Soul is an album by the Jamaican reggae group Toots and the Maytals, released in July 1976 by Island Records.

<i>Got to Be Tough</i> (Toots and the Maytals album) 2020 studio album by Toots and the Maytals

Got to Be Tough is a studio album by Jamaican reggae band Toots and the Maytals. It was released through Trojan Jamaica/BMG on 28 August 2020 and financed by Trojan Jamaica owner Zak Starkey, who also played guitar for the recording. The album is the first studio release from Toots and the Maytals in more than a decade and the first after an accident wherein bandleader Toots Hibbert was hit in the head with a glass bottle, leading to his hiatus from performing. The lyrical content of the album is political, featuring pleas for unity among people.

<i>Pass the Pipe</i> 1979 studio album by Toots and the Maytals

Pass the Pipe is an album by the Jamaican reggae band Toots and the Maytals. It was released in 1979 on Mango Records.

<i>Silent Assassin</i> 1989 studio album by Sly and Robbie

Silent Assassin is an album by the Jamaican musicians Sly and Robbie, released in 1989 via Island Records.

<i>Light Your Light</i> 2007 studio album by Toots and the Maytals

Light Your Light is an album by the Jamaican band Toots and the Maytals, released in 2007. The band supported the album with a North American tour. The album coincided with Toots's 45th year as a recording musician.

References

  1. 1 2 The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 712.
  2. ↑ "Toots & the Maytals Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. ↑ Sisario, Ben (September 12, 2020). "Toots Hibbert, a Father of Reggae, Is Dead". The New York Times.
  4. ↑ Meschino, Patricia (September 12, 2020). "Toots Hibbert, Reggae Ambassador and Leader of Toots and the Maytals, Dies at 77". NPR.
  5. ↑ Thompson, Dave (November 14, 2002). Reggae & Caribbean Music. Hal Leonard Corporation.
  6. ↑ "Frederick "Toots" Hibbert". Grammy Awards. April 22, 2021.
  7. ↑ Plotnikoff, David (January 27, 1989). "The Ruler of Reggae". San Jose Mercury News. p. 1D.
  8. ↑ Duffy, Thom (8 Jan 1989). "Reggae Pioneer to Share Spiced-Up Sound with Orlando". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 17.
  9. ↑ Walker, Klive (November 14, 2005). Dubwise: Reasoning from the Reggae Underground. Insomniac Press.
  10. ↑ Dafoe, Chris (24 Nov 1988). "Toots in Memphis Toots Hibbert". The Globe and Mail. p. C21.
  11. ↑ "Toots and the Maytals: 15 Essential Songs". Rolling Stone. September 12, 2020.
  12. ↑ Moskowitz, David Vlado (November 14, 2006). Caribbean Popular Music: An Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall. Greenwood Publishing Group.
  13. 1 2 Hoekstra, Dave (February 12, 1989). "The inverted beat goes on for Toots – Reggae master returns to Memphis roots". Show. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 10.
  14. ↑ Snowden, Don (25 Jan 1989). "Maytals Find Good Vibes in the Memphis Roots of Reggae". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 5.
  15. ↑ Jones, Malcolm (6 Nov 1988). "Toots Hibbert: Follow that great voice to Memphis". St. Petersburg Times. p. 2F.
  16. ↑ Toombs, Mikel. "Toots: Reggae's Redding – Jamaican star plays at Belly Up Sunday". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. C1.
  17. 1 2 "Toots in Memphis". AllMusic.
  18. 1 2 "Toots". Robert Christgau.
  19. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 5. MUZE. p. 591.
  20. 1 2 Moon, Tom (16 Oct 1988). "Toots Hibbert Toots in Memphis". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. L16.
  21. ↑ Mapp, Ben (Dec 1988). "Spins". Spin. Vol. 4, no. 9. p. 111.
  22. ↑ Lepage, Mark (19 Jan 1989). "Toots Hibbert mixes reggae, soul and heart". The Gazette. p. F3.
  23. ↑ Sandall, Robert (December 11, 1988). "Reggae starts to regenerate as it reverts to its roots". The Sunday Times.
  24. ↑ Heim, Chris (16 Oct 1988). "Recordings". Arts. Chicago Tribune. p. 28.
  25. ↑ Heim, Chris (6 Jan 1989). "A year without trend left room for adventure". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 60.
  26. ↑ Pick, Steve (November 4, 1988). "Memphis Soul with a Jamaican Flavor". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 4F.
  27. ↑ Hamel, Chris (February 23, 1989). "The Scene". The Republican. p. W7.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.