Police and Thieves (album)
Encyclopedia
Police and Thieves it was an album by Junior Murvin
and backing band called The Upsetters
, released in 1977. Along with The Congos
' Heart of the Congos and Max Romeo
's War Ina Babylon
, this album can be seen as part of a Black Ark
Lee 'Scratch' Perry produced "holy trinity".
Junior Murvin
Junior Murvin is a Jamaican reggae musician. He is best known for the single "Police and Thieves", produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry in 1976. Murvin's soaring voice and the infectious rhythm made "Police and Thieves" into an international hit during the summer of that year. It peaked at #23 in the...
and backing band called The Upsetters
The Upsetters
The Upsetters was the name given to the house band for Jamaican reggae producer Lee "Scratch" Perry. The name of the band comes from Perry's nickname of Upsetter, after his song "I Am The Upsetter", a musical dismissal of his former boss Coxsone Dodd....
, released in 1977. Along with The Congos
The Congos
The Congos are a reggae vocal group from Jamaica active on and off from the mid-1970s until the present day. They are best known for their Heart of the Congos album, recorded with Lee "Scratch" Perry.-History:...
' Heart of the Congos and Max Romeo
Max Romeo
Max Romeo is a reggae and roots reggae recording artist who has achieved chart success in his home country, and in the UK. Romeo was responsible for launching an entirely new sub-genre of reggae, whose overtly suggestive lyrics caused an outcry but took a massive hold of the music scene regardless...
's War Ina Babylon
War Ina Babylon
War Ina Babylon is an album by Max Romeo and Lee Perry's backing band The Upsetters, released in 1976. Along with The Heptones' Party Time and Junior Murvin's Police and Thieves, this album can be seen as part of a Black Ark Lee "Scratch" Perry produced "holy trinity"...
, this album can be seen as part of a Black Ark
Black Ark
The Black Ark was the recording studio of reggae and dub producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, built in 1973 and located behind his family's home in the Washington Gardens neighborhood of Kingston, Jamaica...
Lee 'Scratch' Perry produced "holy trinity".
Track listing
All tracks composed by Junior Murvin and Lee "Scratch" Perry; except where indicatedOriginal LP
- "Roots Train"
- "Police and ThievesPolice and Thieves"Police and Thieves" is a well-known reggae song, first recorded in the Jamaican reggae style by the falsetto singer Junior Murvin in 1976 , and one year later in a punk-reggae version by The Clash. Murvin's first commentary was "They have destroyed Jah work!".The song was written by Murvin and the...
" - "Solomon" (Murvin)
- "Rescue Jah Children"
- "Tedious"
- "False Teachin" (Perry)
- "Easy Task" (Murvin)
- "Lucifer"
- "Workin' in the Cornfield" (Perry)
- "I Was Appointed" (Murvin)
2003 CD re-release
- "Roots Train"
- "Police and Thieves"
- "Solomon"
- "Rescue Jah Children"
- "Tedious"
- "False Teachin"
- "Easy Task"
- "Lucifer"
- "Working in the Cornfield"
- "I Was Appointed"
- "Childhood Sweetheart" (Murvin)
- "Bad Weed" (DiscomixDiscomixA discomix, or simply a disco, is an extended reggae 12-inch single that typically features the vocal track followed by a dub version or a deejay version of the same track. The format became popular in the mid-1970s, with the extended bass range of 12-inch singles being better suited to dub music...
) - "Roots Train" (Discomix)
- "Memories" (B-side of "Police and Thieves")
- "Rasta Get Ready" (Curtis MayfieldCurtis MayfieldCurtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
's "People Get Ready")
Personnel
- Junior Murvin - vocals
- Robert "Billy" Johnson - guitar
- Winston Wright - keyboards
- Errol "Tarzan" Nelson - keyboards
- "Dirty" Harry Hall - horns
- Herman MarquisHerman MarquisHerman Marquis is a Jamaican saxophone musician who has played with many reggae artists including Burning Spear. He recorded for Arthur "Duke" Reid in the 1960s and was a member of The Revolutionaries and The Upsetters in the 1970s...
- horns - DillingerDillinger (musician)Dillinger is a reggae artist.-Biography:As a young man growing up in Kingston, Dillinger would hang around Dennis Alcapone's El Paso sound system...
- additional vocals on "Roots Train" discomix