Third World (band)
Encyclopedia
Third World is a Jamaica
n reggae
band
formed in 1973. Their sound is influenced by soul
, funk and disco.
player Michael "Ibo" Cooper
and guitarist
(and cellist
) Stephen "Cat" Coore, who had originally played in The Alley Cats
then Inner Circle
, subsequently left to form their own band. The original drummer, Cornel Marshall, arrived via one of Jamaica's most renowned groups of the 1960s, Tomorrow's Children. The line-up for their first album
as Third World also included a singer named "Prilly" and percussionist
Irving "Carrot" Jarrett. The album included a cover
of "Satta Massagana", originally performed by The Abyssinians
, which became a local hit
.
Their second album, 96° in the Shade (1977), had several local hits and featured the band's classic lineup. "Prilly" was replaced by the distinctive vocalist "Bunny Rugs" Clarke and an all-new rhythm section
: Ritchie Daley on bass
and former Inner Circle drummer
Willie Stewart. Notable among its eight tracks were "1865 (96° in the Shade)", "Rhythm of Life" and the album's only cover, "Dreamland", as originally recorded by Bunny Wailer
.
Third World's greatest success came in the late 1970s and early 1980s, peaking with their cover version of The O'Jays
' "Now That We Found Love
", a hit single
on both sides of the Atlantic
in 1978. This song brought them to the attention of Stevie Wonder
, who worked with them and wrote, along with Melody A McCully, their hit "Try Jah Love". They were also guests during the third season of SCTV
.
Amid claims of artistic differences "Carrot" split from the band in the mid-1980s. The resulting five-piece band then went on to record more commercial tunes such as "Sense of Purpose", "Reggae Ambassador", "Forbidden Love" and "Committed"
Despite several more line-up changes, including the departures of Cooper and Stewart, and a decline in mainstream success, the band is still recording and performing up to the present day, including in front of a television
audience at the Cricket World Cup 2007 Opening Ceremony in Kingston
.
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
formed in 1973. Their sound is influenced by soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, funk and disco.
History
Third World started when keyboardKeyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
player Michael "Ibo" Cooper
Michael Cooper (Musician)
Michael "Ibo" Cooper is a founding member of the reggae band Third World. He has also appeared with reggae artist Burning Spear.He currently teaches at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Jamaica.- References :...
and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
(and cellist
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
) Stephen "Cat" Coore, who had originally played in The Alley Cats
The Alley Cats
The Alley Cats are an American doo-wop group singing in a cappella.The group originated in 1987, when a doo-wop revival program was occurring at Fullerton College. Two men, also the group's future founding fathers, Mando Fonseca and Royce "The Voice" Reynolds, decided to start an a cappella group...
then Inner Circle
Inner Circle
Inner Circle is a Jamaican reggae and alternative hip hop group. The group was formed in 1968 by the brothers Ian and Roger Lewis in Jamaica. With Jacob Miller as their front-man and lead singer the band was one of the most popular in Jamaica during the 1970s, and one of few reggae bands that...
, subsequently left to form their own band. The original drummer, Cornel Marshall, arrived via one of Jamaica's most renowned groups of the 1960s, Tomorrow's Children. The line-up for their first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
as Third World also included a singer named "Prilly" and percussionist
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Irving "Carrot" Jarrett. The album included a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Satta Massagana", originally performed by The Abyssinians
The Abyssinians
The Abyssinians are a Jamaican roots reggae group, famous for their close harmonies and promotion of the Rastafari movement in their lyrics.-History:...
, which became a local hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
.
Their second album, 96° in the Shade (1977), had several local hits and featured the band's classic lineup. "Prilly" was replaced by the distinctive vocalist "Bunny Rugs" Clarke and an all-new rhythm section
Rhythm section
A rhythm section is a collection of musicians who make up a section of instruments which provides the accompaniment section of the music, giving the music its rhythmic texture and pulse, also serving as a rhythmic reference for the rest of the band...
: Ritchie Daley on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and former Inner Circle drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Willie Stewart. Notable among its eight tracks were "1865 (96° in the Shade)", "Rhythm of Life" and the album's only cover, "Dreamland", as originally recorded by Bunny Wailer
Bunny Wailer
Bunny Wailer, , also known as Bunny Livingston and affectionately as Jah B, is a singer songwriter and percussionist and was an original member of reggae group The Wailers along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh...
.
Third World's greatest success came in the late 1970s and early 1980s, peaking with their cover version of The O'Jays
The O'Jays
The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1963 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert , Walter Williams , William Powell , Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005...
' "Now That We Found Love
Now That We Found Love
"Now That We Found Love" was written by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff and originally recorded by The O'Jays. Cover versions have been an album track by Martha Reeves, a reggae-disco hit by the reggae band Third World and a breakthrough hit for Heavy D...
", a hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
on both sides of the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
in 1978. This song brought them to the attention of Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, who worked with them and wrote, along with Melody A McCully, their hit "Try Jah Love". They were also guests during the third season of SCTV
Second City Television
Second City Television is a Canadian television sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's The Second City troupe that ran between 1976 and 1984.- Premise :...
.
Amid claims of artistic differences "Carrot" split from the band in the mid-1980s. The resulting five-piece band then went on to record more commercial tunes such as "Sense of Purpose", "Reggae Ambassador", "Forbidden Love" and "Committed"
Despite several more line-up changes, including the departures of Cooper and Stewart, and a decline in mainstream success, the band is still recording and performing up to the present day, including in front of a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
audience at the Cricket World Cup 2007 Opening Ceremony in Kingston
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
.
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
||
| "Now That We Found Love Now That We Found Love "Now That We Found Love" was written by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff and originally recorded by The O'Jays. Cover versions have been an album track by Martha Reeves, a reggae-disco hit by the reggae band Third World and a breakthrough hit for Heavy D... " |
1978 | 10 | 47 |
| "Cool Meditation" | 1979 | 17 | — |
| "Talk to Me" | 1979 | 54 | — |
| "Dancing on the Floor (Hooked on Love)" | 1981 | 10 | — |
| "Try Jah Love" | 1982 | 47 | 101 |
| "Now That We Found Love" (re-issue) | 1985 | 22 | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||
Albums
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
US | ||
| Third World | 1976 | — | — |
| 96° in the Shade | 1977 | — | 203 |
| Journey to Addis | 1978 | 30 | 55 |
| The Story's Been Told | 1979 | — | 157 |
| Arise in Harmony | 1980 | — | 206 |
| Thrid World, Prisoner in the Street | 1980 | — | 186 |
| Rocks the World | 1981 | 37 | 186 |
| You've Got the Power | 1982 | 87 | 63 |
| All the Way Strong | 1983 | — | 137 |
| Sense of Purpose | 1985 | — | 119 |
| Serious Business | 1989 | — | 107 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||