Play Me Sweet and Nice

Performer: Marcia Griffiths
Artist: Lloyd Charmers
Distributor: Phantom Import Distributi

Notes: Liner Note Author: Harry Hawke. When Marcia Griffiths' PLAY ME SWEET AND NICE arrived in 1974, "Jamaica's First Lady of Song" had just left the hit making duo of Bob & Marcia--best known for "Young, Gifted and Black"--but was still a year away from forming the I-Three's with Rita Marley and Judy Mowatt. Released in Jamaica on the Wildflower label, the album launched her solo career with what was considered an instant classic back home, but liberties were taken--different cover art, a re-arranged tracklist, and a new, less risqu� title SWEET BITTER LOVE--when the U.K. label Trojan released their version later that same year. This reissue is Trojan's attempt to right those wrongs and them some. Besides the remastered sound, which is revelatory, there are no less than 14 winning bonus tracks from the era, including the singer's fantastic version of "The First Cut Is the Deepest" plus an alternate take of the album's Neil Diamond cover "Play Me" with producer Lloyd Charmers adding his own vocals. The core album remains reggae at its most soulful, slinking, not skanking, through a wealth of pop and R&B sourced material. Here, Marcia's smooth voice is laidback in the best sense of the word, gracefully holding notes for extended periods and drawing out every last bit of sensuality these lyrics hold. Some might find this even temperament makes for a limited listen for ten--now twenty-four--tracks, but longtime fans will seek out this style which Marcia grew away from as the days of the I-Three's and "Electric Boogie" came to pass.

Marcia Griffiths is arguably the biggest female star in the history of reggae music. Scoring her first hit in 1969 with a version of Nina Simone's "Young, Gifted and Black," Griffith remained a consistent presence on the reggae charts, keeping up with the music's evolving sound and image. In 1974, Griffith joined Bob Marley and the Wailers as a member of the female backing trio the I-3s, and in 1989 she scored a huge hit with "Electric Boogie"--the song that inspired the Electric Slide dance craze. She continued to perform and record into the late 1990s, and is considered a legendary figure in both reggae and Jamaican culture.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.5