Kingston Sound System Releases Album “Classic Hits In A Reggae Groove”
A unique album that pairs the original vocals from timeless pop songs by Blondie, Pretenders, Steve Winwood, Bronski Beat, and others with authentic Jamaican reggae, performed by the all-star band the Kingston Sound System.
Created with the full blessing and involvement of the original artists, CLASSIC HITS IN A REGGAE GROOVE reimagines some of music’s most iconic songs. Just as the golden age of 60s and early 70s reggae was defined by inventive covers of international hits, this new album lovingly transforms beloved pop anthems from the 70s, 80s, and 90s through a distinctly reggae lens.
At the heart of the project is a handpicked group of seasoned reggae musicians making up the Kingston Sound System. The band features Devon Bradshaw on bass (Burning Spear), Ian Coleman on guitar (Ziggy & Damian Marley, Wyclef, Fugees), and Donovan Miller on drums (Marcia Griffiths, Chaka Demus). The horn section is made up of two French members of Sly & Robbie’s Taxi Gang, “Stepper” Briard and Didier Bolay.
CLASSIC HITS IN A REGGAE GROOVE delivers faithful reggae reinterpretations rather than simply retouching the originals. Among the songs infused with soulful reggae spirit are: Steve Winwood - ‘Higher Love’, Blondie - ‘Heart Of Glass’, The B-52s - ‘Love Shack’, Pretenders - ‘Don't Get Me Wrong’, Sophie B. Hawkins - ‘As I Lay Me Down’, Bronski Beat / Jimmy Somerville - ‘Smalltown Boy’, Tanita Tikaram - ‘Twist In My Sobriety’ and Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Time After Time’. The album has the full endorsement of all the artists involved, with many contributing newly recorded vocals for the project.
Kingston Sound System - CLASSIC HITS IN A REGGAE GROOVE
Higher Love (with Steve Winwood)
Don't Get Me Wrong (with Pretenders)
Twist In My Sobriety (with Tanita Tikaram)
Small Town Boy (with Jimmy Somerville)
Heart Of Glass (with Blondie)
Love Shack (with The B-52's)
As I Lay Me Down (with Sophie B. Hawkins)
Time After Time (with Gary Pine)
Your Love (with Ky-Enie King)
Post-punk legends Blondie, no strangers to covering Jamaican tuneage in their career, have praised the project. Singer Debbie Harry said, “Blondie has always had a special place in our hearts for Reggae music. I am honoured to have our song included in this beautiful collection.” Blondie guitarist and co-founder Chris Stein adds, “If we had thought of this type of approach in 1978, we might have gone this way with the original recording!”
Sophie B. Hawkins was equally enthusiastic, saying, “My first reaction was love. I love the space and feeling—it perfectly fits the tone of the lyrics. It's wonderful to be in such great company on this project.”
A crucial member of the reggae music scene since first appearing on several albums from the legendary Burning Spear in the 1980s, Devon Bradshaw is just one of the musicians featured on this album from Kingston, Jamaica. Bradshaw says working on the album was “a great experience”, with him and his fellow musicians embracing the challenge of reworking these classic tunes -
“Back in the day, we didn’t have a lot of music; we were mostly in tune with jazz and pop songs from America. When we were playing in clubs, we were playing a lot of American music, so we grew up on that music, and it’s integrated into our reggae so easily”.
Reggae has that root, that thing that when the music hits you, you feel no pain. I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s just different. There’s a different emotion that comes on, and that’s what the reggae did to these songs. It was all about finding the right groove for each song, the right bass line, the right drum pattern to make the song.
Bradshaw adds the album is made to be listened to on a bright and beautiful day, “In every song, you can hear the reggae beat. It's there, you just have to find it. Because music is a language, and everything connects, you can listen and you can hear the reggae. It’s just something that touches your soul.”
The album delivers hits infused with a reggae twist that feels timeless, vibrant and grounded in tradition. Every track featured on CLASSIC HITS IN A REGGAE GROOVE has been recorded with the involvement and the blessing of the featured artists. No AI, no recording tricks.
Recorded in Jamaica, the album boasts a band of reggae royalty veterans who’ve played with Ziggy Marley, Peter Tosh, Sly & Robbie and Wyclef Jean.
