Just 17 when he cut his first singles in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1972, and still a teenager when he released his first album, the epochal None Shall Escape, Johnny Clarke swiftly established himself among the key militant dread artists of his generation.
Hits “Move Out of Babylon Rastaman,” “None Shall Escape The Judgement” and “Enter Into His Gates With Praise” remain reggae playlist favorites today, while his catalog since that time bristles with scores of further roots classics.
His latest album, however, might be the closest he has come to those earliest hits in a long time.
Titled from a cut he first recorded in 1976 with producer Bunny Lee, African Roots offers up 13 brand new recordings, looking back not only at Clarke’s vast back catalog, but also that of roots in general, with his latest single “Legalize It” an impassioned reimagining of the still-impassioned Peter Tosh plea.
Elsewhere on African Roots, Clarke peels back the years to revisit favorites “Blood Dunza,” “Declaration of Rights” (an Abyssinians number that he made his own in 1975), “Roots Natty Congo” and “None Shall Escape The Judgement,” while also turning his attention to Max Romeo’s “Chase The Devil” and Bob Marley’s “Crazy Baldhead” and “Stir It Up.” All topped off with an audacious cover of The Eagles’ “Take It Easy,” given a genuinely thrilling, and utterly unexpected Caribbean island sheen.
“I am very grateful to work on this project. We have to do what we do to make the music great. I’m glad to be a part of it.”
African Roots is available from October 3 on both vinyl and CD.
Track listing 01. None Shall Escape The Judgement 02. Declaration of Rights 03. Rain From The Sky 04. Roots Natty Roots Natty Congo 05. Crazy Baldhead 06. Blood Dunza 07. It’s A Shame 08. African Roots 09. Legalize It 10. Chase The Devil 11. Stir It Up 12. Cruisin’ 13. Take It Easy
