{"id":778,"date":"2010-08-05T16:33:26","date_gmt":"2010-08-05T21:33:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/funky16corners.lunarpages.net\/?p=778"},"modified":"2012-08-03T16:06:46","modified_gmt":"2012-08-03T21:06:46","slug":"junior-murvin-police-and-thieves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/?p=778","title":{"rendered":"Junior Murvin – Police and Thieves"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/strong>\"Example\"<\/strong>
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\nJunior Murvin<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>\"Example\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Listen\/Download – Junior Murvin – Police and Thieves <\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Greetings all. <\/strong>
\nHow\u2019s things on your end of the tin can and string device we know as the interwebs?
\nI\u2019m feeling \u2013 in the words of the mighty Slim Gaillard<\/strong> \u2013 mellow as a cello<\/em>, so I figured I\u2019d dip into the reggae box and whip something a tasty on you.<\/p>\n

Way back in the olden days, when things were different (and they were, I assure you<\/em>) a band called the Clash<\/strong> appeared on the scene, and as was my style of the time, I missed the boat.<\/p>\n

The only guys I knew in school who dug the band were a couple of prize maroons, whose previous band worship was devoted to KISS <\/strong>(another band I couldn\u2019t stand when I was in high school), and since they were knee deep in their suburban misunderstanding of \u2018punk\u2019 as it was, I trusted them not a whit.<\/em><\/p>\n

My loss\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Anyhoo, a few years later, having been hipped to heavier sounds than the power pop that I thrived on by some cats whose taste I trusted implicitly, I gave the Clash a second chance, and thanks in large part to their reggae stylings, started to dig them, especially an energetic little number called \u2018Police and Thieves\u2019.
\nA few more years down the pike, another, hipper friend informed me that the song I dug was in fact a cover, and the original was by a dude named Junior Murvin.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As soon as I heard the original \u2018Police and Thieves\u2019 my mind was good and truly blown.<\/p>\n

Where the Clash sounded like a heard of goons hurtling down a rutted street in a rusty city bus, Junior Murvin, ably assisted by the mighty Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry<\/strong>, delivered the cautionary tale of the legal yin and yang of street violence on a puffy cloud bank of ganja smoke.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve gone into some detail in this space about my indoctrination into the world of Jamaican music, but one of things I don\u2019t remember discussing, and this is relevant to many other ethnic sounds, is how one must in effect season their ears before some music can be fully appreciated.<\/p>\n

Reggae is huge<\/em> in that respect.<\/p>\n

The first Jamaican sounds I heard, weren\u2019t really from the island at all, but rather ska revival records from the US and the UK, which were generally delivered at a breakneck pace. The first time I picked up a copy of \u201920 Reggae Classics\u2019 it was like I was a strap-hanger in a subway that suddenly slammed on the brakes. The radical adjustment in tempo, not to mention hearing lyrics delivered in real Jamaican accents and patois was quite literally jarring.<\/p>\n

Eventually, I found myself grooving on the real stuff, and while I still dug the Two Tone sound, I now preferred the originals.<\/p>\n

Thanks to yet another hip dude, I found my way from ska directly to dub, which made the transition to pure reggae a lot easier, so when I finally heard Junior Murvin singing his original recording of \u2018Police and Thieves\u2019 it sounded \u2018right\u2019, if you know what I mean, and the Clash, despite all their good intentions, did not.<\/em><\/p>\n

If you ever get the chance, grab the Lee Perry \u2018Arkology\u2019 boxed set that came out a while back, which \u2013 in addition to just packing a very substantial helping of his genius \u2013 also contains several versions of the \u2018Police and Thieves\u2019 riddim, some more dubbed out than others (including the flip side of this 45 \u2018Soldier and Police War\u2019 with toasting by Jah Lion<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

No matter how groovy the riddim, the real feature here is the vocal by Murvin, who comes on like a Jamaican incarnation of Eddie Kendricks<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Murvin\u2019s original, released in 1976 was a hit in both Jamaica and the UK (there\u2019s a video out there somewhere of Murvin singing the tune on English TV). The Clash followed with their cover a year later, and though they rev it up a notch or two (or six or seven), they also strip away many, many layers of subtlety. Murvin wades into the song gently and his version is a lament, whereas the Clash stomp through the tune with a raised fist.
\nReportedly, when Junior Murvin heard the Clash version, he said \u2018They have destroyed Jah work!\u2019<\/p>\n

The liner notes to \u2018Arkology\u2019 include this passage about the creation of \u2018Police and Thieves\u2019:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe vibe of Black Ark studio is like people gather \u2018round, everyday it start like ten o\u2019clock in the mornin\u2019, a kerosene pan is on the fire bubblin\u2019 with some dumplin\u2019, an\u2019 some dread over there pickin\u2019 some ackee an\u2019 ting. Everybody throw in a little much to buy whatever we need. A guy might be out there with his guitar, chantin\u2019 and Scratch is inside smokin\u2019 a spliff, tunin\u2019 in to that guy, who doesn\u2019t even know that Scratch is tunin\u2019 in to him. All of a sudden Scratch jus\u2019 come out an\u2019 say \u2018Come inside here\u2019. He search an\u2019 find a riddim an\u2019 say: \u201cI hear dat, an\u2019 I hear it on dis riddim!\u2019 That\u2019s how we did \u2018Police and Thieves\u2019, Junior Murvin. He was jus\u2019 playin\u2019 it and Scratch immediately came out an\u2019 say \u2018Here\u2019s a riddim, let\u2019s do it!\u2019 an\u2019 he do it an\u2019 that\u2019s it.
\nWe were jus\u2019 messin\u2019 around with lyrics and the melody. Scratch say \u2018Sounds good.\u2019 He come out an\u2019 decided to record it right away. It was out on the street in a couple of days. That\u2019s the vibe we had at Black Ark \u2013 you didn\u2019t have to say tomorrow or nex\u2019 week, you go right now, you sound good, let\u2019s go. It was fun days.\u201d \u2013 Max Romeo<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Jah work, indeed!<\/p>\n

See you next week.<\/p>\n

Peace<\/strong><\/p>\n

Larry<\/strong><\/p>\n


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<\/strong>\"Example\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

PS Make sure to hit up the Funky16Corners Radio Show on Viva internet radio Friday night at 9PM. Your ears will thank you.<\/a>
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Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

PS Head over to Iron Leg for some psychey bluesy garagey stuff.<\/a>
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