Jimmy Cliff is a Jamaican singer who can claim to be the only living musician to be awarded the Order of Merit, the supreme award awarded by the Jamaican government in the field of Arts & Sciences.
He started writing songs when he was still in elementary school and was noticed when he was 14 when one of his songs "Hurricane Hattie" became a local hit.
It was at the end of the 60s that things accelerated considerably when the singles "Vietnam" and "Waterfall" were released, but also and above all "Wonderful world, beautiful people", considered to date as one of the founding pieces of the reggae current.
Without forgetting the incredible and dreamlike "Many rivers to cross", single which will go around the world and considerably increase the notoriety of the singer.
The 70s were going to be more difficult to negotiate, a success in 1972 thanks to the role he held in the film "The harder they come" whose soundtrack was to make a real misfortune and failure on the other hand on album production like "Unlimited" in 1974.
We will have to wait until the 80s to see him bounce back impressively thanks to his collaboration with Amir Bayyan, guitarist of Kool and the Gang.
In 1983, he released the album "The Power and the glory" which produced two huge hits : "Reggae night" and "We all are one".
Followed in 1985 by the album "Cliffhanger", from which another hit, "Hot shot", will be extracted.
The artist is again essential.
The return to grace will be ephemeral and it will be necessary to wait for the year 1993 to see him win a last notable success with the resumption of the title "I can see clearly now" by Johnny Nash.
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others ...) :
• Hurricane Hatty 1962
• King of kings 1963
• Pride and passion 1966
• That's the way life goes 1967
• Vietnam 1968
• Many rivers to cross 1969
• Wonderful World, Beautiful People 1969
• Come into my life 1969
• Wild world 1970
• Synthétic world 1970
• Goodbye yesterday 1971
• The harder they come 1972
• Treat the Youths Right 1978
• Stand up and fight back 1978
• Love I need 1979
• All the strenght we got 1980
• Another summer 1980
• Son of man 1981
• Love is all 1982
• Roots radical 1982
• Reggae night 1983
• We all are one 1983
• Sunshine in the music 1983
• Hot shot 1985
• American sweet 1985
• Reggae street 1985
• Seven-Day weekend 1986
• Rebel in me 1987
• Love me love me 1988
• Trapped 1989
• Peace 1992
• I Can See Clearly Now 1993
• (Your love keeps lifting me) Higher and higher 1994
• Hakuna matata 1994
• Melody tempo harmony 1995
• Fantastic plastic people 2002
• Jamaica time 2004
Clips :
1962 ... the very first steps of a future Great. But at this stage, it is difficult to imagine the huge sequel which is announced on the horizon for this young singer ...
1963 ... it's light, fresh and airy but it's not enough for the moment to take him to the next level. He will have to work again and again ...
1966 ... the level goes up obviously. He delivers here a high class Intimist title which clearly shows that he is slowly but surely approaching the court of the Great ...
1967 ... what is certain is that it will be difficult for him during the 60's to get his first star. We will have to wait a little more ...
1968 ... and yet, the miracle takes place, the first star, here it is ! In addition on a protest title, a somewhat paradoxical success. But hey, at this point, everything is good to take !
1969 ... then comes the WONDER. Here he simply signs one of the most beautiful songs of the decade and of the 20th century. An incredible title which proves in a striking way that this artist has a truly extraordinary talent !
1969 ... what follows has nothing to do with rhythm with the previous title, but what is certain is that the sound, to say the least, particularly innovative, of this title will go around the world. The world is in shock...hearing !
1969 ... an exceptional year 1969 in all respects for the young singer with a reputation that literally explodes and a level of success that soars. What more !
1970 ... the transition to the next decade allows him to achieve his biggest success to date thanks to this luxury cover of the title of Cat Stevens dating from the same year. HU-GE !
1970 ... the titles follow each other but do not necessarily have the same level of success. The proof with this excellent title which will pass completely under the radars. Go figure ...
1971 ... after the start of the 1970s, to say the least radiant, what followed was much more complicated to manage than expected. This title will be almost one of the only classified titles of the decade ...
1972 ... small success on this title which will be part of the soundtrack of the film of the same name. And considering the desert side success in the years to come, there is interest to savor this one ...
1978 ... a significant number of singles during this 1970s but very rare successes. Come on, let's say that the best is yet to come !
1978 ... a decade of the 70s that will have really seen him scarcely except perhaps at the very end of this decade. And yet he will have tried everything but when it does not want, it does not want ...
1979 ... what he is proposing at the end of this decade is of definite quality, but the backwardness with the competition is such that it will take some time before filling it ...
1980 ... a new decade that will see him come back in spectacular fashion. Maybe not during this 80 year but we feel that a new dynamic is in place and it is rather auspicious for the rest of the events !
1980 ... everything has evolved, style as well as sound. With the key a qualitative level which goes up title after title and which will inevitably end up paying in one way or another ...
1981 ... it will not be yet for this year, but the upturn is real and promises future great achievements. Let's give him a little more time ...
1982 ... it will not be for the year 1982. But what he is now proposing holds frankly the road and we can not believe for a moment that he will not win the jackpot at some point given !
1982 ... all the titles of this beginning of decade will go under the radars in spite of an evident quality. The big air hole of the 70s that he still continues to pay in a totally abnormal way ...
1983 ... then, suddenly, the renaissance. The artist finally manages to reconcile his musical roots with the commercial standards of the time. Result of the races : a HUGE hit which makes him definitively enter the legend of the 80s. MAS-TER-FUL !
1983 ... new mega hit in stride. A decidedly incredible year 1983 which sees him literally walking on water. HU-GE !
1983 ... the pass of 3 ! Even if this title there will not have the same level of success as its predecessors, it confirms the return in grace of the singer. A decade that allows him to fly again to literally stratospheric heights
1985 ... after a year 1984 which sees the singer doing something on the spot, here is the return in this year 1985 of a Jimmy in great shape. The decade of achievement and above all of full maturity !
1985 ... another title that will surprisingly go under the radar. His entire career has been punctuated by blows of inexplicable brilliance and poor performance. Tough law of the trade ...
1985 ... ditto for this one. A year 1985 which started under the best auspices and which really ends in halftone side success in the Charts. Pity...
1986 ... a totally improbable duo which sees him associate for a song with Elvis Costello all on the soundtrack of the film 'Club paradise'. A title that will not meet the expected success but that pulsates, to say the least !
1987 ... a return to Intimist mode that we no longer expected. So unexpected that the public will not even be interested in it. Another title that will go completely unnoticed ...
1988 ... a single title for this year 1988, an extremely rare fact concerning him. Usually it is 1, even 2, even 3, even 4 titles per year. Times are changing as they say !
1989 ... we return to normal with a year 1989 with 4 titles. The only problem is that the quality is relatively uneven between the different titles. Alone, the latter stands out somewhat ...
1992 ... big air hole of 3 years and return in this new decade in a certain form, the proof with this Intimist title of any beauty. A decade of 90 who will see him again climb the summits !
1993 ... as much as the beginning of the 1980s was shattering, as much as the end of the 80s will be calmer. It will therefore be necessary to wait for the year 1993 to see him again return to success. And what a success ! A new mega hit which will be the last one this time ...
1994 ... new year with one title. But the title is of obvious quality so the essential is preserved. With the key a new star in the artist's prize list !
1994 ... new soundtrack and not just any since he signs here one of the tracks of the soundtrack of the 'Lion King', just that. Given the success of the film, we suspected that the soundtrack would also be a success. And it is necessarily !
1995 ... new duo and this time a shock duo to end the adventure in the best way possible. This title will make a real hit in France and offer the 2 friends one of their biggest personal successes. HU-GE !
2002 ... an adventure that is not entirely over since he will be trying to get through the 2000s. What he is proposing is far from being ridiculous but he will never return to the race unfortunately ...
2004 ... more than 40 years after its beginnings, he is still there and joins the time of a title with one of the heavyweights of the English New-Wave namely Dave Stewart, ex Eurythmics. And my faith, the result is far from being ridiculous. Like what, nothing is never finished ...
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Greatest Hits :
Discography :