Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff | |
|---|---|
 Cliff performing in 2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Chambers |
| Born | 30 July 1944[1] St. James, Colony of Jamaica |
| Genres | Ska, rocksteady, reggae, soul |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, actor |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1962–present |
| Labels | [2] |
| Website | jimmycliff |
James Chambers, OM (born 30 July 1944), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only living reggae musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievements in the arts and sciences.
Cliff is best known among mainstream audiences for songs such as "Many Rivers to Cross", "You Can Get It If You Really Want", "The Harder They Come", "Reggae Night", and "Hakuna Matata", and his covers of Cat Stevens's "Wild World" and Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" from the film Cool Runnings. He starred in the film The Harder They Come, which helped popularize reggae around the world,[3] and Club Paradise. Cliff was one of five performers inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.
Early life and education
[edit]Jimmy Cliff was born James Chambers on 30 July 1944 in Saint James, Colony of Jamaica.[4] He began writing songs while still at primary school in St. James, listening to a neighbour's sound system. When Chambers was 14, his father took him to Kingston, where he would take up the stage name Jimmy Cliff.[5]
Career
[edit]1960s and 1970s
[edit]Cliff sought out many producers while still going to school, trying to get his songs recorded without success. He also entered talent contests. "One night I was walking past a record store and restaurant as they were closing, pushed myself in and convinced one of them, Leslie Kong, to go into the recording business, starting with me," he writes in his own website biography.[3] After two singles that failed to make much impression, his career took off when "Hurricane Hattie" became a hit while he was aged 17.[6] It was produced by Kong, with whom Cliff remained until Kong's death from a heart attack in 1971.[citation needed]
Cliff's later local hit singles included "King of Kings", "Dearest Beverley", "Miss Jamaica", and "Pride and Passion". In 1964, Cliff was chosen as one of Jamaica's representatives at the World's Fair in New York; and in the same year Cliff was featured in a program called "This is Ska!" alongside Prince Buster, Toots and the Maytals, and Byron Lee and the Dragonaires.[7]
He soon signed to Island Records and moved to the United Kingdom.[6] Island Records initially (and unsuccessfully) tried to sell Cliff to the rock audience, but his career took off in the late 1960s.[8] His international debut album was Hard Road to Travel, released in 1967. It received excellent reviews and included "Waterfall" (composed by Nirvana's Alex Spyropoulos and Patrick Campbell-Lyons), which became a hit in Brazil and won the International Song Festival.[6]
"Waterfall" was followed in 1969 by "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" and "Vietnam" in 1970, both popular throughout most of the world. Bob Dylan called "Vietnam" the best protest song he had ever heard.[3] Also during this period, Cliff released a cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World" as a single, but it was not included on his Wonderful World, Beautiful People album.[citation needed]
In 1972, Cliff starred as Ivanhoe "Ivan" Martin in the classic reggae film, The Harder They Come, directed by Perry Henzell.[9] As the film tells Martin's story, he is a young man without funds. Arriving in Kingston from the country, he tries to make it in the recording business, but without success. Eventually, he turns to a life of crime. The soundtrack album of the film was a huge success that sold well around the world, bringing reggae to an international audience for the first time. It remains one of the most internationally significant films to have come out of Jamaica since independence. The film made its debut at London's Gaumont cinema in Notting Hill on 1 September 1972.[10]
In 1975, Cliff sang on the first season of Saturday Night Live, episode 12, hosted by Dick Cavett. After a series of albums, Cliff took a break and traveled to Africa (the Nigeria-based Jamaican writer Lindsay Barrett was instrumental in Cliff's first trip there),[11] and subsequently converted to Islam, taking the name of El Hadj Naïm Bachir.[12][13]In a 2021 interview, Cliff expressed a strong affinity with the religious and intellectual knowledge of ancient Egypt, scepticism of government handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and denied his earlier conversion to Islam, claiming it "didn't satisfy my soul."[14]
1980s and 1990s
[edit]Cliff quickly returned to music, touring for several years before he recorded with Kool & the Gang. In 1984, Cliff appeared at the Pinkpop Festival in Landgraaf, Netherlands. During The River Tour, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band added Cliff's previously little-known song "Trapped" to their live set; it achieved great prominence when included on 1985's We Are the World benefit album. The follow-up, Cliff Hanger (1985), won a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album, though it was his last major success in the United States until 1993. Also in 1985, Cliff contributed to the song "Sun City", a protest song written and composed by Steven Van Zandt and recorded by Artists United Against Apartheid to convey opposition to the South African policy of apartheid.[15]
Cliff then provided backing vocals on The Rolling Stones' 1986 album Dirty Work, and appeared in the comedy Club Paradise, co-starring with Robin Williams and Peter O'Toole,[16] and contributed several songs to the soundtrack, including "Seven Day Weekend", which he sang with Elvis Costello. In 1988, his song "Shelter of Your Love" was featured in the 1988 film Cocktail.[citation needed]
Cliff appeared in the film Marked for Death in 1990, performing "John Crow" with the Jimmy Cliff Band.[17] His recording of "You Can Get It If You Really Want" was used as a campaign anthem by the Sandinista National Liberation Front in the 1990 election in Nicaragua.[18] In 1991, he performed at the second Rock in Rio festival in Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He continued to sell well in Jamaica and, to a lesser extent, the UK, returning to the mainstream pop charts in the U.S. and elsewhere (#1 in France) with a version of Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" on the Cool Runnings film soundtrack in 1993. In 1995, Cliff released the single "Hakuna Matata", a collaboration with Lebo M, a song from the soundtrack of the film The Lion King. In 1997, Cliff was a guest star in an episode of the Cartoon Network talk show Space Ghost Coast to Coast.[citation needed]
2000 to present
[edit]
In 2001, Cliff became an inaugural member of the Independent Music Awards' judging panel to support independent artists.[19] In 2002, Cliff released the album Fantastic Plastic People in Europe, after first providing free downloads using p2p software. This album featured collaborations with Joe Strummer, Annie Lennox, and Sting as well as new songs that were very reminiscent of Cliff's original hits. In 2004, Cliff completely reworked the songs, dropping the traditional reggae in favour of an electronic sound, for inclusion in Black Magic. The album also included a recording of "Over the Border" with Joe Strummer. Cliff performed at the closing ceremony to the 2002 Commonwealth Games and in 2003, his song "You Can Get It If You Really Want" was included in the soundtrack to the film, Something's Gotta Give. He also appeared in July 2003 at the Paléo Festival in Nyon, Switzerland. The Jamaican government under P. J. Patterson honoured Cliff on 20 October 2003, by awarding him The Order of Merit, the nation's fourth-highest honour, in recognition of his contributions to the film and music of Jamaica. Cliff and Mervyn Morris are the only currently living figures from the arts to hold this distinction and Cliff is the only living musician to do so.[citation needed]
In 2007, Cliff performed at the opening ceremony at cricket's World Cup. In the spring and summer of 2010, Cliff embarked on an extensive tour of the U.S. and Canada. In 2007, "You Can Get It If You Really Want" was adopted by the British Conservative Party during their annual conference.[18] He was quoted in The Independent as saying, "One of my band mates called me this morning to tell me the news. I can't stop them using the song, but I'm not a supporter of politics. I have heard of Cameron, but I'm not a supporter. I don't support any politician. I just believe in right or wrong."[20]
In September 2009, he was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, following a campaign on his behalf by the American Charles Earle.[21] Cliff reacted to the news by saying, "This is good for Cliff, good for Jamaican music and good for my country." On 15 December 2009, he was officially announced as an inductee and was inducted on 15 March 2010 by Wyclef Jean.[22]
.jpg)
Cliff appeared in the 2011 documentary Reggae Got Soul: The Story of Toots and the Maytals which was featured on BBC and described as "The untold story of one of the most influential artists ever to come out of Jamaica".[23][24]
In 2011, Cliff worked with producer Tim Armstrong, lead singer of American punk band Rancid, on the EP The Sacred Fire[25] and the full-length album Rebirth.[26] Rebirth won a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.[27] The album was listed at #12 on Rolling Stone's list of the top 50 albums of 2012, saying "There's ska, rock steady, roots reggae, a revelatory cover of The Clash's "Guns of Brixton" delivered in Cliff's trademark soulful tenor, grittier but still lovely more than 40 years after his debut."[28]
In December 2012, Cliff was named Artist of the Year by digital newspaper the Caribbean Journal, citing his work on Rebirth.[29]
In August 2022, Cliff released the album Refugees.[30]
Personal life
[edit]Cliff was briefly a member of the Rastafari movement before converting to Islam from Christianity.[31] He now describes himself as having a "universal outlook on life", and does not align himself with any particular movement or religion,[31][32] saying, "now I believe in science".[31] He is married and has a daughter, Lilty Cliff, and a son, Aken Cliff.[33][34] He is also the father of the actress/singer Nabiyah Be.[35]
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]| Year | Title | Peak positions | Certification | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRA [36] |
NLD [37] |
NZ [38] |
SWE [39] |
SWI [40] |
UK [41] |
US [42] |
US Reggae [42] | |||
| 1967 | Hard Road to Travel[A] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1968 | Jimmy Cliff in Brazil[B] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1969 | Jimmy Cliff[C] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1971 | Wild World | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Goodbye Yesterday[D] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Another Cycle | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972 | The Harder They Come | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | 140 | — | |
| 1973 | Unlimited[E] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Struggling Man[F] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974 | Music Maker[G] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1975 | Brave Warrior | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Follow My Mind | — | — | — | — | — | — | 195 | — | ||
| 1978 | Give Thankx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1980 | I Am the Living | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1981 | Give the People What They Want | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1982 | Special | — | 29 | — | — | — | — | 186 | — | |
| 1983 | The Power and the Glory | 17 | 29 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — |
|
| 1985 | Cliff Hanger | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1986 | Club Paradise | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1987 | Hanging Fire | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Shout for Freedom | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989 | Images | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Save Our Planet Earth | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992 | Breakout[H] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1996 | Higher & Higher[I] | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|
| 1998 | Journey of a Lifetime | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1999 | Humanitarian | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2002 | Fantastic Plastic People | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| We All Are One: The Best of Jimmy Cliff | — | — | — | — | 57 | — | — | — | ||
| 2004 | Black Magic | 139 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | |
| 2011 | Sacred Fire EP | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 2012 | Rebirth | — | — | — | — | 71 | 83 | 76 | 1 | |
| 2022 | Refugees | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Notes
- A. ^ Hard Road to Travel was released as Can't Get Enough of It in Jamaica in 1968 with minor changes in track listing.
- B. ^ Jimmy Cliff in Brazil consisted of new recordings as well as songs from Hard Road to Travel and Can't Get Enough of It.
- C. ^ Jimmy Cliff was released as Wonderful World, Beautiful People in the US in 1970.
- D. ^ Goodbye Yesterday was released as Two Worlds in Jamaica with minor changes in track listing.
- E. ^ Unlimited was re-released as The King of Reggae in 1976.
- F. ^ Struggling Man consisted of new recordings as well as songs from Wild World.
- G. ^ Music Maker was released as House of Exile in some territories.
- H. ^ Breakout was re-released as Samba Reggae in some territories in 1999 with minor changes in track listing.
- I. ^ Higher & Higher consists of new recordings as well as previously released material.
Compilations and live albums
[edit]| Year | Title | Peak positions | Certification | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEL (Wa) [44] |
FRA [36] |
GER [45] |
SWE [39] |
US Reggae [42] | |||
| 1975 | The Best of Jimmy Cliff | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Pop Chronik | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976 | In Concert: The Best of Jimmy Cliff | — | — | — | 21 | — | |
| 1978 | Many Rivers to Cross | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1979 | Oh Jamaica | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1981 | Collection | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1982 | Reggae Nights: The Best of Jimmy Cliff | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1984 | Many Rivers to Cross | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1985 | Reggae Greats | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1987 | Fundamental Reggay | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1993 | The Best Of | — | 7 | — | — | — |
|
| 1994 | Live | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Many Rivers to Cross | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Gold Collection | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Reggae Classics: The Very Best of Jimmy Cliff | 47 | — | 57 | — | — | ||
| 1995 | Definitive Collection | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Reggae Man | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Vol. 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996 | Best of Jimmy Cliff[J] | — | — | — | — | — |
|
| 1997 | Super Hits | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Jimmy Cliff | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 100% Pure Reggae | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999 | Ultimate Collection | — | — | — | — | 8 | |
| Millenium Collection | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Wonderful World Beautiful People | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000 | Simply the Best | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Super Best | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Wanted | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| The Messenger: The Very Best of Reggae's Original Soul Star | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Wonderful World | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Live and in the Studio | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001 | Les Indispensables de Jimmy Cliff | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2002 | We All Are One: The Best of Jimmy Cliff | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2003 | Many Rivers to Cross: The Best of Jimmy Cliff | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Anthology | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Island Reggae Classics | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004 | 20th Century Masters | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Reggae Night | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| This Is Crucial Reggae | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| The EMI Years 1973–1975 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Timeless Hits | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005 | The Harder They Come: The Definitive Collection | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2006 | The Essential Jimmy Cliff | — | — | — | — | — | |
| The Very Best of Jimmy Cliff & Peter Tosh[J] | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| The Harder They Come: The Early Years 1962–1972 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Better Days Are Coming: The A&M Years 1969–1971 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008 | King of Kings: The Very Best of Jimmy Cliff | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Reggae Legends | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010 | Harder Road to Travel: The Collection | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2013 | Jimmy Cliff | — | — | — | — | — | |
| The KCRW Session | — | — | — | — | 4 | ||
| Icon | — | — | — | — | 15 | ||
- Notes
- J. ^ Best of Jimmy Cliff and The Very Best of Jimmy Cliff & Peter Tosh charted in French Compilations Chart, at number 1 and 5 respectively.
Singles
[edit]| Year | Title | Peak positions | Album | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [46][47] |
AUT [48] |
BEL (Vl) [49] |
BEL (Wa) [44] |
FRA [50][51] |
GER [45] |
IRE [52] |
ITA |
NLD [37] |
NZ [38] |
SWI [40] |
UK [41] |
US [42] | |||
| 1962 | "Hurricane Hatty" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | single only |
| "Miss Jamaica" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Since Lately" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1963 | "King of Kings" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "My Lucky Day" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "The Man" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1966 | "Pride and Passion" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Hard Road to Travel |
| 1967 | "Give and Take" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "I Got a Feeling" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "That's the Way Life Goes" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Jimmy Cliff | |
| 1968 | "Vietnam" | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | — | — | 26 | — | — | 46 | — | |
| 1969 | "Waterfall" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | single only |
| "Many Rivers to Cross" | — | — | — | — | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Jimmy Cliff | |
| "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" | 30 | — | 13 | — | — | — | 17 | — | 12 | — | — | 6 | 25 | ||
| "Come into My Life" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 21 | — | — | — | — | 89 | ||
| 1970 | "Sufferin' in the Land" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 26 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Where Did It Go" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | single only | |
| "Wild World" | 31 | 20 | 7 | — | 51 | — | 11 | 17 | 3 | — | 2 | 8 | — | Wild World | |
| "You Can Get It If You Really Want" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | single only | |
| "Synthetic World" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Goodbye Yesterday | |
| 1971 | "Goodbye Yesterday" | — | — | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Those Good Good Old Days" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Struggling Man | |
| "Sitting in Limbo" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Another Cycle | |
| 1972 | "The Harder They Come" | — | — | — | — | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Harder They Come |
| "Struggling Man" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Struggling Man | |
| 1973 | "Let's Seize the Time" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "On My Life" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Unlimited | |
| "Fundamental Reggay" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Oh Jamaica" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974 | "Music Maker" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Music Maker |
| "Look What You Done to My Life, Devil Woman" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Money Won't Save You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Don't Let It Die" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Brave Warrior | |
| 1975 | "Every Tub" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "If I Follow My Mind" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Follow My Mind | |
| 1976 | "Look at the Mountains" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Dear Mother" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977 | "Material World" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Give the People What They Want |
| "Deal with Life" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | single only | |
| 1978 | "Treat the Youths Right" | — | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | — | — | — | — | Special |
| "Bongo Man" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Give Thankx | |
| "Stand Up and Fight Back" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979 | "Love I Need" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1980 | "All the Strength We Got" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | I Am the Living |
| "Another Summer" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "I Am the Living" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981 | "Son of Man" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Give the People What They Want |
| "Shelter of Your Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "My Philosophy" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982 | "Rub-A-Dub Partner" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Special |
| "Love Is All" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Special" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Roots Radical" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Peace Officer" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Love Heights" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983 | "Reggae Night" | 55 | — | 5 | — | 2 | 35 | — | 8 | 6 | 1 | — | 91 | — | The Power and the Glory |
| "We All Are One" | — | — | 24 | — | 15 | — | — | — | 33 | 48 | — | 93 | — | ||
| "Sunshine in the Music" | — | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984 | "Reggae Movement" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | single only |
| "Black Bess" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "De Youths Dem a Bawl" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985 | "Hot Shot" | — | — | — | — | 24 | — | — | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | Cliff Hanger |
| "American Sweet" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Reggae Street" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986 | "Seven-Day Weekend" (with Elvis Costello) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Club Paradise |
| "Club Paradise" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987 | "Roots Girl (Step Aside)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | single only |
| "Rebel in Me" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Images | |
| "Hanging Fire" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Hanging Fire | |
| "Reggae Down Babylon" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Soar Like an Eagle" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988 | "Love Me Love Me" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1989 | "Pressure on Botha" (with Josey Wales) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Images |
| "Trapped" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Dance Reggae Dance" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Save Our Planet Earth | |
| "Save Our Planet Earth" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992 | "Breakout" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | Breakout |
| "I'm a Winner" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Peace" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993 | "Samba Reggae" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "I Can See Clearly Now" | 17 | — | 32 | — | 1 | 52 | — | — | 39 | 1 | — | 23 | 18 | Cool Runnings: Music from the Motion Picture | |
| 1994 | "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" | — | — | — | — | — | 52 | — | — | — | 31 | — | — | 117 | Higher & Higher |
| 1995 | "Hakuna Matata" (with Lebo M) | — | — | 46 | 6 | 7 | 77 | — | — | 10 | — | 32 | — | 105 | Rhythm of the Pride Lands |
| "Melody Tempo Harmony" (with Bernard Lavilliers) | — | — | — | 22 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | single only | |
| 1999 | "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Humanitarian |
| 2002 | "Fantastic Plastic People" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Fantastic Plastic People |
| 2004 | "Jamaica Time" (with David A. Stewart) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Black Magic |
| 2011 | "Guns of Brixton" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sacred Fire EP |
| 2012 | "One More" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Rebirth |
| 2013 | "C'mon Get Happy" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | single only |
See also
[edit]
- Caribbean music in the United Kingdom
- List of converts to Islam
- List of former Island Records artists
- List of Jamaicans
- List of reggae musicians
- List of roots reggae artists
- List of singer-songwriters
References
[edit]- ^ "Jimmy Cliff Official Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022.
- ^ "Jimmy Cliff: Biography". answers.com. Archived from the original on 4 November 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
- ^ a b c Colin Larkin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae. Virgin Books. ISBN 0-7535-0242-9.
- ^ Greene, Jo-Ann. "Jimmy Cliff Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
- ^ Thompson, Dave (2002). Reggae & Caribbean Music. Backbeat Books. p. 76. ISBN 0-87930-655-6 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c Greene, Jo-Ann. "Jimmy Cliff Biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 14 September 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
- ^ Jw31209. "This Is Ska! (2/4) 1964 Jimmy Cliff/Prince Buster/Toots & The Maytals and More..." YouTube. YouTube, 5 Feb. 2010. Web. <"This is Ska! (2/4) 1964 Jimmy Cliff/Prince Buster/Toots & the Maytals and more... - YouTube". YouTube. 5 February 2010. Archived from the original on 1 May 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.> 2 December 2016.
- ^ Steve Barrow; Peter Dalton (1997). Reggae: The Rough Guide. Rough Guides. ISBN 1-85828-247-0.
- ^ "The Harder They Come (1972)". IMDb. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
- ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 242. CN 5585.
- ^ "Jimmy Cliff planning sequel to The Harder They Come". The Caribzone. thecaribzone.com. 24 November 2009. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
- ^ "Jimmy Cliff – Découvrez de la musique, des vidéos, des concerts, des stats, & des photos sur Last.fm" (in French). lastfm.fr. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- ^ "Jimmy Cliff - Toute l'actu !". PurePeople.com (in French). Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- ^ L., S. (11 June 2021). "Trip to Egypt helped Jimmy Cliff to see clearly". The Star.
- ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 409. CN 5585.
- ^ "Club Paradise (1986)". IMDb. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
- ^ "Marked for Death (1990) - Full Cast & Crew". IMDb. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
- ^ a b Dugan, Emily (6 October 2007). "'I always support the lower classes': Jimmy Cliff's response to his adoption by Cameron". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
- ^ "Independent Music Awards - 1st Annual Judges". independentmusicawards.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
- ^ "'I always support the lower classes': Jimmy Cliff's response to his". Independent.co.uk. 6 October 2007.
- ^ "Jimmy Cliff Still a Musical Rebel". Jamaica-gleaner.com. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- ^ "2010 Induction Ceremony". rockhall.com. Archived from the original on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
- ^ "Toots and the Maytals: Reggae Got Soul". BBC Four (documentary). Directed by George Scott. UK. 2011. 59 min. Retrieved 15 December 2016. <"BBC Four - Toots and the Maytals: Reggae Got Soul". Archived from the original on 20 May 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2017.>
- ^ Toots & The Maytals (15 August 2013). "Toots & The Maytals - Reggae Got Soul - Documentary Trailer". Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2016 – via YouTube.>
- ^ "Video: Reggae pioneer Jimmy Cliff". PBS.org. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
- ^ "Jimmy Cliff working on new album with Tim Armstrong". Punknews.org. 12 August 2011. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- ^ "Jimmy Cliff's Rebirth nominated for Reggae Grammy album". The Jamaica Observer. 6 December 2012. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2012 – via jamaicaobserver.com.
- ^ "50 Best Albums of 2012: Jimmy Cliff, 'Rebirth'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
- ^ "Jimmy Cliff: Caribbean Journal's Artist of the Year for 2012". caribjournal.com. 31 December 2012. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ^ "Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff releases new album titled 'Refugees'". unhcr.org. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- ^ a b c Collins, D. M. (9 April 2012). "JIMMY CLIFF: BOOM! SMASH! IT WENT SMASH!". L.A. Record. Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
- ^ "Interviews - Jimmy Cliff". Reggae News. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
- ^ Nick McGrath (21 July 2012). "Jimmy Cliff: My family values". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
- ^ Holly Williams (28 July 2012). "My Secret Life: Jimmy Cliff, 64, reggae artist". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
- ^ "Jimmy Cliff's daughter, Nabiyah Be, Stars in Black Panther movie". Jamaicans.com. 17 February 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
- ^ a b "InfoDisc : Tous les Albums classés par Artiste" (in French). infodisc.fr. Archived from the original on 20 July 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
- ^ a b "Discografie Jimmy Cliff" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
- ^ a b "Discography Jimmy Cliff". charts.nz. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
- ^ a b "Discography Jimmy Cliff". swedishcharts.com. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
- ^ a b "Jimmy Cliff" (in German). hitparade.ch. Archived from the original on 14 June 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
- ^ a b "JIMMY CLIFF full Official Chart History Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 24 August 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Jimmy Cliff Awards AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 18 October 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
- ^ a b c d "French album certifications – Jimmy Cliff" (in French). InfoDisc. Select JIMMY CLIFF and click OK.
- ^ a b "Discographie Jimmy Cliff" (in French). ultratop.be. Archived from the original on 22 June 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
- ^ a b "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Archived from the original on 31 May 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
- ^ "Discography Jimmy Cliff". australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 3 May 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 66. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Discographie Jimmy Cliff" (in German). austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on 20 May 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
- ^ "Discografie Jimmy Cliff" (in Dutch). ultratop.be. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
- ^ "Discographie Jimmy Cliff" (in French). lescharts.com. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
- ^ Lesueur, InfoDisc, Daniel Lesueur, Dominic Durand. "InfoDisc : Les Tubes de chaque Artiste commençant par C". infodisc.fr. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". irishcharts.ie. Archived from the original on 2 June 2009. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Jimmy Cliff at AllMusic
- Jimmy Cliff discography at Discogs
- "Jimmy Cliff". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
- 1944 births
- Living people
- 20th-century Jamaican male singers
- 21st-century Jamaican male singers
- Converts to Islam from Christianity
- Former Rastafarians
- Grammy Award winners
- Island Records artists
- Jamaican expatriates in the United Kingdom
- Jamaican former Christians
- Jamaican former Muslims
- Jamaican male actors
- Jamaican reggae singers
- People from Saint James Parish, Jamaica
- Recipients of the Order of Merit (Jamaica)
- Beverley's Records artists
- Trojan Records artists
- PPX artists