LAZY SUNDAYS – Toots and The Maytals
Good morning everyone and welcome to another edition of Lazy Sundays. The artist of choice for this week is Toots and the Maytals, a Jamaican musical group well known for their ska and reggae musical styles. Lead by Fred “Toots” Hibbert, The Maytals became one of the most popular vocal groups in Jamaica during the 1960′s alongside other such successful music groups of the time, The Wailers. This song, 54-46 That’s My Number was a breakthrough for the group and describes Toots’ time in prison for an arrest for possession of marijuana. The song has also been covered by several prominent groups, most prominently Sublime and The Clash (who pays tribute to the track in their song Jail Guitar Doors).
Toots and The Maytals – 54-46 That’s My Number
Although Toots & The Maytals never reached the same level of commercial superstardom in the United States as Bob Marley & The Wailers or Peter Tosh, Toots & the Maytals hold the current record of number one hits in Jamaica, with a total of thirty one. In 2005, the group released True Love, an album consisting of re-recorded versions of their earlier hits, alongside Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Trey Anastasio, No Doubt, Ben Harper, The Roots, and Shaggy. The album won the Grammy Award that year for best reggae album.
Toots and The Maytals continue to record and tour successfully to this day,with “Toots” Hibbert heading the group at the spritely age of 65. Here’s their tour list for the summer, unfortunately no dates scheduled for Toronto. So unless you feel like roadtripping to one of these venues, listening to these songs may be the closest you can get to this phenomenal Jamaican group.
Toots and The Maytals – Pressure Drop
Toots and The Maytals – Monkey Man
Chill out to these reggae vibes and enjoy the beautiful weather this fine Sunday. Happy Mothers Day!
