Roots Archives Forum

hi everyone

My husband was a reggae dj in the 70s and he played mostly roots reggae.
Therefore thats how I was influenced and our 3 children aswell.

One of the debates in house(usually after we have sat and watched rockers for the hundred time)is would Jacob Miller have become a bigger star than Bob Marley if he had not tragically died.

While none of us hates Bob Marley it seems that Jacob Miller had a charisma about him and was an all round entertainer he also didn't appear to be afraid to take on Babylon as in heartland reggae and his very well known other songs.

I wonder what you all think?

Despite Jacob Millers charisma and future stardom potential I don't think he could have ever matched the popularity of Bob Marley. At least worldwide. May be different in Jamaica, I don't know.
Worldwide he's the Elvis or John Lennon of Reggae. And he was that kinda idol already while alive.


PS: So no chance for my personal fave Lee Perry either ...

When Jacob Miller died he was already a bigger star in Jamaica than Bob Marley.

But I do have to agree with Lost Shoe in that I don`t think there will ever be a reggae artist who will match Bob Marley in popularity as a world wide super star.

Bob Marley the man was and will remain a legend and bought reggae to a much wider audience outside of Jamaica. An audience that would otherwise not have discovered reggae.

But in Jamaica his music, especially towards the end of 70`s until his death, was not as well recieved as the more current sounds that were being played in the dancehalls by the sound systems.

But whilst on the subject I will throw another name into the debate. HUGH MUNDELL, how big a star could he have become if he had not been so untimely killed. To me he had the charisma and an aurra of mystique about him and his music and was imo destined to become a major star.

When you think about it how sad that so many potentially great reggae artists have died or been killed so young
without a chance to fulfill there potential.

Rootsman wrote: But whilst on the subject I will throw another name into the debate. HUGH MUNDELL, how big a star could he have become if he had not been so untimely killed. To me he had the charisma and an aurra of mystique about him and his music and was imo destined to become a major star.

When you think about it how sad that so many potentially great reggae artists have died or been killed so young
without a chance to fulfill there potential.

On the other hand artists (in general, not just reggae) that die young, leaving behind only a relatively small body of well-received works never grew up to become the sort of chunky old codger whose last good album was at least 30 years ago and who just plays greatest hits live at festivals for a bunch of boring, burned-out old codgers who never listen to music recorded more recently than 30 years ago and don't like anything unfamiliar (the bigger punk festivals are terrible for this - and I don't suppose that reggae fests are any different).

Or the sort of record company whore who'll do anything to stay relevant and current and rich. Imagine, if you will, Bob Marley or Jacob Miller rapping, or doing a duet with Sting/Madonna, or guest vocals on some idiotic teenybopper pop-punk band's new single or singing on Disney soundtracks or something, or hiring some cutting edge pop producer to 'refine' their sound for a modern audience.

Funky Punk wrote:

Or the sort of record company whore who'll do anything to stay relevant and current and rich. Imagine, if you will, Bob Marley or Jacob Miller rapping, or doing a duet with Sting/Madonna, or guest vocals on some idiotic teenybopper pop-punk band's new single or singing on Disney soundtracks or something, or hiring some cutting edge pop producer to 'refine' their sound for a modern audience.

I shudder at the thought of Bob or Jacob rapping

You've only got to look at Bunny Wailers' recent output to realise how crap an aged reggae singer trying to be current could sound

Hugh Mundell was an amazing singer, died for his blender... What a pointles waste of a life

Marley was subject to a huge amount of positive hype once signed to Island. Blackwell actually put lots of music by his other artists(like lee perry for instance)on the shelf in order to promote marley's music to an "International" audience.
There are anecdotes in "People Funny Boy",the Lee Perry biog,where Perry takes both Heart of the Congos & Roast Fish,Collyweed &Cornbread to Blackwell for release.Of the former, Blackwell stated there was only one good song on it so he shelved it and similarly with the latter lp.This was done to put maximum promotion on Marley's output.Or so says MR Perry...
Hyping an artist has always happened. Imagine if it had been the other way round : radio 2 would now be playing lee perry hits to the masses.
Hugh Mundell went the same way as Prince FarI and Tubby,a senseless waste of a talented life.

Very interesting thoughts to read opens up the debate especially about Lee scratch perry who is hugely talented and Hugh mundell who would have made a huge impact on reggae had he not been shot.
One thing though funky punk please can you explain why Hugh mundell was shot over a blender?

Thanks

Itietitey girl wrote:Very interesting thoughts to read opens up the debate especially about Lee scratch perry who is hugely talented and Hugh mundell who would have made a huge impact on reggae had he not been shot.
One thing though funky punk please can you explain why Hugh mundell was shot over a blender?

Thanks

According to the liner notes on the CD "Blessed Youth" there are two different versions of his death.

One version is that a man that Hugh Mundell knew robbed his place and that when Hugh Mundell went and confronted him the guys brother shot him.

The other is that Hugh Mundell sold a defective house appliance to someone in his neighbourhood. The man enraged went after Hugh Mundell with a gun and shot him while sitting in his car.

Either way such a pointless death.

I read somewhere that it was over a refrigerator.

Killing a man over a fridge. That's pathetic.

Yeah junior Reid tells it as the blender theif's brother shot him in the reggae scrapbook story, makes me sick, who ever was in the wrong its pointless dying for an appliance