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Jimmy Cliff

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.

Jimmy Cliff
Cliff performing in 2012
Background information
Birth nameJames Chambers
Born (1944-07-30) 30 July 1944 (age 78)[1]
St. James, Colony of Jamaica
GenresSka, rocksteady, reggae, soul
Occupation(s)Musician, singer, actor
Instrument(s)
Years active1962–present
Labels[2]
Websitejimmycliff.com

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

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

1960s and 1970s

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 14.[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]

1980s and 1990s

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.[14]

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,[15] 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.[16] 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.[17] 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

 
Jimmy Cliff performing in Bildein, Austria, 2012

In 2001, Cliff became an inaugural member of the Independent Music Awards' judging panel to support independent artists.[18] 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.[17] 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."[19]

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.[20] 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.[21]

 
Jimmy Cliff performing at Raggamuffin Music Festival

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".[22][23]

In 2011, Cliff worked with producer Tim Armstrong, lead singer of American punk band Rancid, on the EP The Sacred Fire[24] and the full-length album Rebirth.[25] Rebirth won a Grammy Award for 'Best Reggae Album'.[26] 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."[27]

In December 2012, Cliff was named 'Artist of the Year' by digital newspaper the Caribbean Journal, citing his work on Rebirth.[28]

In August 2022, Cliff released the album Refugees.[29]

Personal life

Cliff was briefly a member of the Rastafari movement before converting to Islam from Christianity.[30] He now describes himself as having a "universal outlook on life", and does not align himself with any particular movement or religion,[30][31] saying, "now I believe in science".[30] He is married and has a daughter, Lilty Cliff, and a son, Aken Cliff.[32][33] He is also the father of the actress/singer Nabiyah Be.[34]

Discography

Albums

Year Title Peak positions Certification
FRA
[35]
NLD
[36]
NZ
[37]
SWE
[38]
SWI
[39]
UK
[40]
US
[41]
US
Reggae

[41]
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

Year Title Peak positions Certification
BEL
(Wa)

[43]
FRA
[35]
GER
[44]
SWE
[38]
US
Reggae

[41]
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

Year Title Peak positions Album
AUS
[45][46]
AUT
[47]
BEL
(Vl)

[48]
BEL
(Wa)

[43]
FRA
[49][50]
GER
[44]
IRE
[51]
ITA
NLD
[36]
NZ
[37]
SWI
[39]
UK
[40]
US
[41]
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
1970 "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
1994 "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" 52 31 Higher & Higher
1995 "Hakuna Matata" (with Lebo M.) 46 6 7 77 10 32 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

References

  1. ^ "Jimmy Cliff Official Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022.
  2. ^ "Jimmy Cliff: Biography". answers.com. from the original on 4 November 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
  3. ^ a b c Colin Larkin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae. Virgin Books. ISBN 0-7535-0242-9.
  4. ^ Greene, Jo-Ann. "Jimmy Cliff Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  5. ^ Thompson, Dave (2002). Reggae & Caribbean Music. Backbeat Books. p. 76. ISBN 0-87930-655-6 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ a b c Greene, Jo-Ann. "Jimmy Cliff Biography". AllMusic. from the original on 14 September 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  7. ^ 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. from the original on 1 May 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.> 2 December 2016.
  8. ^ Steve Barrow; Peter Dalton (1997). Reggae: The Rough Guide. Rough Guides. ISBN 1-85828-247-0.
  9. ^ . IMDb. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  10. ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 242. CN 5585.
  11. ^ . The Caribzone. thecaribzone.com. 24 November 2009. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  12. ^ "Jimmy Cliff – Découvrez de la musique, des vidéos, des concerts, des stats, & des photos sur Last.fm" (in French). lastfm.fr. from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  13. ^ "Jimmy Cliff - Toute l'actu !". PurePeople.com (in French). from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  14. ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 409. CN 5585.
  15. ^ . IMDb. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  16. ^ . IMDb. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  17. ^ a b Dugan, Emily (6 October 2007). "'I always support the lower classes': Jimmy Cliff's response to his adoption by Cameron". The Independent. from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  18. ^ . independentmusicawards.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  19. ^ "'I always support the lower classes': Jimmy Cliff's response to his". Independent.co.uk. 6 October 2007.
  20. ^ . Jamaica-gleaner.com. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  21. ^ "2010 Induction Ceremony". rockhall.com. from the original on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  22. ^ "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". from the original on 20 May 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2017.>
  23. ^ Toots & The Maytals (15 August 2013). "Toots & The Maytals - Reggae Got Soul - Documentary Trailer". from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2016 – via YouTube.>
  24. ^ "Video: Reggae pioneer Jimmy Cliff". PBS.org. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  25. ^ "Jimmy Cliff working on new album with Tim Armstrong". Punknews.org. from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  26. ^ "Jimmy Cliff's Rebirth nominated for Reggae Grammy album". The Jamaica Observer. 6 December 2012. from the original on 8 December 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2012 – via jamaicaobserver.com.
  27. ^ "50 Best Albums of 2012: Jimmy Cliff, 'Rebirth'". Rolling Stone. from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  28. ^ "Jimmy Cliff: Caribbean Journal's Artist of the Year for 2012". caribjournal.com. 31 December 2012. from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  29. ^ "Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff releases new album titled 'Refugees'". unhcr.org. Retrieved 13 August 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. ^ a b c Collins, D. M. (9 April 2012). "JIMMY CLIFF: BOOM! SMASH! IT WENT SMASH!". L.A. Record. from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  31. ^ . Reggae News. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
  32. ^ Nick McGrath (21 July 2012). "Jimmy Cliff: My family values". The Guardian. from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  33. ^ Holly Williams (28 July 2012). "My Secret Life: Jimmy Cliff, 64, reggae artist". The Independent. from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  34. ^ "Jimmy Cliff's daughter, Nabiyah Be, Stars in Black Panther movie". Jamaicans.com. 17 February 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  35. ^ a b (in French). infodisc.fr. Archived from the original on 20 July 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  36. ^ a b "Discografie Jimmy Cliff" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  37. ^ a b "Discography Jimmy Cliff". charts.nz. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  38. ^ a b "Discography Jimmy Cliff". swedishcharts.com. from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  39. ^ a b (in German). hitparade.ch. Archived from the original on 14 June 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  40. ^ a b "JIMMY CLIFF full Official Chart History Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. from the original on 24 August 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  41. ^ a b c d "Jimmy Cliff Awards AllMusic". AllMusic. from the original on 18 October 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  42. ^ a b c d "French album certifications – Jimmy Cliff" (in French). InfoDisc. Select JIMMY CLIFF and click OK. 
  43. ^ a b "Discographie Jimmy Cliff" (in French). ultratop.be. from the original on 22 June 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  44. ^ a b "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). offiziellecharts.de. from the original on 31 May 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  45. ^ . australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 3 May 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  46. ^ 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.
  47. ^ (in German). austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on 20 May 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  48. ^ "Discografie Jimmy Cliff" (in Dutch). ultratop.be. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  49. ^ "Discographie Jimmy Cliff" (in French). lescharts.com. from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  50. ^ Lesueur, InfoDisc, Daniel Lesueur, Dominic Durand. "InfoDisc : Les Tubes de chaque Artiste commençant par C". infodisc.fr. from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  51. ^ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". irishcharts.ie. from the original on 2 June 2009. Retrieved 1 May 2014.

External links

jimmy, cliff, james, chambers, born, july, 1944, known, professionally, jamaican, rocksteady, reggae, soul, musician, multi, instrumentalist, singer, actor, only, living, reggae, musician, hold, order, merit, highest, honour, that, granted, jamaican, governmen. 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 Jimmy CliffOMCliff performing in 2012Background informationBirth nameJames ChambersBorn 1944 07 30 30 July 1944 age 78 1 St James Colony of JamaicaGenresSka rocksteady reggae soulOccupation s Musician singer actorInstrument s VocalsguitarpianocongakeyboardsYears active1962 presentLabelsIslandJAD RecordsColumbiaTrojanEMICBS 2 Websitejimmycliff wbr com 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 Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Career 2 1 1960s and 1970s 2 2 1980s and 1990s 2 3 2000 to present 3 Personal life 4 Discography 4 1 Albums 4 2 Compilations and live albums 4 3 Singles 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksEarly life and education EditJimmy 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 Edit1960s 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 14 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 Naim Bachir 12 13 1980s and 1990s Edit Cliff quickly returned to music touring for several years before he recorded with Kool amp 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 14 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 15 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 16 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 17 In 1991 he performed at the second Rock in Rio festival in Estadio do Maracana 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 Jimmy Cliff performing in Bildein Austria 2012 In 2001 Cliff became an inaugural member of the Independent Music Awards judging panel to support independent artists 18 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 Paleo 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 17 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 19 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 20 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 21 Jimmy Cliff performing at Raggamuffin Music Festival 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 22 23 In 2011 Cliff worked with producer Tim Armstrong lead singer of American punk band Rancid on the EP The Sacred Fire 24 and the full length album Rebirth 25 Rebirth won a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album 26 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 27 In December 2012 Cliff was named Artist of the Year by digital newspaper the Caribbean Journal citing his work on Rebirth 28 In August 2022 Cliff released the album Refugees 29 Personal life EditCliff was briefly a member of the Rastafari movement before converting to Islam from Christianity 30 He now describes himself as having a universal outlook on life and does not align himself with any particular movement or religion 30 31 saying now I believe in science 30 He is married and has a daughter Lilty Cliff and a son Aken Cliff 32 33 He is also the father of the actress singer Nabiyah Be 34 Discography EditAlbums Edit Year Title Peak positions CertificationFRA 35 NLD 36 NZ 37 SWE 38 SWI 39 UK 40 US 41 USReggae 41 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 FRA Gold 42 1985 Cliff Hanger 1986 Club Paradise 1987 Hanging Fire Shout for Freedom 1989 Images Save Our Planet Earth 1992 Breakout H 1996 Higher amp Higher I 8 FRA Gold 42 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 112011 Sacred Fire EP 12012 Rebirth 71 83 76 12022 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 amp Higher consists of new recordings as well as previously released material Compilations and live albums Edit Year Title Peak positions CertificationBEL Wa 43 FRA 35 GER 44 SWE 38 USReggae 41 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 FRA 2 Gold 42 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 FRA Platinum 42 1997 Super Hits Jimmy Cliff 100 Pure Reggae 1999 Ultimate Collection 8Millenium 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 amp Peter Tosh J The Harder They Come The Early Years 1962 1972 Better Days Are Coming The A amp 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 4Icon 15NotesJ Best of Jimmy Cliff and The Very Best of Jimmy Cliff amp Peter Tosh charted in French Compilations Chart at number 1 and 5 respectively Singles Edit Year Title Peak positions AlbumAUS 45 46 AUT 47 BEL Vl 48 BEL Wa 43 FRA 49 50 GER 44 IRE 51 ITA NLD 36 NZ 37 SWI 39 UK 40 US 41 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 Travel1967 Give and Take I Got a Feeling That s the Way Life Goes Jimmy Cliff1970 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 891970 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 Yesterday1971 Goodbye Yesterday 30 25 Those Good Good Old Days Struggling Man Sitting in Limbo Another Cycle1972 The Harder They Come 32 The Harder They Come Struggling Man Struggling Man1973 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 Warrior1975 Every Tub If I Follow My Mind Follow My Mind1976 Look at the Mountains Dear Mother 1977 Material World Give the People What They Want Deal with Life single only1978 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 Runnings1994 Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher and Higher 52 31 Higher amp Higher1995 Hakuna Matata with Lebo M 46 6 7 77 10 32 Rhythm of the Pride Lands Melody Tempo Harmony with Bernard Lavilliers 22 6 single only1999 Ob La Di Ob La Da Humanitarian2002 Fantastic Plastic People Fantastic Plastic People2004 Jamaica Time with David A Stewart Black Magic2011 Guns of Brixton Sacred Fire EP2012 One More Rebirth2013 C mon Get Happy single onlySee also EditCaribbean 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 songwritersReferences 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 amp 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 amp The Maytals and More YouTube YouTube 5 Feb 2010 Web lt This is Ska 2 4 1964 Jimmy Cliff Prince Buster Toots amp the Maytals and more YouTube YouTube Archived from the original on 1 May 2016 Retrieved 2 December 2016 gt 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 Decouvrez de la musique des videos des concerts des stats amp 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 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 amp 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 lt BBC Four Toots and the Maytals Reggae Got Soul Archived from the original on 20 May 2016 Retrieved 2 May 2017 gt Toots amp The Maytals 15 August 2013 Toots amp The Maytals Reggae Got Soul Documentary Trailer Archived from the original on 11 May 2017 Retrieved 15 December 2016 via YouTube gt 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 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 href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link 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 classes 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 SelectJIMMY CLIFFand clickOK 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 commencant par C infodisc fr Archived from the original on 14 September 2017 Retrieved 29 April 2018 The Irish Charts All there is to know irishcharts ie Archived from the original on 2 June 2009 Retrieved 1 May 2014 External links EditOfficial website Jimmy Cliff at AllMusic Jimmy Cliff discography at Discogs Jimmy Cliff Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jimmy Cliff amp oldid 1153824352, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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