The Definitive 1000 Songs Of All Time 1955 to 2005: Number 456

Number 456

Jimmy Cliff

"Many Rivers To Cross"

(1969)

Genre:Reggae

A couple of news item that might be interest to you, Number 1 is that world is suppose to end Wednesday 10th September 2008 when a group of scientists from England try to recreate smashing atoms with their 4.5 billion dollar KMart toy. This apparently could cause a black hole and devour our solar system into it. Now that type of news really pisses me off for the reason .... i haven't completed this countdown! Seriously though, to me, if it has a 0.000000001 % of destroying Earth this Wednesday, then the answer is quite clear, it should not be allowed to happen by ANY government [Where's Bush when you actually need to get rid of WMD's?]. You could just imagine some scientist running around in his white jacket screaming "I NEED 1.21 more GIGAWATTS of power for the Flux Capacitor!

Simple Simon game?

Now for Number 2, if number 1 doesn't happen, it will give you a chance to try out GOD, sorry i mean GOOGLE Chrome web browser. The best thing about this, the Explorer, Firefox & Safari basher .. is the speed, its the best for browsing. As for editing in blogger or applications ... its a no go sorry & I find that bizarre that editing in blogger while using a Google browser [since blogger is google] is more painful than Firefox. Oh well it will just make life more interesting, using Google for browsing, use Firefox for web designing and Explorer just for blogger.com.

And Number 3? Well of course it's Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers To Cross", don't you think it's an appropriate song to see the world out? See you next Thursday!

Yuh too fass and Facety

In 1968, Island Records released Jimmy Cliff's debut album, Hard Road, swiftly following it the next year with a self-titled full-length set (retitled Wonderful World, Beautiful People for U.S release). Under any name it was a superb set, one that would further bolster Leslie Kong's reputation as the producer with the golden touch. Of all the early Jamaican label heads, it was Kong who garnered the most chart action, raising the likes of Desmond Dekker, the Maytals, and Cliff, of course, to international stardom. In the late '60s, Kong's session band, Beverley's All Stars, comprising members of Gladdy's All Stars and other local luminaries, were laying down some of the most delectable reggae to be heard on the island. Their sound, however, was buttressed with sympathetically applied symphonic overdubs, adding a further lushness to the band's own lavish style. The musicians positively glowed on this set, assisted by Cliff's own strong and infectious melodies. "Many Rivers to Cross" would later resonate across The Harder They Come movie and soundtrack, while "Wonderful World" and "Vietnam" were both destined for international chart success.
An Ozzy hat????

Many more of the album's tracks could have joined them, and in Jamaica, they did. "Suffering in the Land," "Hard Rock to Travel," (reprised from Cliff's previous set), and "Come into My Life" would all spin successfully on 45 on the island as well. As magnificent as the music was, lyrically it was arguably even stronger, with Cliff chomping at the bit to show off his talent with the pen. Sweeping across universal themes, sufferer's songs, and romance, Cliff is the master of the school of hard knocks, imparting an optimistic message of overcoming the odds with finesse. This reissue reproduces the album in full and adds another seven numbers to further sweeten the set. Some, including "Give a Little, Take a Little" and "My World Is Blue" were originally Jamaican singles; a pair of numbers -- "Those Good, Good Old Days" and "Better Days Are Coming" -- were pulled from Cliff's 1974 Struggling Man album. A clutch showcase the singer's R&B side, others his more Jamaican styling. And although a few feel a bit out of place here, recorded as they were years later, fans won't mind a bit. ~ [Jo-Ann Greene, All Music Guide]

Many Rivers To Cross

Me bleach hard lass night

This is one of the few Cliff tracks to use an organ, which helps to supplement the gospel feel provided by the backing vocalists. Cliff released the song, with production work by Leslie Kong, on his 1969 album, Jimmy Cliff. It was also released on the 1972 soundtrack album for the film The Harder They Come, in which Cliff also starred as an actor. This song has been covered by many artists on Definitive 1000 & Mellow Mix: Harry Nilsson, Joe Cocker, UB40 (gaining a Top 20 spot in the UK Singles Chart in 1983), Elvis Costello, Cher, Jimmy Barnes, Black Crowes, & Annie Lennox sang "Many Rivers to Cross" for American Idol's charity special Idol Gives Back in 2008. The performance was sold on iTunes, with proceeds going to the charity ~ [Source:wikipedia]

For more Jimmy Cliff see Number 983

For Harry Nilsson see Number 599

For Joe Cocker see Number 633

For UB40 see Number 643 & Number 857

For Elvis Costello see Number 876

For Cher see Number 889

For more Cher visit MM Vol 1 #088

For Jimmy Barnes see Number 485

For Black Crowes visit MM Vol 1 #001

For Annie Lennox visit MM Vol 1 #134

What does Rolling Stoneded think about Jimmy Cliff?

Jimmy Cliff's two best performances --both groundbreaking reggae classics --are included on the soundtrack of The Harder They Come. Twice. Apart from "You Can Get It If You Really Want It" and "The Harder They Come," the rest of Cliff's career has been devoted to a frustrated, one-sided affair with the American pop-soul mainstream. Wonderful World, Beautiful People contains his only other true contender --"Vietnam," a searingly melodic and rhythmically bold interpretation of the reluctant draftee blues. But the title track of this 1970 album exhibits the shallow sentimentality that sinks his subsequent efforts. At least "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" is catchy enough to get your attention for three minutes; Jimmy Cliff's later albums don't even get that far. Avoid the slick remakes of earlier material on In Concert: The Best of Jimmy Cliff, and stick with The Harder They Come. ~ [Source:RS - From The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]

Weak, its amazing Jimmy Cliff even made their "Greatest 500" and thats considering they chose 2 songs.

Rolling Stone magazine deemed their '456th Song of all Time' was "Stagger Lee" by Lloyd Price. Lloyd Price has not appeared in The Definitive 1000. However an alternative version is @ #701 by Nick Cave.

Other songs with reference to Jimmy Cliff #623, #643

Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs ranked this song at Number 317 and the Album ranked at (He sang more than two? no)

This song has a Definitive 1000 rating of 77 out of 108

Jimmy Cliff Many Rivers To Cross
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