Born in Cuba of mixed Cuban and Jamaican descent, Aitken and his family settled in Jamaica in 1938. After an early career working for the Jamaican Tourist Board singing mento songs for visitors arriving at Kingston Harbour, he became a popular nightclub entertainer. His first recordings in the late 1950s were mento tunes such as "Nebuchnezer", "Sweet Chariot" (aka the gospel classic "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot") and "Baba Kill Me Goat". Aitken's 1958 single "Boogie in My Bones"/"Little Sheila" was one of the first records produced by Chris Blackwell and the first Jamaican popular music record to be released in the United Kingdom. Other more Jamaican rhythm and blues orientated singles from this period include "Low Down Dirty Girl" and "More Whisky" both produced by Duke Reid.
Aitken moved to Brixton, London, in 1960 and recorded for the Blue Beat label, releasing fifteen singles before returning to Jamaica in 1963. He recorded for Duke Reid, with backing from the Skatalites on tracks such as "Zion" and "Weary Wanderer", before returning to the UK, where he began working with Pama Records. He recorded hits such as "Fire in Mi Wire" and "Landlord and Tenants", which led to a wider recognition outside of Jamaica and the UK. This cemented his position as one of ska's leading artists and earned him the nicknames The Godfather of Ska, and later Boss Skinhead. He gained a loyal following not only among the West Indian community, but also among mods, skinheads and other ska fans. He had hit records in the United Kingdom and other countries in the 1950s through to the 1970s on labels such as Blue Beat, Pama, Trojan, Rio, Dr. Bird, Nu-Beat, Ska-Beat,Hot Lead and Dice. Some of his singles featured B-sides credited to his brother, guitarist Bobby Aitken. Aitken also recorded a few talk-over/deejay tracks under the guise of 'King Horror', such as "Loch Ness Monster", "Dracula, Prince of Darkness", and "The Hole". Aitken settled in Leicester with his wife in 1970. His output slowed in the 1970s and during this period he worked as an entertainer in nightclubs and restaurants in the area including the popular 'Costa Brava Restaurant' in Leicester under his real name Lorenzo. In 1980, with ska enjoying a resurgence in the wake of the 2 Tone movement, Aitken had his only success in the UK Singles Chart with "Rudi Got Married" (#60) released on I-Spy Records (the label created and managed by Secret Affair. Aitken's career took in mento/calypso, R&B, ska, rock steady, and reggae, and in the 1990s he even turned his talents to dancehall. He performed occasional concerts almost until his death from a heart attack in 2005. After a long campaign, a blue plaque in his honour was put up at his Leicester home in 2007. Punk band Rancid cover's Aitken's Everybody Suffering on their 2014 LP Honor Is All We Know
Laurel Aitken (April 22, 1927 - July 17, 2005) became famous as one of the originators of Jamaican ska music in the late 1950s.
Aitken was born as Lorenzo Aitken in Cuba, and is the brother of singer Bobby Aitken. He moved to England in the 1960s, and had a loyal following among Skinheads and other ska fans. He had massive hits in the 1950s through 1970s, while recording for Blue Beat Records, Pama Records and Trojan Records. He recorded one of the earliest ska records, the double A-sided Boogie in My Bones / Little Sheila (1958). It was the first record on producer Chris Blackwell's Island Records label.
Aitken, who is known as "The Godfather of Ska", made his home in Leicester UK and performed live almost until his death. He suffered from a serious illness following a heart attack about a year before he died. He died from a heart attack in Leicester, UK on July 17, 2005.
Baby I Need Your Loving
Laurel Aitken Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby i need your loving
Baby i need your loving
Although you′re never near
Your voice i often hear
Another day, another night
'Cause i′m so lonely
Baby, i need your loving
Got to have all your loving
Baby, i need your loving
Got to have all your loving
Some say it's a sign of weakness
For a man to cry
Then weak i'd rather be
If it means havin′ you to keep
′Cause lately i've been losin′ sleep
Baby, i need your loving
Got to have all your loving
Baby, i need your loving
Got to have all your loving
I love you
I need you
I love you
I need you and i want you, baby
I love you and i want you, baby
I need you and i want you, baby
I love you and i want you, baby
I need you and i want you, baby
When you see me smiling
You know
Things have gotten worse
Any smile you might see
Has all been rehearsed
Darlin', i can′t go on without you
This emptiness inside me won't let me live without you
This loneliness inside me darlin′
Makes me feel not alive, oh baby
Baby, i need your loving
Got to have all your loving
Baby, i need your loving
Got to have all your loving
Baby, i need your loving
Got to have all your loving
Baby, i need your loving
Got to have all your loving
The song "Baby I Need Your Loving" by Laurel Aitken is a love song that expresses the intense longing and desire for the presence of a loved one. The singer confesses that even when the love interest is not physically present, their voice can still be heard, and the desire to hold them tight becomes stronger. The singer is honest about their emotional vulnerability, declaring that for the sake of having this person, they do not mind being weak or crying. They describe struggling to sleep and feeling an emptiness inside when this person is not around. This song is a plea to the loved one to return and to fill the emotional void that the singer is experiencing. The repetition of the phrase "Baby, I need your loving, got to have all your loving" emphasizes the urgency and desperation of the singer's need for their loved one.
In addition to being a love song, "Baby I Need Your Loving" is a tribute to the Motown sound and its influence on popular music. Written by the legendary Motown songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, the song was originally recorded by the Four Tops in 1964 and became a hit. Laurel Aitken's cover of the song in 1983 shows a blending of genres with reggae and Motown influences. Aitken's version features a strong, driving bassline and harmonizing background vocals that give the song a rhythmic and upbeat tone, despite the sad lyrics. The song is a testament to the universality of love and loss and how different genres can speak to and draw from each other to create something new and powerful.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby i need your loving
The singer is expressing his desire for the love of a specific person
Although you′re never near
The person the singer desires is not physically present
Your voice i often hear
The singer is frequently reminded of the person by hearing their voice
Another day, another night
The singer is constantly thinking of the person he desires
I long to hold you tight
The singer wants to physically be close to the person he desires
'Cause i′m so lonely
The singer is feeling lonely without the love of the desired person
Got to have all your loving
The singer is emphasizing his strong desire to have the love of the desired person
Some say it's a sign of weakness
The singer acknowledges that some people see expressing vulnerability as a weakness
For a man to cry
The singer is specifically referring to the vulnerability of crying as seen as weak for men
Then weak i'd rather be
The singer is willing to express his emotions and appear weak if it means having the love of the desired person
If it means havin′ you to keep
The singer believes that having the love of the desired person is worth being vulnerable and risking appearing weak
′Cause lately i've been losin′ sleep
The singer's lack of the love of the desired person is causing him to lose sleep
I love you
The singer explicitly states his love for the desired person
I need you
The singer explicitly states his need for the love of the desired person
And i want you, baby
The singer expresses his desire for the physical and emotional presence of the desired person
When you see me smiling
The singer is hiding his true emotions and pretending to be happy when he is not
You know things have gotten worse
The singer is suggesting that his outward happiness is a sign that he is actually feeling worse
Any smile you might see
The singer is suggesting that any smiles he offers are not genuine
Has all been rehearsed
The singer is intentionally faking his smiles and emotions
Darlin', i can′t go on without you
The singer is dependent on the love of the desired person and cannot function without it
This emptiness inside me won't let me live without you
The singer is expressing how much he needs the love of the desired person to feel complete
This loneliness inside me darlin′
The singer is feeling lonely and incomplete without the love of the desired person
Makes me feel not alive, oh baby
The singer is suggesting that the lack of love is causing him to feel dead or lifeless
Writer(s): Laurel Aitken
Contributed by Elizabeth P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Terry Middlemiss
a truly great reggae / soul winner
chylogurti
He lives a mile from me and in the lean years he played piano and sang at the Costa Brava restaurant on St Mathew's Estate in Leicester, Then he re-Emerged as the God Father of Ska. Great MEMORIES
Paula Jordan
chylogurti i too live leicester :-) he has a blue plaque where he lived, what a song my leicester bredren :-) ♥♡★★★★★
ALBERTO GARCÍA
Que bonita!!
skalabaloo
God, I am glad I found this song.
Julia García Maestro
Magnifica
123gogary
is this track on this LP ?