- - -
Frederick "Toots" Hibbert, the leader of the group, was born in May Pen, Clarendon, Jamaica. He was the youngest of seven children. He grew up singing gospel music in a church choir, but moved to Kingston in 1958 at the age of thirteen. In Kingston, Hibbert met Henry "Raleigh" Gordon and Nathaniel "Jerry" McCarthy, forming in 1962 a group whose early recordings were incorrectly attributed to "The Flames" and "The Vikings" by Island records in the UK.
The Maytals first had chart success recording for producer Clement "Coxsone" Dodd at Studio One. With musical backing from Dodd's house band, the legendary Skatalites, the Maytals' close-harmony gospel singing ensured success, overshadowing Dodd's other up-and-coming vocal group, The Wailers. After staying at Studio One for about two years, the group moved on to do sessions for Prince Buster before recording with Byron Lee in 1965. With Lee, the Maytals won their first Festival Popular Song Competition with "Bam Bam". However, the group's musical career was interrupted in late 1966 when Hibbert was arrested and imprisoned. Toots states that he was not arrested for ganja but while bailing a friend. He also states that he made up the number 54-46 when writing 54-46 That's My Number about his time in jail.
Following Hibbert's release from jail towards the end of 1967, the Maytals began working with Chinese-Jamaican producer Leslie Kong, a collaboration a string of hits throughout the late sixties and early seventies - "Do the Reggay", a 1968 single widely credited with coining the word reggae, "Pressure Drop", "54-46" the 1969 Jamaica festival's popular song winner, "Sweet & Dandy" and "Monkey Man", the group's first international hit in 1970 . In 1972 they won their third Jamaica festival popular song with "Pomps & Pride". The group was also featured in one of reggae's greatest breakthrough events - The Harder They Come, the 1972 film and soundtrack starring Jimmy Cliff, named as one of Vanity Fair's Top 10 Best Soundtracks of all time.
Following Kong's death in 1971, the group continued to record with Kong's former sound engineer, Warwick Lyn; the group released three best-selling albums produced by Lyn and Chris Blackwell of Island Records, and enjoyed international hits with Funky Kingston in 1973 and Reggae Got Soul in 1975. Following the release of "Reggae Got Soul", Toots & The Maytals were invited to tour as the warm-up act for The Who during their North American Tour. The tour went poorly and Toots & The Maytals never went on the success of Bob Marley or Peter Tosh in the US.
Toots and the Maytals' compositions would be given a second airing in 1978-80 during the reggae-punk and ska revival period in the UK, when The Specials included "Monkey Man" on their 1979 debut album and The Clash produced their version of "Pressure Drop". They were also included in the Bob Marley and the Wailers song, *Punky Reggae Party". "The Wailers will be there, The Damned, The Jam, The Clash, The Maytals will be there, Dr. Feelgood too".
Having toured throughout the world for many years, Toots and the Maytals disbanded in the early 1980s, but reformed in the early 90s to continue touring and recording successfully. Sublime recorded cover versions of some Maytals songs in the 1990s as well.
The group recently won the 2005 Grammy award for best reggae album True Love, an album consisting of re-recorded versions of their classics alongside popular and legendary musicians such as Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, and Keith Richards, as well as popular artists today such as No Doubt, Ben Harper, The Roots, and Shaggy.
In 2006, they recorded a reggae/ska version of Radiohead's Let Down for the tribute album, Radiodread, by the Easy Star All-Stars. The album is a complete song for song makeover of the English rock band's album OK Computer into reggae, dub and ska. Let Down has been frequently cited by reviewers as one of the successes of the album.
A follow up to 2004's Love was being recorded in 2005 and released in 2007, and featured re-workings of classics such as "Johnny Cool Man" as well as new material. Light Your Light was nominated for the Grammy in the category Best Reggae Album.
Frederick Nathaniel 'Toots' Hibbert passed away September 11, 2020 at age 77.
Sweet & Dandy
The Maytals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mama say she must wipe her eye
Papa say she no fi foolish
Like she never been to school at all
It is no wonder
It's a perfect pander
While they were dancing in that bar room last night
Uncle say he must hold up him head
Aunty say she no fi foolish
Like a no time fi him wedding day
It is no wonder
It's a perfect pander
While they were dancing in that bar room last night
One pound ten for the wedding cake
Plenty bottle of cola wine
All the people them dress up in a white
Fi go eat out Johnson wedding cake
It is no wonder
It's a perfect pander
While they were dancing in that bar room last night, yeah, yeah
Etty in the room a cry
Mama say she must wipe her eye
Papa say she no fi foolish
Like she never been to school at all
It is no wonder
It's a perfect pander
While they were dancing in that bar room last night
Johnson in the room afret
Uncle say he must hold up him head
Aunty say she no fi foolish
Like a no time fi him wedding day
It is no wonder
It's a perfect pander
While they were dancing in that bar room last night
One pound ten for the wedding cake
Plenty bottle of cola wine
All the people them dress up in a white
Fi go eat out Johnson wedding cake
It is no wonder
It's a perfect pander
While they were dancing in that bar room last night, yeah, yeah
Yeah there was sweet and dandy
Sweet and dandy
Sweet and dandy
Sweet and dandy
Sweet and dandy
Sweet and dandy
Sweet and dandy
Oh, sweet and dandy
There was sweet and dandy
There was sweet and dandy
There was sweet and dandy
There was sweet and dandy
There was sweet and dandy, sweet and dandy
Sweet and dandy, sweet and dandy
The Maytals' Sweet & Dandy is a cheerful and infectious song that describes the celebration of a wedding. The lyrics depict two characters, Etty and Johnson, who are getting married and their families' reactions to the wedding. The first verse focuses on Etty, who is crying because she is getting married. Her parents comfort her by telling her that she should not be foolish, as if she had not attended school. The second verse focuses on Johnson, who is nervous about the wedding. His uncle tells him to hold his head up high and his aunt warns him to not act foolishly because this is the most important day of his life. The chorus reinforces the idea that the wedding is a sweet and dandy affair, with everybody dressed up in white and eating cake and drinking cola wine.
The song's upbeat rhythm and catchy melody express the joy and happiness of the occasion. The lyrics, with their Jamaican patois and references to local customs, give the song a distinct cultural identity. The message of the song is simple and optimistic: that weddings are happy events that bring families and friends together.
Line by Line Meaning
Etty in the room a cry
Etty is in the room crying
Mama say she must wipe her eye
Etty's mother tells her to wipe her eye
Papa say she no fi foolish
Etty's father tells her not to be foolish
Like she never been to school at all
Her father implies that she did not learn anything in school
It is no wonder
It's not surprising
It's a perfect pander
It's a perfect way to please others
While they were dancing in that bar room last night
While they were dancing in the bar room last night
Johnson in the room afret
Johnson is in the room is nervous
Uncle say he must hold up him head
Johnson's uncle tells him to hold up his head
Aunty say she no fi foolish
Johnson's aunt tells him not to be foolish
Like a no time fi him wedding day
She implies that it's not Johnson's wedding day
One pound ten for the wedding cake
The wedding cake costs one pound ten
Plenty bottle of cola wine
There are plenty of bottles of cola wine
All the people them dress up in a white
All the people are dressed in white
Fi go eat out Johnson wedding cake
They are going to eat Johnson's wedding cake
While they were dancing in that bar room last night, yeah, yeah
While they were dancing in the bar room last night, yes, yes
Yeah there was sweet and dandy
Yes, it was pleasant and lovely
Sweet and dandy
Pleasant and lovely
Oh, sweet and dandy
Oh, it was very pleasant and lovely
There was sweet and dandy
It was pleasant and lovely
Sweet and dandy, sweet and dandy
Pleasant and lovely, pleasant and lovely
Sweet and dandy, sweet and dandy
Pleasant and lovely, pleasant and lovely
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FREDERICK HIBBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@redsunlebeau7587
As a Native American from the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming I have alot of appreciation for these Jamaican Legends "Toots and the Maytals"..They possess Immense energetic music aswell as in their soul they are kings of kings From one Native to Another ...✌
@glenbellefonte9620
Hey how are ya hey how are ya
@kaydenpat
Beautifully said!!
@chrisarchard2009
Shout out from Wapiti, Wyoming
@mayalunics4740
Peace and Power brother
@byrondoman4403
@@chrisarchard2009 much love from yaad jamaica
@RalphDratman
One of the most fantastic songs ever, anywhere.
The best of the best.
@cece221091
I love this. This takes me back to blown glass fish and a huge punch bowl n glasses on the bar next to the pineapple shaped ice cube box, whilst sitting on a sofa that’s in the best room that was covered in plastic and the walls all decked out with 3D God pictures. 😂😂😂
@RalphDratman
@@cece221091 Beautiful recollection!
@cece221091
@@RalphDratman we would sneak into the best room at my friends house and play her dads records and one of us was on the lookout duty for her parents coming back from Church because believe me if we got caught we’d all be sorry 😂😂