In Kingston, he met Henry "Raleigh" Gordon and Nathaniel "Jerry" McCarthy, forming a group whose early recordings were attributed to "The Flames" and, possibly, "The Vikings". Having renamed the group the Maytals, the vocal trio recorded their first album, "Never Grow Old - presenting the Maytals", for producer Clement "Coxsone" Dodd at Studio One in 1962-63. With musical backing from Dodd's house band, the legendary Skatalites, the Maytals' close-harmony gospel singing ensured instant success for the 1964 release, overshadowing Dodd's other up-and-coming gospel trio, The Wailers. The original album augmented by studio out-takes from the Studio One sessions was re-released by Heartbeat/Rounder Records in 1997, and is essential listening for Maytals and Skatalites fans.
After staying at Studio One for about two years, the group moved on to do sessions for Prince Buster (released in 1974) before recording their second album produced by Byron Lee in 1965. However, the band's musical career was rudely interrupted in late 1966 when Hibbert was arrested and imprisoned on drugs possession charges.
Following Hibbert's release from jail towards the end of 1967, the band officially changed their name to Toots and the Maytals and began working with Chinese-Jamaican producer Leslie Kong, a collaboration which produced three classic albums and 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 was my number" and "Monkey Man", the group's first international hit in 1970. The group was featured in one of reggae's greatest breakthrough events - The Harder They Come, the 1972 film and soundtrack starring Jimmy Cliff.
Following Kong's death in 1971, the group continued to record with Kong's former sound engineer, Warwick Lyn; produced by Lyn and Chris Blackwell of Island Records, the group released three best-selling albums, and enjoyed international hits with "Funky Kingston" in 1973 and "Reggae Got Soul" in 1976.
The compositions of Toots & the Maytals (also known as Toots and the Maytals) 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", with other Maytals' covers being recorded by Sublime. 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.
The band recently won the 2005 Grammy award for reggae for the 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.
They also contributed to the album 'Radiodread' (a tribute to Radiohead's OK Computer).
Revival Reggae
Toots & The Maytals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You go lovin', yeah tou got lovin'
written down there
It was written down there
It was written down
That is love, that is love
That is love, love, love eternally
You got lovin', I know that you got lovin'
You got lovin', lovin', lovin', you got lovin'
The lyrics to Toots & The Maytals's song Revival Reggae talk about the power of love and how it is eternal. The repetition of the phrase "You got lovin', yeah you got lovin'" emphasizes the importance of love and how it can change the world. The line "It was written down there, It was written down" could signify that the concept of love has been around for a long time and has been written about in various religious texts or historical documents. The chorus "That is love, that is love" reinforces the idea that love is a universal concept that can bring people together regardless of their differences.
Furthermore, the line "You got lovin', I know that you got lovin'" suggests that the singer is encouraging someone to share their love with the world. The repetition of the word "lovin'" at the end of the song highlights the importance of spreading love and the positive impact it can have on society.
Overall, Revival Reggae is a powerful tribute to the power of love and how it can lead to positive change in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
You got lovin', yeah you got lovin' yeah yeah
You possess an abundance of love that is undeniable and consistent.
You go lovin', yeah tou got lovin' written down there
Your love is ingrained within you and evident in all that you do.
It was written down there
Your love is a part of who you are and cannot be separated from you.
That is love, that is love
Your affection is a genuine and true representation of love.
That is love, that is love
Your love holds value and meaning beyond superficiality.
That is love, love, love eternally
Your love is everlasting and transcends time.
You got lovin', I know that you got lovin'
Your love is undeniable and known to all those around you.
You got lovin', lovin', lovin', you got lovin'
Your love is abundant, continuous, and never ending.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FREDERICK HIBBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind