Toots and The Maytals are from Kingston, Jamaica. It was the producer Byron Lee who 1971 renamed them Toots & the Maytals. Frederick "Toots" Hibbert, the leader of the group and the lead singer, was born in May Pen in the Parish of Clarendon, Jamaica. He was the youngest of seven children. He grew up singing gospel music in a church choir, but moved to Kingston in 1961 at the age of sixteen.
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 drug possession charges.
Following Hibbert's release from jail towards the end of 1967, the band 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" 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.
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", 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.
In 2005, the band won a Grammy award for best reggae album for True Love, consisting of re-recorded versions of their classics alongside legendary musicians such as Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, and Keith Richards, as well as popular artists such as No Doubt, Ben Harper, The Roots, and Shaggy.
They also contributed to the Easy Star All-Stars album 'Radiodread' (a dub tribute to Radiohead's OK Computer).
In 2016 Toots and the Maytals announced a return to the stage with their first tour in 3 years,[35] and on June 15 at The Observatory North Park in San Diego the group returned to the stage for the first time since 2013.
In 2017 Toots and the Maytals played Coachella Fest April 16 and 23 at 4:20 pm. They became the second reggae-based group to perform at the Coachella festival, after Chronixx in 2016.
In 2018, Toots and the Maytals launched a 50th anniversary tour with concert appearances in North America from April to August, moving to dates in the UK starting in October.
On July 25, 2018 Toots and the Maytals debuted an original song entitled "Marley" live on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and also played the classic "Funky Kingston".
On August 24, 2018 Toots and the Maytals performed at Lockn’ Festival in Arrington, Virginia, where guest Taj Mahal accompanied them on the song “Monkey Man”.
Frontman "Toots" Hibbert died on 12 September 2020.
I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Toots and The Maytals Lyrics
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'Bout your plans to make me blue
With some other guy you knew before
Between the two of us guys
You know I loved you more
It took me by surprise I must say
When I found out yesterday
Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine
Oh I heard it through the grapevine
Oh I'm just about to lose my mind
Honey, honey yeah.
I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine baby
I know a man ain't supposed to cry
But these tears I can't hold inside
Losin' you would end my life you see
'Cause you mean that much to me
You could have told me yourself
That you loved some one else
Instead I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine
Oh, I heard it through the grapevine
And I'm just about to lose my mind
Honey, honey yeah
I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine, baby
People say believe half of what you see
Son and none of what you hear
But I can't help but be confused
If it's true please tell me dear
Do you plan to let me go
For the other guy you loved before?
Don't you know I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine, baby yeah
I heard it through the grapevine
I'm just about to love my mind
Honey, honey, yeah
I heard it through the grapevine,
Not much longer would you be mine, baby yeah
The lyrics to Toots and The Maytals' song "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" tell the story of a man who learns from rumors and hearsay that his partner is planning to leave him for another man. He expresses his surprise and hurt, as well as his deep love for her. The song explores themes of betrayal, heartbreak, and the pain of being kept in the dark.
The opening lines, "I bet you're wonderin' how I knew / 'Bout your plans to make me blue / With some other guy you knew before" reveal that the singer has discovered his partner's intentions to leave him for someone else. He then declares his love for her, saying, "Between the two of us guys / You know I loved you more." The revelation of this betrayal is a shock for him, as he exclaims, "It took me by surprise I must say / When I found out yesterday."
Throughout the song, the singer expresses his anguish and how he is "just about to lose my mind" over the situation. He acknowledges the societal expectation for men not to show their emotions, but declares that losing his partner would be devastating for him because she means so much to him. He laments, "You could have told me yourself / That you loved some one else / Instead I heard it through the grapevine."
In the final verse, the singer expresses his confusion and seeks clarity from his partner. He questions if she plans to let him go for the other man she loved before. The lyrics reflect his struggle to come to terms with the impending end of their relationship, as he pleads for her to be honest with him.
Line by Line Meaning
I bet you're wonderin' how I knew
You must be curious about how I found out
'Bout your plans to make me blue
About your intentions to make me sad
With some other guy you knew before
You have become involved with another man from your past
Between the two of us guys
Amongst the two of us men
You know I loved you more
You should know that my love for you was greater
It took me by surprise I must say
It completely shocked me, I must admit
When I found out yesterday
When I discovered this information just yesterday
Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine
Are you not aware that I received this information through unofficial channels
Not much longer would you be mine
It won't be much longer until you are no longer mine
Oh I heard it through the grapevine
Oh, I received this information through unofficial channels
Oh I'm just about to lose my mind
Oh, I'm on the verge of losing my sanity
Honey, honey yeah.
Darling, darling, yes
I heard it through the grapevine
I received this information through unofficial channels
Not much longer would you be mine baby
Soon, you won't be mine anymore, baby
I know a man ain't supposed to cry
I understand that it is not expected for a man to cry
But these tears I can't hold inside
However, I cannot contain these tears
Losin' you would end my life you see
Losing you would be the end of my life, you understand
'Cause you mean that much to me
Because you mean so much to me
You could have told me yourself
You could have personally informed me
That you loved some one else
That you had feelings for someone else
Instead I heard it through the grapevine
Instead, I learned it through unofficial channels
Not much longer would you be mine
It won't be much longer until you are no longer mine
Oh, I heard it through the grapevine
Oh, I received this information through unofficial channels
And I'm just about to lose my mind
And I'm on the verge of losing my sanity
Honey, honey yeah
Darling, darling yes
I heard it through the grapevine
I received this information through unofficial channels
Not much longer would you be mine, baby
Soon, you won't be mine anymore, baby
People say believe half of what you see
People often advise to trust only half of what you witness
Son and none of what you hear
My child, and none of what you hear
But I can't help but be confused
However, I cannot help but feel perplexed
If it's true please tell me dear
If it's true, please inform me, my dear
Do you plan to let me go
Are you intending to release me
For the other guy you loved before?
In favor of the other man you previously loved?
Don't you know I heard it through the grapevine
Are you not aware that I received this information through unofficial channels
Not much longer would you be mine, baby yeah
Soon, you won't be mine anymore, baby, yeah
I heard it through the grapevine
I received this information through unofficial channels
I'm just about to love my mind
I'm on the verge of losing my sanity
Honey, honey, yeah
Darling, darling, yes
I heard it through the grapevine
I received this information through unofficial channels
Not much longer would you be mine, baby yeah
Soon, you won't be mine anymore, baby, yeah
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Tratore, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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