Jamaican ska vocal group The Maytals became a reggae band in 1971, renamed … Read Full Bio ↴Jamaican ska vocal group The Maytals became a reggae band in 1971, renamed Toots and The Maytals with Toots Hibbert (Frederick Nathaniel Hibbert) as front figure. The band won a 2005 Grammy award for the album True Love. Funky Kingston in early 70s is on Rolling Stone's list The Greatest Albums of All Time. The bass line in "54-46" is one of the most covered in pop music. Songs such as "Monkey Man", "Pressure Drop", "Bam Bam", among others, made them favorites for the early skinhead movement of white working-class youth in UK.

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.

If Must Be True Love
Toots and The Maytals Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When you feel like loving
I feel like loving too
When you feel like kissing
I feel like kissing too

When you feel like dancing
I feel like dancing with you
And this must be true

True love

Tell me that you love me
'Cause I'm in love with you
Although it's the first time I met you
I feel like kissing with you

Just tell me that you love me
'Cause I'm in love with you
And this must be true
True love

Tell me that you love me
'Cause I'm in love with you
I've been kind you told me
You will love no one but me

Though it's the first time I met you
I feel like kissing with you
This must be true
True love

Tell me that you love me
'Cause I'm in love with you
I've been kind you told me
You will love no one but me

Just when you feel like kissing
I feel like kissing with you
And this must be true
True love

This must be true
True love

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Toots and The Maytals' song, "It Must Be True Love," speak to the inexplicable feeling of love and the desire to reciprocate the love felt by another. The singer conveys that when the person they love feels like loving, kissing and dancing, they feel the same way. The repetition of the phrase, "this must be true, true love," emphasizes the intensity of the emotions experienced.

The song is a declaration of love, and the singer implores their loved one to verbalize their feelings, stating that they are in love with them, despite it being the first time they met. The singer seems to be responding to the kindness and assurance of their loved one, who promised to love no one else but them. The repetition of the phrase, "just tell me that you love me," conveys the urgent need for affirmation.

Overall, Toots and The Maytals' song, "It Must Be True Love," depicts the powerful sense of unity and mutual feeling that comes with falling in love. The lyrics illustrate the inexplicable, yet unmistakable attraction and connection between two people.

Line by Line Meaning

When you feel like loving I feel like loving too
I share your feelings of love and desire

When you feel like kissing I feel like kissing too
I share your physical desires and want to be close to you

When you feel like dancing I feel like dancing with you And this must be true True love
I am willing to join you in any activity, and this mutual interest signifies true love between us

Tell me that you love me 'Cause I'm in love with you Although it's the first time I met you I feel like kissing with you
Despite the short time we've known each other, I am head over heels for you and want to express my love physically

Just tell me that you love me 'Cause I'm in love with you And this must be true True love
I need to know that your feelings for me are reciprocated, as they are so strong within me, and this is the hallmark of true love

I've been kind you told me You will love no one but me Though it's the first time I met you I feel like kissing with you This must be true True love
You have promised your loyalty and love to me exclusively, and even though we've just met, I feel the same way, which means our love is genuine and true

Just when you feel like kissing I feel like kissing with you And this must be true True love This must be true True love
Our mutual physical attraction and desire to be close is a clear sign that our love is genuine and true

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FREDERICK HIBBERT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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