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.
Loving Spirit
Toots and The Maytals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let me ask you about something brother
Can you feel it? Yes, I feel it
Can you feel that spirit now? Yes, I feel it
Though he washed my people's slate
And he make it white as snow
He plant his footsteps on the sea
So consecrate this now
I say, I got the loving spirit deep down in my soul
I say, I feel the loving spirit deep down in my soul
This is such a situation deep down in my soul
Can you feel it? Yes, I feel it
Can you feel the spirit? Yes, I feel it
In the song "Loving Spirit" by Toots and The Maytals, the lyrics refer to the presence of the "loving spirit" deep down in the singer's soul. The lyrics are open to interpretation and could perhaps refer to a spiritual awakening or the feeling of being in love. The reference to "washing my people's slate" and making it "white as snow" could be interpreted as a reference to salvation or redemption.
The lyrics also make references to the power of this "loving spirit," suggesting that it has the ability to "ride upon a star" and "plant his footsteps on the sea." This imagery further reinforces the idea of a higher power that is present within the singer's soul, and the idea that this power is both otherworldly and omnipotent.
Overall, the lyrics of "Loving Spirit" express a feeling of connectedness and a sense of something greater than oneself. The song encourages listeners to tap into this "loving spirit" and to embrace the power of love and spirituality in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I say, I feel the loving spirit deep down in my soul
I express that I experience a profound sense of love and positivity within me.
Let me ask you about something brother
Can I inquire about something from you, my friend?
Can you feel it? Yes, I feel it
Are you able to sense what I'm speaking about? Yes, I'm able to sense it.
Can you feel that spirit now? Yes, I feel it
Can you experience that feeling of affection and trust at present? Yes, I can feel it.
Though he washed my people's slate
Even though he purged the past sins of my community
And he make it white as snow
and made our consciences pure and unblemished like snow.
He plant his footsteps on the sea
He left his footprints on the sea.
And he rides upon a star
And he travels on a celestial body.
So consecrate this now
Therefore, let's make this sacred and devote ourselves to it right now.
I say, I got the loving spirit deep down in my soul
I'm affirming that I possess an intense affectionate, trusting feeling within me.
This is such a situation deep down in my soul
This is a circumstance that profoundly affects me on a personal level.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FREDERICK HIBBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind