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.

We Shall Overcome
Toots and The Maytals Lyrics

We have lyrics for 'We Shall Overcome' by these artists:

Angelo Kelly & Family What shall we bring You LORD For all the good You've…
Anthony Hamilton & The Blind Boys Of Alabama Deep in my heart I do believe We shall overcome some…
Anthony Hamilton Joss Stone The Blind Boys of Alabama & Mary Mary and John Legend Deep in my heart I do believe We shall overcome some…
Ben Branch & The Operation Breadbasket Orchestra & Choir 1. There´s a battle cry being sounded near By the royal…
Bishop Paul S. Morton Sr. & The Greater St. Stephen Mass Choir We shall overcome We shall overcome We shall overcome Someda…
Bruce Springsteen We shall overcome, we shall overcome We shall overcome somed…
Bruce Springsteen with the Sessions Band Hey we shall overcome, we shall overcome We shall overcome …
C. J. Johnson We shall overcome We shall overcome We shall overcome Someda…
Christopher & Michael Drop that long face! C'mon have your fling Why keep nursing …

Dorothy Cotton Freedom Singers & Pete Seeger We shall overcome, We shall overcome, We shall overcome, s…
Gospel Choir 1. There´s a battle cry being sounded near By the royal…
Gustav Dear fellow citizens Dear fellow occupants Dears sisters i…
Guy and Candie Carawan The odds were a hundred to one against me The world…
Guy Carawan Frank Hamilton Zilphia Horton Pete Seeger & Cleveland J. Jefferson Fullness of glory surrounds me With mercy and grace from on…
Joan Baez WE SHALL OVERCOME Words and Music by Zilphia Hart., Frank…
Jr. Brown VERSE 1 God is our refuge God is our strength God…
León Gieco/Pete Seeger We shall overcome We shall overcome We shall overcome, some …
London Community Gospel Choir We shall overcome, We shall overcome, We shall overcome, s…
Louis Armstrong We shall overcome, we shall overcome, We shall overcome som…
Lyndon B. Johnson We shall overcome, We shall overcome, We shall overcome, s…
Mahalia Jackson We shall overcome, yeah Lord I know We shall overcome, one…
Martin Luther King, Jr. We shall overcome We shall overcome (There's a little song w…
Mary Travers/Noel Paul Stookey/Peter Yarrow We shall overcome, we shall overcome, We shall overcome some…
N.K.O.T.R Chorus burn it up like fire turn it up a…
Nahko & Medicine for the People I'm on the verge of everything Been lookin to be surrenderin…
Nahko and Medicine for the People Maybe I'm not here to be a superstar after all Maybe…
Nahko and MFTP Maybe I'm not here to be a superstar after all Maybe…
NOTTY -D Conquerors conquerors Yes we are more than conquerors Throug…
Pete Seeger We shall overcome We shall overcome We shall overcome, some …
Pete Seeger & Tao Rodriguez-Seeger We shall overcome, We shall overcome, We shall overcome, s…
Pete Seeger and Tao Rodriguez-Seeger We shall overcome, We shall overcome, We shall overcome, som…
Peter Paul & Mary We shall overcome, we shall overcome, We shall overcome some…
Preservation Hall Jazz Band We shall overcome, We shall overcome, We shall overcome, som…
Seattle Men's Chorus I've been holding back my rhyme to long, Let it go…
Serge Utgé-Royo We Shall Overcome We shall overcome We shall overcome We sh…
Statues On Fire WHAT'S WRONG? EVERYONE IS AKSING ME WHY ARE YOU SO…
Stranger & Gladdy We shall overcome We shall overcome We shall overcome Some d…
Supertones The O.C. I've been holding back my rhyme to long, Let it go…
Tao Rodriguez-Seeger We shall overcome, We shall overcome, We shall overcome, som…
The Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Choir 1. There´s a battle cry being sounded near By the royal…
The Brothers Four We shall overcome We shall overcome We shall overcome, some …
The Freak Scene It is the responsibility of every Single member of these Uni…
The Freedom Singers We shall overcome, We shall overcome, We shall overcome, s…
The Freedom Singers & Friends Chorus burn it up like fire turn it up a…
The Montgomery Gospel Trio The Nashville Quartet and Guy Carawan Cold chills, prison cells Locked in, bars of steel Leave my …
The O.C. Supertones I've been holding back my rhyme to long, Let it go…
The Sessions Band/Bruce Springsteen We shall overcome, we shall overcome We shall overcome somed…
The SNCC Freedom Singers We shall overcome, We shall overcome, We shall overcome, s…
The SNCC Freedom Singers w/ Dorothy Cotton & Pete Seeger We shall overcome We shall overcome We shall overcome, some …
Tommy Eden & The Gospel Choir 1. There´s a battle cry being sounded near By the royal…
Various Artists Mahalia Jackson---We Shall Overcome We shall overcome, we s…
we shall overcome - the brothers four We shall overcome We shall overcome We shall overcome, some …
[unknown] We shall overcome We shall overcome, we shall overcome We s…

We have lyrics for these tracks by Toots and The Maytals:

08. Reggae got soul Reggae got soul Got so much soul Listen to the…
54 I said, yeah (I said, yeah) Listen what I say (listen…
54 46 That's My Number I said yeah, listen what I say I said hear me…
54 46 Was My Number I said, yeah (I said, yeah) Listen what I say (listen…
54-46 That I said yeah, listen what I say I said hear me…
54-46 That's My Number I said, yeah (I said, yeah) Listen what I say (listen…
54-46 Was My Number Feat. Jeff Beck I said yeah, listen what I say I said hear me…
54.46 That's My Number I said, yeah (I said, yeah) Listen what I say (listen…
64-46 Was My Number I said yeah (I said yeah), listen what I say…
African Doctor You can stay in the dark, brother You can stay in…
Alidina Alidina, go out and do the work Alright alright Alidina,…
Are You Mine I want to see your face in every kind of…
B FOR BUTTER Do, do, do, do, do, oh, oh, oh Fret not for…
Back to the island Well, I hope you understand I just gotta go back…
Bam Bam Ah? I want you to know that I am the man…
Beautiful Woman Yeah she's such a beautiful woman And she has so many…
Bla Bla Bla I called my baby to the breakfast table My baby calls…
Blame On Me Ever since the lucky night I found you I've hung around…
Broadway Jungle Come on live a little Broadway Broadway One last stop in…
Canary in a Coalmine First to fall over when the atmosphere is less than…
Careless Ethiopians So much carless Ethiopians Have gone astray So much carless …
Celia Hey, Celia, Celia Oh Celia, you Celia I left my home for…
Chatty Chatty told you a little secret that you should not tell…
Country Road Listen Almost heaven, West Jamaica True ridge mountains Shi…
Daddy You're my love You're my angel You're the girl of my dreams …
Dilly Dally If you dilly dally (x3) ...then you're gonna be late You he…
Do the Reggay I got a rich one (yeah) Do you love me? (yeah) Do…
Do You Remember Oh, give me something to remember you by When you are…
Doctor Lester You can stay in the dark, brother You can stay in…
Don't Bother Me You ain't gonna bother me no more Nohow Love just goes so…
Don't Trouble Bam, Bam Ah I want you to know that I am the…
Dreams to Remember I've got dreams Dreams to remember I've got dreams Dreams to…
Du Du Wap I got a rich one (yeah) Do you love me? (yeah) Do…
Feel Free Make you feel free Make you feel free Something hidden i…
Feel So Good As I was walking on Orange Street, I feel so…
Fever Never know how much I love you Never know how much…
Funky Funky Everybody, give it to me, uh Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey Hey,…
Funky Kingston Everybody, give it to me huh Hey Hey Hey I want you…
Gee Whiz Oh no, I never believe you Oh no, I didn't recieve…
Get Up Stand Up Get up now, Get up, stand up now Get up now, get…
Give Peace a Chance Two, one two three four Everybody's talking about Bagism, Sh…
Go Jimmy Go The day is done (The day is done) The night is through (The…
Gold & Silver All over this world Desolate All over creation Desolate …
Gold and Silver All over this world Desolate All over creation Desolate Mmm …
Gone With The Wind Gone (x4) With the wind Say something is wrong with this wor…
Gonna Need Somebody Every morning, every night you make me cry Just because you…
Got to Be There Lord I must know If you've been weeping and wailing Naughty,…
Got To Feel It Got to, got to, got to Sure I saw you walking…
Guns Of Navarone Guns of Navarone Guns, guns of Navarone Music and your sin…
Hallelujah Once I was bound By the name of J-E-S-U-S To V-I-C-T-O-R-Y I…
Hard to handle Hey there, here I am I'm the man on the scene I…
Having A Party Talk about a party party Everybody sing party party Everybod…
Hey Jude Hey Jude, don't make it bad Take a sad song and…
i can I know we can make it if you don't break…
I Feel Alright As I was walking on Orange Street, I feel so…
I Gotta Woman I am A Woman I am a woman I have my knees Sometimes…
I Heard It Through The Grapevine I bet you're wonderin' how I knew 'Bout your plans to…
I know I know we can make it if you don't break…
I Need Your Love We were married on a rainy day The sky was yellow And…
I See You Yeah I'm gonna sit right down and cry over you I'm gonna…
I Shall Be Free I know, oh yes, I know, I know, oh yes,…
I'll Never Grow Old I will never grow old No I'll never I'll never I'll never I'…
If Must Be True Love When you feel like loving I feel like loving too When you…
In The Dark Riddle me this, riddle me this Riddle me, riddle me that I…
Inside Outside Inside, outside Inside, outside Inside and out When I f…
It Got to, got to, got to Sure I saw you walking…
It Must Be True Love When you feel like loving I feel like loving too When you…
It's No Use How did I know that the warmth of the glow…
It's You It's you (x4) Yeah yeah, it's you, it's you And I got…
Johnny Coolman They call me Johnny Cool Man They call me Johnny Cool…
Just Like That Yeah, yeah yeah yeah Just Like That Just Like That You are …
Just Tell Me Just tell me that you really love me true Then I…
Knock on Wood I don't want to lose the good thing that I've…
Know Me Good You sure do know me Know me, know me, know me,…
Koo Koo Koo, Koo, you have me in the corner, baby Hey, hey,…
Let Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Just like that Let's get it together …
Light U Light Shining Light Shining light in the valley Shining Light Shin…
Living in the Ghetto Some of the rich men get their riches from the…
Louie Louie Louie, Louie, oh baby, I gotta go Yi, yi, yi, yi,…
Love and Happiness Love and happiness But wait a minute, something's going wron…
Love Gonna Walk Out On Me Every time I see your face Something moves within my heart A…
Love the Rain Really love the rain against my window Bringing back sweet m…
Love's Gonna Walk Out On Me Every time I see your face Something moves within my heart A…
Loving Spirit I say, I feel the loving spirit deep down in…
Monkey Girl This one's for the bouncers. big, big monkey man Aye…
Monkey Man Aye aye aye, aye aye aye Tell you baby, you huggin'…
More And More Each time I look at you is like the first…
My Love Is So Strong Every day you say That you wish if I could go…
Never Get Weary was down in the valley for a very long time and…
Never Grow Old With Terry Hall, you-Roy and the Skatalites I will never gro…
Never You Change Let me hear you again, now, oh baby, sir Sweetheart, darlin…
Night Night and day and night I wonder if the time can…
Oh Yeah Everybody, give it to me, huh Hey, hey, hey I want you…
One Eye Enos Do do do do do, ohh ohh ohh Fret not for…
Pain In My Heart Pain in my heart Is treating me cold Where can my baby…
Peace Perfect Peace Two, one two three four Everybody's talking about Bagism, Sh…
Pee Pee Cluck Cluck Pee pee cluck cluck Lara Look at me You should know that…
Pomp and Pride Everybody just Cryin out (cry out) Calm down (calm down) Hav…
POMP+PRIDE Everybody just Cryin out (cry out) Calm down (calm down) …
Pomps & Pride Everybody just Cryin out (cry out) Calm down (calm down) Hav…
Preacher Got to, got to, got to, got to Kneeling, oh kneeling Oh,…
Precious Precious, precious. Precious, precious. Precious baby, you…
Premature Let the girl go home Let her go right home She's underage …
Pressure Hmm hmm hmm, yeah Hmm hmm hmm, yeah Hmm hmm hmm, yeah It…
Rastaman Elton John Miscellaneous The Last Good Man In My Life Think …
Reggae Got Soul Reggae got soul Got so much soul Listen to the…
Reggae Got Soul Feat. Ken Boothe & Marcia Griffith Reggae got soul Got so much soul Listen to the…
Revival Reggae Sing this song You got lovin', yeah You got lovin', oh yeah,…
Revolution Ohhhh ohhh ohhh ahhh ahhh ahhhh In the night we'll take…
Scare Him Scare him, scare him, scare him Scare him, don't let them…
She's My Scorcher I said, turn her back, turn her back and don't…
Shining Light Shining Light Shining light in the valley Shining Light Shin…
Sit Down Servant Yeah I'm gonna sit right down and cry over you I'm gonna…
Six And Seven Books And the six and the seven books He wrote them all From…
So Bad ay ay ay ay They say you don't love me But I…
Something Oh, give me something to remember you by When you are…
Spiritual Healing What this world needs today A little spiritual healing And…
Start Me Up If you start me up, If you start me up I'll…
Still Is Still Moving To Me Still is still moving to me And I swim like…
Sweet %26 Dandy Etty in the room a cry Mama say she must wipe…
SWEET DANDY Etty in the room a cry Mama say she must wipe…
Sweet Sweet Jenny Etty in the room a cry Mama say she must wipe…
SWEET+DANDY Etty in the room a cry Mama say she must…
Take Me Home Country Road Almost heaven, West Jamaica True ridge mountains Shining M…
Take Me Home Country Roads Listen Almost heaven, West Jamaica True ridge mountains Shi…
The Christmas Song Chestnuts roasting on an open fire Jack Frost nipping at you…
The Preacher Got to, got to, got to, got to Kneeling, oh kneeling Oh,…
The Same Thing Hell nah never told and I won’t fold Me and my…
Thy Kingdom Come Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done On earth as it…
Time Tough I go to bed But sleep won't come get up in the…
True Love Love is a habit My true true love I found A love…

and many more tracks by Toots and The Maytals.

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