Reggae in the strangest places.

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Artists who've done a token reggae or reggae-influenced song. Added points for surprise factor. Here's four I could think of:

Violent Femmes - Please Do Not Go
J. Geils Band - Give It to Me
Led Zeppelin - D'yer Mak'er
Chaz Jankel - [hmm, something off Questionaire, no?]

If this thread hasn't been done before, GO!

― Confounded (Confounded), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 20:18 (twenty years ago)

Shit, that's all they been playing in Starbucks lately...

― pappawheelie II, Tuesday, 16 August 2005 20:25 (twenty years ago)

most bands in the '70s had token reggae songs!

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 20:25 (twenty years ago)

i'm partial to the andrea true connection's "white witch" though.

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 20:26 (twenty years ago)

Oh, I thought it was about hearing reggae in the strangest places -- like when I went down to Orlando in June and spent time at this Marriott Resort and they played a lot of GOOD reggae and had speakers strategically placed everywhere from poolside to the front entrance into the lobby. I've still got certain bass lines and riddims stuck in my head from being there, and I only wish I knew what they all were.

― Ian Riese-Moraine: a casualty of social estrangement. (Eastern Mantra), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 21:15 (twenty years ago)

Ian,

It can be about that too, then.

― Confounded (Confounded), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 21:17 (twenty years ago)

who don't like toking reggae songs?

― Beta (abeta), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 23:26 (twenty years ago)

"the bong in this reggae song"

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 23:56 (twenty years ago)

most bands in the 80's had one too!

― strng hlkngtn, Tuesday, 16 August 2005 23:58 (twenty years ago)

And the winner is... Mia Doi Todd, "Casa Nova."

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 01:08 (twenty years ago)

The Corrs "Give It All Up"

― Jeremy (Jeremy), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 01:11 (twenty years ago)

Okay, fine: Boris Grebenshikov, "Babylon."

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 01:13 (twenty years ago)

Faust "The Sad Skinhead"

― two million $$$$ neptunes beatz, Wednesday, 17 August 2005 01:19 (twenty years ago)

Later Zappa... he used that "That's Not Really Reggae" backing for a lot of guitar solos.

― Rock Hardy (Rock Hardy), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 01:21 (twenty years ago)

Speaking of reggae, here's an exchange I had last night with another waiter at my job (for those who remember my last thread, I haven't been fired yet!)

Matthew: [SINGING] Nazi dreadlocks! Nazi nazi dreadlocks!

Me: Dude, he's not saying "nazi."

Matthew: Yeah? What do you know about reggae?

― Mickey (modestmickey), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 04:24 (twenty years ago)

Patti Smith, "Redondo Beach"
Prince & the New Power Generation, "Blue Light"

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 04:54 (twenty years ago)

electronic-dance equiv.: token schaffel track

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 04:55 (twenty years ago)

Clapton's "I shot the sheriff" surely!

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 06:24 (twenty years ago)

from post two,

Yeah, i heared "War in a babylon" in Starbucks Uxbridge, not so long ago.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 08:04 (twenty years ago)

Neil Young - Cortez the Killer ("Live Rust" version)

"He came dancin' across de water, mon"

Errrrrrrrrrrr, right, Neil

― Diddyismus (Dada), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 08:13 (twenty years ago)

Udo Jurgens - "Mathilda" (sort of)

― Jacob (Jacob), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 08:15 (twenty years ago)

Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers - Coomyah

― Diddyismus (Dada), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 08:17 (twenty years ago)

lampchop, the second half of the last track of the album before their last double-album.

― (jg) ((jg)), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 08:22 (twenty years ago)

most bands in the 80's had one too!

Yep!

Prefab Sprout - Ghost Town Blues
Scritti Politti - The Sweetest Girl

― Diddyismus (Dada), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 08:24 (twenty years ago)

Nina Hagen: "African Reggae"

It's a great song too! Imagine Nina Hagen singing, "I wanna go to Africa, with the black Jah rastaman..."

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 08:27 (twenty years ago)

There's also a couple of early eighties Finnish reggae songs done by pop/schlager (probably because reggae was a fad then), but those are worth of novelty value only.

There's also a thriving Finnish-language reggae/dancehall/dub scene going on in here now, but those guys are actually devoted to the art and are making good music.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 08:35 (twenty years ago)

"pop/schlager singers"

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 08:35 (twenty years ago)

Scritti Politti - The Sweetest Girl

You're more thinking "Asylums in Jerusalem" mate.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 08:39 (twenty years ago)

"I am a Patriot" (1984) -- Little Steven
"Native American" (1987) -- Little Steven f/Bruce Springsteen.

The former a suprisingly touching but musically wack rejoinder to Reagan-era jingoism. The latter totally unlistenable and insufferably PC, sung in the voice of Indian tribal elder, with particularly awkward vocals by Le Boss.

― Skippy, Wednesday, 17 August 2005 08:39 (twenty years ago)

You're more thinking "Asylums in Jerusalem" mate

Not really, "Sweetest Girl" is reggae influenced (bassline please!) and, errrrrrrrr, "Asylums In Jerusalem" isn't.... is it?!?!?!

― Diddyismus (Dada), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 08:52 (twenty years ago)

most bands in the '70s had token reggae songs!

Can - Laugh Till You Cry, Live Till You Die + Flowmotion
Moebius & Plank - Rastakraut Pasta
Cabaret Voltaire - Silent Command
Pere Ubu - Heaven
XTC - Wait Till Your Boat Goes Down

― Diddyismus (Dada), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 11:28 (twenty years ago)

Scritti doesn't count at all--see a LOT of the early stuff from "Skank Bloc Bologna" on

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 19:36 (twenty years ago)

eight months pass...

Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It

― Confounded (Confounded), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 00:21 (twenty years ago)

"The Spirit Of Radio" (Rush) has that great now-it's-reggae/now-it's-metal/now-it's-reggae-again bit near the end, over which Geddy sings those "Sound Of Silence"-parodying lyrics. Which is only appropriate, since Paul Simon made his OWN big reggae move in "Mother And Child Reunion".

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 07:40 (twenty years ago)

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