Jimmy Cliff

In The Harder They Come Original Soundtrack Recording

Original Release: 1972

Synopsis

This 1972 Soundtrack album to the film of the same name was important in bringing late 60s and early 70s reggae to a wider, international audience. The film stars Jimmy Cliff, who contributes ‘Sitting Here in Limbo’, ‘Many Rivers to Cross’ (later covered by UB40), ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’ and ‘The Harder They Come’ to the album, which according to Creem magazine, “bristled with passion, energy and conviction; when he wailed, Cliff sounded like the Jamaican Sam Cooke”. Issued on Island Records, the record also features other Jamaican hits such as Toots and The Maytals’ ‘Sweet And Dandy’ and ‘Pressure Drop’, the latter later covered by The Clash, The Slickers’ ‘Johnny To Bad’ and ‘Rivers Of Babylon’ by The Melodians. This groundbreaking and influential film soundtrack was ranked at No 119 in Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time in 2003.

Side 1

1. You Can Get It If You Really Want - Jimmy Cliff (2:39)
2. Draw Your Breaks - Scotty (2:55)
3. Rivers Of Babylon - The Melodians (4:15)
4. Many Rivers To Cross - Jimmy Cliff (3:00)
5. Sweet And Dandy - The Maytals (2:59)
6. The Harder They Come - Jimmy Cliff (3:39)

Side 2

1. Johnny Too Bad - The Slickers (3:03)
2. 007 (Shanty Town) - Desmond Dekker (2:41)
3. Pressure Drop - The Maytals (3:42)
4. Sitting In Limbo - Jimmy Cliff (4:55)
5. You Can Get It If You Really Want - Jimmy Cliff (2:42)
6. The Harder They Come - Jimmy Cliff (3:10)

More Info…

• Official Jimmy Cliff website
• The Harder They Come on Wikipedia
• Jimmy Cliff on Wikipedia
• Jimmy Cliff on MySpace
• Jimmy Cliff on Last.fm
• Jimmy Cliff on Rhapsody

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