Page 35 - Reggae Festival Guide Magazine 2019

the same day, where she bypassed the usual As has often been alleged about Coxson Dodd,

audition process and recorded her first song, a Griffiths says a lack of livable compensation

never-released recording called “Wall Of Love.” prompted her, as well as Bob Andy, to look

There was a brief battle between Byron Lee and for other opportunities. They found such
Dodd to sign her exclusively, from which Dodd opportunities through producer Harry Johnson,

emerged victorious. emerging on the scene by poaching other

frustrated Studio One acts, such as the Heptones,
Dodd recorded several songs looking for the

right one to release, but nothing appears in modernizing their sound in a better studio and

Griffiths’ discography before the following year, marking a new chapter for reggae.

1965. The first appears to have been a pair One of Griffiths’ first efforts for Harry J was the
of duets with soulful crooner Tony Gregory, brilliant cover of the Beatles hit “Don’t Let Me

keeping her outside the lane of then-current Down,” which was transformed into an uptempo

local ska music. She also recorded a romantic reggae “scorcher.” More significantly, it was

ballad with Bob Marley at the time, called “Oh for Harry Johnson that Griffiths and Bob Andy
My Darling.” Griffiths’ early singles show the recorded a cover of Nina Simone and Weldon

depth and maturity of her voice as a pre-teen, in Irvine’s “Young, Gifted and Black,” which took off

contrast to many of her male peers who started in England at the end of 1969. The hit resulted

in the business at a similar age and whose in a trip to London for the famed “Top of the

voices matured later. Pops” show, cementing the song’s status in U.K.
pop culture and helping move reggae into the
She briefly touched on ska with a rare side British mainstream, even before Bob Marley

called “Call to Me,” eventually released in 1967, made a similar impact.
but her recording career really took off in 1968,

the dawn of the reggae era. Griffiths has over a Griffiths recalled “divine circumstances” bringing

dozen documented singles that year, including her together with singers Rita Marley and Judy

“Melody Life,” “Feel Like Jumping,” “Truly” and Mowatt to form the I Threes. Both of these
others, which were later included on the popular women had minor solo careers at the same time

Marcia Griffiths At Studio One anthology. as Griffiths. Marley and Mowatt were still for

hire for harmony work for Coxson Dodd as late
Griffiths’ duets with singer-songwriter Keith as 1974, according to Griffiths. Dodd brought

Anderson (Bob Andy) are among her best them together for one of Griffiths’ local club

known, especially in England where her career performances during a multi-night run that

first blossomed. She had met Bob prior to her year. After Dodd pulled the three of them into

stage moment with Byron Lee, but reconnected a recording session, Griffiths invited Marley and
at Studio One, where he collaborated with Mowatt to perform with her on stage. It was a

Jackie Mittoo in developing many of Griffiths’ great success with natural chemistry shared by

first reggae songs.
the three women. Concurrently, the Wailers trio

Griffiths and Bob Andy were involved romantically as of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer had

well, documented in the inspired and masterful fractured, and Bob Marley heard about the vibe

Andy composition “I Don’t Want to See You Cry,” the female trio had created on stage. This was
recorded by both him and Ken Boothe. happening as he embarked on the recording

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