If you're going to be famous for just one song, then Police and Thieves would be a good choice: a wonderful falsetto voice over one of Lee "Scratch" Perry's greatest rhythms, and an instant reggae classic.
I've never quite understood why the Clash were so revered - though yes, London Calling is a fine song. But let me note here that their version of Police and Thieves is, in my opinion, an embarrassing and self-regarding disaster which encapsulates so much about what was crap about punk. (Not that I'm saying all punk was crap. Just an awful lot of it.) Murvin was right: "They have destroyed Jah work!" A humourless earnestness doesn't compensate for a complete inability to play - or honour - the music.
Maybe now the man's gone we can rescue the glorious original from the inglorious cover versions.
spot on!
Posted by: ron b | December 04, 2013 at 12:36 AM
Reggae is to Punk as R&B was to sixties beat groups; the covers were shocking but it was expected. If you think the Clash's Police and Thieves is bad, listen to the Kinks cover of Dancing in the Street
Posted by: TDK | December 05, 2013 at 06:30 PM
Can't agree with you there. Maybe the Kinks were bad (don't remember that cover, to be honest), but the Beatles and the Stones, just for a start, did very creditable R&B covers. That's how they started off.
R&B was the base which the Sixties beat groups - most of 'em - worked from. Punk groups weren't trying to copy or build on reggae.
Posted by: Mick H | December 05, 2013 at 06:42 PM