Lunch Break: Jimmy Cliff, “The Harder They Come”

My post of yesterday, Me Talk Pretty One Day reminded me of the great Percy Henzell film from 1972, The Harder They Come.

In the movie, Jimmy Cliff plays frustrated singer Ivanhoe Martin, a young man with talent, but one unable to generate any buzz or interest in his skill either within the music industry, or with the Jamaican population.

So, he becomes and outlaw, first as part of a record deal, and then because it becomes too late to turn the clock back.

Not only is the film really great, but the soundtrack is maybe the best compilation of reggae ever assembled.

But, it was also the first film I ever saw where the words were spoken in English, but the accents were so thick, that American audiences were blessed with subtitles (I think the words of the Pikers in the movie Snatched also might have had subtitles).

Irrespective, here is the clip from the movie with Jimmy recording the title track:

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