Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
Third World's lead singer, William 'Bunny Rugs' Clarke (left) and Marcia Griffiths sing 'Dreamland' at 'Committed: Third World and Friends Live in Concert', held at King's House lawns, Hope Road, St. Andrew, on Tuesday, December 27, 2005. - file
When William 'Bunny Rugs' Clarke, Third World lead singer, releases his next solo album, it will be on a very special day very far away from home.
Thinking Bout You, which features Bounty Killer , Marcia Griffiths, U-Roy, Chantelle, Empress and Chaka Chaks, will be released on February 6 in New Zealand.
It is, of course, Bob Marley's birthday, but it is also Ruggs'.
"The New Zealand show is the Bob Marley Day festival. I was invited because the people knew that my birthday was also the 6th," Rugs told The Gleaner.
The album release performance will be part of a series of performances Down Under, as Rugs said, "They also have a festival in Australia on January 25 on which I will do my solo thing. In between the 25th and the 6th I will be performing on sound systems".
Not unfamiliar territory
It is not unfamiliar territory for Rugs, as Australia was one of Third World's many stops last year, others including Ghana, Nigeria, Scotland, England, Ireland, France, Sweden, Italy, Holland, Belgium, St. Lucia, Antigua and Guyana.
The solo project does not mean separation from Third World, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, Rugs pointing out that other members also have solo projects, Stephen 'Cat' Coore having done a New Year's celebration in Portland. "I enjoy it. It is an extension of Third World," he said of his solo dates. "I like playing with other musicians. I am using a band out of Australia when I go there."
He points out that non-Jamaican musicians are getting much better at playing reggae. "A couple years ago they did not catch it, but they have it now," he said.
It has been a very busy few weeks for Rugs, since he came to Jamaica to perform with Third World on a Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) event on December 15. When he spoke to The Gleaner on Tuesday evening he had completed an album for producer Blackbeard that day, the project being done at Sonic Sounds with fellow 'Worldian' Herbie Harris doing production and engineering duties.
On as yet unnamed set, to be released through Heartbeat Records, Rugs does over a number of Jamaican classics, among them Come Back Darling, Singer Man, Let the Power Fall on I and his first hit, Sweet Caroline.
The project was started on New Year's Day 2008.
New album
In addition, Rugs is working on the 35th year celebratory Third World and Friends album, on which Stephen and Damian Marley do production duties on a remake of Third World standard 96 Degrees in The Shade. And as if three albums are not enough work for one voice, Rugs says "Marcia Griffiths is coming out with an album and I was asked to do Sense of Purpose, so I did it with her". In addition, he says "Sly and Robbie are coming out with a new album and I have a song on it called Love is Blind.
"I am really looking forward to this Australian show," Rugs said. In addition, he says, "I would like to do some Jamaican shows in the summer".
And he says tha he likes to sing, it is not a case of yearning for the spotlight as "I will sing from behind the drum set. It is not that I am shy but this whole stargazing thing ...".
"From I was a little boy I dreamt of being on stage. It is something I take very seriously. It is not a profiling thing," Rugs said.
