'Best of' albums done Jamaican style

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

One of the clearest ways in which an artiste signals the end of a particular phase of their careers is by putting out a 'Best of' or 'Greatest Hits' album.

For some, it can even be a sign that they are wrapping up the most active phase of their time in music - or, it can be a vindictive tactic by a record company or producer to say that they have rights to the best that a particular artiste has to offer. In other words, it can be a ploy to write them off.

Of course, having a Greatest Hits album does not mean the end - even if there are not that many hits after.

For example, Air Supply's Greatest Hits album was released in 1983, but they continue to perform extensively (including a Jamaica Jazz and Blues appearance in 2011).

However, as a few Jamaican performers have adapted the 'best of' approach into song, it becomes a recap on rhythm.

Doing snatches of their popular songs, they perform a medley which is guaranteed some popularity based on the success of the recordings they are pulling parts from, as well as serving as a reminder of their pedigree.

Capleton took this approach to a higher level when he pronounced the songs he was doing a line from or the title of in his recap as hits.

Appropriately titled Hits Pon Top a Hits, it starts by stating "cyaa touch mi hit/dem a wonder whe mi eat a whe mi drink mek mi so fit".

Then he announces, "I'm a hitmaker". He has so many that he can mention a couple in the refrain ("Hit pon toppa hit, when mi say Toppa Things hit... when mi say Slew Dem hit"). And there are so many left for the verses, as Capleton deejays:

B.....o Red hit/Woman Mi Lotion hit/Dem No like Mi hit/An mi say Slew Dem hit..." And the lyrics and hit reminders go on.

Burning Spear is legendary for his extensive and far-flung tours and, in applying the recap approach on Mi Gi Dem, Mr Rodney uses countries he has toured, rather than song titles. In the first verse, Spear sings about the topics in his music, such as history, culture and roots, even involving "extra".

INTERNATIONAL HITS

Then Winston Rodney goes on to list some of the places in which he has given them the music live, starting with the first place he performed - Jamaica. Then, he spreads out:

"Play de music in America

Play de music inna Africa...

Play de music inna Canada

Play de music inna England

Play de music inna France..."

There are those collections which encapsulate a particular time period. Numbered among these is one which is not formally identified as 'Greatest Hits', the album Buju Banton - The Early Years (90-95) has many of his string tracks from the pre Til Shiloh days.

Two of those very early hits - in fact, for the general public the earliest - are Browning and Love Black Woman.

The second is the famed follow-up to the hit in ode to a personal browning. But on Love Black Woman, Buju Banton identifies himself by recapping, at that point, a very short career.

The song starts with a brief dialogue:

Q: A who dat

BB: A me man

Q: Who?

BB: Buju Banton man, de same yute whe do de browning song man.