• I Feel The Spirt – Prince Buster (1963)
• My Boy Lollipop – Millie Small (1964)
• The Senseational Maytals - The Maytals (1965)
• I Shall Not Remove - Delroy Wilson (1966)
• Ska Authentic - The Skatalites (1967)
• Action! - Desmond Dekker & The Aces (1968)
• Come Back Darling -Johnny Osbourne & The Sensation (1969)
• Bob Andy Song Book - Bob Andy (1970)
• The Best Of The Wailers - The Wailers (1971)
• The Harder They Come - Jimmy Cliff/Various Artists (1972)
• Groundation - Count Ossie & The Mystical Revelations Of Rastafari (1973)
• Natty Dread - Bob Marley & The Wailers (1974)
• Satta Massagana/Forward On To Zion - The Abyssinians (1975)
• War Ina Babylon - Max Romeo & The Upsetters (1976)
• 90 Degrees In The Shade - Third World (1977)
• Africa Must Be Free - Hugh Mundell (1978)
• Showcase - Black Uhuru (1979)
• Uprising - Bob Marley & The Wailers (1980)
• 60's 70's 80's = Taxi - Sly&Robbie (1981)
• Chant Down Babylon - Bob Marley (1999)
• Fya - Dezarie (2001)
• Da Real Thing - Sizzla (2002)

 
The Harder They Come - Jimmy Cliff/Various Artists (1972)

LABEL: ISLAND/TROJAN | GENRE: Rocksteady/Reggae | NEXT RELEASE: Struggling Man (1973)

When Film Director Perry Henzell released his first full length film "The Harder They Come" in 1972, with it came a soundtrack that enhanced this visual epiphany for Jamaicans around the world, especially in UK and Jamaica. It was the first Jamaican produced full length feature film ever, but also the use of this new soundscape to sculpt the emotional resonance of the film was a social boost for lower class Jamaican who felt proud to see a situation with which they were familiar now blazed on silver screens throughout kingston.

The story of the naive country boy corrupted by the city was a story that swung close to home, and the Films use of Rude boy icons such as Desmond Dekker, Scotty, The Maytals, and The Slickers on the soundtrack gave the film even greater credibility amongst its patrons.

When Chris Blackwell decided to secretly finance the project, Jimmy Cliff was selected as the leading man, the completion of the film also came at a time when Blackwell was seeking more radical ways of breaking local acts into the mainstream. The project presented the perfect opportunity to market Jimmy Cliff and he was chosen to spearhead the production of the film's soundtrack.

Contrary to thought, Leslie Kong only produced one track on the album(he also made a cameo appearance in the film), though the original release in 1972 credits Jimmy Cliff and Leslie Kong as producers. However the cassette release in that same year(one of the first ever), also accredits Derrick Harriott twice and Byron Lee thrice as producers. The other two tracks accredited to Kong were never produced by Kong but simply released under his Beverley's Record imprint.

The film was met with positive mixed reviews in the UK, Europe and Australia. The album however did not gain stateside recognition until the release of the film in the US in 1975. The film became an instant classic, and Jimmy Cliff finally got his chance to strut his stuff into the mainstream North American marketplace.

Since its release, the title track has become one of the most sampled reggae singles, a total of 44 times, and has been covered 40 times. The album has been re-issued three times, twice by Island Records, and once in 1983 by Island subsidary, Mango Records. The album's experimental packaging concept has never been replicated, though labeled as a compilation, it never was, neither was it a solo full length album, by which it is categorized and cataloged at times.

TRACKLIST

A1 Jimmy Cliff – You Can Get It If You Really Want

A2 Scotty (2) – Draw Your Brakes

Producer – Derrick Harriot*

A3 Melodians, The – Rivers Of Babylon

A4 Jimmy Cliff – Many Rivers To Cross

A5 Maytals, The – Sweet And Dandy

A6 Jimmy Cliff – The Harder They Come

B1 Slickers, The – Johnny Too Bad

Producer – Byron Lee

B2 Desmond Dekker – Shanty Town

B3 Maytals, The – Pressure Drop

B4 Jimmy Cliff – Sitting In Limbo

B5 Jimmy Cliff – You Can Get It If You Really Want

B6 Jimmy Cliff – The Harder They Come