Sunshot 7″ (1971)
It has been a few weeks now since I woke up and read the sad news of ‘Sir’ John Holt’s passing. John Holt’s career spanned over 40 years. Born in Greenwich Farm, Kingston, he was regularly entering and winning talent contests from the age of twelve, and recording his first singles with Leslie Kong at the age of sixteen.
His career really took off during his time with the Paragons, recording at both Studio One and Treasure Isle with huge hits such as ‘On The Beach’, ‘Tide Is High’, ‘Riding High On A Windy Day’. As a solo artist he recorded further huge hits such as ‘Ali Baba, ‘Stealing’, ‘Wear You To The Ball’, ‘A Love I Can Feel’, ‘Mr Bojangles’, ‘Up Park Camp’, ‘Satisfaction’, ‘Police In Helicopter’, ‘The 1000 Volts of Holt’ albums… and the list goes on and on.
Some may find John Holts leaning to Lovers not for them but I don’t think any reggae collection is complete without some of his work. Over his career as a singer, song writer and live performer over the last forty years, he has endured and captured new generations of fans. His soaring voice and talent was so good he didn’t sound out of place recording with a philharmonic orchestra.
Tributes flooded in from reggae luminaries around the world following the sad news of his passing. One that particularly resonated was from Judy Mowatt, ‘he was supposed to do the New York show, the ‘Marcia and Friends’ that I was a part of. And we were really, really looking forward to it because John has such a magic on stage, and I was really looking forward to being in the audience, to just behold him performing’. When someone as esteemed as Judy Mowatt just wants to be part of the audience, I think reflects John Holt’s status in the reggae world, a talent and loss that simply won’t ever be filled.
My actual track this week is in some ways irrelevant. I could have chosen any of the aforementioned tunes. I brought ‘Strange Things’ after a couple of hours at Peckings records store when I first heard it given a touch. I immediately thought, that’s a keeper. Upon getting home happily with my new bag of tunes, it was one of three I had on rotation pretty much all night.
I find the track has just the right blend, the dark and moody bass line, the plucky guitar, with John Holts powerful vocal the perfect compliment. I don’t often prefer later cuts to Studio One originals but this Phil Pratt piece is pure killer.
Conviction Roots
