{"id":6927,"date":"2025-11-24T13:01:44","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T13:01:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/jimmy-cliff-im-a-bit-of-a-rebellious-person-152282\/"},"modified":"2025-11-24T13:01:44","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T13:01:44","slug":"jimmy-cliff-im-a-bit-of-a-rebellious-person-152282","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/jimmy-cliff-im-a-bit-of-a-rebellious-person-152282\/","title":{"rendered":"Jimmy Cliff: \u201cI\u2019m a bit of a rebellious person\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Greeting Uncut in the lounge of a Marylebone hotel, Jimmy Cliff is resplendent in a brocaded tunic and matching gold hat emblazoned with the eye Of Horus. He could be mistaken for African royalty, but Cliff is very much a man of the people, using his day off before a festival appearance to visit some of his old stomping grounds in the capital\u2019s less celebrated postcodes. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Greeting Uncut in the lounge of a Marylebone hotel, Jimmy Cliff is resplendent in a brocaded tunic and matching gold hat emblazoned with the eye Of Horus. He could be mistaken for African royalty, but Cliff is very much a man of the people, using his day off before a festival appearance to visit some of his old stomping grounds in the capital\u2019s less celebrated postcodes. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been to Finsbury Park, Tottenham, Chelsea, some of those places I used to live,\u201d reveals the Jamaican singer, who was still just a teenager when he relocated to London \u2013 via New York \u2013 in the mid-\u201960s, grafting the all-nighter circuit before eventually achieving global fame towards the end of the decade with crossover hits such as \u201cWonderful World, Beautiful People\u201d and \u201cMany Rivers To Cross\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey are building everywhere,\u201d he notes, wistfully. \u201cI visited some neighbourhood that I used to know, I don\u2019t recognise it. It\u2019s changing, but that\u2019s how it goes.\u201d Cliff is 71 and not as agile as he once was, but talk to him about his craft and his face lights up, quickly transforming back into the eager, determined youngster who hawked his songs around the sound systems of Kingston. <\/p>\n

\u201cI enjoy performing. It\u2019s what I\u2019m put on this earth to do, whether it\u2019s acting, singing or writing. It makes me feel uplifted. You have different kinds of junkies, but for me it\u2019s when I write a song or finish a performance. Wow, what a great buzz. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever lose that excitement.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

It must have been amazing to have a hit single at the age of 14? Nathan Bayliss, Stoke-on-Trent <\/strong>
Very exciting. At the time I was living in an area of Kingston that was kind of survival. I started listening to Derrick Morgan in school and I heard on the radio that he was a local artist. I thought, \u2018Oh wow, that could happen to me too.\u2019 The reason I went to Kingston was to go to technical college, to please my parents, but in the back of my head I knew I wanted to be a singer, and Kingston was the place. It didn\u2019t occur to me that I was young or anything, it\u2019s just something I needed to do. <\/p>\n

How did you discover Bob Marley? Could you always tell he was going to be a star?
Arve Thomsen, Malmo, Sweden <\/strong>
Well, the answer to the last part of the question is: yes, from the very beginning. He had that aura: \u2018I\u2019m here\u2019, you know? How I discovered him, I was A&R person for Beverley\u2019s Records and he was sent to me by Desmond Dekker, who I had auditioned earlier. He got his song recorded, so he went and told Bob as they both used to work at the same place, as welders. Bob Marley walked in like somebody who was in a hurry to get somewhere. I sensed he was a very rhythmic person, and very aware of the power of words \u2013 that told me he would be a star. It\u2019s a good feeling to know that he passed through my hands. <\/p>\n

Which films or actors inspired your portrayal of Ivan in The Harder They Come? <\/strong>
Geoff Chase, Cambridge <\/strong>
Actually, none. I always loved acting in school and every time it came to do a play, I\u2019d light up. But there were some actors I liked, like James Cagney. He was a small man, but dynamic on the screen! I thought maybe I could come across like that. I did a few other movies after that, but it\u2019s not as easy to make a movie as it is to write a song and get it recorded. But I still have it in mind to do more [acting]. <\/p>\n

How much of a culture shock was moving to London in the mid-\u201960s?
John Cranleigh, Skipton, Yorks <\/strong>
The first culture shock was from the country to Kingston. People were not as friendly, everyone is rushing, so it felt more hostile. The second culture shock was New York. Wow, the buildings\u2026 And I\u2019d never seen people kissing on the street before! Now, coming to London was another culture shock. The first thing was the fog. I saw all the buildings that had chimneys and thought, \u2018Now I know why many Jamaicans are coming here \u2013 lots of factories, they can get jobs!\u2019 How naive I was. Also, I experienced upfront racism. But the UK was a great learning experience for me, so I\u2019m always grateful for that. <\/p>\n

How was it playing on the same bill as Jimi Hendrix?
Leo Veitch, via email <\/strong>
It was very interesting! When I met Jimi Hendrix for the first time, they asked me, \u201cLook, there\u2019s this guitarist \u2013 do you mind doing two sets with him in the middle?\u201d So I agreed, and of course he went on and blew the place up. I didn\u2019t know a guitar player could capture the crowd like that. Jimi came over, very warm, and said: \u201cYou can sing, man. I can\u2019t sing, I just play my guitar.\u201d We remained friends right up until the time he crossed over. He was one of the kindest persons I knew. He\u2019d take off his shirt and give it to you \u2013 a great human being. <\/p>\n

Did it mean a lot to you when Bob Dylan praised your song \u201cVietnam\u201d?
Alistair McGuinness, Letterkenny, Ireland <\/strong>
It did mean a lot because I admired Bob Dylan. Who didn\u2019t? He was the protest writer. So to hear a comment coming from him, that was great. I had a close friend, we went to school in Somerton together, but because his family lived in the States he migrated there and was drafted for Vietnam. When he came back, he didn\u2019t know me. We met up again in Somerton where they have aeroplanes that fly low to spray the banana trees, and I remember he started running for cover. He lost his mind and it was so sad for me. A great person. So that was one part of it, I had something personal to write about. And also I felt the war was wrong. <\/p>\n

Why did you decide to record [1971\u2019s] Another Cycle at Muscle Shoals?
Brian Dale, via email <\/strong>
That was one point in my career where I made a wrong statement. I said to the press, \u201cI\u2019m not doing any more reggae.\u201d I regret I said that, but that\u2019s how I felt at the time. I didn\u2019t seem to be getting the respect that the other music forms get, so Chris Blackwell suggested this set of musicians in Alabama \u2013 he said they\u2019re very good if you write rhythmic songs. So that\u2019s what I did. Now this album\u2019s got great critical acclaim, but at the time it didn\u2019t sell. <\/p>\n

What did you think of Paul Simon going to Kingston to record \u201cMother And Child Reunion\u201d with your backing band?
Pete Krasinsky, Ottawa, Canada <\/strong>
I met Paul one time in New York. He was telling me that he and Dylan sat up all night listening to my album! So it was pretty cool, because he\u2019s a great writer and a very creative person. He said, \u201cI want to go to Jamaica to record and I want the same band, I want the same studio.\u201d I didn\u2019t think he was serious but that\u2019s what happened. Sometimes when people heard the song, they thought it was me! [Sings] \u201cNo I would not give you false hope\u2026\u201d But it was cool, because it brought [my sound] to a different audience. <\/p>\n

What was it like to meet Fela Kuti and hang out at his compound?
Mark Templeton, Hull <\/strong>
It was great meeting Fela because I am a bit of a rebellious person too. But how we first met, it was strange. I was playing a stadium in Lagos and halfway through my show a commotion started. One of my musicians came up to me and whispered, \u201cFela is here.\u201d So I said, \u201cWelcome my brother Fela Ransome Kuti!\u201d He came through with his people and everyone stayed calm and watched my show until it was finished. The next day he invited me to the Kalakuta and we had a great chat \u2013 we had a lot in common. He said, \u201cThey are trying to keep you from me!\u201d So invading the concert was his own way of getting to me. <\/p>\n

What\u2019s the best sound system you\u2019ve ever experienced?
Paul Sellin, Anerley, London <\/strong>
I lived on Spanish Town Road [in Kingston] and nearby was a hall where all the dances were held, five nights a week, so I knew all the sounds. Who was the best? I would have to pick Prince Buster\u2019s Voice Of The People. Coxsone was already there, Duke Reid was there, King Edwards\u2026 there was a lot of champions out there. But here comes this guy from the back and upset the \u2019ole scene! I love Prince Buster. We had our own little conflicts, but we became nice colleagues. <\/p>\n

How did you feel about David Cameron using \u201cYou Can Get It If You Really Want\u201d at a Conservative party conference?
April Jones, via email <\/strong>
I have a dislike for politicians as they\u2019re not truthful people. It\u2019s the nature of politics that you cannot be straight, you have to lie and cheat. So I didn\u2019t like David Cameron using my music, but I didn\u2019t say stop. The opposite side of politics, the Sandinistas in South America, also used that song. But I make my music for people. I looked up the meaning of politics \u2013 poli means people and tics is a blood-sucking parasite. <\/p>\n

I loved your last LP, Rebirth \u2013 do you have plans for new material?
Maurizio Santini, Rome <\/strong>
I have songs recorded for two LPs but I\u2019m not satisfied they\u2019re the right songs to touch people right now. I\u2019ll do a few of them in my shows and see the reaction. The music scene is so different today \u2013 it\u2019s not about how many CDs you can sell, it\u2019s about the artist as a brand and you have to develop a rapport with your audience. It\u2019s almost back to the old days, all about the performance. I have a different audience in the UK, on the Continent, in America and Africa\u2026 so I want to put out an LP with something for my fans all over the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared in Uncut Take 267 (August 2019)<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The post Jimmy Cliff: \u201cI\u2019m a bit of a rebellious person\u201d<\/a> appeared first on UNCUT<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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