Jimmy Cliff - Kansas 1982

This is Jimmy Cliff live in concert during a tour supporting the release of his 1982 album 'Special'. This recording is from a concert in Kansas City, MO, USA on the 9th October 1982 and features six of the eleven songs on the 'Special' album.

Jimmy Cliff was born in Somerton District, St. James, Jamaica. He began writing songs while still at primary school in St. James, listening to a neighbour's sound system. In 1962 his father took him to Kingston to go to Kingston Technical school where he ended up sharing his cousin's one rented room in East Kingston. He sought out many producers while still going to school, trying to get his songs recorded without success. He also entered talent contests. "One night I was walking past a record store and restaurant as they were closing, pushed myself in and convinced one of them, Leslie Kong, to go into the recording business, starting with me," he writes in his own website biography. After two singles that failed to make much impression, his career took off when his "Hurricane Hattie" became a hit, while he was aged 14.

It was produced by Leslie Kong, with whom Cliff remained until Kong passed away in 1971. Jimmy Cliff's later local hit singles included "King of Kings," "Dearest Beverley," "Miss Jamaica," and "Pride and Passion." In 1964, Jimmy Cliff was chosen as one of the Jamaican representatives at the World's Fair and Cliff soon signed to Island Records and moved to the UK. Island Records initially (and unsuccessfully) tried to sell Cliff to the rock audience, but his career took off in the late 1960s. His international debut album was Hard Road to Travel, which received excellent reviews and included "Waterfall" (composed by Nirvana's Alex Spyropoulos and Patrick Campbell-Lyons), which became a hit in Brazil and won the International Song Festival. "Waterfall" was followed in 1969 by "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" and "Vietnam" in 1970, both popular throughout most of the world. Bob Dylan called "Vietnam" the best protest song he had ever heard. Also during this period, Cliff released a cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World" as a single, but it was not included on his Wonderful World, Beautiful People album.

Source: Soundboard.

Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@320kbps

Genre: Ska, reggae, roots.

Set: Full set.

Set List:

01 Originator (4:39)
02 Give The People What They Want (5:56)
03 Turn The Tables (6:21)
04 Roots Radical (4:42)
05 Treat The Youths Right (4:34)
06 Rock The Children (6:48)
07 Music Maker (7:04)
08 Many Rivers To Cross (4:35)
09 Special (6:44)
10 Peace Officer, Are You A Warrior (7:00)
11 Love Is All I Have To Give (7:43)
12 The Harder They Come, They Harder They Fall (5:54) 

Website: Official HERE.

Download links (two) in comments below.