In October 1974, Ken Boothe became just the third Jamaican artist ever to top the UK chart (after Desmond Dekker and Dave & Ansel Collins), and the teenaged Jah Wobble was just one of the many who celebrated the achievement.
“Growing up in London, in the 60’s and 70’s , Ken Boothe was a household name to me. His chart-topping success with ‘Everything I Own’ and his string of ska classics weren’t just hits – they were cultural touchstones that helped shape British music identity. While American soul had its giants, Ken stands shoulder to shoulder with any of them, his emotional delivery and range second to none.”
Today Wobble, too, enjoys household name status – Public Image Ltd, Invaders of the Heart and a string of wizard productions including just last year, a phenomenal new album by another reggae great, Horace Andy.
Ken Boothe, though, occupies a very special place in Wobble’s heart.
“Few voices have stirred the soul like Ken Boothe’s. Working alongside this legend has been nothing short of magical. His voice – that unmistakable, warm vibrato – carries decades of musical wisdom yet remains as powerful as when he first graced the Kingston scene.”
And the chance to work alongside him only amplified those emotions. Previewed today by the lush, luscious single “A Song for You,” the album Old Fashioned Ways already feels like an all-time Boothe classic, up there alongside Boothe Unlimited (1972), Blood Brothers (1976) and, of course, Everything I Own.
“What strikes me most is Ken’s humility, despite his monumental influence,” says Wobble. “The man who helped shape rocksteady and touched charts worldwide still brings the same passion to the studio as a newcomer with something to prove.”
Boothe, too, was thrilled by the experience. Old Fashioned Ways, he says, at last offered him the opportunity “to sing songs I have loved over the years. Songs like Donny Hathaway and The Temptations, I am happy that I get the chance to sing them.”
Barbara Lynn’s “You Left the Water Running,” Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” Motown landmarks “My Girl” and “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)” – these songs are as much a part of our, the listeners’, musical landscape as they are Boothe and Wobble’s, and they shine as bright as they ought to.
Then there are Boothe’s own past hits – “Everything I Own,” of course; “Crying Over You,” which he first cut in 1966, “Artibella” (1969) and the title cut of 1970’s immortal Freedom Street album… “The songs I sang long ago,” he says, “are like vintage wine; they only get better over time and lots of people love them. I feel elated doing them again”
Wobble continues, “Our recent collaboration breathed new life into those timeless reggae and soul classics. Ken approaches each song not just as a performer, but as a storyteller who’s lived every emotion in those lyrics.
“To collaborate with Ken Boothe isn’t just to work with a reggae icon – it’s to connect with a living piece of our shared musical history. Long may his silver words continue to echo through the hearts of music lovers everywhere.”
1. Is It Because I’m Black
2. Old Fashioned Way
3. Artibella
4. You Left The Water Running
5. Everything I Own
6. A Song For You
7. Ain’t No Sunshine
8. Crying Over You
9. Freedom Street
10. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
11. My Girl
12. Reggae Christmas
