Saturday, March 26, 2016

Day 147 of 365 Day Jamaican Music Challenge - Hell & Fire - Show Us The Way

Gonna go with another top Channel One track for the 146th day... this one is by Hell & Fire, the vocal duo of Lunsford Simpson and a harmony singer by the last name of White whose full name has been lost to reggae history, that cut a couple killer tunes at Maxfield Avenue as well as for Alvin "GG" Ranglin, Linval Thompson and Sonia Pottinger to name a few.  While the actual facts behind the band are sadly missing, the tunes still survive and they sound just as nice as they did when they were recorded.  "Show Us The Way" was released on Channel One's Well Charge label sometime in the mid 70s and it is pure niceness!  In all actuality this song is a reworking of Winston Francis' Studio One classic, "Mr Fix It,"  but instead of simply fixing a lover's broken heart, Hell & Fire take it to a whole new spiritual level.  And while I may not be the world's most religious person I have to admire, respect and appreciate the conviction in which Mr. Simpson and Mr. White deliver their message of faith.  Really a beautiful song... and the horn section doesn't hurt things either.

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