Just got back from a digging mission/helping girlfriend move mission in Richmond, VA. Being that two of my all time favorite record stores are in Richmond it was imperative I did some digging. I came up with the most amount of superb records in the one week I was down there than I have in months. One of the best gems I found is the B-side of the 45 I bring you today, which is Percy Sledge doing a version of Jimmy Cliff's classic "Many River to Cross." Ironically this was the cheapest record I purchase ($1.00) and it is my favorite out of the whole stack I brought back with me. I found it while flipping through some 45's and saw the song title and thought to myself that it couldn't be the same as the Cliff song and then I saw the credit which reads "Jimmy Cliff" and my investigation was finished right then and there. I listened to the entire song on the store's listening turntables. The Jimmy Cliff version is, in my opinion, the best song on theThe Harder They Come soundtrack, which is probably the case because it's more of a soul/gospel song than a reggae song. So we have one of my all time favorite American Soul singers, and more importantly the voice that was responsible for bringing raw unfiltered Black Soul music to White mainstream America (See: "When a Man Loves a Woman") doing a version of a soulful tune written by one of the most prominent Jamaican Reggae musicians who was responsible for bringing Jamaican Reggae and Ska to a larger audience (See; the film and the soundtrack The Harder They Come. You know it has to be good.
P.S. Sorry for the poor picture, my digital camera sucks and the camera on my laptop is actually better (although still shitty)
P.P.S. I know the track is a little noisy but it was only a buck and honestly I would have paid a buck just to know this version existed.
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