Alabama’s unexpected role in the rise of reggae music
Members of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, commonly known by the nickname "the Swampers," stand in front of the iconic Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, where they were the house band. (contributed)
When you hear the words Alabama and reggae music, you might not think they have much to do with one another. But, believe it or not, the famous Muscle Shoals Sound Studio was instrumental in reggae music’s popularity in the United States.
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio is home to some of the most iconic sounds ever heard. The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin and Lynyrd Skynyrd are a few of the legendary names that have recorded there. The sound of the studio is pure Alabama, accredited for its warm and soulful style.
However, one of the arguably most unexpected collaborations in music occurred when reggae singer Jimmy Cliff was brought to Muscle Shoals to record “Sitting in Limbo,” a song that made its way onto the soundtrack of the film that would bring reggae music to America.
In the 1960s, rocksteady and ska, early forms of reggae, were becoming widely popular in Jamaica, drawing influence from American blues, jazz and soul. Cliff found himself at the forefront of this popularity in the late ’60s, releasing his eponymous album in 1969 with Trojan Records. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame references Cliff as “reggae’s first champion.”
Jimmy Cliff was instrumental in bringing reggae to a worldwide audience. (David Redfern / Getty Images)
In 1972, the iconic Jamaican movie “The Harder They Come,” starring Cliff, was released. The film follows the story of Ivanhoe Martin as he traverses the streets of Kingston, in a jarring transition from unemployed beggar to reggae star to drug-peddling criminal. The film is great, despite its limited budget, and is widely celebrated and cherished for its soundtrack.
The movie and its soundtrack are widely credited with bringing reggae music to America. Cliff’s work at Muscle Shoals is one of the lesser-known stories of reggae’s prominence in the United States, but “Sitting in Limbo” is as important as any song on the soundtrack.
The song itself does not follow a usual rocksteady beat, as many of Cliff’s other songs do; rather, it is an Alabama-style soul song about overcoming hardships by taking life into your own hands.
This unexpected cultural crossover of musical elements should not be overlooked when discussing how reggae music came to popularity in the U.S.
This story originally was published on the SoulGrown website.
