How Bob Marley influenced world music Bob Marley

London. — Yesterday marked 39 years after the death of reggae icon Bob Marley. As a tributary gesture, Farout Magazine based in the UK did a compilation to show how Marley inspired many other big musicians across the world.

They picked the what they rated as the best Marley cover songs that other musicians did.

Below are some of the songs:

“Redemption Song” — Johnny Cash and Joe Strummer. When The Clash’s Joe Strummer happened to be sharing a studio with Johnny Cash they instantly agreed to cover a song together. The song they chose? The iconic “Redemption Song” from Marley’s Uprising.

Rick Rubin, the producer of the moment, remembered: “There was one line I was wary about because it was not good English and I said, ‘Johnny do you want to change this word to say it the way you’d say it?’” Cash looked at Rubin and said: “Bob Marley wrote that. I can’t change that!” and they didn’t.

“Johnny Was” — Stiff Little Fingers

If there’s one cover on this list that takes Marley’s vision into a brand new sound it has to be Stiff Little Fingers’ cover of “Johnny Was”.

The band turns the track into a chugging juggernaut of a punk song, unrelenting and unyielding the song is an amped-up powerhouse of a cover of Marley’s Rastaman Vibration record and became a mainstay of SLF’s live sets.

“I Shot The Sheriff” — Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. Step back, Eric Clapton and The Jackson Five, this is the only cover of ‘I Shot The Sheriff’ which comes close to matching the original.

The iconic vocal of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins is sensational and takes the track into a brand new direction. As with any SJH does, the song instantly becomes his own with a couple of howling notes.

“One Love” — Damian and Ziggy Marley. Of course, we couldn’t have a list of Bob Marley covers without a nod to his sons, Damina and Ziggy, who delivered a goosebump-inducing performance of “One Love” for the thousands in attendance at Glastonbury Festival in 2007.

“No Woman, No Cry” — Nina Simone.

Not a full track but an out-take from Nina Simone’s 1993 album Single Woman, sees the dynamic Dr Simone add a certain golden quality to Marley’s anthemic tune.

Stripped back to its bare bones, Simone takes the song to a new level.

“Guava Jelly” — Barbra Streisand

What is almost certainly the most unexpected take on the list is Hollywood icon Barbara Streisand’s version of “Guava Jelly”.

The star naturally adds a bit of sheen to this love song that she recorded for her album Butterfly. While the extra polish may put some people off, Streisand’s Broadway power shines over every note of this cover.

“Is This Love” — Corinne Bailey Rae

Singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae was, for some time in Britain, the only voice you would hear blasting over the speakers in your local coffee shop.

Smoother than a double espresso, Bailey Rae does some scintillating work on her cover of Marley’s Kaya hit, “Is This Love”. — Falloutmagazine.co.uk.

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