Toots and the Maytals

Gambit | October 22, 2012
Toots and the Maytals, we call them, but to the island of Jamaica, they were and always will be simply the Maytals: the rah-Jah Temptations of ska, reggay champions before there was reggae music, the most soulful and sensational vocal group to come out of the Caribbean in the 1960s.   Led by the restive rasp of Frederick "Toots" Hibbert, the original trio (Hibbert, Henry "Raleigh" Gordon and Nathaniel "Jerry" Matthias) fell short of the stateside chart heights and pop-cultural impact of Bob Marley and the Wailers, though a handful of its Jamaican-record 31 No. 1 hits — chiefly "Sweet and Dandy," "54-46 (That's My Number)" and "Pressure Drop," all products of a fertile, rapid-fire recording period from 1968-70 — became ubiquitous cover selections and worldwide rocksteady standards...

Gambit

New Orleans' politics, arts, music and culture are unique in America. Since 1980, Gambit has been New Orleanians' favorite source for the inside scoop. Whether celebrating the city's music and renowned cuisine or exposing political and environmental offenses, Gambit is...
More »
Contact for Reprint Rights
  • Market Served: Metropolitan Area
  • Address: 3923 Bienville St., New Orleans, LA 70119
  • Phone: (504) 486-5900
www.bestofneworleans.com

rssTop Stories

George Jones: No One's Gonna Fill His Shoes

Recalling the quintessential country's singer's lasting influence.
Creative Loafing (Charlotte)  |  Mark Kemp  |  04-29-2013  |  Music

Sweden's Mysterious Goat

The greatest myths are good stories. And tales behind the discovery of any band are just decent fiction—or at least realities tweaked well enough to conjure up towering imagery.
Chicago Newcity  |  Dave Cantor  |  04-25-2013  |  Profiles & Interviews
More Top Stories in Music »

AAN on Twitter

More @AltWeeklies » Twitter Directory »

Short and Sweet, No Longer Obsolete

Whether it's coercion from record companies or an imperfectionist's stance on music crafting, bands have a tendency to blend the bad in with the good.
Jackson Free Press  |  Micah Smith  |  05-20-2013  |  Music

Raising Capital Cities

The 'best band in Los Angeles' scores with its 'Safe and Sound' single
Colorado Springs Independent  |  Bill Forman  |  05-15-2013  |  Profiles & Interviews

Down in the basement: Mike Rep's dank and creative life

As suburban sprawl began its duplicitous creep, a kid named Mike Hummel and his family took up residence in Timberlake, a region southwest of Ohio's capital. It was the 1960s.
Chicago Newcity  |  Dave Cantor  |  05-14-2013  |  Profiles & Interviews