The I-Three


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- Marcia Griffiths -- vocals

- Rita Marley (aka Alpharita Constantia Anderson) -- vocals

- Judy Mowatt -- vocals

 

 

 

Esete (Rita Marley)

- Ganette (Rita Marley) 

- Marcia Griffiths (solo efforts)

- Rita Marley (solo efforts)

- The Soulettes (Rita Marley)

- Judy Mowatt (solo efforts)

 

 

 


 

Genre: reggae

Rating: 2 stars **

Title:  Beginning

Company: EMI America

Catalog: ST-17222
Year:
 1986

Country/State: Jamaica

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: --

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 5460

Price: $20.00

 

Yeah, as The I-Three Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley and Judy Mowatt are clearly the queens of reggae which means most Americans don't have a clue as to who these ladies are ...  By the mid-1970s Griffiths had already achieved Jamaican fame and some international recognition working with legendary Jamaican singer, songwriter and producer Bob Andy.  Mowatt had been a member of The Gaylettes, and Marley had enjoyed some success on her own and as a member of The Soulettes.  

 

 

Griffith deserves credit for starting the collaboration in that she was the one who approached Marley and Mowatt to help her provide backing vocals on a Bob Andy recording session.  That led to some club performance and in 1975 after the original Wailers line up split with Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer going solo, Bob Marley asked them to back him on the concert set "Jah Live".  

 

 

 

As a fan, I've owned Griffith, Marley and Mowatt solo LPs for years, but never stumbled across anything they'd collectively released as The I-Threes.  When I found a copy of 1986's "Beginning" at a yard sale I jumped on it.  That said, I was somewhat surprised by the results.  On a technical and performance basis the set had a somewhat split personality.  About half of the of the album reflected new material produced by Thom Bell.  On these performances EMI's marketing plan appears to have been an effort to Americanize the trio's sound for the US audience.  Reflecting Bell collaborations with Leroy Bell and Casey James (of Bell & James fame), tracks such as 'Come To Me Tonight', 'Mamma Can't Buy You Love', and 'Calling Out' (the latter reminding me of something Boney M might have recorded), certainly had a top-40 sheen, but it came at the expense of the trio's reggae roots.  The three ladies were clearly all gifted with wonderful voices; one of those blessed groups that make harmonizing seem effortless.  At the same time the combination of Bell's dated mid-1980s sound (tons of synthesizers, drum machines, etc.) and the set's clear debt and affection for American soul acts was a surprise.  The rest of the album reflected previously recorded material working with Jamaican producers including Grub Cooper, Tyrone Dowie and Ricky Walters.  While those efforts weren't as radio-ready commercial, to my ears they were far more enjoyable.  Their remake of Sonny Okosun's 'Highlife' (re-titled 'Neighbour'), a cover of the old Heptones tune 'Baby Be True' and a cover of Errol Thompson's 'Jealousy' were all fun.  Best performance was the lone original composition - recorded with the remaining Wailers, Griffith's touching tribute to Bob Marley 'He Is A Legend'.  All-n-all not bad, but not a total knockout either ... and yeah, that patented '80s sound quickly became irritating.

 

"Beginning" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Come To Me Tonight (Thom Bell - Leroy Bell - Casey James) - 4:03 rating: *** stars

Their vocals were impressive, but right off the bat the '80s drum sound and synthesizer washes will some send folks running for the exits. Actually 'Come To Me Tonight' was a perfect example of the set's strengths and weaknesses.  If you'd heard this one without any background on who was singing, you'd never have guessed they were Jamiacan.  You'd never have guessed their backgrounds were in reggae. On the other hand they sounded as good, if not better than virtually any other mid-'80s female vocal group.  
2.) Now That We Are Standing (Thom Bell - Leroy Bell - Casey James) - 4:43 
rating: ** stars

Funny but I think I would have been able to guess the sweet ballad 'Now That We Are Standing' was a Thom Bell product.  There was just something about the fragile keyboard opening and the heartbreak melody that recalled the man. Pretty performance, though I find it a little too MOR for my tastes.  EMI released it as the US single in 7" and 12" formats:

- 1986's 'Now That We Are Standing' b/w 'Calling Out Around the World' (EMI America catalog number B-8340)

- 1986's ' Now That We Are Standing' b/w 'Now That We're Standing' EMI America catalog number SPRO-9850)
3.) Mamma Can't Buy You Love (Leroy Bell - Casey James) - 5:31
rating: *** stars

I remember liking the Elton John version (off the 1979 "The Thom Bell Sessions" EP) so that was my  baseline for comparisons.  Other than adding some steel drums, this version really didn't stray from the original arrangement.  Once again my issue with this version wasn't the performance, rather the horrible '80s production effects.  Elton John one; I-Three zero ...  I have no idea what the underlying business arrangements were, but this one was released as a Jamaican single:

 

 

 

 

- 1985's 'Mama Can't Buy You Love' b/w 'Mama Can't Buy You Love' (Rita Marley Music catalog number XWO 169)

 

 

4.) Neighbour (Sonny Okosun) - 3:38 rating: **** stars

A remake of Sonny Okosun's 'Highlife' (no idea why they re-titled it), 'Neighbour' was an album highlight if only because it made no effort to strip off the original Jamaican sound and feel.  Shame they weren't allowed to do more of this, rather than forced into a commercialized sheen.  (By the way the Okosun version is even better.)

5.) Baby Be True (Leroy Sibbies) - 2:53 rating: **** stars

A remake of an old Heptones tune, this was another highlight given it was pure reggae without Bell's slick production work.

 

(side 2)
1.) Calling Out (Thom Bell - Leroy Bell - Casey James) - 3:52 rating: ** stars

The cheesy synthesizers sounded like an Atari game having a final meltdown.  The rest of this one sounded like a subpar Boney-M performance.  Dreadful.

Under the extended title 'Calling Out Around the World', this was another one that saw release as a Jamaican 45:

- 1984's 'Calling Out Around the World' b/w 'Calling Out Around the World' (Rita Marley Music catalog number XW0069)

- 1984's 'Calling Out Around the World' b/w 'Calling Out Around the World' (Rita Marley Music catalog number ABD0050)
2.) That's How Strong (Roosevelt Jamerson) - 3:45
rating: *** stars

Okay they had good taste when it came to covers, but there was simply no way their pop-reggae version of this classic soul tune was ever going to surpass Otis Redding's version ...  or even Candi Staton's take.  In an effort to bridge the soul-reggae valley, this was probably the track I would have tapped as an American single.
3.) Jealousy (S. Davis) - 3:47
rating: **** stars

My pick for the album's standout performance, their cover of 'Jealousy' gave each of the ladies a shot at the spotlight while showcasing their glorious harmony vocals.  Those vocals were so strong they overcame the lame '80s drums and synthesizers.  
4.) Sing Joy (Errol Thompson) - 3:13
rating: *** stars

Bouncy, uplifting pop-reggae tune ...

5.) He Is a Legend (Marcia Griffiths) - 4:40 rating: **** stars

The album's best performance,Griffith's 'He Is a Legend' was also the album's lone original composition. Yeah, the lyrics were a little over-the-top, but there was no denying their sincerity. The track featured backing from The Wailers and was released as a Jamaican 45 in conventional and picture disc formats

- 1985's 'He Is a Legend' b/w 'He Is a Legend' (instrumental) (Tuff Gong catalog number XW 0095)  NO idea when, or where it was recorded, but YouTube has a live performance of the track: He's a Legend (Bob Marley Tribute)- I-Three's (youtube.com) 

 

 

 

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