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KINGSTON, Jamaica – Drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare were two of the hottest musicians in Jamaica in 1978. They officially became Sly and Robbie in 1977 and began producing songs for several artists on their Taxi label.
One of the songs that put them on the map was Baltimore by The Tamlins. This was a cover of Randy Newman’s contemplative 1977 ballad. In a 2019 interview with the Jamaica Observer newspaper, Dunbar said he first heard the original in 1978. At the time, he was hanging out with fellow musician/producer Geoffrey Chung.
“When mi hear it mi sey (say), ‘bwoy, da (this) song ya wicked’! An’ when wi go on di road, mi used to play it all di time for The Tamlins pon (on) di tour bus,” Dunbar recalled.
That tour bus belonged to Peter Tosh, whose Word, Sound And Power band Sly and Robbie were senior members. The Tamlins, which formed in the late 1960s, were Tosh’s harmony singers.
When they returned to Jamaica, Sly and Robbie took The Tamlins — Carlton Smith, Junior Moore and Winston Morgan — to Channel One studio in Kingston where they recorded Baltimore.
Released in mid-1979, the song was a monster hit. It topped charts in Jamaica and its Diaspora for multiple weeks. It was one of several hit singles for Sly and Robbie that year. Others were Soon Forward by Gregory Isaacs, Love And Devotion by Jimmy Riley and General Penitentiary by Black Uhuru.
The Tamlins were backed by The Taxi Gang, which played on most of Sly and Robbie’s songs during the 1980s. In the 1980s, Sly and Robbie’s fame caught the attention of stars like Grace Jones, Bob Dylan and Mick Jagger.
Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album
In 1999, they won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album with Friends, which contains songs by Maxi Priest and Simply Red.
Sly Dunbar died on January 26 at age 73, while Robbie Shakespeare died in December, 2021 at age 68.
Reggae Genealogy® Music Festival: A Celebration of Heritage and Legends
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