Jimmy Cliff, one of the most significant reggae musicians of all time, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame® induction, and GRAMMY® Award-winning icon, will release The Harder They Come 50th Anniversary Edition Vinyl on December 9, 2022, via UMe. Jimmy Cliff will be celebrating five decades of his magnum opus. The fact that this is the album’s first official vinyl release makes it stand out. The package includes a 2LP gatefold-wrapped jacket with a lamented gloss finish, the liner notes from the 40th Anniversary Edition, and fresh text written by Jimmy and renowned reggae historian Dana Smart.
Cliff played the lead in the 1972 release The Harder They Come, which became a cult favourite. The Harder They Come Soundtrack accompanied the film and gave reggae music a global audience. The record first rose to #141 on the Billboard 200, and as time went on, its legacy only grew. The Library of Congress selected the National Recording Registry in 2021 because it is “culturally, historically, and artistically significant.” Reggae was essentially made famous by this album. The Rolling Stone hailed The Harder They Come Soundtrack as one of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.”
Cliff still has an impact on culture. Refugees [UMe], his first new album in more than ten years, was released recently. Wyclef Jean, Dwight Richards, and his daughter Lilty Cliff all make cameos on the critically praised full-length. He also sat down with The Guardian and The Independent for in-depth interviews. Forbes, for example, praised it as “vintage Cliff” and promised that “Cliff once again delivers his passion, wisdom, empathy, and thoughtfulness on his stunning new collection, Refugees.” FLAUNT praised its “13 tracks of his inimitable grasp on the reggae sound and his optimistic, yet cut-no-corners truth he has been lauded for over the past six decades.”
Cliff gave the world his most recent LP, Rebirth, in 2012. It finished the year on Rolling Stone’s list of the “50 Best Albums of 2012” and won a GRAMMY® Award for “Best Reggae Album.” The Order of Merit, the highest distinction the Jamaican government can bestow for accomplishments in the arts and sciences, distinguishes him as “the only living reggae musician.” The iconic tunes “Many Rivers To Cross,” “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” “The Harder They Come,” and “Hakuna Matata” are all part of his discography. In the classic comedy Cool Runnings, he delivered covers of Cat Stevens’ “Wild World” and Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now.”
THE HARDER THEY COME TRACKLISTING
A-Side
Jimmy Cliff – You Can Get It If You Really Want
Scotty – Draw Your Brakes
The Melodions – Rivers Of Babylon
Jimmy Cliff – Many Rivers To Cross
The Maytals – Sweet And Dandy
Jimmy Cliff – The Harder They Come
B-Side
The Slickers – Johnny Too Bad
Desmond Decker – Shanty Town
The Maytals – Pressure Drop
Jimmy Cliff – Sitting In Limbo
Jimmy Cliff – You Can Get It If You Really Want
Jimmy Cliff – The Harder They Come
Jimmy Cliff – The Harder They Come (Fillm Version)
