Jacob Miller Greatest Hits

Don't give up, don't give up

The Roman soldiers of Babylon

are right behind us...

Jacob "Killer" Miller was taken from us way too soon.  

From what I've read one day Jacob Miller was hanging out with the Wailers band.  Accounts say he went on a pizza run and died in a car crash.  On Hope Road.  March 23, 1980.  At age 27.  A tragic loss.  The local newspaper wrote: "He took the world by storm and would be missed for his playfulness, gaiety and laughter."

RIP Jacob Miller

artist:  Jacob Miller

album: Greatest Hits!

label: Top Ranking International

side one

1 Standing firm

2 Tenement yard

3 Tired fe lick weed in a bush

4 Forward Jah Jah children

5 All night till day light

side two

1 Forward Ever

2 Roman soldiers of babylon

3 80,000 careless Ethiopians

4 I see the light

5 Peace on the earth again

Many people first become aware of Jacob Miller through his appearance in the movie "Rockers."  His performance of Tenement Yard is one of the great moments in Reggae cinema.  So let's watch it.

Jacob Miller was a likeable guy and charismatic performer.  He gained his nick name Jacob "Killer" Miller because he "Killed" all his competitors at concerts.

Jacob Miller got started early.  He hung out at Studio One studios as a youth and recorded three singles at the age of 13.  The song "Love is a Message" became a minor Jamaican hit. 

Nine years later in 1974 the then 22 year old Miller met Augustus Pablo.  Pablo was recording music on his own "Rockers" label at that time, and he suggested to Miller that they remake the song Love is a Message in a Rockers style.  The resulting "Keep on Knocking" is a reggae classic and IMHO great music.  

Here is the Greensleeves 12 inch.  A nice piece of vinyl to have if you can get your hands on it.

This Greatest Hits album I'm posting is a good selection of Jacob Miller's late 70's reggae singles.  It was put out on the Top Ranking International label in 1979 a year before Millers passing.  I've always had good luck with the Top Rankin International label by the way.  Always good solid roots music.  Top Rankin was the label that introduced Israel Vibration for example.  

I go through intense internal debates as to whether or not to post music files.  Blogspot massive what do you think?  Should I or shouldn't I? 

I take that as a yes answer.  Get it HERE

Update: I see that Mediafire has place a red check mark on this file that gives me the cryptic message "This file has been restricted due to copyright claims."  I always live in fear that the entire grooVemonzter set up is going to be taken down so I have to take this file down.  I hope you got here quick enough to be one of the 27 people who got the files.  If not let that be a lesson.  

"Dread out" - Jacob "Killer" Miller

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