Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Third World - Rock the World

Name: Third World
Album: Rock the World
Year: 1981
Style: R&B, Soul, Reggae
Similar Bands: Stylistics, Inner Circle, Wailers
"One-Word" Review: Free Love Soul Disco
Based Out Of: Jamaica
Label: Columbia
Cover, Sleeve, Record
Back, Lyrics, Record
Rock the World (1981)
  1. Rock the World 3:46
  2. Spiritual Revolution 5:11
  3. Who Gave You (Jah Rastafari)  4:26
  4. Dubb Music 3:37
  5. Shine Like a Blazing Fire 3:47 /
  6. Dancing on the Floor (Hooked On Love) 5:32(single)
  7. There's No Need to Question Why 3:48
  8. Peace and Love 4:14
  9. Standing In The Rain 3:10 (single)
  10. Hug It Up 4:45
Album Rating (1-10): 6.0

Members & Other Bands:
  • Michael Cooper - Recording & Mixing
  • Bruce Hensal - Recording & Mixing
  • Patrice Carroll - Asst Engineer
  • Robert Stweart - Asst Engineer
  • Vishwaka Wadinambiaratchi - Asst. Engineer
  • Bobby Bootheel - Album Art Concept
  • Mark Diamond - Photos
  • Mark Paternostro - Cover Art
  • Bob Heimall - Art Direction
  • Michael "Ibo" Cooper - Clavinet, Keys, Prophet 5, Vox, Funde Drum (The Alley Cats, Inner Circle, more)
  • Stephen "Cat" Coore - Bass, Vox, Harmonica, Guitar, Synth, Tubular Bells (The Alley Cats, Inner Circle more )
  • Richie Daley - Guitar, Cowbell, Backing Vox, Bass (Tomorrow's Children, Blaze, Derrick Harriott, Ras Eliebank, Black Market Rhythm Band, Jimmy Tucker, AJ Brown, Foundation, Earth Messengers, Bob Marley & Wailers, Candy McKenzi)
  • Irvin "Carrot" Jarrett - Golbell, Conga, Cowbell, Backing Vox, Akete drum, Bell Chimes, Tambarine, Quaker Drum, Open End Spanners, Bongas, Bell of Three, Wood Claps (Inner Circle, The Wailers Band, NDTC Singers, Bob Andy, I Kong, Jimmy Tucker, AJ Brown, Judy Mowatt, Joe Higgs, Peter Broggs, Jampara, National Dance Theater Co of Jamica, Toots & the Maytals, Candy McKenzie, Bunny Rugs)
  • Willie Stewart - Drums, Wood-ago-go-bell, Roaring Thunder, Tympani, Traps, Funde Drum, Timbales, Bottle of Green, Wood Claps, (Inner Circle, Blaze, Barry Biggs, T. Brothers, Pablo Moses, Jimmy Tucker, Cynthia Schloss, Gregory Isaacs, Lloyd Parks, Man of Nobility Ensemble, Marcia Griffiths, Earth Messengers, Ras Elibank, Karen Smith, Dawn Penn, Wailing Souls, Natalia Beylis, Paula Clarke, Delroy Wilson, The Jamaicans)
  • William "Bunny Rugs" Clarke - Vox, Guitar, Cabassa (Inner Circle, Bunny & Ricky, Bush Weed & Corn Trash, Hugh Hendricks & the Buccaneers, Candy McKenzie)
  • Valerie Von Pechy - Whitcup-Harp (Rosewater Blue, Billion Dollar Band, Peter Brown, KC & the Sunshine Band, Passion, Michael Blate, Raul Di Blasio)
Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band, but it looks like it will be straight up Reggae made to heal the world. Like the matching white outfits.

Album Review: While the album does have many reggae vibes, much of the production, sound and vocal performances are more in line with straight up smooth R&B, and dip a toe into disco on some of the tracks (Dancing on the Floor). "Who Gave You" sounds a little like Elvis Costello's "Ship Building" or "Almost Blue."
With  over 47 years (1973 formation) and 9 Grammy nominations, Third World is one of the longest lasting reggae bands of all time, often blending/fusing reggae with R&B, Funk, Pop and Rap, giving them cross-genre appreciation. Their biggest success was in '78 with their cover of the O'Jays "Now That We Found Love," which was the basis for the Heavy D's 1991 cover. This album was their first with Columbia after leaving Island records. Both Rugs & Carrot have passed away in 2014 & 2018 respectively, but the band still records and performs.

Stand Out Track: Rock the World

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