If one is a fan of early songs by The Wailers, then ‘Put it on’ should be right up their street. Recorded in 1966 as a rock steady single, it was one of the legendary group’s many classic songs.
Reggae singer Tasha T puts a fresh spin on the single, with her version released in late August. She co-produced it for her RasVive Records Inc. with Silver Diamond Productions.
“It’s a song that I grew up listening to. Moreover, what I love about this song are the melody and the simplicity,” said Tasha T. She felt it was important to put her stamp on ‘Put it on’ which The Wailers also recorded for their 1973 Island Records album, ‘Burnin’.
“I added a touch of my sing-jay prowess to give the song a divergent flavor,” she shared.
Tasha T disclosed that she and Clayton Levy from Silver Diamonds Productions agreed that it would be a good idea to cover ‘Put it on’. Once that was settled, they recruited some of Jamaica’s top session musicians to accompany her on the project.
They include guitarist Steve Golding of The Fabulous Five and Roots Radics Band fame, keyboardist Paul “Wrong Move” Crosdale of The Firehouse Crew and singer Lymie Murray, who provided harmony.
‘Put it on’ is the follow-up to ‘Jamaica It Nice’, a song Tasha T dedicated to her parents’ homeland which has been the subject of negative coverage in North American media.
Born in Toronto, Tasha T is a two-time Juno Awards nominee for Best Reggae Recording. Her hit songs include ‘Fire in Me’, ‘Dem Need More Love’ and ‘Educate Yourself’.
