Reducing Junior Murvin to a one-hit wonder would be selling him short, yet it's hard to deny that much of his lasting fame stems from 'Police And Thieves', the iconic track he voiced for Lee 'Scratch' Perry back in 1977.
By Jah Rebel
During those same Black Ark sessions, Murvin also cut ‘Bad Weed’ and ‘Philistines On The Land’, both riding the same riddim. In 1984 he revisited the riddim with Henry ‘Junjo’ Lawes for ‘Muggers In The Street’, and in 1987 came a digital reworking of ‘Police And Thieves’ for Prince Jammy.
It’s around that latter version that ‘Cool Down The Heat’, a new Greensleeves compilation, is built. The track list gathers digital-era singles from Jammy’s label, including ‘Cool Out Son’ (on the Real Rock riddim, originally released as ‘Cool Off Son’), ‘World Inflation’, ‘Dancehall Girls’ (again on Real Rock), and the title cut ‘Cool Down The Heat’ (over the riddim of Nitty Gritty’s ‘Run Down The World’). These are complemented by previously unreleased productions like ‘Ism Schism’, ‘No Bed Of Roses’, ‘Lion Mouth’ and the excellent ‘Come From Far’.
We wouldn’t quite call this essential listening, but for fans it’s certainly an enjoyable addition to the discography of one of Jamaica’s most distinctive falsetto voices.
Founder alongside Jah Shakespear who transitioned to this role in late 2014. Previously worked as critic and reporter, balancing passions for music and Haile Selassie spirituality.
September 3, 2025