Actually one of the first hit singles to use the term ‘reggae’ was Toots & the Maytals ‘Do the Reggay’ with that exact spelling. In fact, Toots Hibbert is regarded as the first artist that used the term ‘reggay’ in the title of the hit single, in effect legitimizing the name of the style of music. This album was probably released in Reggae’s formative years, where the spelling was not yet set in stone.
You are right, there’s really nothing special in this record since that was the spelling of the word back then. I read somewhere that ‘Reggay’ was originally (before becaming a musical genre) a kind of Jamaican dance, of course probably with African roots.
July 1, 2008 at 2:53 am
Actually one of the first hit singles to use the term ‘reggae’ was Toots & the Maytals ‘Do the Reggay’ with that exact spelling. In fact, Toots Hibbert is regarded as the first artist that used the term ‘reggay’ in the title of the hit single, in effect legitimizing the name of the style of music. This album was probably released in Reggae’s formative years, where the spelling was not yet set in stone.
In retrospect, that is pretty funny though.
July 1, 2008 at 2:09 pm
You are right, there’s really nothing special in this record since that was the spelling of the word back then. I read somewhere that ‘Reggay’ was originally (before becaming a musical genre) a kind of Jamaican dance, of course probably with African roots.