| B i o g r a p h y |
Third World
is a Jamaican reggae band formed in 1973. Their sound is influenced by
soul, funk and disco. According to Billboard's Jim Bessman, Third World
is considered by some reggae purists to be overly commercial. The band
started when keyboard player Michael "Ibo" Cooper and guitarist (and cellist) Stephen "Cat" Coore
left Inner Circle to form their own band. The line-up for their first
album as Third World included a singer called "Prilly" and
percussionist Irving "Carrot" Jarrett. The album included a cover of "Satta Massagana," originally performed by The Abyssinians, which became a local hit.
Their second album, 96° In The Shade, had several local hits and featured the band's classic line-up. "Prilly" was replaced by the distinctive vocalist "Bunny Rugs" Clarke, and an all-new rhythm section was in place: Ritchie Daley was on bass and former Inner Circle drummer Willie Stewart also defected to join the new band. Notable among the eight tracks were "1865 (96° In The Shade)," "Rhythm Of Life" and the only cover on the album, "Dreamland," written by Bunny Wailer (this was originally called "Dream Island," as recorded by the American R&B band, The El Tempos).
Third World's greatest success came in the late 1970s and early 1980s, peaking with their cover version of The O'Jays' "Now That We Found Love," a hit single on both sides of the Atlantic in 1979. This song brought them to the attention of Stevie Wonder, who worked with them and wrote (along with Melody A. McCully) their song "Try Jah Love." They were also a guest during the third season of SCTV.
Amid claims of artistic differences "Carrot" split from the band in the mid 1980s. The resulting five-piece band then went to more commercial tunes like "Sense Of Purpose," "Reggae Ambassador" and "Forbidden Love."
Despite several more line-up changes, including the departures of Cooper and Stewart, and a decline in mainstream success, the band are still recording and performing in the early 2000s, including in front of a television audience at the Cricket World Cup 2007 Opening Ceremony in Kingston.