54-46 was one of the first ska songs to receive widespread popularity outside Jamaica and is seen as being one of the defining songs of the genre. The song was originally released in 1968 by The Maytals as 54-46 That's My Number. A new version (featuring a vocal and organ call-and-response intro) was released a year later by Toots & the Maytals as 54-46 (with "Was My Number" sometimes added to the title). It has been anthologized repeatedly and the titles of several reggae anthologies include "54-46" in their title. The lyrics describe Toots' time i… read more
54-46 was one of the first ska songs to receive widespread popularity outside Jamaica and is seen as being one of the defining songs of the genre. Th… read more
54-46 was one of the first ska songs to receive widespread popularity outside Jamaica and is seen as being one of the defining songs of the genre. The song was originally released in 196… read more
Jamaican ska vocal group The Maytals became a reggae band in 1971, renamed Toots and The Maytals with Toots Hibbert (Frederick Nathaniel Hibbert) as front figure. The band won a 2005 Grammy award for the album True Love. Funky Kingston in early 70s is on Rolling Stone's list The Greatest Albums of All Time. The bass line in "54-46" is one of the most covered in pop music. Songs such as "Monkey Man", "Pressure Drop", "Bam Bam", among others, made them favorites for the early skinhead movement of white working-class youth in UK. Toots and…read more
Jamaican ska vocal group The Maytals became a reggae band in 1971, renamed Toots and The Maytals with Toots Hibbert (Frederick Nathaniel Hibbert) as front figure. The band won a 2005 Grammy… read more