by Howard Campbell
SOUTH FLORIDA – At the height of the roots-reggae revolution in 1974, even hardcore Rastamen wanted songs they could chill to with their queen. They got it that year with Everything I Own, a lush ballad by Ken Boothe produced by Lloyd Charmers.
October is Black History Month in the United Kingdom. This year marks 50 years since “Everything I Own” was number one on the British pop chart for three weeks.
A reggae cover of Bread’s 1972 blue-eyed soul hit, Boothe heard the original while in Canada. The singer was 25 years old at the time he recorded his version at Federal Records in Kingston.
Willie Lindo played the memorable guitar intro to Everything I Own. He recalled Boothe “banging it out on di piano” but not everyone in the studio was excited about the initial structure.
“Charmers sey it too slow, too sweet. (Drummer) Paul Douglas wanted to leave ‘cause he had to go to rehearsals with Toots (and The Maytals). But I know it was something special,” said Lindo.
Lloyd Parks played bass, and Charmers played the organ, piano, and percussion. They were the main musicians on “Everything I Own.” This song was a hit in Jamaica. Later, Trojan picked it up and distributed it in the UK. The UK had growing Jamaican and West Indian communities.
Roots-Reggae Movement
The roots-reggae movement, which had exploded in Jamaica, was also strong in the UK. Militant and conservative blacks, as well as white Britons, were drawn to the mellow tones of Everything I Own which soared to the top of the charts. It matched the success of fellow Jamaicans Millie Small’s My Boy Lollipop in 1964, and Double Barrel by Dave Barker and Ansel Collins in 1971.
This did not surprise Lindo.
“It was a hit record…from when we were recording it, I knew it was a hit record,” he said.
Everything I Own remains the biggest hit for Boothe, who made his name as a teen sensation at producer Clement Dodd’s Studio One label during the 1960s. Now 76, he lives in Kingston.
Willie Lindo owns the Heavy Beat label. This label has produced hit songs by Dennis Brown, Berres Hammond, and his son, Kashief. In 1986, he produced Boris Gardiner’s song, I Wanna Wake up With You. This reggae ballad reached the top of the British pop chart.
