TORONTO, Canada – First recorded in 1966, “Put it On” by The Wailers has been covered many times. These covers have helped introduce the song to new fans. Tasha T is the latest artist to give the song a fresh sound.
The Canadian artist, whose parents are from Jamaica, co-produced it with Clayton Levy. They worked together at Ras Vibes Records and Silver Diamonds Productions. The release happened in late August.
As a child in her hometown of Toronto, Tasha T remembers hearing the song at home.
Tasha T
“It’s a song that I’ve grown up listening to. Moreover, what I love about this song are the melody and the simplicity,” she said.
With the objective being to introduce a classic to fans unfamiliar with Put it On, Tasha T shows off her singjay skills on the track which features Jamaican musicians including guitarist Steve Golding, a stalwart known for his work with The Roots Radics Band; and keyboardist Paul “Wrong Move” Crosdale of The Firehouse Crew, who has played on countless hits by acts like Luciano, Sizzla and Garnet Silk.
Tasha T received two nominations for a Juno Award in Canada. She decided to cover the song “Put it On” during a brainstorming session with Levy.
“We were actually discussing other projects that we’ve worked on to release. Nevertheless, Put it On was the song that we’ve decided would be ideal to release in August,” she disclosed.
The Wailers (which included Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny ‘Wailer’ Livingston) first recorded Put it On as a rock steady single in 1966 for producer Clement Dodd. The trio’s roots-reggae version appeared on Burnin’, their 1973 album released by Island Records.
“Put it On” has been covered by Wailer and Judy Mowatt, who is part of The I Three, Marley’s vocal harmony ensemble.
