THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

371-The Harry J Allstars-Liquidator.

1969-Number 9 single.

Best Bit-At 1.23.’Liquidator’ is very well known in the football community. Chelsea Football Club are one of the teams who claim to be the first to play the song when the team came on to the pitch just prior to kick off, and it is still played to this day. Other teams who walk out to the song include Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Bromwich Albion, and St. Johnson in Scotland.

Harry Zephaniah Johnson was born on July 6th, 1945, in Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica, he died after a long battle with diabetes in 2013, at the age of 67. In 1968 he launched his own record label ‘Harry J’ records, releasing some of the first records in the Reggae genre. At it’s peak in the 1970’s the label released two Albums by Bob Marley and the Wailers, and became so famous that artists of the calibre of The Rolling Stones, and The Who would make a special point of visiting the studio when available. In addition Chris Blackwell the founder of Island Records was a regular visitor, prior to moving to England in the early 1970’s.

After hearing the song ‘What Am I to Do’ by Tony Scott, Harry J bought the rights from Scott, and rearranged it, calling the new track ‘Liquidator,’ named after one of his earlier recordings called ‘The Liquidator.’ The Jamaican singer Alton Ellis (1938-2008) has said that the core of ‘Liquidator’ was lifted from his ‘Rocksteady’ track ‘Girl I’ve Got a Date,’ and after taking a listen, it is hard to disagree. The ‘Allstars’ who played on the track included Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett, who played the bass, and his brother Carlton (1950-1987) who played the drums, was also the long term drummer with Bob Marley and the Wailers (see also best 618 and 56.) The organ playing was the work of Winston Wright (1944-1993) who became known as ‘Jamaica’s master of the Hammond Organ,’ he had a long association with the Jamaican band Toots and the Maytals (see also best songs 291.)

In 1972 the American Soul group The Staple Singers sampled the bass line, and intro of ‘Liquidator’ for their American Billboard Number 1 single ‘I’ll Take You There,’ and in 1980 the English Ska revival group The Specials covered ‘Liquidator’ as part of a Ska covers medley for the ‘B’ side of their UK Number 1 ‘Too Much Too Young’ (see also best songs 924.)