Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel: Jimmy Cliff (acoustic guitar); Jimmy Cliff (vocals); Sting (vocals, electric bass); DJ Hawk Eye, Shawn McQuiller, Tessane Chen, Spice , Sting, Bounty Killer (vocals); Nadz (rap vocals); Jean Phillipe Hann, George "Funky" Brown, Charles Allen Smith, Amir-Salaam Bayyan (guitar); London Metropolitan Orchestra (strings); Dennis "D.T." Thomas (alto saxophone); Khalis Bayyan (tenor saxophone, keyboards); Clifford Admas (trumpet, trombone); Skip Martin (trumpet); Jools Holland (piano, organ); Curtis "Fitz" Williams, Steven "Lenky" Marsden (keyboards); Thierry Blanchard (synthesizer); Steve Lewinson (electric bass); Yannick Hardouin, Robert "Kool" Bell (bass guitar); Laurent Coppola (drums); Alden Love, Krunchie, Leigh Guest, Ned Douglas (programming); Paul Holroyde (scratches); Samantha Smith, Basil Meade, T Jae Cole, Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, Bassey Walker, Beverley Skeete (background vocals); Kool & the Gang, Joe Strummer, Annie Lennox, Tony Rebel, Wyclef Jean, Yannick Noah (vocals); Dave Stewart (guitar); Sly Dunbar, Tony Allen (drums). | | Audio Mixers: Thierry Blanchard; Serge Tsai; James Loughrey; Leigh Guest; Al Clay; Ash Howes. | | Audio Remixers: Collin "Bulbie" York; Danny Browne; Cleevie; Richard "Shams" Browne. | | Recording information: 4th Qtr Studio, Orange, NJ; Audio Lab, Inc., Montclair, NJ; EMI Abbey Road Studios, London, England; Gillhams Farm Studios; Platinum Sound Recording Studio, New York, NY; Studio Battamobile, Villejuif; Studio Marcadet, Paris, France; Studio: Vx Et Choeur; The Church Studios; The Studio Desk, East Orange, NJ; Unique Corp Studios, London, England. | | Author: Jimmy Cliff. | | Editor: Music Addict. | | Bursting at the seams with famous guest artists, Jimmy Cliff's Artemis Records debut, BLACK MAGIC, made quite a splash, garnering a Grammy nomination in 2005. Without notable chemistry with the guests such an album could go awry, but given Cliff's creative acumen and Dave Stewart's savvy production, the record is a well-executed affair. | | The reggae elder statesman gives an Eddy Grant-like tweak to Kool & the Gang's "(Ooh La, La, La) Let's Go Dancin'," featuring the band itself and a rap by contemporary reggae star Bounty Killer. Cliff turns up the socially conscious vibe via his ethereal collaboration with Sting and Tony Rebel, "People," while "War in Jerusalem" proves to be a crisp, 1970s-era reggae lament. Cliff's malleable persona also works well whether he's trading lines with Annie Lennox and Hawk Eye (a dancehall-inspired "Love Comes"), Wyclef Jean (the equally infectious "Dance") or, somewhat surprisingly, former tennis star Yannick Noah (a joyous "Take Your Time"). Most poignant is the thoughtful "Over the Border," a duet with Joe Strummer that ended up being one of the late Clash founder's last recordings. Given its shining guest spots and Cliff's consistently charismatic presence, BLACK MAGIC proves that the reggae icon remains a dynamic performer. |
Producer: Jerry Duplessis; Wyclef Jean; Dave Stewart; Cleevie; Krunchie; Leigh Guest; Andy Whitmore; Bob Goldman; Khalis Bayyan; Dave Stewart; Wyclef Jean; Jerry Duplessis |
Engineer: Paul Soulsby; Alden Love; Jules Pyke; Serge Tsai; Nick Addison; Steve McLaughlin; Ned Douglas |
Musical Guests | | Annie Lennox | | Wyclef Jean | | Sting | | Kool & The Gang | | Joe Strummer | | Sly Dunbar | | Yannick Noah |
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