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Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
Original album version with stunning cover art by former Marvel Comics artist Earth Maxwell.
Includes unlimited streaming of The Harder They Strum
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
ships out within 3 days
$15USD
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
High quality vinyl version of "The Harder They Strum" on Jump Up Records of Chicago with alternate versions and a vinyl-only free jazz intro. Cover art by former Marvel Comics artist Earth Maxwell.
Includes unlimited streaming of The Harder They Strum
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
"The Harder They Strum" is a track by track reworking of the classic reggae soundtrack album "The Harder They Come," as guitar-led instrumentals by legendary reggae guitarist Andy Bassford and 36 of NYC's finest singers and players of instruments. Jamaican jazz legend Monty Alexander, rising stars New Kingston, guitarist George Naha, and studio vocalists the Soul Sisters Six are featured guests. Tracks 11 and 12 are not available on the CD release and are Bandcamp digital exclusives.
credits
released April 20, 2018
You Can Get It If You Really Want 5:27
Andy Bassford
(Jimmy Cliff)
Universal-Songs Of Polygram International, Inc.
Solo Guitar: Andy Bassford
Drums: Troy Auxilly-Wilson (Klaryti Yaad)
Electric Bass: Ethan Bassford
Acoustic Bass: Hassan (J.J.) Shakur
Piano: Andre (JayCool) Blackwood
Organ: Sidney Mills
Rhythm Guitar: Brett Tubin
Trumpet: James K. Smith
Trumpet: Kevin Batchelor
Trombone: Clark Gayton
Alto Sax: Anant Pradhan
Tenor Sax: Fred (Rock Steady Freddie) Reiter
Recorded live at Eastside Sound, New York, NY, January 30, 2016
Engineer: Gordon Williams
Assistant: Duff Harris
Mixed by Gordon Williams at Elsie's Crib, Bronx, NY
Stop That Train (Draw Your Brakes) 5:13
Andy Bassford with Monty Alexander and New Kingston
(Derrick Harriott, Keith Rowe, Texas Dixon)
Universal-Polygram International Publishing, Inc.
Solo Guitar: Andy Bassford
Bass: Courtney Panton
Drums: Courtney M. Panton
Piano: Tahir Panton
Organ: Earl Appleton
Acoustic Piano: Monty Alexander
Rhythm Guitar: Mikey (Mao) Chung
Pick Guitar: Al Street
Percussion (left): Karl Wright
Percussion (right): Willie Martinez
DJ Intro: Klaryti
Music recorded live at Eastside Sound, New York, NY, November 22, 2015.
Engineer: Gordon Williams
Assistant: Duff Harris
Vocal Overdub: New Kingston (Courtney M. Panton, Tahir Panton, Steven Suckarie)
Vocals recorded: New Kingston Studio, Brooklyn, NY, February 7, 2016.
Vocal Contractor: Janice Pendarvis
Engineer: Steven Suckarie
Mixed by Gordon Williams at Elsie's Crib, Bronx, NY
Rivers Of Babylon 4:02
Andy Bassford
(Brent Dowe, F. McNaughton, Frank Farian, George Reyam)
Universal-Polygram International Publishing/EMI Al Gallico Music
Acoustic 12-String Guitar: Andy Bassford
Acoustic Bass: Hassan (J.J.) Shakur
Trumpet: James K. Smith
Trumpet: Kevin Batchelor
Trombone: Clark Gayton
Alto Sax: Anant Pradhan
Horns recorded at Eastside Sound, New York, NY, January 30, 2016
Engineer: Gordon Williams
Assistant: Duff Harris
Guitar recorded at Almshouse Studios, Bronx, NY, June 29, 2017
Engineer: Eliud (Liu) Ortiz
Edited and Mixed by Gordon Williams at Elsie's Crib, Bronx, NY
Many Rivers To Cross 6:52
Andy Bassford
(Jimmy Cliff)
Universal-Songs Of Polygram International, Inc.
Solo Guitar: Andy Bassford
Drums: Karl Wright
Bass: Jeff Ganz
Piano: Mitch Margold
Recorded live at The Relic Room, New York, NY, September 19, 2015
Engineer: Josh Hahn
Assistant: Sam Bair
Mixed by Eliud (Liu) Ortiz at House of Ortiz, Brooklyn, NY
Sweet And Dandy 5:02
Andy Bassford with Soul Sisters Six
(Frederick Hibbert)
Universal-Songs Of Polygram International, Inc.
Solo Guitar: Andy Bassford
Drums: Paul Sutton
Bass: Derrick Barnett
Piano: Sidney Mills
Organ: Earl Appleton
Rhythm Guitar: Mikey (Mao) Chung
Tenor Banjo: Al Street
Hand Drum: Larry McDonald
plus Soul Sisters Six
Vocal/Leader: Janice Pendarvis
Vocal: Kim Miller
Vocal: Shevon (Shae Goldenvoice) Lawrence
Vocal: Simone (Simone G) Gordon
Vocal: Magano (Andrea Sawyers)
Vocal: Audrey Martells
Vocal Contractor: Janice Pendarvis
Vocal Arrangement: Andy Bassford
Recorded live at Eastside Sound, New York, NY, November 22, 2015.
Engineer: Gordon Williams
Assistant: Duff Harris
Mixed by Gordon Williams at Elsie's Crib, Bronx, NY
The Harder They Come 5:53
Andy Bassford with George Naha and The Blue People
(Jimmy Cliff)
Universal-Songs Of Polygram OBO Island Music Ltd.
Solo Guitar (right channel): Andy Bassford
Solo Guitar (left channel): George Naha
with The Blue People
Drums: Ronnie Murphy
Bass: Leroy Guy
Organ: Mitch Margold
Percussion: Larry McDonald
Tambourine: Kim Miller
plus
Pick Guitar: Al Street
Rhythm Guitar: Mikey (Mao) Chung
Piano: Sidney Mills
Recorded live at Eastside Sound, New York, NY, December 15, 2015.
Engineer: Gordon Williams
Assistant: Duff Harris
Mixed by Gordon Williams at Elsie's Crib, Bronx, NY
Johnny Too Bad 4:22
Andy Bassford with The Blue People and New Kingston
(Trevor Wilson, Winston Bailey, Hylton Beckford, Derrick Crooks)
Polygram International Publishing, Inc./EMI April Music Inc.
Six String Bass: Andy Bassford
with The Blue People
Drums: Ronnie Murphy
Bass: Leroy Guy
Organ: Mitch Margold
Percussion: Larry McDonald
Tambourine: Kim Miller
plus
Lead Guitar: George Naha
Pick Guitar: Al Street
Rhythm Guitar: Mikey (Mao) Chung
Piano: Sidney Mills
Recorded live at Eastside Sound, New York, NY December 15, 2015.
Recorded: Eastside Sound, New York, NY
Engineer: Gordon Williams
Assistant: Duff Harris
Vocal Overdub: New Kingston (Courtney M. Panton, Tahir Panton, Steven Suckarie)
Vocals recorded: New Kingston Studio, Brooklyn, NY, February 7, 2016
Vocal Contractor: Janice Pendarvis
Engineer: Steven Suckarie
Character Voices: New Kingston, Larry McDonald
Mixed by Gordon Williams at Elsie's Crib, Bronx, NY
007 (Shanty Town) 4:31
Andy Bassford
(Desmond Dekker)
Universal-Island Music, Inc.
Too Many Electric Guitars: Andy Bassford
Lap Steel: Andy Bassford
Electric Sitar: Andy Bassford
Drums: Karl Wright
Bass: Jeff Ganz
Piano: Mitch Margold
Rhythm Guitar: Andy Bassford
Basic track recorded at The Relic Room, New York, NY, September 19, 2015.
Engineer: Josh Hahn
Assistant: Sam Bair
Guitar overdubs recorded at Almshouse Studios, Bronx, NY, June 29, 2017.
Engineer: Eliud (Liu) Ortiz
Mixed by Eliud (Liu) Ortiz at House of Ortiz, Brooklyn, NY
Andy Bassford with Soul Sisters Six
Pressure Drop 3:36
(Frederick Hibbert)
Drums: Paul Sutton
Bass: Derrick Barnett
Piano: Sidney Mills
Organ: Earl Appleton
Rhythm Guitar: Mikey (Mao) Chung
Pick Guitar: Al Street
Hand Drum: Larry McDonald
Solo Guitar: Andy Bassford
Soul Sisters Six
Vocal/Leader: Janice Pendarvis
Vocal: Kim Miller
Vocal: Shevon (Shae Goldenvoice) Lawrence
Vocal: Simone (Simone G) Gordon
Vocal: Andrea (Magano) Sawyers
Vocal: Audrey Martells
Vocal Contractor: Janice Pendarvis
Vocal Arrangement: Andy Bassford
Recorded live at Eastside Sound, New York, NY, November 22, 2015
Engineer: Gordon Williams
Assistant: Duff Harris
Mixed by Gordon Williams at Elsie's Crib, Bronx, NY
Andy Bassford with Monty Alexander and New Kingston
Sitting In Limbo 6:16
(Jimmy Cliff, Guilly Bright)
Universal-Songs Of Polygram International, Inc.
Solo Guitar: Andy Bassford
Melodica, Acoustic Piano: Monty Alexander
Bass: Courtney Panton
Drums: Courtney M. Panton
Piano: Tahir Panton
Electric Piano: Earl Appleton
Electric Guitar: Mikey (Mao) Chung
Acoustic Guitar: Al Street
Congas: Karl Wright
Timbales: Willie Martinez
Recorded live at Eastside Sound, New York, NY, November 22, 2015
Engineer: Gordon Williams
Assistant: Duff Harris
Mixed by Gordon Williams at Elsie's Crib, Bronx, NY
Produced by Andy Bassford
Arranged by Andy Bassford
Executive Producer: Ethan Bassford for Bassford Holdings
Cover Drawing: Earth (Samuel Maxwell)
Cover Design: Brett Collins for Counterspace
Videographers/Photographers: Victor Moore, Andrea (Magano) Sawyers, Simone (Simone G) Gordon, Steven Paul, Richard Cuccaro, Andy Bassford
Thanks To: Elizabeth, Ethan, and Liam Bassford, Monty Alexander, Desi Young and the Jamaica Federation of Musicians (JFM), the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), David Sheldon and Ronald Gentilla of AFM Local 802 (NYC), Kimberly Archee of SAG-AFTRA, Janice Pendarvis, Clark Gayton, Reggae Pattie, Tom Guerra, Joan Trygg, and Ward Meeker, Vintage Guitar Magazine, Dave Cowles and the GHS Strings staff, Peter Prisco, Lollar Pickups, Flip Scipio, Dennis Kager, Kurt Wyberanec of KW Cabs, Shaun (Sting International) Pizzonia, Shaggy, Lou Holtzman and Duff Harris at EastSide Sound, Josh Hahn, Sam Bair, and Gideon Blumenthal at the Relic Room, and all the singers and players of instruments.
Guitarist Andy Bassford has recorded and performed with nearly every important artist in reggae since 1977. He has toured
extensively with Dennis Brown, Toots & the Maytals, and Monty Alexander. Andy has recorded with Rihanna and Natalie Merchant and played on the Grammy-winning Sting/Shaggy “44/876.” He released his first solo album, "The Harder They Strum," in 2018 and performs worldwide....more
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