One of the longest-running reggae acts of all time, Third World remained one of Jamaica’s most consistently popular crossover acts among international audiences for over 40 years. Regularly appearing on American and U.K. charts throughout the ’80s, the band embraced a fusion sound that married elements of pop and soul to a reggae core on albums like 1989’s Serious Business.
Third World was formed in 1973 by keyboardist Michael “Ibo” Cooper and guitarist/cellist Steven “Cat” Coore. Both had received formal training at music schools in Jamaica, and both had played around the Kingston reggae scene before joining the original lineup of Inner Circle around 1968. When they left to form their own band in 1973, they took Inner Circle bassist Richard Daley with them, and also recruited drummer Carl Barovier, percussionist Irvin “Carrot” Jarrett, and lead singer Milton “Prilly” Hamilton. Barovier was quickly replaced by Cornell Marshall, and the group made its live debut that year at Jamaica’s independence celebration. They played around the Kingston club scene and made a name for themselves as one of the few fully self-contained bands around. Having all their own musicians on hand, Third World didn’t need to rely on sound systems to play records that weren’t practical to duplicate live. As a result, they found it difficult to land a label deal, since most labels in Jamaica were operated by sound systems. Third World solved the problem by traveling to England for a tour, and subsequently signing with the internationally minded Island label. Island issued their debut single, “Railroad Track,” in 1974 and sent them out on a European tour as the opening act for Bob Marley & the Wailers. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1976 and featured a successful cover of the Abyssinians’ roots classic “Satta Massagana.” The follow-up, 1977’s 96° in the Shade, introduced new drummer Willie “Roots” Stewart and new lead singer William Clarke, aka Bunny Rugs. It was an enormous critical success in the U.K. and Europe, and spawned an all-time classic single in the title track. That set the stage for the group’s commercial breakthrough album, 1978’s Journey to Addis, which featured a funky, disco-flavored reggae cover of the O’Jays’ “Now That We Found Love.” The song hit the Top Ten on the American R&B charts in 1979, and Third World found themselves international stars.
