Pressure Drop (song)

"Pressure Drop" is a song recorded in 1969 by The Maytals for producer Leslie Kong. The song appears on their 1970 album Monkey Man (released in Jamaica by Beverley's Records) and From the Roots (released in the UK by Trojan Records). "Pressure Drop" helped launch the band's career outside Jamaica when the song was featured in the soundtrack to the 1973 film The Harder They Come, which introduced reggae to much of the world.^[1] In 2004, Rolling Stone rated the song #446 in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.^[2]

The song has appeared on the soundtracks to the films 50 First Dates and This Is England and features on the K-Jah West radio station in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Cover versions

• Robert Palmer covered the song on his second solo album, also called Pressure Drop, in 1975.
• The Clash released the song as the b-side to their 1979 "English Civil War" single. It can also be found on their compilation albums Black Market Clash, released in 1980, the 1994 Super Black Market Clash,^[3] and the 2006 Singles Box. The Clash's version of "Pressure Drop" is also featured in Nissan Rogue commercials and was used as the theme to the now defunct Air America Radio's "Sam Seder Show."
• The Selecter covered the song on their album Street Feeling.
• Izzy Stradlin and the Ju Ju Hounds covered the song on their self-titled debut album.
• The Specials covered the song for their 1996 album Today's Specials This version is also featured in the films Grosse Pointe Blank and An Extremely Goofy Movie (2000).
• The Oppressed covered the song on their album "Music For Hooligans"
• Joxe Ripiau feat. Iñigo Muguruza covered the song in Basque on their album Positive Bomb, released in 1996.
• In 2003 Keith Richards recorded a rendition of "Pressure Drop" with Toots and the Maytals; it was released in December 2007 as the B-side of Richards' iTunes re-release of "Run Rudolph Run".^[4]
• Irish singer-songwriter David Kitt also recorded a cover of this song on his cover album entitled The Black and Red Notebook.
• Montreal punk band the Asexuals always covered the Clash version of the song during their live shows
• Swedish chiptune artist Dubmood covered Pressure Drop on his EP Atari Ska'latac.

References