Third World (band)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The band started when keyboard player Michael "Ibo" Cooper and guitarist (and cellist) Stephen "Cat" Coore left Inner Circle to form their own band. The line-up for their first album as Third World included a singer called "Prilly" and percussionist Irving "Carrot" Jarrett. The album included a cover of "Satta Amasa Gana", originally performed by The Abyssinians, which became a local hit.
Their second album, "96° In The Shade", had several local hits and featured the band's classic line-up. "Prilly" was replaced by the distinctive vocalist "Bunny Rugs" Clarke, and an all-new rhythm section was in place: Ritchie Daley was on bass and former Inner Circle drummer Willie Stewart defected to join the new band. Notable among the eight tracks were "1865 (96° In The Shade)", "Rhythm Of Life" and the only cover song on the album, "Dreamland" by Neville "Bunny Wailer" Livingston (originally called "Dream Island" by the American R&B band the El Tempos).
Their greatest success came in the late 1970s/early 1980s, peaking with their cover version of The O'Jays "Now That We've Found Love", a hit single on both sides of the Atlantic in 1979. This song brought them to the attention of Stevie Wonder, who worked with them and wrote (along with Melody A. McCully) their song "Try Jah Love".
Amid claims of artistic differences "Carrot" split from the band in the mid-1980s. The resulting five-piece band then went to more commercial tunes like "Sense Of Purpose", "Reggae Ambassador" and "Forbidden Love".
Despite several more line-up changes, including the departures of "Ibo" and Willie Stewart, and a decline in mainstream success, the band are still recording and performing in the early 2000s, including in front of a vast television audience at the Cricket World Cup 2007 Opening Ceremony in Kingston.
