Junior Marvin - Happy Family - New CD

Format: New CD Label: Flatiron Recordings Cat. No. FLAT2010CD

Barcode: 810137040417

Released: 29/03/2024

Junior Marvin is widely recognized as an all-time great reggae musician and Musical Director and guitarist of Bob Marley’s iconic band, The Wailers. Junior’s new album, Happy Family, is released to coincide with the theatrical release of One Love, the Bob Marley Paramount biopic feature film. In the film, the role of Junior is played by his real-life son, Davo, who is also a musical artist. The first single from Happy Family is Junior’s new recording of “One Love”.

Junior Marvin was born in Jamaica and grew up in London and met the late Tuff Gong icon on Valentine’s Day in 1977 (ironically the same day the film is released) who touted him as the “young Jimi Hendrix of London”. Marley immediately asked Junior to join his band as lead guitarist and became one of Marley’s closest friends up until his death. Junior’s guitar playing was a huge influence on Marley, and his musicianship can be clearly heard on such seminal Marley tracks as “Could You Be Loved” (which Junior originally wrote and gave to Marley), “Waiting in Vain,” “Buffalo Soldier,” “The Heathen”, “One Love” and “Jamming”. Junior Marvin is not just limited to reggae however; he has played with Stevie Wonder and Steve Winwood, among many others (he actually turned down an offer by Wonder to join his band Wonderlove to accept Marley’s offer to become a member of The Wailers on the same Valentine’s Day in 1977).

Inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame in 2009, Spooner Oldham has shaped American soul music with his formidable talent. A songwriter, producer and session keyboardist, Oldham has left his mark on classics such as "When a Man Loves a Woman," "Mustang Sally" and "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)." After leaving Memphis in 1967, Oldham teamed up with singer Dan Penn at Chips Moman's American Studios, and the duo became one of the country's top songwriters. Together, they wrote hits for Aretha Franklin ("Do Right Woman") and Box Tops ("Cry Like a Baby"), among others, and their songs appeared on albums by artists such as Janis Joplin ("A Woman Left Lonely").

After the end of the pioneering era of Southern soul, Oldham put his considerable talents to work for other artists, including Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, and the Everly Brothers, playing piano and organ. He remains a respected figure among music aficionados, not only for his tasteful keyboard playing, but also for his compositions.