Michael Prophet unfortunately passed away from cancer in December 2017. His legacy is tremendous.
One of his best tracks, although not his biggest hit, is “Love & Unity”. It’s a conscious song, which derides violence and badness in favour of universal love. It’s roots reggae, but with added twist of Henry “Junjo” Lawes high energy production.
The bassline is one of those classic dancefloor killers, with a hefty weight to it, and the drums slap with a refreshing step. Prophet’s vocals are of course the driving force for the song, but Scientist’s famous dub version (“Your Teeth In My Neck”) highlights the power of the riddim itself.
Micheal Prophet proved himself a versatile artist; he started recording in the early 80s, but could easily deal with the change from roots to dancehall. His naturally rhythmic singing style lends itself well to this.
The song has a slow skanking feel to it, allowing the other elements such as the guitar licks and piano riffs some space to breath.
The song was released first in 1980 on Serious Reasoning, and then on Michael Prophet in ’83.
Such a classic!