Vietnam
1969 · Island 6014 003 · Jamaica
- Artist
- Jimmy Cliff
- Title
- Vietnam
- Release
- Vietnam / She Does It Right
- Year
- 1969
- Label
- Island # 6014 003
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- Jamaica
- Genre
- Reggae · Pop Reggae
- Primary theme
- Peace, Protest & Anti-War
Annotation
Jimmy Cliff, born James Chambers in 1946, in Adelphi, Saint James, Jamaica became one of the first international reggae stars. (1) He wrote and recorded the song "Vietnam" (Trojan Records # TR 7722), which took an anti-war position. It told the sad story of a mother receiving a letter, informing her that her son had died in Vietnam. At the end of the track Cliff shouted: "somebody please stop that war now!". Featured on the 1969 album Jimmy Cliff (Trojan Records # TRLS 16) released in the UK. Released in 1970 in the US on the album Wonderful World, Beautiful People (A&M Records # SP 4251). Billboard reviewed the US edition on 1 September 1970: "this could be the sleeper LP to break the Jamaican reggae rhythm. It is by far the best LP to be released thus far by Jimmy Cliff...The material was cut in Jamaica with unnamed Jamaican musicians and singers and it accurately portrays the flowing exciting and insistent infectiousness of reggae. Cliff's voice is naval and high pitched but that doesn't detract from his ability to maintain listener influence with stories about hard roads to travel and death in Vietnam". (2) Produced by Lesley Kong and Larry Fallon. Fallon also arranged and…
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Annotation — Latin & Central American, & Caribbean Music
Jimmy Cliff, born James Chambers in 1946, in Adelphi, Saint James, Jamaica became one of the first international reggae stars. He died on 24 November 2025. (1) He wrote and recorded the song "Vietnam" (Trojan Records # TR 7722), which took an anti-war position. It told the sad story of a mother receiving a letter, informing her that her son had died in Vietnam. At the end of the track Cliff shouted: "somebody please stop that war now!". Featured on the 1969 album Jimmy Cliff (Trojan Records # TRLS 16) released in the UK. Released in 1970 in the US on the album Wonderful World, Beautiful People (A&M Records # SP 4251). Billboard reviewed the US edition on 1 September 1970: "this could be the sleeper LP to break the Jamaican reggae rhythm. It is by far the best LP to be released thus far by Jimmy Cliff...The material was cut in Jamaica with unnamed Jamaican musicians and singers and it accurately portrays the flowing exciting and insistent infectiousness of reggae. Cliff's voice is naval and high pitched but that doesn't detract from his ability to maintain listener influence with stories about hard roads to travel and death in Vietnam". (2) Produced by Lesley Kong and Larry Fallon.…
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
Jamaican ska and reggae singer, born James Chambers in Saint James Parish, Jamaica ('Vietnam', 1969). [Source: Wikipedia]
Themes
In collections
Latin & Central American, & Caribbean Music · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs