Damian Marley has not released much new music recently. To mark the 52nd anniversary of the Concert for Bangladesh, “Gong Jr.” has released a version of George Harrison’s iconic solo track My Sweet Lord,” marking his first single release since 2019.
Bob Marley visited India in the early ’70s, developing his interest in spirituality. Harrison also deeply immersed himself in the culture of the region, one of many ways his interests overlapped with Marley’s. Harrison was a regular at Wailers concerts in the mid ’70s. The mutual respect between the two artists was obvious, and their one recorded meeting was a memorable, if short, one. Marley dubbed Harrison “Ras Beatle.” “My Sweet Lord” was a centerpiece of Harrison’s first solo album, and of the Concert for Bangladesh.
Damian Marley is in classic reggae mode here, rather than dancehall or hip-hop, where he is also adept. His soulful rendition lowers the pitch of the song by a fifth but retains a version of the famous slide guitar motif. The tone throughout is deeply respectful, of the music, the higher power being serenaded and the creative artist behind the song, but is an essential, individual, danceable distillation of the music of a family and the island of their home. George’s widow Olivia Harrison has already expressed her approval.
I LOVE this version. It makes it a tad less emotional but has such a nice groove. The horns are a nice touch!
This is a very good redemption, giving justice to the original.
Damien has always left a mark on interest in reggae he is a smart musician very versatile and insightful good song