Throwback 45s: Freddie McKay – Peace Was In The Garden
The post Throwback 45s: Freddie McKay – Peace Was In The Garden appeared first on Reggae Vibes.
Black News 
Throwback 45s: Freddie McKay – Peace Was In The Garden
ARTIST: Freddie McKay
TITLE: Peace Was In The Garden
LABEL: Gorgon Records
YEAR: 1978
Peace Was In The Garden
Some songs carry history in every version, and Freddie McKay’s Peace Was In The Garden is definitely one of them.
The story starts in 1973, when Freddie recorded the tune for producer Warrick Lyn under its original title, Peace In The Garden. Released on Jaguar, a Dynamic Sounds subsidiary, the single captured Freddie at his absolute best. His voice is soulful, warm, slightly melancholic, but full of feeling. It’s pure soul from an underrated Jamaican great.
Over the years, that original pressing became seriously hard to find, turning into a true collector’s piece among reggae fans and vinyl hunters alike.
Five years later, Freddie revisited the song and gave it a fresh life. This new cut rode a strong Revolutionaries riddim, produced and arranged by Sly & Robbie. Released on a Jamaican 7″ single through Gorgon Records, the tune had a late ‘70s roots energy while still keeping Freddie’s heartfelt delivery front and centre.
The song then reached the UK audience in 1979 on a 12″ release from Kingsley Sounds, where the vocal cut combined with the version side graced the flip side of Rags & Riches’ It’s Not Right. For many, it felt like the kind of tune that deserved to push Freddie to a bigger audience. But the breakthrough never fully came.
Also in 1979 came Freddie’s self-produced Harsh Words album, where the tune appeared once again. Put the two recordings of the tune side by side, and you’ll hear the difference straight away. The original cut has a faster, rootsier touch, while the later version sounds heavier and more polished with that unmistakable Revolutionaries sound.
Freddie McKay, born in Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica, is still remembered as one of reggae’s finest soulful singers. He began recording for Prince Buster in 1967 and quickly made his mark with Love Is A Treasure for Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle imprint. His passing in 1986 was a huge loss to Jamaican music, but recordings like this remind us why his name still carries weight among reggae enthusiasts today.
The post Throwback 45s: Freddie McKay – Peace Was In The Garden appeared first on Reggae Vibes.
