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With his high, soaring voice and smooth delivery, Junior Murvin provided reggae with one of its classic moments in the Lee 'Scratch' Perry produced single Police And Thieves. Born in Port Antonio, Jamaica, Murvin grew up listening to the American soul and Motown of Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke and Ben E. King, and honed his sugar sweet falsetto whilst living with his aunt in the infamous Trenchtown ghetto. Cutting his teeth in Kingston's clubs and hotels in the late-1960s, his break came in 1976 when he auditioned for Perry at his Black Ark Studios and an impromptu jam session led to the writing and recording of Police And Thieves. It quickly became a great hit in Jamaica and reached Number 23 in the UK a year later, with The Clash helping to cement the song's popularity with a loyal punk rock cover version. An album of the same name for Island Records was regarded as a seminal slice of reggae and dub, but Murvin struggled to repeat the success with follow-ups Tedious (1978), Muggers In The Street (1984) and Apartheid (1986). He went on to record with King Tubby, Prince Jammy and Mikey Dread but has kept a low profile in recent years, performing occasionally with local soundsystems back in Jamaica.
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