Third World

Reggae group Third World was formed in Kingston, Jamaica in 1973. Founded by former Inner Circle members keyboardist Michael ‘Ibo’ Cooper and guitarist Stephen ‘Cat’ Coore, the duo recruited vocalist Milton ‘Prilly’ Hamilton (Inner Circle), bassist Richard Daley (Ken Boothe / Tomorrow’s Children), percussionist Ivin ‘Carrot’ Jarrett (Inner Circle), and drummer Carl Barovier to form the first lineup of Third World before making their live debut in 1974. Third World’s line-up would evolve over the years with only Coore and Daley remaining constant members of the band throughout their career. Initially playing small venues in Kingston, the group then released their debut single, “Railroad Track.” Signing to Island Records, they released their self-titled debut album in 1976. After the release of the album, vocalist Prilly Hamilton left the group and was replaced by William ‘Bunny Rugs’ Clarke. Beginning with their 1977 album, 96° in the Shade, the group began showing their soul music influences alongside the classic reggae sound of their homeland. Their third album, Journey to Addis (1978), featured the Top 10 single “Now That We Found Love” and was a commercial success. The album rose to number 30 in the UK and number 55 on the Billboard 200. Journey to Addis also made an impact on the Billboard R&B / Soul Albums chart, reaching the number 14 position. After two more moderate successes on Island – The Story’s Been Told (1979) and Arise in Harmony (1980) – the group left the label and signed with CBS Records. They achieved more chart success with the albums Rock the World (1981), You’ve Got the Power (1982), All the Way Strong (1983), and Sense of Purpose (1985). Moving over to Mercury Records, the album Serious Business (1989) hit number 30 on the Soul / R&B Albums chart and was followed by the number 51 charting Committed (1992). The group continued to be a popular touring act but later albums – including Live it Up (1995), Generation Coming (1999), Ain’t Givin’ Up (2003), Black Gold Green (2006) and More Work To Be Done (2019) – didn’t fare as well in the charts. Vocalist Bunny Rugs died on February 2, 2014. Original percussionist Carrot Jarrett died on July 31, 2018. Founding member and keyboardist Michael ‘Ibo’ Cooper – who left the band in 1997 – died from cancer on October 12, 2023.

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