Keith Richards’ 10 favourite roots and reggae songs: “It’s all so natural”
With his hybrid pirate-come-cowboy captain of the high sea’s aesthetic, penchant for rum, and lust for the stripped-back soul of music, it’s no surprise that Keith Richards is a fan of reggae. In fact, the Rolling Stones guitarist knows more about it than just about any other British rock ‘n’ roll star.
“What I love about reggae,” Richards regales in the recent Under the Influence documentary, “Is that it’s all so natural, there’s none of this forced stuff that I was getting tired of in rock music.” He then goes on to clarify, “Rock ‘n’ roll I never get tired of, but ‘rock’ is a white man’s version, and they turn it into a march, that’s [the modern] version of rock. Excuse me,” he adds humorously, “I prefer the roll.”
This is why he has never been too fond of the likes of Black Sabbath and Metallica, claiming that they are “joke” bands who have turned rock ‘n’ roll into a march rather than a waltz. No, it is clear that Richards likes a little room for staggering when it comes to his dancehall favourites.
When it comes to reggae and roots music, Keef has always had his finger on the pulse. Back in 1973, The Rolling Stones were cutting Goats Head Soup in Jamaica, a time which he remembered fondly in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, “[It was] very memorable, especially in that year. Because that was ’73. That was the year that [Bob] Marley and the Wailers put out Catch A Fire.”
“I remember being in Jamaica. There was this feeling in the air, actually, that Jamaica was starting to make a mark on the map. It was a great feeling,” he continued. After the record was cut, Richards decided to stay in Jamaica for a while, where he immersed himself in the vivified culture and basked in the sun-soaked glory of reggae and rum for a few years—happy to have the rigours of tax battles and bloody Altamont backlash behind him.
Richards told BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs that Gregory Isaacs’ ‘Extra Classic’ is the one track that he couldn’t live without. Speaking of his time in Jamaica, he declared his love of Isaacs and what his music provided, saying, “I’ve always thought that Gregory was one of the best songwriters that came out of that island and a sweet singer.”
His love for ‘Extra Classic’ even stretches a step further as he states: “‘Extra Classic’ was a song where I met my old lady, so I thought I’d carry that through.” Amid the sweet release of the sunny reggae classic, he romanced Patti Hansen, and the pair have now been married since 1983. If anything, his connection to this track sent him deeper into the reggae and roots rabbit hole.
‘Innocent People Cry’ is another Gregory Isaacs track that rests firmly among his favourites. The rather more soulful jam stirs up Richards’ emotional side with a social lament.
Elsewhere in the reggae realm, Richards digs into some recent stuff. He once described The Itals 1998 track ‘In a Dis Ya Time’ as “the perfect reggae song”. The Itals are a Grammy-nominated Jamaican vocal group known for their classic soaring harmonies and socially conscious lyrics that seem strangely akin to some early Stones stuff.
Perhaps that is the secret to the Stones’ sound all along—they seamlessly blend the blues with the danceable flair borne from the Carribean. In the 2010 interview with Rolling Stone, in which Richards discussed reggae, he also linked the genre back to the roots music that serves as the platform for his rock ‘n’ roll.
Speaking of the inexorable link between blues and reggae as a sort of musical exultation from enforced hardships, Richards reaffirmed his undying love for Robert Johnson. The track he touted, in particular, was ’32-20’, the Robert Johnson that stands out from his back catalogue for its swinging vibe. Completing the blues roots contingent were ‘Where Did You Leave Heaven’ by Big Bill Broonzy, Jesse Fuller’s version of the old blues standard ‘Stagolee’, the early blues-rock anthem ‘It Hurts Me Too’ by Elmore James, along with the record that Richards told Q “inspired [his] guitar weaving” Little Walters’ ‘Key to the Highway’ from one of Richards’ favourite albums Hate To See You Go.
The link that runs through all these records is not just the shared origin but the undeniable soul, transcendence and indelible sense of exuberance in the playing. As the great man once said, “Good music comes out of people playing together, knowing what they want to do and going for it.” He’s always believed the Stones are at their best when they’re most freed up—and nothing can free up the soul quite like the lowdown defiance of reggae and roots.
You can dive into the full compiled list below and listen to the curated playlist of sweet soulful sounds that Richards lists amongst his favourites too.
Keith Richards’ favourite reggae songs:
- ‘Stagolee’ by Jesse Fuller, 1958
- ‘When Did You Leave Heaven’ by Big Bill Broonzy, 1951
- ‘It Hurts Me Too’ by Elmore James, 1957
- ‘Extra Classic’ by Gregory Isaacs, 1977
- ‘Key to the Highway’ Little Walter, 1958
- ‘Piece of My Heart’ Erma Franklin, 1967
- ‘In a Dis Ya Time’ The Itals, 1998
- ‘Innocent People Cry’ Gregory Isaacs, 1974
- ‘Memphis, Tennessee’ Chuck Berry, 1958
- ‘32-20’ Robert Johnson, 1936
