Sunsplash Festival with
Toots & The Maytals,
Gregory Isaacs,
Sugar Minott,
Paul Blake & Bloodfire Possee plus special guests
Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare and Band, Thursday, July 11 1985 at Volkshaus in Zurich
This was my very first reggae festival and the line-up is looking great. I don’t remember much. Robbie played the bass with his both thumb only for real. Nothing was missing, but it looked, like it’s not needed to use more than this two fingers.
Gregory Isaacs was gentle and sweet, but I was fired by Toots Hibbert. His voice was from another planet for sure. I’m very sorry, but I don’t remember Sugar Minott at all. Paul Blake was from England and had this nice Pink Panther Theme.
I call it a double A-sider-maxi. Both tunes are quite different. Not big hits, but they came down to Switzerland, and that means a lot. It’s nice that they are still around. This was the beginning of the festival.
And at the time Sly&Robbie sounded like the following embedded video shows.
There was one special tune I remember as the outstanding riddim. But all the Taxi Gang instrumentals I’ve listened since. Not one of them matched for sure with this memory. To me it was the ultimate Taxi riddim.
Sugar Minott and Gregory Isaacs were both backed by Sly&Robbie and band. But for Toots & The Maytals another band (the third of the event) was built up. I have no idea who was playing. I don’t remember if Toots sang solo or with choir. I remember the most powerful voice in music. His microphone was far away from this throat.
I’ve found a website from the Netherlands. There was a Reggae Sunsplash festival in 1985 as well. And there are some nice pictures of Paul Blake and Gregory Isaacs. Opens a new tab.
Screenshot from ebay. The touring t-shirt:
