Editing Simmer Down

{{Short description|1963 single by The Wailers}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2009}}
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| filename    = Bob Marley & The Wailers - Simmer Down (1964).ogg
| title       = "Simmer Down"
| description = A sample of the single.
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"'''Simmer Down'''" is the first single released by [[Bob Marley & The Wailers|the Wailers]], accompanied by the [[ska]] supergroup [[the Skatalites]] and produced by [[Clement Dodd|Clement "Coxsone" Dodd]] in 1963. It was the number one hit in [[Jamaica]] in February 1964.{{citation needed|date=April 2017}}

The song was directed to the "[[rude boy]]s" of the [[ghetto]]s of Jamaica at the time, sending them a message to cool down or "Simmer Down" with all the violence and crime going on in [[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]]. The subject matter of "Simmer Down" made the Wailers stand out amongst their contemporaries. The ska sound of the single is a marked contrast to the slower [[reggae]] that the Wailers would later become internationally known for. The Wailers at this time contained [[Bob Marley]], [[Bunny Wailer]], [[Peter Tosh]], [[Junior Braithwaite]], [[Cherry Smith]], and [[Beverley Kelso]]. It was Bob Marley's first hit and his career as a songwriter and performer took off from there.

In spite of "Simmer Down{{"'}}s success, Peter Tosh, one of the three original Wailers, said in an interview that he hated it.<ref name="Caribbean Nights">[https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6301954904/joeweinshomepa ''Caribbean Nights'': A BBC documentary]. Polygram Video, 1991</ref>

Later, the song was covered by [[the Mighty Mighty Bosstones]] for their EP ''[[Ska-Core, the Devil, and More]]'', by [[Neville Staple]] for his album ''Ska Au Go Go'', as well as by [[the Specials]] for their cover album ''[[Today's Specials]]''.{{citation needed|date=April 2017}}

== See also ==
*[[List of best-selling singles by country]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Bob Marley}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bob Marley songs]]
[[Category:1963 singles]]
[[Category:1963 songs]]
[[Category:The Specials songs]]
[[Category:Song articles with missing songwriters]]


{{1960s-single-stub}}