An important recognition received one of the main hits of the legendary band Toots & The Maytals “54-46 Was My Number”, song that achieved gold certification in the United Kingdom.
According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI, for its acronym in English), the hit of 1968 got the BRIT Certified Gold award after selling more than 400.000 copies in the UK, as measured by The Official Charts Company.
This recognition occurred on 8 last December and coincided with the birth 81 of the band leader, Toots Hibbert, died in September 2020 to the 77 years.
For many, This song defined the genre and was the first reggae to achieve great popularity outside of Jamaica..
The history
According to an article in Jamaica Gleaner, Hibbert wrote it in 1966 while incarcerated at Richmond Farm Prison charged with possession of marijuana and that 54-46 was his “prison number”.
That same year The Maytals won the inaugural version of the “The Jamaica Festival Song Competition”, at that time known as “Popular Song Contest”, with the song “Bam Bam” and after this important victory his arrest occurred, which according to Hibbert, It was a montage.
“The arrest was planned, but I didn't know until a police officer told me later. A promoter planned it. They didn't want me to go to England. That act seriously affected my career because I was about to go on the biggest tour of my career.”, Hibbert said in the book “Reggae Routes”.
Finally Hibbert spent only eight months in prison until he was released and despite the fact that the story of the song has a negative background, The song became an anthem that appears in many compilations in the history of reggae and Jamaican music..
A very popular melody
But not only that, It is also among the most sampled in the genre and its melody has been used in songs like “Oh Yeah”, de Foxy Brown y Spragga Benz; “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt”, de Yellowman; “Street Tuff”, de Double Trouble y Rebel MC; “The Bridge Is Over”, de KRS-One y “My Number”, by Major Lazer and Bad Royale.
Also included “Rude Boy Number”, de Cutty Ranks; “Red Hot Kinda Love”, by Christina Aguilera and “That’s What I Like”, by Flo Rida and FITZ.
further, This success has appeared in television series “Small Axe” (2020), “The Sara Cox Show” (2019), “Narcos: Mexico” (2018) Y “My Name Is Earl” (2008), and in the movies “Bad Teacher” (2011), “Repo Men” (2010), “Run Fatboy Run” (2007), “This Is England” (2006) Y “Almost Heaven” (2005), appropriated Dancehall Mag.
The song also stars in one of a series of spots by the jeans brand Levi's to celebrate its 150 years in which shows the Kingston of the years 70.
