Half Pint Turns 60: An Earthstrong Playlist Of The Reggae Legend’s Best Songs
Reggae legend Half Pint, born Lindon Roberts, turns 60 years old today, November 11.
In a toast to his remarkable contribution to Jamaican music and culture, we’ve compiled an Earthstrong Playlist with some of his most unforgettable tunes.
Substitute Lover
Not settling to be anyone’s “second fiddle,” this 1992 release from Half Pint remains one of the singer’s biggest hits, both locally and abroad, simply for its raw candor and relevance.
Mr. Landlord
Another highly relatable tune from this 80’s crooner was Mr. Landlord that took audiences through banter with an incommodious and cranky landlord. The rent is paid in full for his dingy problematic dwelling, nursing a leaky roof with no light or running water, and Half Pint still faces the unrelenting bickering, “Mi cant take nuh pressure inna yuh yaad, just ease up Mr. Landlord.” The song was featured on the artist’s third studio album One In A Million that released in 1984.
Greetings
Half Pint’s all-time greatest hit Greetings received critical acclaim and chart-topping success. It was reportedly recorded in a single take and released under Powerhouse Records as the lead track of the album Greetings in 1986. Backed by the duo Sly & Robbie, the classic Reggae baseline on Greetings remains a memorable one in Jamaican music history.
Crazy Girl
“You must be crazy if you try to leave me baby,” on the hook of Pint’s Crazy Girl will forever be etched in the memories of 80’s music lovers. The success of the track is credited to the wealthy supply of Jamaican proverbs and ‘pearls of wisdom,’ which the artist cleverly uses to explain why his lover shouldn’t dare leave him. “Don’t bite the hands that feed you”, “Don’t try to kill the goose that lay the golden egg”, “Wanty wanty cant get it” and “You never miss the water till the well run dry,” were plausible enough, not to mention he gave her all his ‘loving and money’.
Just Be Good
After more than two decades in music, Half Pint would go on to demonstrate his winning streak in 2000 with the release of Just Be Good, which was produced by Beres Hammond (They Gonna Talk) on the Harmony House label.
Hold on
In 1985, Half Pint released this easy cruiser Hold On about a troubling love triangle with two sticky-finger ladies, Sharon and Paulette. “Dem hold on and dem naa let go, dem hold on and a rob me so”, the singer croons on the saxophone, one-drop beat.
Winsome
In 1983, Pint’s single Winsome off his debut studio album In Fine Style with Sunset Records became a massive hit. The song reached no. 1 on the music charts and was later covered by British rock band ‘The Rolling Stones’ in 1986 on their album Dirty Work, and renamed Too Rude. It was sung by guitarist Keith Richards instead of the usual lead singer, Mick Jagger with assists from Reggae singer Jimmy Cliff on vocals.
Sally
Another chart-topping single for Half Pint in Jamaica was Sally, which happened to be his very first release in 1983. Produced by Errol Marshall and Errol Lewis, the debut single was featured on the Solomon Riddim in dedication to his love Sally, whose loving he described as “cool and deadly.”
Level The Vibes
Produced by George Phang in 1986, Level The Vibes is another of Half Pint’s well-regarded classics.
Loving
Loving was another banger from the album Greetings. “Loving is all I got, remember that, loving is where it’s at”, he promises in the lyrics of the song. The track was later sampled by dub-punk group Sublime in 1996 under the title What I Got.