Worst moments in wannabe-reggae history

What is it about reggae that tempts so many random artists to cover songs from the genre? Maybe it’s their way of paying homage to reggae’s rich culture and history – or maybe they just like getting high. Whatever the reason, history’s proven the end result is usually terrible and embarrassing to all parties involved. Craig Johnson feels their pain. As host of “54-46” on Georgia Tech’s WREK-FM (91.1), which airs 8-9 p.m. Thursdays, he plays reggae, dub and early ska. And this week he gives us his top five worst moments in wannabe-reggae history.

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1) 2006: “Paris Hilton records ‘Stars Are Blind,’ finally making herself look ridiculous.”

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2) 1994: “Big Mountain covers Frampton’s ‘Baby I Love Your Way’ for the soundtrack to Singles.”

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3) 1993: “UB40 covers Elvis’ “Fools Rush in” for the soundtrack to Sliver. See the theme? If you’re not Jamaican and you’re trying to do some cheesy reggae cover of a famous song – good or otherwise – for some awful movie, history will judge you harshly.”

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4) 1993: “Cool Runnings opens; a few people clap slowly at first, then others join in.”

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5) 1983: “Dan Aykroyd disguises himself as a Jamaican (blackface and everything) in Trading Places.”






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