By Howard Campbell—
Ed Robinson
When a young drummer/singer named Ed Robinson bought Bob Marley and The Wailers’ Exodus album, the song that jumped at him the most was Guiltiness. Although not as revered as the title song, Jamming or Waiting in Vain, it made a lasting impression.
Robinson covered Guiltiness for The Gemini EP, his seven-song mini set which was released in June.
Worldwide tumult inspired him to finally do a rendition of an understated classic.
“It’s one of the great ones that I have always wanted to remake, and [I did that] just watching the behavior of political figureheads these days. From the first day I bought the Exodus album that song was the one that hit me first. The production and the story line behind that song is powerful,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
The songs on The Gemini EP have contrasting moods. While Guiltiness rails against the system, I’m Not That Guy is an up-tempo lovers’ rock number that hears Robinson assuring a prospective partner that he is not a player; Second Chance, a cover of the 1988 hit by southern rock band 38 Special, has an old-school country/reggae feel.
I’m Not That Guy is the project’s breakout hit, topping the South Florida Reggae Chart for four weeks.
Robinson, who played all instruments on The Gemini EP, said he wanted, “To put out a project that can actually show the two sides of how I am feeling.”
Originally from Spanish Town, Robinson made his name as drummer for legendary bass player Jackie Jackson’s band on the north coast during the 1980s before branching out as a singer. His biggest hit is a 1992 cover of Bob Dylan’s Knocking on Heaven’s Door.
Since relocating to South Florida in the past five years, Robinson has consistently rode the charts there, and in his old stomping ground of New York, with easy-listening songs like Deep River Woman.
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