With political warfare raging throughout the capital Kingston in 1978, Jamaicans looked forward to Christmas that year. One of the bright sparks of the season came from Jacob Miller and the Inner Circle band with their Natty Christmas album.
A humorous reggae take on traditional Carols, the 10-song set was recorded at Channel One which, interestingly, was located at Maxfield Avenue, one of the most violent areas in Jamaica at the time.
Featuring deejay Ray I, it showcased the charismatic Miller at his jolly best. Backing him were Inner Circle founders, brothers Roger and Ian Lewis on rhythm guitar and bass, respectively, keyboardist Bernard “Touter” Harvey and drummer Calvin McKenzie.
Bassist Robbie Shakespeare, drummer Sly Dunbar, and guitarist Mikey Chung, who were members of Peter Tosh’s Word, Sound and Power band, also played on Natty Christmas.
In a 2020 interview to mark the reissue of the album, Harvey said Inner Circle decided to have fun by Jamaican-izing several popular Carols. Based on the outcome, they believed that was achieved.
“The idea at the time was to make an album that would appeal to and represent our Jamaican culture. We all grew up listening to the classics, which never represented our reality, so we thought, ‘why not create something that represents us while still using the familiar’,” he recalled.
Miller is in prime form on renditions of Wish You A Merry Christmas and Silver Bells. His jocular personality is also evident on original songs such as Natty no Santa Claus and All I Want For Ismas.
Natty Christmas has become a collector’s item. In 2020, the Miami-based Inner Circle reissued Natty Christmas with a vinyl series of red, green and gold discs.
Miller, a cousin of fellow singers Maxi Priest and Fred Locks, died March, 1980 in a motor accident in Kingston at age 27.
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