Max Romeo
Max Romeo (Maxwell Smith, 1944–2025): Jamaican reggae singer. “Wet Dream” (UK No. 10, 1969), “Let the Power Fall” (1971), War Ina Babylon (1976) with Lee Perry, incl. “Chase the Devil”.
The Emotions and "Wet Dream"
Maxwell Smith was born in Saint Ann parish in 1944 and moved to Kingston as a teenager. In 1965 he formed the vocal trio The Emotions with Kenneth Knight and Lloyd Shakespeare, who had a Jamaican hit with "(Buy You) A Rainbow" in 1966. Going solo as Max Romeo, he recorded "Wet Dream" in 1968. The BBC banned it for its lyrics, but it reached No. 10 on the UK Singles Chart in June 1969 and stayed on the chart for six months.
Politics and "Let the Power Fall"
Romeo moved away from novelty records toward social and political songs. His 1971 album Let the Power Fall backed Michael Manley's People's National Party, and the title song "Let the Power Fall on I" was used as a PNP theme in the 1972 Jamaican general election.
Lee Perry and War Ina Babylon
Romeo worked with producer Lee "Scratch" Perry at the Black Ark studio in the mid 1970s. War Ina Babylon (Island, 1976), credited to Max Romeo and The Upsetters, is generally regarded as his best album. It includes "I Chase the Devil" (also known as "Chase the Devil") and the title track.
Samples and later years
"Chase the Devil" has been sampled by The Prodigy on "Out of Space" (1992) and on "Lucifer" from Jay-Z's The Black Album (2003), produced by Kanye West. Romeo later co-produced Holding Out My Love to You (1981) with Keith Richards and kept recording and touring. He died on 11 April 2025 in Jamaica, aged 80.
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Discography
Studio albums 27
Collaborative albums 9
EPs & mixtapes 2
Compilations 10
Albums on Breakbeat Archive
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