Sweet And Nice, the vital debut album from Jamaica’s undisputed first lady of song Marica Griffiths. It’s reggae at its most soulful. Slinking through a tight ten tracks of R&B and pop-sourced material, it became an instant best seller.
These songs are now returned to how they were presented on that first Jamaican release, and under their intended album title. Marcia’s version of “Here I Am (Come and Take Me)” has long been played by genre-hopping selectors. It’s followed by the sophisticated, rollicking wah-wah funk of “Everything I Own” and the slice of smooth lovers soul par excellence that is “Green Grasshopper”, her ace, lilting Neil Diamond cover “Play Me” and the thundering, humid funk of “Children At Play” -otherworldly, moody, and essential.
Side two keeps the fire burning. “Sweet, Bitter Love” should leave you swooning, and is also one of the album’s alternate titles. Curtis Mayfield’s already-eternal “Gypsy Man” follows, recast as proto-lovers rock. “There’s No Me Without You” is elevated to canonical status by the majestic, forlorn horns of the Federal Soul Givers and Marcia’s heartbreaking delivery. “I Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely” re-takes its rightful place at the end of the LP’s second side.
This expanded edition adds an entire second record of rare material recorded around the same time as Sweet And Nice, much of it unavailable since it was originally released. Amongst these 14 extra tracks you’ll find the exquisite late-60s singles “Melody Life” and “Mark My Word” which, along with the sumptuous reading of “Band Of Gold”.