CHUNE

Riddim: Engine 54

Producer: Lloyd “Joe Frasier” Campbell (aka Spiderman)

Saturday mornings are for lover’s rock—and when I went through a box of 45s this morning looking for the perfect selection, this one just about leapt into my hand. Freddie McGregor’s legendary voice never fails to put a smile on your face, and doubly so over Engine 54’s one-drop charm when he enters with a line like this:

You have no idea how long I wanna tell you this, lady
I want to step on your toes just so I can tell you “pardon”

But this isn’t solely about seduction. There’s another man in the picture—who him? a weh him come from?—and Freddie warns him off:

How could you come from out of town and wanna be an infiltrator?
Man you should settle down and save that for later
Cause if you push the fiya you could be in danger
You fi know seh ’roun ya suh ah mi a di master

Additional listening:

• Freddie McGregor, “Artibella”
• Freddie’s a rootsman at heart, and it doesn’t get better than “Prophecy”
• Singing to hospital staff after recovering from a 2022 stroke