Forgotten Treasure: Max Romeo “The Reverend” (1974)

A fiercely anti church song by a great specialist of the genre, Max Romeo.

“Why don’t you tell the people the truth, reverend ? Tell them your god is an Vatican, and him sent you here to rape the land…”

I discovered this track last weekend through Montreal DJ Mossman as part of his awesome set from our 24 Hour Vinyl Marathon.

The track is a Winston Riley production. Riley formed Rock Steady group the Techniques while still at school in 1962. In 1968 the band left Duke Reid, and Riley, and his brother Buster, formed their own label, their first production was, Johnny Osbourne’s Come Back Darling, which was an immediate success followed by an album of the same name. The imprints Riley used for his productions at this time were: Techniques, Wind, Serpent, Romax and Riley Inc. he also negotiated a licensing deal with the B&C group in England that enabled some of his many productions to be released release on the Techniques label in the UK, where Double Barrel by Dave And Ansell Collins reached number 1 on the charts in May 1971.

Max Romeo - The Reverend

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Lyrics

Don’t let the reverend turn you fool, people
Don’t let him use you as a tool
x2

For him, God is in Vatican
and Him send him here to rape the land
come to we like a simpleton
holding the Bible in his hand

Why don’t you tell the people the truth reverend?
x3

Get rid of evil from the root

Tell them your God is in Vatican
and Him send you here to rape the land
and Him come to we like a simpleton
Holding Jah Bible in your hand
x2

Why don’t you tell the people the truth reverend?
x3

Don’t let the Reverend turn you fool people
Don’t let him use you as a tool