Seven Seven Oh-Seven

[Ghoulish Delight]

Dredging up this thread again because a nagging, irretrievable memory was resolved for me today. When 7/7 rolled around, I knew I had heard something about some song being appropriately re-released on that date. NPR (where I originally heard it) refreshed my memory.

In 1976, the roots reggae song Two Sevens Clash by Culture, based on an obscure prophecy by Marcus Garvey, became a popular hit in the circuit of mobile sound system parties that fueled the reggae movement in Jamaica. It became so popular in fact, that by July 7, 1977 came around, the vast majority of Kingston actually began to worry about the day's approach. By the time the day arrived, much the city shut down, people preferring to remain inside than risk the possibility of witnessing whatever apocalypse the song promised.

Of course nothing happened, but it went down as a seminal moment in reggae history, and sparked the creation of a full album with the same title. So it was no coincidence that 7/7/07 was chosen as the date to re-release it, just under 1 year after lead singer and writer Joseph Hill died suddenly while on tour in Germany.

Interesting stuff, no?