Harlem Shuffle Records goes digging in the right place with this double A-side 7″, focusing on a voice that shaped generations. Marcia Griffiths wasn’t called the Queen of Reggae for nothing. These two tracks show exactly why she earned that title. Both were produced by Lloyd Winstone Tyrell, the legendary Lloyd Charmers, a man whose fingerprints are all over the golden era of Jamaican music. You’ll also find them on her 1974 album Sweet & Nice, a set where Marcia breathes real reggae soul into well-known pop songs.
Her version of The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face is a real moment. Marcia doesn’t copy Roberta Flack. She brings her own warmth, letting the melody unfold slowly while her voice adds this soft emotional pull. It’s sweet, but never syrupy. It feels honest.
Then you flip the single and land on Gypsy Man, her take on Curtis Mayfield’s Gypsy Woman. She gives it a steady groove and a confident vocal line that fits her like a glove. The song feels both familiar and fresh, which is something only a seasoned artist can pull off.
Put these two sides together and you hear the same thing fans have heard for decades: Marcia’s tone, timing, and spirit are on another level and remind you how strong her presence have been across her long career.