Junior Murvin: The Reggae Legend Behind ‘Police and Thieves’

Junior Murvin was a reggae icon known for his unique falsetto and meaningful lyrics.

He was born Murvin Junior Smith in Port Antonio, Jamaica, in either 1946 or 1949 (his birth year is debated).

Junior Murvin was raised by his great-grandmother after losing his father at a young age, while his mother emigrated. As a child, he worked the pump for the pipe organ at a local Methodist church but was too shy to join the choir.

Rhythm and blues inspired him, and by age six, he entertained neighbors with songs by Billy Eckstine, Louis Armstrong, Sam Cooke, and Curtis Mayfield, whose falsetto inspired his own.

While studying car mechanics at the Montego Bay Technical High School, Murvin gained confidence in his singing after impressing audiences at concerts hosted by local artist Errol “ET” Webster.

After receiving a guitar from an aunt in the U.S., Murvin started writing songs, including “Solomon”, which used biblical stories to warn a misbehaving girlfriend. Years later, singer-turned-producer Derrick Harriott would gamble on Murvin’s “Solomon” by voicing the record himself, resulting in a notable hit.

He performed for veteran saxophonist Roland Alphonso at a Rastafarian camp and even traveled to Kingston to audition for Beverley’s Records and with Lee “Scratch” Perry and “Coxsone” Dodd at Studio One, but these were fruitless.

Murvin moved to Kingston at the height of the rock-steady era to stay with an aunt in Trench Town. His early career saw him record under the name Junior Soul, releasing rocksteady hits like “Glendevon Special (aka Chatty Chatty)” for Derrick Harriott and “Miss Cushie” with Sonia Pottinger.

But his big break came in 1976 when he teamed up with legendary producer Lee “Scratch” Perry at the Black Ark studio. There, he released the timeless anthem “Police and Thieves”, a song that was a commentary on crime and unrest.

Murvin’s single became a hit in Jamaica. In London, it served as the soundtrack to the turbulent events at that year’s Notting Hill Carnival. The Clash’s well-known cover and the inclusion of Murvin’s original in the Jamaican film “Rockers” brought him chart success in the UK. The song also featured in Guy Ritchie’s 1998 film “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”.

Murvin and Perry collaborated on additional songs and completed a full album, also named “Police & Thieves”, which Island Records released in 1977. Widely considered one of Perry’s greatest productions, the album included standout tracks like “Tedious”, “Roots Train”, and “False Teachin’”.

“Cool Out Son” was a standout track produced by Joe Gibbs in 1979. Throughout the 1980s, Murvin continued to make music, working with top producers like Mikey Dread, Henry “Junjo” Lawes, and King Jammy. Albums like “Bad Man Posse” and “Muggers in the Street” kept his message relevant.

In later years, Murvin released singles like “Wise Man” and participated in acoustic projects like Inna De Yard. Despite his quieter profile, his influence endured. He passed away in 2013 at age 67, leaving behind a legacy of music that bridged reggae and punk, and lyrics that spoke to the struggles and hopes of his time.

Sources:
Obituary on theguardian.com
Steve Huey on allmusic.com
Cover image by Adrian Boot @ UrbanImage via Last.fm