Freddie McGregor goes on the move

• Artiste releases new single

Leighton Levy, Gleaner Writer

The legendary Freddie McGregor, who boasts an enviable discography of memorable songs and albums released over the last 40 years, is releasing yet another that he believes Jamaica needs right now.

Titled Move up Jamaica, the song McGregor says, sounds more like a 'Festival song', and he believes everyone will come to love it.

"Every Jamaican haffi love this song, they have no choice," he said, a sly smile breaking out on his face, "they have no choice in the matter."

Move Up Jamaica is reportedly already in heavy rotation on 93.5 FM in New York, after DJ Rai heard the song and requested that McGregor send him a copy.

It was recorded recently at Sting Ray Records in the United Kingdom, McGregor recalls.

It was at Sting Ray, where he recorded Key to the City and the Grammy-nominated Anything for You.

Uplifting song

"I was thinking about all the violence in Jamaica and realised that we needed a song to lift the spirits, and the words just started to flow," he recalled, adding that everything came together in about 10 to 15 minutes. They also added background vocals immediately after. The mixing was recently complete and the song is set to drop immediately, the veteran entertainer said.

And the timing of the song's release, he feels, could not have been better given that Independence celebrations are right around the corner and the Festival song competition is also close. "It's appropriate for this Festival season," he said.

McGregor, who has released about 35 albums and more than 150 singles and EPs over a stellar career spanning more than four decades, is uncharacteristically upbeat about Move up Jamaica.

"I'm not known to brag, but this song is going to lead the way for a long time," he declared.

And with a general election constitutionally due within the next 14 months, he is of the view that one of the two major political parties will even seek to exploit the song.

"I think one of the political parties is going to jump on the song," he said. He doesn't seem to mind, so long as it helps spread the message in the music.

McGregor also has another song, Standing, that is set to be released very soon, but says he wants Move up Jamaica to get its legs under it before he does.