Im Still Waiting Riddim – Coxsone

In the mid-1960s, when Studio One was helping shape the backbone of Jamaican reggae, “I’m Still Waiting” came through with that patient, lilting feel that let the singers stretch the emotion instead of rushing the groove. The earliest cut here is Bob Marley and The Wailers’ 1965 version, and it already has that plaintive, rueful edge Marley could turn into something bigger. Delroy Wilson’s “Original” and “Dub Waiting” are the real pull, though, because his phrasing sits right on top of the rhythm with a sweeter, more polished ache, while Jackie Edwards and Max Romeo keep the song’s mood moving through different shades of longing. Johnny Clarke’s take pushes it further into the roots era, which makes the span of voices on this one feel like a little history lesson in itself.