Struggling Man Riddim – Unknown Label

Struggling Man Riddim, issued in 1972 on an unknown label and credited to an unknown producer, brings together just two versions of the same tune: Jimmy Cliff’s original Struggling Man and The Cimarons’ cover. The title track sits right in Jimmy Cliff’s early-’70s run, and the Cimarons’ cut adds a rootsy band interpretation from one of the era’s key Jamaican outfits, who had already become known for backing major reggae artists. With only two selections, this is a compact single-riddim set built around one song and its twin readings.