A classic song from the 1990s, No Heathen by Anthony Red Rose resonated with fans of roots-reggae and hard core dancehall music. A new version of that single is being released this week featuring Red Rose and Terry Linen.
The latter, known for hit songs like Couldn’t be The Girl For Me and a cover of Whitney Houston’s Your Love is my Love, is featured on the new edition, which is scheduled for release this week. It is produced by Tad Dawkins Jr for Tad’s International Record. In an interview with the Jamaica Observer, Terry Linen spoke about his love for the original which he first heard as an aspiring singer in his native St Elizabeth.
He always wanted to cover No Heathen. “Is jus’ a song mi always love, an’ any time mi would see Anthony Red Rose mi tell him wi should do a version. Is a song with many powers,” said Terry Linen. He finally got that opportunity last year, recruiting Anthony Redrose to perform the hook while he handled lead vocals. They were backed by saxophonist Dean Fraser, trumpeter Okiel McIntyre, guitarist Mitchum
“Khan” Chin, drummer Kirk Bennett, and Donald “Danny Bassie” Dennis. Anthony Red Rose cut the original No Heathen in 1994 for producer Richard Bell’s Startrail Records. It was done on a revamped version of the Tempo rhythm, which yielded a hit song of the same name in 1985. No Heathen was one of three hit singles on that beat for Startrail, the others being Family Man by Everton Blender and Don’t Dis The Trinity by Capleton.
