A robust message for the occasions is coming this Emancipation Day, courtesy of two generations of reggae greatness. Veteran singer Johnny Osbourne, identified affectionately as The Dancehall Godfather, has teamed up with roots-reggae torchbearer Tarrus Riley for a up to date remake of Osbourne’s 1979 traditional, “We Want Love.”
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The one will likely be launched globally on August 1, 2025, by way of VP Data, marking the primary providing from Osbourne’s upcoming album Common Love Showcase, due out later that month.
Initially featured on Osbourne’s seminal Reality & Rights album, “We Want Love” was written to the riddim of Otis Gayle’s Jamaican cowl of The Spinners’ “I’ll Be Round”, a soul traditional reimagined at Studio One. That model, backed by legendary home band The Sound Dimension, with a standout organ solo from Jackie Mittoo, grew to become a prized document amongst collectors and a staple on Kingston’s soundsystem circuit.
Osbourne, recent from an prolonged keep in Canada within the late Seventies, returned to Jamaica and selected that very same riddim to create “We Want Love,” a music that supplied each a private and social reflection of the occasions. Now, in 2025, that message proves simply as related, reimagined with trendy manufacturing and the unmistakable voice of Tarrus Riley becoming a member of in concord.
The up to date model is produced by Frenchie of Most Sound, identified for his work with reggae stalwarts similar to Luciano (United States of Africa) and Anthony B (Black Star). The one can also be sonically formed by mixing engineer Gregory Morris, with musical association and a stirring saxophone solo by reggae titan Dean Fraser, who brings a recent contact to this timeless riddim—additionally heard on Chronixx’s 2016 monitor “Majesty.”
Riley, whose personal catalog consists of hits like “She’s Royal” and “Gimme Likkle One Drop,” steps seamlessly into the position of co-vocalist on “We Want Love,” including a up to date urgency to Osbourne’s authentic plea for unity, compassion, and religious energy.
“Uplifting and religious in equal measure, this model of ‘We Want Love’ isn’t only a remake—it’s a revival,” says a VP Data spokesperson. “It captures each artists of their aspect and ensures this hand-clapping, foot-stomping traditional lives on.”
The one units the tone for Osbourne’s forthcoming album, Common Love Showcase, which arrives on August 29, 2025. The venture guarantees to have fun the enduring spirit of reggae music, whereas bridging the hole between foundational sounds and new-generation artistry.
With a music profession that spans practically six many years, Johnny Osbourne stays a towering determine in Jamaican music. A graduate of the legendary Alpha Boys’ College, his catalog reads like a roadmap by way of reggae and dancehall’s evolution—from Studio One classics to digital-era hits. Having labored with icons like King Jammy, Junjo Lawes, and Bobby Digital, Osbourne’s affect stays plain.
In 2025, he’s nonetheless touring the world, nonetheless recording, and nonetheless sending messages that matter.
