"Pass the Kouchie" is a 1981 Jamaican reggae song by the Mighty Diamonds. The song is based around Rastafarian use of cannabis via cannabis pipes.[1] It was later adapted by the British-Jamaican group Musical Youth as "Pass the Dutchie".[2]
| "Pass the Kouchie" | |
|---|---|
| Single by the Mighty Diamonds | |
| Released | 1981 |
| Genre | Reggae |
History
edit"Pass the Kouchie" was based upon a 1968 reggae instrumental piece called "Full Up" by Leroy Sibbles.[3] When the song was released, it was condemned by the Prime Minister of Jamaica Edward Seaga for endorsing the use of illegal cannabis.[4] The government of Jamaica subsequently banned it from being played on national radio as part of a drive against "kouchie culture".[5] Despite this, the song was popular and became a top seller in Jamaican music shops and held that position for several weeks.[5] The song was viewed as having established the Mighty Diamonds as being highly regarded in the reggae music scene.[6] It also gained popularity internationally.[7]
Adaptation
edit"Pass the Kouchie" gained popularity within the Caribbean communities in the United Kingdom and the United States.[8] In 1982, the British group Musical Youth adapted "Pass the Kouchie" for release in the United Kingdom. In the adaption, they changed the word "kouchie" to "dutchie" (a cooking pot) and other lyrics referencing drugs being changed to food.[9][10] The majority of the United Kingdom at large were not aware of it being based on "Pass the Kouchie" and the cannabis background of it.[10] Despite the change being made to specifically avoid drug references, "dutchie" later eventually became a slang word for cannabis because of the song.[11] The adaption reached number one in the UK Singles Charts. In 2012, the relationship was subject to an English High Court case regarding copyright royalties where it was held that "Pass the Dutchie" shared the same copyright as "Pass the Kouchie".[12]
References
edit- ^ Butsch, Richard (1990). For Fun and Profit: The Transformation of Leisure Into Consumption. Temple University Press. p. 197. ISBN 0877227403.
- ^ Bienstock, Richard (2020-04-20). "The Mighty Diamonds, "Pass the Kouchie" (1981)". Rolling Stone Australia. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
- ^ Lipsitz, George (1997). Dangerous Crossroads: Popular Music, Postmodernism, and the Poetics of Place. Verso. p. 103. ISBN 1859840353.
- ^ "Quick Spins". Lincoln Journal Star. 1982-04-27. Retrieved 2021-03-10 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Can government control rock 'n' roll?". Lincoln Journal Star. 1982-12-12. Retrieved 2021-03-10 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rude boy makes nice". The Santa Fe New Mexican. 2008-08-22. Retrieved 2021-03-10 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Celebrate the best in all of us". The Taos News. 2007-06-21. Retrieved 2021-03-10 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mighty Diamonds:The right time?". The Miami News. 1983-09-27. Retrieved 2021-03-10 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "How we made Musical Youth's Pass the Dutchie | Reggae". The Guardian. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
- ^ a b "Top of the Pops 2 – Top 5 Drug Songs". BBC. 2014-09-24. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
- ^ "Senator asks colleagues to 'pass the dutchie' in pot poem during debate". Ipolitics. 2018-06-20. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
- ^ "Musical Youth lose legal battle over Pass The Dutchie". The Guardian. Retrieved 2021-03-10.