“Simmer Down” was the Wailers’ first single recorded with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer.
The song was recorded in 1963 and released in Jamaica in 1964. It was produced by Clement “Coxsone” Dodd and backed by musicians from the emerging Studio One scene, including members of the later house band known as the Skatalites.
“Simmer Down” addressed Kingston’s rude-boy culture and urged violent youths to calm themselves. Its ska rhythm places it before reggae’s mature international sound, making it an important early document of Marley’s career.
The Wailers at this stage were a vocal group centered on Marley, Tosh, and Bunny Wailer. Their later international band and sound developed substantially, so the early ska single should not be confused with their 1970s reggae recordings.