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In early 1982, a Jamaican reggae group called The Mighty Diamonds released a song called "Pass the Kutchie," which went absolutely nowhere--most likely because "kutchie" was Jamaican slang for a pot that holds marijuana--a pot pot, if you will.
The management of The Musical Youth, a group of young Jamaican teens from England thought it would be a good idea for the kids to cover it--with extensive lyric changes, and a title change to "Pass the Dutchie," which is Jamaican slang for a Dutch oven.
The idea was that the new version would be about poverty and world hunger, and how homeless people would gather together and "pass the dutchie" to share a meal.
The reworked song...was not only catchy, but cute (covering up the message to a certain degree)...and believe it or not, the video was the first video by a black group or artist to be played on MTV!
This led to priceless exposure, and it was reflected on the charts. In Late 1982, the song topped the charts in 11 countries, including Canada. In the US, it was a Top 10 hit on three Billboard Charts: Hip-Hop (#8), Hot 100 (#10), and Dance Club (#11).
Note: Many consider The Musical Youth to be the first boy band. It's hard to argue the point, since their ages ranged from 11 to 16!
"Pass the Dutchie" by The Musical Youth: a cute, but meaningful Great Song of 1982! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsyUa63NM1E
"Pass the Kutchie" (The Mighty Diamonds): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGkw4Sl9kFo
Tomorrow: Hurting Boy George.
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