As Butta and myself have made mention of on this site, remakes of American pop hits by international artists is nothing new, especially when it comes to reggae music. Third World's "Now That We've Found Love" was not only a remake of the O'Jays hit written by powerhouse producers Gamble and Huff, but reached the top 50 on the Billboard chart in the year of its release of 1978. But enough of the facts and stats. What makes this record so dear to my heart? Well, as your SoulBounce Jamaican sistren (myself and Butta) can attest to, Third World are reggae superstars, and you would be hard pressed to find anyone of Jamaican heritage who didn't have fond memories of this song. Much more disco-influenced than their other works, "Now That We've Found Love" has undoubtedly provided the backdrop to many a summertime late-afternoon block party or was likely able to lift your spirits up as you painfully worked through your household chores. The infectious groove was evident from the first beat of this song, as Heavy D & The Boyz discovered when their hip hop remake narrowly escaped being a top 10 single in 1991. Anyone who knows what's up will remember the extended mix of this song is a journey into reggae-disco-synthesizer heaven. Third World are still going strong to this day, and will remain in the minds of many American audiences largely in part because of this song.
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