Max Romeo (born Maxwell Livingston Smith; 22 November 1944 - 11 April 2025) was a Jamaican reggae and roots reggae recording artist who had achieved chart success in his home country and in the United Kingdom. Romeo had several hits with the vocal group the Emotions. His single "Wet Dream" reached number 10 in the UK singles chart in 1969 and included overtly sexual lyrics. The song ‘Chase The Devil’ was later sampled and used in Out Of Space by The Prodigy and 'Lucifer' by Jay-Z (which appeared on The Black Album).
Links To Peel[]
Peel was generally an admirer of reggae music, including the work of Max Romeo. In the 2002 BBC TV documentary Reggae: The Story Of Jamaican Music, he described the singer's big hit, 'Wet Dream' - which featured the contentious lyrics 'lie down girl, let me push it up, push it up' - as a great pop record.
In 1976, Romeo's landmark 'War Ina Babylon' LP was produced by Peel favourite Lee Perry. After Peel's death, a Romeo/Perry collaboration, 'Sipple Out Deh', was found among the DJ's most precious singles in John Peel's Record Box.
John Peel's Record Box[]
- Sipple Out Deh / Revelation (Upsetter) 1976
Shows Played[]
Max Romeo - Wet Dream
- 1970s
- March 1976: Sipple Out Deh (7") Upsetter as mentioned on 16 March 1976
- 16 March 1976 (& The Upsetters): War In A Babylon (7") Island
- 19 February 1976: Sneezing With A Friend
- 30 August 1978: Melt Away (12") Afrik
- 11 December 1979: Public Enemy No. 1 (single, 1972) Camel
- 1980s
- 10 January 1980: Fish In The Pot (7") Unity
- 15 September 1981: War In A Babylon (7 inch)' (Charmax Music)
- 24 September 1981 (BFBS) (& Upsetters: War Ina Babylon (album - War Ina Babylon) Island ILPS 9392
- 25 October 1981 (BFBS) (& Upsetters: One Step Forward (album - War Ina Babylon) Island ILPS 9392
- 1990s
- 21 May 1994 (BFBS): Rasta Band Wagon (Peel calls it Lee Perry & Friends)
- 19 June 1997: War In A Babylon (3xCD - Arkology) Island Jamaica
- 22 July 1997: One Step Forward (3xCD - Arkology) Island
- 31 July 1997 (BFBS): 'One Step Forward (3x Compilation CD-Arkology)' (Island Jamaica / Chronicles)
- 18 February 1999: One Step Forward (LP: War Ina Babylon) Island
- 23 February 1999: Sipple Out Deh (7") Upsetter
- 04 March 1999 (Radio Eins): Sipple Out Deh (7") Upsetter
- 11 November 1999: Tan And See (LP-War Ina Babylon) Island
- 2000s
- 12 October 2000: Marching (7 inch) Jah Creator
- 09 November 2000: Wet Dream (7”) Unity
- 26 November 2002: Public Enemy No.1 (7") Camel
- 26 November 2002: One Step Forward (7") Island
- 05 December 2002 (Radio Eins): Public Enemy No. 1 (7") Camel
- 20 December 2002 (BBC World Service): One Step Forward (with the Upsetters)
- 10 September 2003: Sipple Out Deh (7") Upsetter