Maxi Priest returns with "Easy to Love" ......After 35 years in the business, the dreadlocked Priest says he still has the formula to hit the musical mark.

BY HOWARD CAMPBELL Observer senior writer howardgcampbell@yahoo.com  Sunday, May 11, 2014

NOT many reggae singers can boast having number one songs in Britain, the United States and Jamaica. Maxi Priest belongs to that August group.

Priest is looking for more success when he returns to the fray on June 10 with Easy to Love, his new album, which is distributed by VP Records.

MAXI PRIEST

It is the singer's first studio album since 2011's Time of The Year. Priest has enjoyed some pre-release love, with the set's title track getting strong airplay locally.

Easy to Love (the song) is produced by Colin 'Bulby' Yorke. Priest says he heard the 'riddim' through a friend early last year and quickly wrote a song for it.

After 35 years in the business, the dreadlocked Priest says he still has the formula to hit the musical mark.

"From day one it's always been, 'I hope I can make a hit song'. But more importantly, I still love singing and I still love the music," he told the Sunday Observer.

He credits longtime friend Beres Hammond for him recording his first album of original songs in three years.

"The song really did well an' him call mi up an' sey, 'Bwoy Priest, time right fi do a album'."

The latest release from Easy to Love is Gravity, another Yorke production. The song was originally done by John Mayer.

Priest also has great expectations for the Sting International-produced Bubble my Way (with Agent Sasco), and Holiday. The latter is produced by De Red Boyz out of Barbados. more