1968
PLACE IN THE SUN * DAVID ISAACS * TROJAN 616 * UK
Written by Ron Miller and recorded by Stevie Wonder for Tamla in 1966, this top early Reggae version was a massive hit with skinheads, and along with Tighten Up helped establish Lee Perry's name as a producer in the UK.
The song is an old fashioned ballad, and professional song writer Ron Miller could well have drawn his inspiration for the song from the 1951 film of the same name. The Oscar winning film A Place In The Sun was a powerful social drama, from director/producer George Stevens with Montgomery Clift, who stars as a labouring wage slave, and Elizabeth Taylor in her first adult role. It is seen by film historians as the first of director Stevens' "American trilogy" of films - the other two being the western Shane (1953) and Giant (1956).
Slim Smith also recorded the song for Bunny Lee which was released in the UK (see below) a year after the David Isaacs version.
PLACE IN THE SUN * SLIM SMITH * UNITY 524 * UK