Marcia Aitken, born on 5th September 1956 in Hannah Town, West Kingston, Jamaica, was a student at Excelsior High School in Kingston when her talent was discovered at a school concert. Shortly after, she joined Lloyd Parks & We the People Band and began recording with sound engineer Errol Thompson and producer Joe Gibbs, collectively known as “The Mighty Two.” The duo produced over 100 number-one hit singles, including Dennis Brown’s famous track “Money in My Pocket.”
“I’m Still in Love with You Boy” a breakthrough Hit
In 1977, Aitken scored her first number-one hit with “I’m Still in Love with You Boy”, a cover of Alton Ellis’s “I’m Still in Love With You“. Her version became iconic and was later sampled by Dancehall superstar Sean Paul on his 2002 “Dutty Rock” album, featuring vocals from Christine Chin, also known as Sasha.
The song was a major success, topping charts in Jamaica, the UK, and the US reggae charts. Aitken recalled being interviewed by newspapers, appearing on the radio, and even performing on JBC’s Where It’s At talent show, Jamaica’s version of Soul Train. She said those days changed her life significantly.
Predatory practices in the industry and teenage pregnancy
In a recent interview with Muscle, host of the Entertainment Report Podcast on YouTube, Aitken intimated that she has not properly benefitted from the successes of her biggest hit. When asked what it was like to have a number-one hit in Jamaica at that time, Aitken says she didn’t know it was a hit song because no one told her. According to Aitken when she asked Joe Gibbs about the song’s royalties, he informed her that the song did not generate any revenue.
Marcia said at the time she had no one to advocate on her behalf, so “whatever I got I took because my mom at that time wasn’t working anymore.” She told the podcast that she became the breadwinner. “At that time, I’m about 18 years old, but I took over the role of running things, even before I graduated [from high school] I was running the thing, taking care of my sisters, my mom, and everybody,” she said.
Marcia also talked about getting pregnant in school and having to overcome the shame of teenage pregnancy. Because she wanted to continue pursuing her career, she sometimes took the baby to the studio. “I took my baby with me; I didn’t want to leave him, because I didn’t want anybody to ill treat him or do anything, and everyone used to love him at the studio.”
Successful run with producer Joe Gibbs & Errol Thompson “The Mighty Two”
In 1978, Aitken released another hit single, “My Man/Blouse and Skirt”, produced by Joe Gibbs and featuring DJ and producer Wade Brammer, better known as Trinity. After graduating from high school, she released her debut album, “Reggae Impact”, also produced by Gibbs. Unfortunately, her rising career was paused when an auto accident left her unable to walk for nearly a year.
Life in New York and Career Shift
In 1985, Aitken married and moved to Brooklyn, New York, where she still resides. Upon her arrival, she worked with producer Whitfield “Witty” Henry and pursued a nursing degree. While operating a family restaurant, Island Eatery, she became a registered nurse, a career she has maintained for over two decades.
Return to Music
Marcia Aitken returned to the music scene in 2014 with a gospel album, “From Conception to Redemption”, in which she reworked some of her secular hits into gospel songs.
In 2018, her 1977 hit “I’m Still in Love with You Boy” saw renewed popularity when it was used in an ad by international superstar Beyoncé to promote the “On The Run II” tour with her husband, Jay-Z. The clip was viewed nearly nine million times on social media and featured on Entertainment Tonight.
The song’s resurgence on Spotify, where it amassed over 1.5 million streams, reignited interest in Aitken’s music. She was subsequently booked for numerous festivals, including Groovin’ in the Park in 2018 and a performance at Rebel Salute, marking her first performance in Jamaica after a 30-year absence.
