Subscribe Login
Jamaica Observer
ePaper
The Edge 105 FM Radio Fyah 105 FM
Jamaica Observer
ePaper
The Edge 105 FM Radio Fyah 105 FM
    • Home
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Cartoon
      • International News
      • Central
      • North & East
      • Western
      • Environment
      • Health
      • #
    • Business
      • Social Love
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Basketball
      • Cricket
      • Horse Racing
      • World Champs
      • Commonwealth Games
      • FIFA World Cup 2022
      • Olympics
      • #
    • Entertainment
      • Music
      • Movies
      • Art & Culture
      • Bookends
      • #
    • Lifestyle
      • Page2
      • Food
      • Tuesday Style
      • Food Awards
      • JOL Takes Style Out
      • Design Week JA
      • Black Friday
      • #
    • All Woman
      • Home
      • Relationships
      • Features
      • Fashion
      • Fitness
      • Rights
      • Parenting
      • Advice
      • #
    • Obituaries
    • Classifieds
      • Employment
      • Property
      • Motor Vehicles
      • Place an Ad
      • Obituaries
    • More
      • Games
      • Elections
      • Jobs & Careers
      • Study Centre
      • Jnr Study Centre
      • Letters
      • Columns
      • Advertorial
      • Editorial
      • Supplements
      • Webinars
    • Home
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Cartoon
      • International News
      • Central
      • North & East
      • Western
      • Environment
      • Health
      • #
    • Business
      • Social Love
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Basketball
      • Cricket
      • Horse Racing
      • World Champs
      • Commonwealth Games
      • FIFA World Cup 2022
      • Olympics
      • #
    • Entertainment
      • Music
      • Movies
      • Art & Culture
      • Bookends
      • #
    • Lifestyle
      • Page2
      • Food
      • Tuesday Style
      • Food Awards
      • JOL Takes Style Out
      • Design Week JA
      • Black Friday
      • #
    • All Woman
      • Home
      • Relationships
      • Features
      • Fashion
      • Fitness
      • Rights
      • Parenting
      • Advice
      • #
    • Obituaries
    • Classifieds
      • Employment
      • Property
      • Motor Vehicles
      • Place an Ad
      • Obituaries
    • More
      • Games
      • Elections
      • Jobs & Careers
      • Study Centre
      • Jnr Study Centre
      • Letters
      • Columns
      • Advertorial
      • Editorial
      • Supplements
      • Webinars
  • Home
  • News
    • International News
  • Latest
  • Business
  • Cartoon
  • Games
  • Food Awards
  • Health
  • Entertainment
    • Bookends
  • Regional
  • Sports
    • Sports
    • World Cup
    • World Champs
    • Olympics
  • All Woman
  • Career & Education
  • Environment
  • Webinars
  • More
    • Football
    • Elections
    • Letters
    • Advertorial
    • Columns
    • Editorial
    • Supplements
  • Epaper
  • Classifieds
  • Design Week
Murder She Wrote — the story
Dancehall duo Chaka Demus (left) and Pliers
Entertainment, Music
Kevin Jackson  
December 15, 2024

Murder She Wrote — the story

• Hit-making duo Chaka Demus and Pliers recalls creation • Song earns platinum certification in the UK

Singer Pliers was inspired to write a song about an ex-girlfriend who claimed she was pregnant and, after nine months, there was no fruit of the pregnancy.

That song was recorded by multiple producers but neither version made any impact. Among those producers were Harry Johnson (Harry J), Clifton “Specialist” Dillon, and Maurice “Black Scorpio” Johnson.

Deejay Chaka Demus, whose verses of the hit song Murder She Wrote, were originally recorded by producer Bobby Digital, said his verse was inspired by someone he said had a “pretty face but a bad character”.

But in 1992 both Pliers and Chaka Demus decided to record their songs as a collaboration, and this time it clicked with music lovers as Murder She Wrote.

“We first performed the song at a show in Florida and we decided that, when we returned to Jamaica, we were going to record the song as a collaboration. We went to Sonic Sounds on Retirement Road and we recorded it with Sly and Robbie. But we weren’t in a voicing box like most songs were done. Sly dem sit down ‘round a desk and I had the mic in my hand and passed it to Pliers, and then we just passed the mic around while doing our parts of the song. That’s how the song was recorded,” Chaka Demus told the Jamaica Observer in an interview on Sunday.

Murder She Wrote was released in the United Kingdom 30 years ago. On November 15 the song was certified platinum in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry for sales and streaming figures exceeding 600,000 units.

It is the second platinum certification for the duo. They received platinum certification in 1994 for their chart-topping début album Tease Me, which also feature the hit Murder She Wrote.

“Man, right now that song mek I and I a live comfortable. It’s good to have a good song and good producers. A God mek it happen, and John Public just accepted the song,” Chaka Demus explained.

He told the Observer that at the time the song was recorded he had no idea that it would become the international hit that it became.

“We never know it was going to be that big. Mi know say it was a good song, and one day we were on the road and Junie Starr drove up beside us and told us that the song was mashing up England. We didn’t expect that to happen,” Pliers shared.

Chaka Demus said he never gets tired of performing Murder She Wrote. He also added that the song’s success changed his life forever.

“Financially, the song did great for us. When it comes to popularity, it has gone through different generations of music lovers. Is a great song and we never get tired of performing it,” he stated.

Murder She Wrote, was first released in 1992, the same year that Pliers recorded a cover of Toots Hibbert’s Bam Bam. The song topped local charts and was later picked up by Mango Records, a subsidiary of Island Records.

Murder She Wrote peaked at #27 on the UK Singles chart in early 1994, and it also charted at #72 on the Eurochart Hot 100, #57 on the Billboard Hot 100, #5 on Billboard’s Rap Songs chart, and at #39 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

The duo also charted on the UK Singles charts with She Don’t Let Nobody, Tease Me, Twist and Shout (with Jack Radics and the Taxi Gang), I Wanna Be Your Man, Gal Wine, and Every Kinda People.

Twist and Shout was certified gold in 1994, while the single Tease Me earned gold the previous year. She Don’t Let Nobody was certified silver in 1993.

Chaka Demus and Pliers continue to record and they recently released the song Gold Mine featuring Shaggy for Bonner Production label.

Chaka Demus’s latest solo releases include Flashing Light (Bright Star Production) and Proud Jamaican featuring his son Marvilous One.

{"xml":"xml"}{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
img img
0 Comments · Make a comment

ALSO ON JAMAICA OBSERVER

Brown treble leads Harbour View over Spanish Town Police as JPL resumes
Latest News, Sports
Brown treble leads Harbour View over Spanish Town Police as JPL resumes
December 7, 2025
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Rohan Brown scored a hattrick to lead Harbour View to a resounding 5-2 win over promoted Spanish Town Police as the Jamaica Premie...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Latest News, News
WATCH: Woman narrowly escapes serious injury in Manchester crash
December 7, 2025
MANCHESTER, Jamaica — A woman narrowly escaped serious injury after the car she was driving overturned during a two-vehicle crash in Williamsfield, Ma...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Latest News, News
Bignall Law dedicates tree-lighting to hurricane victims, calls for better housing solutions
December 7, 2025
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Bignall Law Commercial Centre in Half-Way-Tree illuminated its building on Saturday night in tribute to the victims of Hurrica...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Guyana Defence Force soldiers to assist Jamaica with post-hurricane reconstruction
Latest News, Regional
Guyana Defence Force soldiers to assist Jamaica with post-hurricane reconstruction
December 7, 2025
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — Forty one Guyana Defence Force (GDF) soldiers departed for Jamaica to support reconstruction efforts following the devastat...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Hah-R-Mony Entertainment joins private-sector recovery push after Hurricane Melissa
Latest News
Hah-R-Mony Entertainment joins private-sector recovery push after Hurricane Melissa
December 7, 2025
ST JAMES, Jamaica — Hah-R-Mony Entertainment Limited has bolstered the private sector's recovery efforts as the island rushes to prepare for the fast-...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Reggae statesman and the firebrand: When Jimmy Cliff toured with Peter Tosh
Entertainment, Latest News
Reggae statesman and the firebrand: When Jimmy Cliff toured with Peter Tosh
BY HOWARD CAMPBELL Observer senior writer 
December 7, 2025
Observer Online presents the seventh and final  story in ‘Jimmy Cliff: Stories Of A Bongo Man’, in tribute to the reggae legend who died on November 2...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
JLP Central Executive approves resolution to support intensification of hurricane recovery effort
Latest News, News
JLP Central Executive approves resolution to support intensification of hurricane recovery effort
December 7, 2025
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has approved two resolutions following a meeting of its Central Executive on Sunday, signalling ful...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Latest News, News
Isiaa Madden, architect behind The Pinnacle, celebrates Mouttet Mile win
December 7, 2025
Isiaa Madden has reshaped skylines, revived architectural imagination in Montego Bay, and carried her family’s 90-year legacy of service at Madden’s F...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
❮ ❯

Polls

HOUSE RULES

  1. We welcome reader comments on the top stories of the day. Some comments may be republished on the website or in the newspaper; email addresses will not be published.
  2. Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.
  3. We ask that comments are civil and free of libellous or hateful material. Also please stick to the topic under discussion.
  4. Please do not write in block capitals since this makes your comment hard to read.
  5. Please don't use the comments to advertise. However, our advertising department can be more than accommodating if emailed: advertising@jamaicaobserver.com.
  6. If readers wish to report offensive comments, suggest a correction or share a story then please email: community@jamaicaobserver.com.
  7. Lastly, read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

Recent Posts

Archives

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Tweets

Polls

Recent Posts

Archives

Logo Jamaica Observer
Breaking news from the premier Jamaican newspaper, the Jamaica Observer. Follow Jamaican news online for free and stay informed on what's happening in the Caribbean
Featured Tags
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Health
  • Auto
  • Business
  • Letters
  • Page2
  • Football
Categories
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Page2
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Page2
Ads
img
Jamaica Observer, © All Rights Reserved
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • RSS Feeds
  • Feedback
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Code of Conduct