Ready Or Not

Recorded in Jamaica for producer Winston Riley’s Techniques operation, with Johnny Osbourne performing a reggae cover of The Delfonics’ “Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide From Love).” The original session studio is not documented in the available record trail. The track translated a well-known soul hit into a Jamaican reggae setting and became part of Winston Riley’s early Techniques catalog. It helped establish Osbourne as a versatile vocalist in the roots-and-reggae market of the early 1970s. The recording has remained a durable cover version in Osbourne’s catalog and later resurfaced through sampling and compilations. Its hook was sampled in hip-hop, extending the song’s reach well beyond its original reggae audience.