Open Up the Gate

Open Up the Gate is the third song on Heart of the Congos, written by Myton and Johnson. The 1978 mix runs 4:28, while the original late-1977 mix on the third disc of VP's 2017 set runs 5:14.

On setlist.fm it is the second most played Congos song, logged ten times, behind Fisherman. In 2012 the Congos, Sun Araw and M. Geddes Gengras played it at London's Village Underground with the Raw Power Band, and a live version was released on the free Icon Give Life EP. Nick Neyland of Pitchfork said it lacked the density of the original but pushed the swooning backing vocals to the centre, giving the song a relaxed, joyous feel.