The Heptones

The vocal trio The Heptones is a middle of the 1960s and the early 1970s has become known Jamaican reggae band. They belong to the relevant rocksteady vocal groups and were one of the few who have successfully made ​​the transition to the reggae era.

Career

Leroy Sibbles, Barry Llewellyn and Earl Morgan did in 1965 in Kingston together, initially calling themselves Hep Ones, later it became the band name The Heptones. First, they worked with producer Ken paint, but changed in 1966 to Clement " Coxsone " Dodd's legendary Studio One, the most important Jamaican music label of the Rocksteady era. Dodd helped the young musicians to develop their singing, and offered the burgeoning songwriter Sibbles instructions. The Heptones had in the same year her first hit with the single Fattie Fattie, although they could not be played on the radio, but still sold very well. It was the first song ever to be censored in Jamaica. The incompletely adult text about chubby women brought the Heptones not only in their home success, he was also a chart success in the UK. In the following five years, the Heptones with Dodd produced large amounts of material, including the 1970 first album On Top. Collaboration with Dodd intensified, Sibbles, the frontman of the Heptones, was at this time at Studio One for salaried songwriters, session bassist of the studio, Assistant Producer and talent scout for Dodd. Of course, he worked there along with a variety of other musicians of the label. Sibbles basslines can be found on recordings by Dennis Brown, Lee Perry or the Abyssinians from this period.

By 1971, with the Heptones Sibbles left Studio One, the frontman is now outgrown felt and he probably felt as limiting. The Heptones work in quick succession along with various Jamaican producers, including Joe Gibbs, Harry J, Augustus Pablo, rupee Edwards. In Sibbles texts shows from this time a social consciousness and references to the Rastafari faith.

With Iceland Records signed a contract with a major label in 1975 again. Produced by Lee " Scratch" Perry, was mainly with newly, old Studio One material Night Food, and was released in 1976. The follow-up album Party Time appeared in 1977 in a similar style, including a cover version of Bob Dylan's I Shall Be Released. It was the most internationally successful album of the Heptones. The next LP Better Days in 1978 but was a failure and frontman Sibbles left the Heptones to pursue his solo career. The remaining Heptones Llewellyn and Morgan took Naggo Morris in the trio, in the aftermath joined the cast on, Glen Adams, Joseph Forester, and others were temporarily involved. The Heptones had different appearances in the 1980s and took on more plates, but their success did not reach the heights like the time with Sibbles.

The original trio with Sibbles, Llewellyn and Morgan came back together in 1995, produced by Tappa Zukie released the album Pressure! . Even in the 21st century Sibbles and Llewellyn went further than " The Heptones ". On 23 November 2011, Barry Llewellyn died in Kingston at the age of 64 years after he was only three months earlier occurred among others in Germany.

Discography

• Fattie Fattie (Single, 1966)
• On Top (1970 )
• The Heptones and Friends Volume 1 (1971 )
• The Heptones and Friends Volume 2 (1972 )
• Book of Rules ( 1973)
• Cool Rasta (1976 )
• Night Food (1976 )
• Party Time (1977 )
• Good Life (1979 )
• Better Days (1981 )
• Swing Low (1985 )
• Changing Times (1986 )
• Pressure! (1995)
• Deep in the Roots ( 2004)