The Melodians

The vocal trio The Melodians was known a the late 1960s and early 1970s has become Jamaican reggae band. Despite the relatively short period of successful creative activity they are among the most important bands of the rocksteady style and several of their singles are among the classics of Jamaican music. They had their greatest success with the written of them song Rivers of Babylon.

Career

All three were still teenagers in 1963 when Tony Brevett, a brother of The Skatalites bassist Lloyd - Brevett, along with Trevor McNaughton and Brent Dowe The Melodians in Greenwich Town, in Kingston, founded. Brevett and Dowe shared the lead vocals, McNaughton was Harmony singer of the trio. Renford Cogle has indeed never sang with the trio, but was later co-author of many lyrics and arranged many pieces.

First, they were successful in talent contests around Kingston on, eventually in 1966 led to their first recording session, in Coxsone Dodd's famous Studio One, but they reached the recordings not pay much attention. They changed the producer Duke Reid and there came in 1967 and 1968, the first success with singles such as You Have Caught Me, Expo 67, I'll Get Along Without You, You Do not Need Me (together with U-Roy ), and Come On Little Girl. Thus, the Melodians made ​​in the rocksteady scene name as a vocal ensemble. 1968 they changed again the producers, this time for Sonia Pottinger, and had with Little Nut Tree and Swing and Dine two more hits in Jamaica. This connection did not last long and the following year they went to the producer Leslie Kong.

With him came in 1969 the most famous songs of the Melodians and they made ​​the breakthrough to a larger, now also international audience. Sweet Sensation sold well not only in Jamaica but also in the UK. But with their hit Rivers of Babylon The Melodians presented in the same year all previous records. The song also marks the beginning of the spiritual influence of the Rastafarian faith on the lyrics of the Melodians, who had until then mostly sung romantic love and party songs. Among the songs that The Melodians occasionally dedicated this new theme, including for example Black Man Kingdom Come.

The band remained at producer Leslie Kong, with whom she worked successfully until his death in 1971. This tragic event marks the end of the heyday of the Melodians. They made some recordings with other producers such as Lee Perry, and others, and also again with the former producer Reid and Pottinger. So, they could no longer able to build on the success they had with Kong. In 1973 Dowe the band shortly after it came to the dissolution of the band. In 1976 they came together again and took many of their old songs on new, before the project came to a halt with no real results. Once again, the trio came together in the early 1980s, took the reunion album Irie Feeling with new material. However, the comeback attempt with little success.

Fifty years after the founding of the band Trevor McNaughton and Tony Brevett went again in 2013 on a U.S. tour. On October 26, 2013 Tony Brevett died in Miami of cancer.

Rivers of Babylon

With Rivers of Babylon The Melodians had their greatest success, and created an anthem of the Rastafarian movement. Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton wrote the song based on the text of the Biblical Psalm 137. The song was part of the soundtrack for the film The Harder They Come. Rivers of Babylon was later interpreted countless times in cover versions by other musicians, the best known and most internationally successful 1978 by Boney M..

Discography

• Sweet Sensation (1969 )
• Irie Feelings (1983 )
• Premeditation (1986 )
• Rivers Of Babylon: The Best of the Melodians (1997)
• Sweet Sensation: The Best of the Melodians (2003)