The Melodians
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The Melodians are a Jamaican based rocksteady reggae trio, and were formed in Kingston in 1963. Original members included Trevor McNaughton, Tony Brevett, and Brent Gayford Dowe. Renford Cogle acted as the group's major songwriter.
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[edit] Career
They were discovered at a local singing contest in 1965 and made their recording debut for the producer Clement "Coxsone" Dodd. From 1967 to 1968 they had a number of hits on Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label, including "You Have Caught Me", "Expo 67", "I'll Get Along Without You", and "You Don't Need Me." After recording "Swing and Dine" for producer Sonia Pottinger, they recorded their biggest hit, "Rivers of Babylon" for Leslie Kong. This song became an anthem of the Rastafarian movement, and was featured on the soundtrack for the movie, The Harder They Come. After Kong's death in 1971, they recorded for Lee Perry and Byron Lee's Dynamic Studios. In 1973, Brent Dowe left the group for a solo career. The group reformed briefly a few years later and again in the early 1980s.
[edit] Band revival
The Melodians regrouped again in the 1990s as part of the roots revival and continue to perform and record. They are particularly popular in Japan.[1]
Brent Dowe, born 29 June 1946,[2] suffered a fatal heart attack on 28 January 2006.[3]
[edit] Partial discography
[edit] Albums
- Rivers Of Babylon (Trojan, 1970)
- Sweet Sensation (Trojan, 1976)
- Sweet Sensation: The Original Reggae Hit Sound (Island, 1980)
- Irie Feelings (Ras, 1983)
- Premeditation (Skynote, 1986)
[edit] Compilation albums[4]
- Swing And Dine (Heartbeat, 1993)
- Rivers Of Babylon (Trojan, 1997)
- Sweet Sensation: The Best Of The Melodians (Trojan, 2003)
[edit] References
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
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