The Maytones
Encyclopedia
The Maytones are a Jamaica
n reggae
vocal duo who were active between the late 1960s and until 1980.
in Clarendon, which inspired the group's name. After recording two rocksteady
tracks for Studio One which were not released, they recorded much of their early material for Alvin Ranglin
, having local hits with "Loving Reggae" and "Funny Man", and released a version of Greyhound
's "Black and White" in 1970. They had further Jamaican hits with love songs such as "Preaching Love", "If Loving You Was Wrong", and "Brown Girl", before adopting a roots reggae
style for tracks such as "Judas", "Babylon a Fall", and "Run Babylon". They had a major success with "Madness", recorded again for Ranglin, which was followed by an album of the same name. The success of The Mighty Diamonds
prompted the group and producers Ranglin and Clement Bushay
to promote the duo as The Mighty Maytones. The Boat To Zion album followed in 1978, although did not meet with the success they had hoped for, and were overlooked by the British
record label
s that were signing up much of Jamaica's talent at the time, with their non-Rasta image identified as a factor. They contributed the track "Money Worries" to the Rockers soundtrack in 1979.
The band came to an end in 1980 when Buckley moved to Canada
. The duo reunited in the 2000s. Vernon issued a solo album, Raw, and has performed and recorded with Bedouin Soundclash
.
Compilations
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
vocal duo who were active between the late 1960s and until 1980.
History
The Maytones formed in the late 1960s, and comprised Vernon Buckley and Gladstone Grant, both of whom lived in May PenMay Pen
May Pen is the capital and largest town in the parish of Clarendon in the Middlesex County, Jamaica. It is located on the Rio Minho river , and is a major market centre for the Parish...
in Clarendon, which inspired the group's name. After recording two rocksteady
Rocksteady
Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around 1966. A successor to ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was performed by Jamaican vocal harmony groups such as The Gaylads, The Maytals and The Paragons. The term rocksteady comes from a dance style that was mentioned in the Alton...
tracks for Studio One which were not released, they recorded much of their early material for Alvin Ranglin
Alvin Ranglin
Alvin 'GG' Ranglin is a Jamaican reggae singer and record producer.-Biography:Ranglin started to sing in public in his teens with an Adventist Church background. As a radio and television technician involved in the jukebox industry, he soon acquired his own sound system he named "GG"...
, having local hits with "Loving Reggae" and "Funny Man", and released a version of Greyhound
Greyhound (band)
Greyhound was a reggae band from the United Kingdom.Greyhound began as The Rudies in the late 1960s, with core members Danny Smith and Freddie Notes. They also released material as The Tilermen and Des All Stars. Under the name The Rudies, they issued a cover of "Patches" by Clarence Carter and...
's "Black and White" in 1970. They had further Jamaican hits with love songs such as "Preaching Love", "If Loving You Was Wrong", and "Brown Girl", before adopting a roots reggae
Roots reggae
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of the artists concerned, including the spiritual side of Rastafari and with the honoring of God, called Jah by rastafarians. It also is identified with the life of the ghetto sufferer, and the rural poor...
style for tracks such as "Judas", "Babylon a Fall", and "Run Babylon". They had a major success with "Madness", recorded again for Ranglin, which was followed by an album of the same name. The success of The Mighty Diamonds
The Mighty Diamonds
Mighty Diamonds are a Jamaican harmony trio, recording roots reggae with a strong Rastafarian influence. The group, which comprised Donald "Tabby" Shaw, Fitzroy "Bunny" Simpson, and Lloyd "Judge" Ferguson, was formed in 1969, and remains together as of 2010...
prompted the group and producers Ranglin and Clement Bushay
Clement Bushay
Clement "Clem" Bushay is a United Kingdom-based reggae producer who also ran the Bushays record label.-Biography:Bushay's productions in the early 1970s were issued by Trojan Records, and he produced early releases by Owen Gray and Louisa Mark , and was one of the early producers of UK Lovers rock...
to promote the duo as The Mighty Maytones. The Boat To Zion album followed in 1978, although did not meet with the success they had hoped for, and were overlooked by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s that were signing up much of Jamaica's talent at the time, with their non-Rasta image identified as a factor. They contributed the track "Money Worries" to the Rockers soundtrack in 1979.
The band came to an end in 1980 when Buckley moved to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The duo reunited in the 2000s. Vernon issued a solo album, Raw, and has performed and recorded with Bedouin Soundclash
Bedouin Soundclash
Bedouin Soundclash is a Canadian band currently based in Toronto. Their sound can be described as reggae and ska.-History:The band's current lineup consists of vocalist and guitarist Jay Malinowski, and bassist Eon Sinclair with Sekou Lumumba on drums. Their debut album, Root Fire, released in 2001...
.
Albums
- Madness (1976) Burning Sounds
- Boat To Zion (1978) Burning Sounds
- One Way (1979) GG's
- The Mighty Maytones Album Showcase (197?) Funky Hut
- Tune In And Rock (Showcase Album) Pioneer International
- Keep The Fire Burning (1980) Third World
- Only Your Picture (1984) Vista Sounds
- Madness 2 (1995) Pioneer International
Compilations
- Best of the Mighty Maytones (1983) Burning Sounds
- Funny Man (1990) GG's
- Brown Girl in the Ring (1995) TrojanTrojan RecordsTrojan Records is a British record label founded in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. The name Trojan comes from the Croydon-built Trojan truck that was used as Duke Reid's sound system in Jamaica...
- Lover Man (1997) Rhino
- Loving Reggae (2001) CharlyCharly RecordsCharly Records is a British record label which specialises in reissued material.-History:Among the labels whose original releases are reissued by Charly are Vee-Jay, Sun, Immediate, BYG, Tomato, and Fania. Charly Records was founded in France in 1974 by Jean-Luc Young, who had been a promoter of...
- Their Greatest Hits (2003) HeartbeatHeartbeat RecordsHeartbeat Records is an independent record label based in Burlington , Massachusetts. The label specializes in Jamaican music. Founded by reggae music enthusiasts Bill Nowlin and Duncan Brown, the label's first release was a vinyl LP reissue of Linton Kwesi Johnson's Dread Beat an' Blood...