The Paragons
The Paragons were a ska and rocksteady vocal group from Kingston, Jamaica, initially active in the 1960s. Their most famous track was "The Tide Is High", written by band member John Holt.
Career
The Paragons were originally Garth "Tyrone" Evans, songwriter Bob Andy, Junior Menz, and Leroy Stamp. In 1964 Stamp was replaced by singer and songwriter John Holt, and Howard Barrett replaced Menz.
The early Paragons' sound used the vocal harmonies of Jamaican groups of the early 1960s. Beginning in 1964, they recorded on the Treasure Isle record label with record producer Duke Reid, songs such as "Memories by the Score", "On the Beach", "Only a Smile" and "Wear You to the Ball", which were later covered by UB40, Horace Andy, Dennis Brown, Massive Attack, and others. Other recordings included "Man Next Door" aka "Quiet Place"/"I've Got to Get Away" (1968) and "Happy Go Lucky Girl".
The Paragons' recordings, including the widely covered "The Tide Is High" from 1967, written by Holt, and featuring the violin of "White Rum" Raymond, are among the highlights of Jamaican popular music. "The Tide Is High" was taken to the top of the UK and US charts by Blondie in 1980; while Atomic Kitten's...
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- 1 Mercy Mercy Mercy
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 2 Talking Love
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 3 Come Together
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 4 You Won't See Me
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 5 And I Love Her
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 6 Like A Rollin' Stone
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 7 If I Fell
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 8 Michelle
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 9 Knockin' On Heaven's Door
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 10 Blowing In The Wind
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 11 Don't Let Me Down
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 12 I Shall Be Released
The Paragons · Rocksteady
Songs on JamaicansMusic
45 playable tracks in the catalog.
- 1 On the Beach
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 2 Island in the Sun
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 3 When the Lights Are Low
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 4 The Tide Is High
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 5 So Much Pain
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 6 Only a Smile
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 7 I Want to Go Back
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 8 Happy Go Lucky Girl
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 9 Yellow Bird
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 10 Wear You to the Ball
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 11 Talk To The People
The Paragons · Rocksteady
- 12 Sparkle Of My Eyes
The Paragons · Rocksteady
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