The Paragons
On The Beach with The Paragons
***and1/2 out of *****
The UK based Charley Records specializes in reissues and earlier this year they re-released The Paragons, On The Beach. Originally available in 1967 on Treasure Isle, the rocksteady/reggae offering is a joyful listen with rich harmonies, great sound and flowing groove.
Led by John Holt, the vocal band was active in the Jamaican scene and On The Beach with The Paragons is their debut full length album. The group tries out a few styles over the record with their biggest hit being the fiddle augmented reggae of "Tide Is High" that decades later was covered by Blondie and reached the top of the charts. Outside of that instantly recognized jam, the group offers up a host of tasty tunes.
Light skanking mixes with R&B harmonies on the opening pairing of the title track and "Island in the Sun", both setting the tropical scene. Two other Harry Belafonte covers are tackled as well, "Only A Smile" is solemnly delivered behind strong vocals from Holt but feels a touch out of place, while ""Happy-Go-Lucky Girl" is better with layers of harmonies, soulful feeling and bouncing rhythms.
The group mixes it up on "When The Lights Are Low" the most interesting effort here that pulls from Spaghetti Westerns using ominous tones and a ripping trumpet line. "So Much Pain" also catches the ear with great backing vocals and harmonica work. The rocksteady takes over for "I Want To Go Back" with soaring vocals and an easy groove while the stuttering horns and hand drums lay the foundation so the vocals of "Yellow Bird" can float out.
The record wraps up with a spin through the stop/start action of "Village Girl" as more vocal harmonies color the rocksteady/reggae sound. A strong collection of Jamaican tunes as the reissue of The Paragons On The Beach sounds good at any time of the year when the sun is shining.
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