The Mighty Paragons Collection

Artists

Album Info

Release Date: 2006

Labels: Jet Star, Unity

From liner notes:

Unlike The Paragons' much anthologised catalogue for Treasure Isle, much of the music on this 50 track double CD is unreleased in any form up to now. Tyrone Evans features as lead vocalist on three quarters of the titles included here and John Holt performs lead on the remaining quarter. Throughout the set, Tyrone Evans proves himself a very good and consistent singer, tackling famous rhythms such as "Shank I Sheck" on "For You Girl" and "Never Let Go" for "Got To Have Your Love"...

The tracks led by John Holt mostly date from the early 1970s and include "Judgement Days" originally released under the title "Do The Best Thing" in 1976, through the earliest titles here include "My Number One" and "Memories By The Score" originally issued back to back in 1968 and "Left With A Broken Heart" from the same year. Other Holt led outings include his version of Solomon Burke's countrified classic "Just Out Of Reach" from 1970, "Don't You Ever Give Up", originally released as "Don't Give Up The Fight" in 1973, and also from the same year "I've Been Admiring You", Holt's take on the Slim Smith And The Uniques' "The Beatitude" rhythm. Also included is the stirring "Quiet Place", a song beloved of the punks courtesy of Doctor Alimantado's famous "Poison Flour" cut. Most of these titles were actually credited to John Holt as soloist on their original release but they are all clearly vocal group efforts.

Around half of the titles here are previously unknown to me at all, which suggests that Striker Lee has dug deeply into his vaults to compile this two CD package. What he has realised is a fascinating volume featuring some of the lesser known sides recorded by one of the greatest Jamaican harmony groups of them all

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