Mundo Reggado
The Heptones Live at Rocksteady Reunion
*The vocal trio began with Leroy Sibbles, Earl Morgan, and Barry Llewellyn as The Hep Ones in 1965 in Kingston, Jamaica. The group soon changed its name to The Heptones. The trio recorded during the rocksteady era of Studio One Records, under the direction of Coxsone Dodd, starting with the 1966 single "Fattie Fattie." They entered the reggae era on the same label and recorded several hits, such as "Message from a Black Man." The Heptones played a pivotal role in the transition from ska to rocksteady. Sibbles, Morgan, and Llewellyn, all Kingston natives, named the group Hep One. It wasn't long before they changed the pronunciation to Heptones. They began Caltone's first recording, which, oddly enough, included an adaptation of "The William Tell Overture." The following year, they signed with Coxsone Dodd at Studio One, where they improved their harmony, and Sibbles began to improve his songwriting. They had their first real hit in 1966 with "Fattie Fattie," and songs that included "Party Time," "Only Sixteen," and "Triple Girl." One of their most important was "Pretty Looks Isn't All." The Heptones broke with Coxsone Dodd's studio in 1971. Sibbles, who had worked as the talented Scout, arranger, and production assistant, began to break away from Coxsone Dodd's control because he grew tired of feeling pressured to make music in old styles, so he creatively began to create new ones. This resulted in a friction between Sibbles and Dodd. Fortunately for the Heptones, they were at the height of their popularity and had their pick of producers. They decided to choose the excellent producer Joe Gibbs. The times were good, and they began to expand their music further. They worked with other producers such as Augustus Pablo and Rupie Edwards until 1973, when Lee Perry, a producer with the creativity to enrich and update his music without losing the roots that made him popular, joined the scene. His first album with Perry, "Party Time," which had many subsequent reissues, gained international popularity.
Also in 1973, Leroy Sibbles emigrated to Canada, and the band only reunited in 1976, releasing the hits "Cool Rasta" and "Night Food." In 1977, they began recording with legendary Jamaican producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, reviving their career with the release of the album "Party Time," which included a cover of Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released." Leroy Sibbles left the group once again to build a successful solo career in 1977. Dolphin "Naggo" Morris replaced him. As Jamaican music changed to a more "dreadlock" style, the group began to be seen as a gem from an earlier era and disbanded, only reuniting in 1995, since when they have toured the world.
Recently, the trio suffered a great loss with the passing of lead singer Barry Llewelyin.
*O trio vocal se inicia com Leroy Sibbles, Earl Morgan e Barry Llewelyin com o nome de The Hep Ones em 1965, em Kingston, capital da Jamaica. Logo o grupo muda de nome para The Heptones. O trio gravou na era rocksteady da gravadora Studio One, sob o controle de Coxsone Dodd, desde o single "Fattie Fattie" de 1966. Entram na era reggae na mesma gravadora e gravam vários sucessos como "Message from a Black Man". Os Heptones tiveram um papel muito importante entre a transição do ska e do rocksteady. Sibbles, Morgan e Llewellyn, todos nativos de Kingston, nomearam o grupo para Hep One. Não demorou muito para que eles mudassem a pronunciação para Heptones. Eles começaram a primeira gravação de Caltone que estranhamente gravaram uma adaptação de "The William Tell Overture". No ano seguinte eles assinaram com o Coxsone Dodd do Studio One, melhoram sua harmonia e Sibbles começou a melhorar suas composições.Eles tiveram seu primeiro real sucesso em 1966 com "Fattie Fattie", e canções que incluíram "Party Time," "Only Sixteen," e "Triple Girl.". Umas das mais importantes foi "Pretty Looks Isn’t All". Os Heptones romperam com o estúdio de Coxsone Dodd em 1971. Sibbles, que tinha trabalhado como o talentoso Scout, arranjador e assistente de produção, começou a romper o controle da Coxsone Dodd porque cansou-se de sentir oprimido para fazer músicas com estilos antigos, então com criatividade começou a criar novos estilos. Isso resultou em constrangimento entre Sibbles e Dodd. Felizmente para os Heptones, eles estavam no auge de sua popularidade e podiam escolher seus produtores. Decidiram escolher o ótimo produtor Joe Gibbs. A época estava boa e começaram a expandir mais sua música. Trabalharam com outros produtores como Augustus Pablo e Rupie Edwards até 1973, quando Lee Perry, um produtor com criatividade para enriquecer e atualizar o sua música sem perder o roots que o fez populares, se juntou na cena. Seu primeiro álbum com Perry, “Party Time”, que teve muitas novas versões depois deles, ganhou popularidade internacional.
Também em 1973, Leroy Sibbles migra para o Canadá e a banda só volta a se reunir em 1976 lançan ... (fonte: reggaespotlights.blogspot.com/search/label/Heptones)
Published Aug 23, 2025
