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Little Feat - Night On The Town

A lot of what is now called Jamaican doo wop is, in fact, a straight copy of the US style of vocal harmony singing, but that is not to say that the records don’t sound sweet and soulful, elaborates Gladdy Wax, a reggae aficionado and broadcaster, who has been running his own British sound system for more than 40 years. A great vocalist like Alton Ellis, say, who would later become known as the king of rocksteady, had a distinctive voice from the start, whatever style he was singing in. The same is true of a lot of Jamaican singers who started out in the 1950s, their voices shine from the start.

Elsewhere, although there is nothing as mesmerising as US doo wop classics... A Thousand Teardrops by the Rhythm Aces & the Caribs features some wondrous harmony singing tied to a deftly understated backdrop created by the Caribs, an in demand session group whose core members hailed from Australia and would later play a crucial role in shaping the imminent ska sound... Like their American role models, many great Jamaican vocalists began by practising their harmonies on street corners, before graduating to the talent contest circuit that was the combative testing ground for raw talent in the era before the ascendancy of the early sound systems. Simultaneously, the 1950s produced a new breed of musical entrepreneurs, including pioneers... who would go on to run their own sound systems and recording studios, shaping the course of Jamaican music as much as the singers and musicians they produced.


Little Feat - Night On The Town
  • Produced by: Paul Barrere, Bill Payne, and Fred Tackett
  • Released on: October 21, 2003
  • Duration: 6:08

"Little Feat is easily one of the hardest working bands in the industry today. With a history that spans more than 30 years, Little Feat is regarded by many rock music critics as a band's band, and as one of the greatest rock bands in American rock music history."

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