A The Melodians – I Will Get Along
B Errol Brown – Love Dub
The Melodians, a vocal trio made up of Brent Dowe, Tony Brevett (the nephew of Skatalites bassist Lloyd Brevett), and Trevor McNaughton, emerged from Kingston’s Greenwich Town in 1963. It wasn’t until early 1966 that they made their recording debut. The group started to record for Coxsone Dodd, although only two of the four tracks they cut at Studio One were released. In the following years, the group saw success with a series of hits produced by Duke Reid, including You Don’t Need Me, You Caught Me, and I Will Get Along. The latter is a rendition of the song Gonna Get Along Without Ya Now, originally by country artist Roy Hogsed in 1951, but popularized in 1964 by Skeeter Davis. The Melodians’ rocksteady interpretation, featuring stellar backing from Tommy McCook & The Supersonics, highlights the trio’s cool and precise harmonies to near-perfection.
The original 7″ single, released in 1967 on Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle label, featured You Don’t Need Me on the B-side. This reissued classic Melodians rocksteady cover is now paired with Errol Brown’s Love Dub, the dub mix to one of Alton Ellis’ many hit recordings, Ain’t That Loving You. Errol Brown’s remix retains the essence of the original, maintaining the recognizable riddim while incorporating segments of Alton Ellis’ vocals that subtly fade in and out.