Even if you had never heard the name of the Melodians, you'd probably know at least one of the group's songs - at least one. If it's not "Sweet Sensation" as a result of UB40 covering the tune in the early '80s, than you'd more likely than not be familiar with "Rivers of Babylon." Familiarity with that song, though, won't mean that you're a reggae enthusiast, it might just hint at your filmic tastes. That song, as well as a few other tracks, was featured on the soundtrack to the Jimmy Cliff film The Harder They Come. Of course, by the time that the film and its soundtrack gained notoriety in the States and abroad, the original line up of the group had dissolved.

Beginning at the same time as most of the other vocal trios that would dominate the JA charts for the better part of a decade, the Melodians - made up of Tony Brevett (brother of the Skatalites' basser Lloyd Brevett), Brent Dowe, and Trevor McNaughton - worked some talent shows as funny as that sounds. As a result of their success in that forum, the group recorded a few singles for Coxsonne Dodd that didn't do too much in the charts. And even the subsequent move over to Duke Reid's imprint didn't yield any great renown.

Although a few of those Treasure Isle singles did some brisk business, the band eventually decided to again switch labels in order to work with Leslie Kong. It was a wise move as the most timeless work that the group got down on tape came during this period that bridged the '60s and '70s. But it also was the time when members of the group embraced a Rasta ethos, which was reflected in a few of the group's songs - like the aforementioned, old testament account of "Rivers of Babylon" as well as "Black Man Kingdom Come." With Kong's demise, the Melodians carried on for only a shot time longer before splitting. It was an untimely decision.

Just a few years later, Cliff starred in the most successful JA film to date. And again, due to the tracks included on the sound track, the Melodians were suddenly a well known group. Understandably, this necessitated a reunion as well as the reworking of some earlier work. The 1977 release of Sweet Sensation may have been a wise move monetarily, but artistically - not so much. While the songs are as well put together as they were originally, the production values found on any release this late in the '70s pale in comparison to early JA classics.

This reunion, though, wouldn't be the group's last. Coming together again in the '90s, it could be argued that the current slate of touring has yielded the group's highest level of success. Of course, the band that the Melodians tour with aren't on par with the Harry J All Stars or whoever else performed alongside the trio originally. But the excitement that the band illicits each time they set up a tour should be pretty rewarding to these veterans.