PRODUCTIONS

Artist Management and Concert Promotions

In Jamaica, where vocal groups are held in great esteem, THE MELODIANS are one group that really matters. Their output on the influential Treasure Isle label proved their greatness in competition with fellow label mates like the Paragons, the Techniques, and Alton Ellis & the Flames, all significant hit makers themselves.

All this musical competition created great excitement in the Jamaican dancehalls where THE MELODIANS proved their dominance with classic sides like "Come one Little Girl", and scores of other hits that still sounds as fesh and powerful today ans they did when they were cut in the mid-sixties.

Probably the single most important factor in THE MELODIANS' success was the dual lead vocals of Tony Brevett and Brent Dowe, matched with the harmonies of third vocalist Trevor McNaughton. Both Dowe and Brevett were capable of rich lush harmonies themselves. THE MELODIANS could also write music of lasting quality. THE MELODIANS sang at a time of great youthful enthusiasm in Jamaica, the Jamaican vocal groups were finally capable of rivaling the vocal authority of their American co?usins at Motown and Stax.

THE MELODIANS hailed from around Greenwich Town where fate brought them together in 1963 at a competition to decide the Greenwich Town singing champion. The group's first song was done for Studio One, probably in part because Tony Brevett is the nephew of LLoyd Brevett, who, as the bassist for the Skalites, record extensively for Studio One. Moving to Duke Reid's Treasure Isle Label THE MELODIANS started their hit making career quickly scoring with "Expo 67", "You Have Caught Me", and "You Don't Need Me." As established hit makers, THE MELODIANS recorded extensively for Treasure Isle Label until a financial dispute allowed the group to move to Sonia Pottinger's High Note Label. A collection of High Note hits can be found on Musical Feast HB 84.

The first song was "Heartaches". Then "Swing a Dine" and "Little Nut Tree", two of the greatest songs THE MELODIANS ever recorded. A short foray in self-production produced "It comes It Goes". The next releases were "when There Was You" backed by "Ring of Gold" for Winston Lowe's Tramp Label. By 1969 THE MELODIANS were at Leslie Kong's scoring with "Sweet Sensation" on his Beverly's Label, a number one hit on both RJR and JBC. The group recorded with the anthematic "By The Rivers of Babylon" based on an old spiritual for Beverly's prior going to her High Note Label. Both songs were released on a Mango collection along with other songs like &qu?ot;I Don't Care" and "Too Young to Fall in Love."

The group released "I'll Take You Where The Music's Playing" in 1974 and "All in The Family" in 1975 for High Note Label. "Stop Your Gang War" and "Learn To Love One Another" credited to THE MELODIANS came out in the mid-seventies but seem rather like self-productions by Tony Brevett. In 1983 a reformed MELODIANS released Irie Feeling on the United States based RAS Label taht includes remarkes of "Down Here In Babylon" and "You Don't Need Me" along with eight new songs.

The passing of time hasn't blunted the impact of these classic sides ... each a little story of love, romance, of the dreams of a agroup of talented dingers who happened to be some of the best that Jamaica ever offered. You can't find better than THE MELODIANS because nobody gave better classics.

3801 N.W. 191st Street, Miami, FL 33055 (Tony Brevett)