Rocksteady

Rocksteady on vinyl: Jamaica slows down

In short: Rocksteady was Jamaica’s sound from around 1966 to 1968: slower than ska, with a heavy, melodic bass and plenty of soul in the singing. Vocal groups such as The Paragons and singers such as Ken Boothe shaped it, producers such as Duke Reid recorded it – and shortly afterwards reggae grew out of it. The Vinyl Room currently has 29 rocksteady records.

What is rocksteady?

A gentle groove, harmony vocals and love songs: The Paragons are represented with “On The Beach With The Paragons”, Ken Boothe with “Moving Away”, Byron Lee And The Dragonaires with “Rocksteady Explosion”. Collections such as “Here Comes The Duke” show the work of producer Duke Reid.

At the transition to reggae stand The Upsetters, Lee Perry’s studio band, with “Return Of Django”. On “On Bond Street”, Bitty McLean later recorded new vocals over vintage Treasure Isle backing tracks by The Supersonics.

What to look for

Many rocksteady records came out in Jamaica and in Britain, for example on Trojan; label and country of release help you tell which edition you have – it’s noted with each copy.

From our stock

First pressings

New in

→ Trojan · Ska · Roots reggae · Reggae on vinyl · How to spot a first pressing · Grading explained

FAQ

What is rocksteady? Jamaican music from around 1966 to 1968, slower than ska and a forerunner of reggae.

Who shaped rocksteady? Among others The Paragons, Ken Boothe and producer Duke Reid.

What came next? In the late sixties reggae developed out of it.

What is “On Bond Street”? A later album on which Bitty McLean sings new vocals over vintage Treasure Isle backing tracks by The Supersonics.