Carlton and The Shoes (sometimes credited as Carlton & His Shoes) are a Jamaican vocal group who had their greatest success in the late 1960s, as
rocksteady
Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around 1966. A successor of ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was the dominant style of music in Jamaica for nearly two years, performed by many of the artists who helped establish ...
gradually became
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
and were still active in 2008, most notably in Japan and Jamaica. The group had several Studio One recorded hits in Jamaica, most notably "Love Me Forever" in 1968.
The group is led by Carlton Manning, and the line-up was originally completed by his younger brothers Donald and Lynford (both members of
The Abyssinians
The Abyssinians are a Jamaican roots reggae group, famous for their close harmonies and promotion of the Rastafari movement in their lyrics.
History
The vocal trio was originally formed in 1968 by Bernard Collins and Donald Manning. Their fi ...
), and Alexander Henry.Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books, Manning originally named the group Carlton and his Shades, but a printer's mistake on their debut release (for
Sonia Pottinger
Sonia Eloise Pottinger OD ( Durrant; 21 June 1931 – 3 November 2010)Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, , p. 316 Although their debut release made little impact, they moved on to work with Clement "Coxsone" Dodd at Studio One, where they enjoyed a massive rocksteady hit with "Love Me Forever".
"Love Me Forever" has been re-released and
covered
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of ...
many times since, and the single's B-side, "Happy Land", formed the basis for The Abyssinians' "
Satta Massagana
''Satta Massagana'' is a roots reggae album released by The Abyssinians officially in 1976. It is widely considered The Abyssinians' crowning achievement and a classic roots reggae album.
The title track "Satta Massagana" was a huge hit and has ...
", one of the most covered songs in the history of reggae. When Donald and Lynford formed The Abyssinians, Carlton remained at Studio One, continuing to make records, and working as a session guitarist. He continued to record through the 1970s and early 1980s, though never repeated his early success.
Lynford Manning died on 25 June 2024.
Albums
*''Love Me Forever'' (1978 - Studio One)
*''This Heart of Mine'' (1982 - Quality Records)
* ''Sweet Feeling'' (1996 - Overheat Records)