The Cimarons are a British

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use the ...

band formed in 1967. They were the UK's first self-contained indigenous reggae band.

History

Jamaican natives, the Cimarons migrated to Britain in 1967 with a lineup consisting of Franklyn Dunn (bass), Carl Levy (keyboards), Locksley Gichie (guitar), and Maurice Ellis (drums); vocalist, Winston Reid (better known as

Winston Reedy Winston Reedy (born 13 July 1950, Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica, West Indies) is a Jamaican reggae singer. Previously vocalist for the Cimarons from 1970, he is best known as a lovers rock vocalist with hits such as "Paradise in Your Eyes", "Moi ...

) joined in London. They were primarily session musicians in Jamaica, and backed many artists, including

Jimmy Cliff James Chambers OM (born 30 July 1944), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only living reggae musician to hold the Order of Merit, t ...

. They performed at the Edinburgh Reggae Festival in 1973, where they also backed Nicky Thomas's performance of "Is It Because I'm Black". Their first LP ''In Time'', on

Trojan Records Trojan Records is a British record label founded in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. The name ''Trojan'' comes from the Croydon-built Trojan truck ...

in 1974 featured a rendition of the

O'Jays The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles. The O'Jays made their first chart appearance with the minor h ...

' "Ship Ahoy", "Utopian Feeling", "Over the Rainbow," and "My Blue Heaven". Vulcan Records released ''On the Rock'' two years later. They switched to

Polydor Records Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...

, releasing ''Live at the Roundhouse'' in 1978. Polydor released ''Maka'' the same year. During this period they did a major British tour supporting

Sham 69 Sham 69 are an English punk rock band that formed in Hersham in Surrey in 1975. They were one of the most successful punk bands in the United Kingdom, achieving five top 20 singles, including " If the Kids Are United" and " Hurry Up Harry". ...

.Three more albums followed: ''Freedom Street'', ''Reggaebility'' and ''On the Rock Part 2''. After the last of these, in 1983, they didn't surface again until 1995 when Lagoon Records released ''People Say'' and ''Reggae Time'', both compilations of earlier albums, followed by ''The Best of the Cimarons'', released in 1999 on Culture Press. Reedy and Dunn continue to perform as The Cimarons.

Discography

Albums

*''In Time'' (1974)

Trojan Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * ''Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 189 ...

*''On the Rock'' (1976) Vulcan *''Maka'' (1978)

Polydor Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...

*''Live'' (1978) Polydor *''Freedom Street'' (1980)

Virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

*''Reggaebility'' (1982) Hallmark *''On De Rock Part 2'' (1983) Butt (recorded 1976)

Compilations

*''People Say'' (1991) Lagoon (recorded 1974-76) *''Reggae Time'' Lagoon *''The Best of the Cimarons'' (1992) Culture Press *''Maroon Land'' (2001) Rhino *''Reggae Best'' (2004) Culture Press *''Reggae Masters'' (2007) Creon

Singles

*"Funky Fight" (1970) Big Shot *"Oh Mammy Blue" (1971) Downtown *"Holy Christmas" (1971) Downtown *"Struggling Man" (1972) Horse (split 7-inch with The Prophets) *"Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" (1973) Mooncrest (as Hotshots) UK #4 *"Talking Blues" (#1 in Jamaica) *"Check Out Yourself" Trojan *"

You Can Get It If You Really Want "You Can Get It If You Really Want" is a famous rocksteady song written and performed by Jamaican reggae singer songwriter Jimmy Cliff and released as a single in July 1970. A version was recorded by Jamaican singer Desmond Dekker and released wit ...

" (1974) Trojan *"Dim the Light" (1976) Trojan *"Over the Rainbow" Trojan *"Harder Than the Rock" (1978) Polydor *"Mother Earth" (1978) Polydor *"Willin' (Rock Against Racism)"/"Truly" (1978) Polydor *"Ready for Love" (1981) Charisma *"With a Little Luck" (1982) IMP *"Big Girls Don't Cry" (1982) Safari *"How Can I Prove Myself to You" (1982) *"Be My Guest Tonight" (1995) *"Time Passage" Fontana The Cimarons also backed several singers on Trojan singles, often credited on the B-side with an instrumental version of the A-side.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cimarons, The Musical groups from London British reggae musical groups Trojan Records artists