Carlton And The Shoes
Carlton, Donald and Lynford Manning (and sometimes Alexander Henry of "Please Be True" fame) made up the harmony group known as Carlton And His Shoes. Carlton Manning, probably the purest singer of love songs ever to come out of Jamaica, originally named the group Carlton And His Shades, but a printer's misspelling on their debut release for Sonia Pottinger remained with them for their entire career. Their debut single vanished but their subsequent work for Coxsone Dodd at Studio One established them as a seminal force in Jamaican music. "Love Me Forever", for Dodd's Supreme label, was a massive rocksteady hit in the late 60s and has been re-released and interpreted countless times since its original recording. The b-side, "Happy Land", formed the basis for "Satta Massa Gana", one of the most covered tunes in the history of reggae and its most enduring anthem, first performed by the Abyssinians - Donald and Lynford with the addition of Bernard Collins. Carlton, who had by now trademarked the double and treble tracking of his own sweet, aching lead vocals, continued to make fine records at Studio One (he was also working at their Brentford Road Studios as a session guitarist). The last, "Let Me Love You", was released on 12-inch in Jamaica in 1979 and showcased one of his finest-ever performances. He has also occasionally worked for other producers and released some excellent self-produced tracks since the halcyon days of the late 60s. Unfortunately, he has never been able to repeat his original success but remains a legendary figure in the development of Jamaican music.
Listen to Carlton And The Shoes
at Finetune.
Top Tracks
- Love Me Forever
Related Artists
Fans