THE PARAGONS–THE TIDE IS HIGH (1966)

Written and first recorded by Jamaican vocal trio, the Paragons, in 1967, ‘The Tide Is High’ gained international attention 13 years later, when a cover version by the American band Blondie topped the US and UK pop charts. Among later renderings was a similarly styled 2002 version by British girl group, Atomic Kitten, which also made Number One in Britain, but for Jamaican music fans, the original remains the seminal cut. Penned by the group’s three members, John Holt, Tyrone Evans and Howard Barrett, the original cut, recorded at Duke Reid’s famed Treasure Isle studio in Bond Street and featuring musical backing by ‘White Rum’ Raymond along with Tommy McCook’s Supersonics band, saw issue in Jamaica on the producer’s short-lived Trojan label, while in the UK it was released by Graeme Goodall’s Doctor Bird Records on its Treasure Isle subsidiary. In 1970, the recording provided the backing for a DJ cut by celebrated toaster, DJ, while later in the decade, legendary Jamaican singer re