Song:Rivers Of Babylon
Album:Rivers Of Babylon: The Best Of The Melodians 1967-1973
Most folks are probably familiar with Rivers Of Babylon through the groundbreaking 1972 film The Harder They Fall. Jimmy Cliff does sing the song in concerts but the version in the film was originally written and recorded by The Melodians. They are somewhat forgotten because they split up soon after the film was released but Rivers Of Babylon is a very important song in Jamaican music. The Melodians were formed in 1963 by Brenton Dowe, Tony Brevitt and Trevor McNaughton. They were spotted performing at local talent shows in Kingston by legendary producer Coxsone Dodd. They released two 1966 singles that went nowhere. In 1967, The Melodians moved to Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label and had some success with songs like You Don't Need Me and Come One Little Girl that established them as one of the sweetest sounding groups in Rocksteady. But The Melodians really clicked when they went to work with producer Leslie Kong who had a lot of success with Desmond Dekker's Israelites. Sweet Sensation was a hit in Jamaica and England and Rivers Of Babylon was an even bigger hit and is credited with reviving Rastafarianism in reggae music. And it became an international hit when it appeared in The Harder They Fall and a disco hit for Boney M in 1978. Dowe and McNaughton took the lyrics directly from Psalm 137 in The Bible. Unfortunately, Leslie Kong died in 1971. And though The Melodians tried to record with other producers, they were unsuccessful and Brenton Dowe left to go solo in 1973. He died in 2006. This comp from Sanctuary has all their hits. The Melodians have reformed over the years and Brevitt and McNaughton still tour today. Here's a documentary about The Melodians featuring interviews and performances by the group. It was produced by Brooklyn Independent TV and aired in 2008.
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