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 Right Time

Artist(s):

Mighty Diamonds

Label: Frontline
Publisher(s):

Frontline

Studio: Frontline
Manufacturer: Frontline
Binding: Audio CD
Format(s): Original recording remastered
List Price: £8.99
Our Price: £3.99
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours

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Track Listing

1.

Right Time

2.

Why Me Black Brother Why

3.

Shame and Pride

4.

Gnashing Of Teeth

5.

Them Never Love Poor Marcus

6.

I Need A Roof

7.

Go Seek Your Rights

8.

Have Nercy

9.

Natural Natty

10.

Africa

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

One of the finest vocal harmony groups operating in Jamaica in the 70s, Mighty Diamonds consisted of Donald Shaw, Lloyd Ferguson and Fitzroy Simpson and were famed for their sweet harmonies and soulful style. This, their debut album, comprises songs that were massive hits for the band in 1975 and 1976, such as the stepping classic "Right Time" and the rocking "I Need a Roof". Recorded in the legendary Channel One Studio and backed by The Revolutionaries, featuring Sly Dunbar's whip-crack drumming and Robbie Shakespeare's distinctive bass style, every tune on this album is a rock-steady classic, combining some of the tightest reggae around with mellifluous yet sternly righteous rasta vocals. No surprise then that Right Time is regarded as an essential roots reggae album. --Duncan Thomson

Customer Reviews

This is The Right Time!

Right Time has to be the Mighty Diamond best album. This trio group without doubt is one of the best groups to come out of Jamaica.

Raised the bar at the time

as we all know, producers Joseph and Ernest Hoo Kim were breaking new ground at Channel One in 1975, largely by changing the position of the drum mikes from one session to the next, to make their sound harder to copy. Contrary to popular myth, most of the basslines on the album were played by Bertram "Ranchie" McLean (Sly and Robbie didn't become a regular pairing till late 1976, and these tracks were laid in 1975).

"Right Time" and "Back Weh (You no Mafia)" introduced the new more militant rockers style of drumming, and were original rhythms, although most of the other cuts were on remakes of older Studio One rocksteady tracks from the previous era - "I Need A Roof" versions Larry and Alvin's "Mean Girl", "Have Mercy" is on a remake of "Baby Why" by the Cables, and "Why Me Black Brother Why" is taken from Burning Spear's "Call On You".

Having been a fairly unremarkable harmony group under the production of Lee Perry and Jah lloyd, their style was perfectly suited to the new sound, and they dominated the JA music scene for nigh on two years, releasing a string of classic singles, mostly on cultural themes, ten of which are here. They remain one of the most important Jamaican harmony groups ever, and this and "Stand Up To Your Judgement" remain their best albums.

Reggae CDs you must own #1

This is all honest and beautiful music. 'I need a roof' is one of the greatest sounds ever created.

AN ALL TIME CLASSIC.

This album really is a classic and has to be rated as one of the greatest albums of all time,from any genre of music. This album was first released in 1976 and is a perfect example of the rockers sound beginning to dominate. To me the 70's are without a doubt the best period for reggae. It was the first decade when reggae was taken seriously on a world stage,artists such as The Wailers,Burning Spear,Mighty Diamonds, Abyssinians, Wailing Souls, Dennis Brown and Gregory Isaacs were getting signed by major labels and started to record full albums rather than releasing collections of singles, which tended to happen alot in the sixties. The Mighty Diamond released this album on the Frontline label which was part of Virgin Records.
The song Right Time starts the album and straight away it's obvious why there was so much interest in this group. The harmonies are immaculate. Jamaica has produced some of the greatest vocal groups of all time and the Mighty Diamonds are unquestionably near the top of that list. The sweet harmonies sound like they would be better suited to love songs rather than full on roots lyrics, but this just creates an interesting counter point to the lyrics. From black on black crime (Why Me Black Brother Why),the awful treatment suffered by Marcus Garvey (Them Never Love Poor Marcus), to repatriation (Africa) the rasta message is delivered in the smoothest way possible and throughout the lyrics remain as tight as the harmonies.
The musical backing is exceptional and you would'nt expect anything less when you know that Sly and Robbie were the rhythm section for some of the album. Many of the backing tracks are updates of various tracks that had been recorded by the Revolutionaries band and provide a perfect soundscape for the vocals. The keyboard duties (which were shared by Ansel Collins and Ossie Hibbert) are also excellent. Choosing standout tracks is difficult, but my personal favourites are Why Me Black Brother Why, Gnashing of Teeth, Them Never Love Poor Marcus, Go Seek Your Rights and Africa. As you can see I've just listed half the album but I think you get the point. If you like reggae or if you're looking for a place to start this album by the Mighty Diamonds would be a wise choice.

Excellent songs, great harmonies and singing

This album is considered by many as a key work in reggae music, and as one of the best works of the Mighty Diamonds. Rightfully so, I think. It also is said to have made the 'rockers' reggae style popular, which differs from e.g. the 'one drop' reggae style. Elaborating on this would go too far, and information regarding this maybe can be (or ought to be) found elsewhere on the Web. With respect to this album, I consider a major strong point the soulfulness of the songs, which seem also Soul-influenced, but are definitely reggae: roots reggae, with Garvey-ite lyrics. Lead singing is great, and the (original) harmonies give many songs that extra quality. The songs 'Them never love poor Marcus' and 'I need a roof' I find amazingly beautiful, but all songs on 'Right Time' are solid and well-composed, to my opinion. Many songs stay in your head, and you'll keep on singing once heard (I did).