More accessible than many other roots outfits, The Mighty Diamonds boasted soulful, gorgeously pure harmonies and tight, catchy songwriting. They were devout Rastafarians, but balanced their spiritual and political messages with sweet romantic material, which gave them a more universal appeal than militant groups like Culture or Black Uhuru. Their sweet sound and polished choreography were distinctly inspired by the Motown groups of the '60s.
They were formed in 1969 in Trenchtown, an area of Kingston made famous by a certain Mr Marley and finally started to receive some recognition in the mid 70's and in 1976 they signed to Virgin Records and released the classic Right Time album. In 1981 they recorded a track called "Pass The Kouchie" which went on to be a bit of a hit, selling over 4 million copies, when covered by 5 teenagers from the U.K. called Musical Youth.
The Mighty Diamonds always brought a startling emotional commitment to their best material, and their debut album, Right Time, still stands as one of roots reggae's all-time classics.
The Mighty Diamonds - I Need A Roof
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