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Cimarons Biography

cimarons

Jamaican natives, the Cimarons migrated to Britain in 1967 with a lineup consisting of Franklyn Dunn (bass), Carl Levy (keyboards), Locksley Gichie (guitar), and Maurice Ellis (drums); vocalist, Winston Reid joined in London. They were primarily session musicians in Jamaica, and backed many artists, including Jimmy Cliff. Their first LP In Time, on Trojan Records in 1974 featured a rendition of the O'Jays' "Ship Ahoy" which the purists ridiculed as lush and phoney; another track "Utopian Feeling" was labeled unrealistic, and two pop standards: "Over The Rainbow," and "My Blue Heaven" really tarnished their image. Vulcan Records released On The Rock two years later, while more rootsy, it didn't set the charts aflame either. They switched to Polydor Records waxing Live At The Roundhouse in 1978 which displayed the groups' harmonious sound without revealing their introverted stage presence. Polydor released Maka the same year, it's considered their utopia, and for the first time, they produced and wrote everything. Cimarons' next three albums: Freedom Street, Reggaebility, and On The Rock, Part 2 did nothing to improve their status. After the final LP in 1983, they didn't surface again until 1995 when Lagoon Records released People Say, and Reggae Time, both compilations of earlier albums; Culture Press dropped The Best Of The Cimarons in 1999. ~ Andrew Hamilton, Rovi

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