Associated acts Matumbi | Years active 1967 - present Genre Reggae | |
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Past members Sonny BinnsFranklyn DunnLocksley GichieWinston Reid (Reedy)Lloyd 'Jah Bunny' DonaldsonMaurice EllisCarl Levy Albums On the Rock, The Best of Cimarons, Reggae Best, Maka, Reggae Time, People Say, Freedom Street, In Time Similar Al Barry, Winston Groovy, Nicky Thomas, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Dennis Alcapone | ||
Rock your baby the cimarons
The Cimarons were a UK reggae band formed in 1967. They were the UK's first self-contained indigenous reggae band.
Contents
History
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 (better known as Winston Reedy) 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", "Utopian Feeling", "Over The Rainbow," and "My Blue Heaven". Vulcan Records released On The Rock two years later.
They switched to Polydor Records, releasing Live at The Roundhouse in 1978. Polydor released Maka the same year. During this period they did a major British tour supporting Sham 69.Three more albums followed: Freedom Street, Reggaebility and On The Rock Part 2. After the last of these, in 1983, they didn't surface again until 1995 when Lagoon Records released People Say and Reggae Time, both compilations of earlier albums, followed by The Best of The Cimarons, released in 1999 on Culture Press.
Reedy and Dunn continue to perform as The Cimarons.
Singles
The Cimarons also backed several singers on Trojan singles, often credited on the B-side with an instrumental version of the A-side.
Albums
Compilations
Songs
Morning SunThis Is England · 2007
Harder Than the Rock1905
Utopian FeelingIn Time · 1974