The Maytones

The Maytones were actually the duo of lead singer Vern Buckley and backing vocalist Gladstone "Son" Grant. The pair were neighbors in May Pen, a rural market town, a background that deeply influenced their vocal style.



Buckley moved to Kingston first and eventually began backing Trevor Lloyd, who seems to have introduced him to Alvin Ranglin. The timing is murky here, as is Grant's arrival, but late 1967 is a best approximation. In 1968, the group recorded a handful of singles, all self-produced by Buckley, credited to his name alone, and released mostly by the VB pre label. None was successful, and Ranglin decided to step in as their manager and producer. (Rumors that Ranglin was once a member of The Maytones--making them a trio--are apparently untrue.)



In 1968, Ranglin relaunched the GG's label, and with it The Maytones' fortunes. The new-look duo debuted with "Billy Goat," which proved popular, but it was "Loving Reggae" that gave them their first hit that same year.

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