The Heptones

Gigs at Uppsala Reggae Festival:

Year	Speldag	Speltid	Scen	Gallery
2009	Saturday	22:00 - 23:10	Tent Stage	Inga bilder
2011	Thursday	23:30 - 00:45	Main Stage	Inga bilder

The Heptones was one of the foremost vocal groups in the Rockstead-era and experienced success well into the 1970s. The original set from 1965 to 1977 consisted of Leroy Sibbles, Barry Llewellyn and Earl Morgan but has since changed many times. The Heptones made themselves known for their tight harmonies, their quality productions and their songs, often written by Leroy Sibbles. Sibbles was the lead singer of the Group and at the same time he worked, along with Jackie Mittoo, as a conductor at the classic Studio One label.

Their first hit "Fattie Fattie" was about the singer's desire to spend the night with a well-fed woman. Apparently it was a bit too daring for the Jamaican radio that forbade song to be played. Subsequent hits were many. "Pretty Looks isn't All", "Sea Of Love" and "Party Time" are only a few examples.

On their classic debut LP On Top from 1970, they gave us a foreboding of the approaching roots-era. In addition to the obvious love songs, we can find songs like "Equal Rights" and "Soul Power" that deal with the political issues that would become prominent for Rastafari-movement.

The Group managed the transition between Rocksteady and Reggae and in 1975 there were signed by Island Records who had, among others, Burning Spear, Jimmy Cliff and Bob Marley in their catalog. In the 1970s the group became more and more Rasta-influenced, worked with Lee "Scratch" Perry and released songs such as "Cool Rasta" and "Mistry Babylon". At the end of the Decade the group was split in two Heptones and continued on their own projects.

Today the Heptones continue to play around the world and in 2009 they had a triumphant gig at the URF. So don't miss these Rocksteady-legends!

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