Mighty Diamonds on Record Lee O'Neill It isn't often that you can point to one record as having changed the direction of reggae, but the Mighty Diamonds' Right Time (Virgin, 1975) is certainly one of those rarities. The Diamonds were a young group in 1975 and Donald "Tabby" Shaw, Fitzroy "Bunny" Simpson and Lloyd "Judge" Ferguson had recorded a scant handful of singles for a variety of producers before entering the Channel One studios to record "Right Time." At that point, everything came together in exactly the right way. The Channel One production style was looser and more reliant on the creativity of the musicians. The musicians, led by extraordinary drummer were in the process of creating the militant "rockers" style that would come to dominate reggae for the next three years. Right Time was the first major expression of that style. Finally, there were the Diamonds themselves. The trio sounded as hard as their name but as soft and smooth as the finest silk - no mean feat. The songs on Right Time derived their lyric impact from Burning Spear's Marcus Garvey centered vision but while singing songs of racial pride and social justice, the Diamonds sounded warm and loving. When Right Time was released, it's effect was explosive. The title track, "Have Mercy," "Shame & Pride" and "I Need a Roof" were all massive hits in Jamaica and England. Almost overnight, the skillful, muscular, funk-influenced musical style of the Dunbar-led Revolutionaries became the sound of reggae as did the technique of contemporizing old Studio One rhythms. Harder to imitate (that doesn't mean that nobody tried!) was the brilliant singing and songwriting of this extraordinary new group. The release of Right Time also coincided with the first real infusion of foreign marketing in reggae, so it was no coincidence that Island and Virgin began trying to capitalize on the success of Right Time in their attempts to bring reggae into the American/English mainstream. Unfortunately, while Culture, U Roy, Aswad, Steel Pulse, Third World, Inner Circle and others rode the success of the Diamonds' Right Time, the group's own next step was a colossal miscalculation. Seen today, Ice On Fire (Virgin, 1977) isn't nearly the disaster that it appeared to be at the time. Produced by the legendary New Orleans pianist/producer Allen Toussaint and featuring some of the best funky New Orleans musicians, Ice On Fire was seen as a blatant commercial sell-out but was in reality a pretty interesting attempt at mixing classic reggae trio harmonies with a traditional New Orleans R&B rhythm. It didn't always work as well as it should, but it sure wasn't worth the vilification Ice on Fire received. Following Ice On Fire, the Diamonds returned to Channel One for their next two albums, Planet Earth (Virgin, 1978) and Deeper Roots - Back to the Channel (Channel One, 1979). Both had the same kind of luscious singing combined with reality lyrics that marked the best material of Right Time, and Planet Earth introduced love songs to the Diamonds' repertoire. These three albums, along with some singles from the late 70s form the basis for two strong compilations, as well. Vital Selection (Virgin, 1981) was a good LP, supplanted a decade later by Go Seek Your Rights (Virgin, 1990) on CD. Stand Up to Your Judgement (Channel One, 1979) and Tell Me What's Wrong (Channel One, 1979) were recorded and released at about the same time but wasn't picked up for international distribution by Virgin and thus remain somewhat obscure. Commercially, Judgement, Wrong and the later Virgin releases were disappointing and the Diamonds faded away for a while, until producer Gussie Clarke revived their career in the nascent dance hall days. "Juvenile Child," "Fancy Lady," "Party Time" and "Wise Son" were all serious hits in the dancehalls of Jamaica, but it was "Pass the Kouchie" that really rammed turntables all over the world. The song caught fire like no song since "Right Time" in 1981 and became a massive hit, again catapulting the Diamonds to the first rank of reggae superstars. Indestructible (Alligator, 1982) is the best compilation of the Clarke-Diamonds collaboration but it has been sadly out of print for years. Kouchie Vibes (Burning Sounds, 1984), is a little less comprehensive but does feature full 12" mixes of "Danger in Your Eyes," "Pass the Knowledge" and "Only the Strong Survive." Roots Is There (Shanachie, 1982) combined a couple of old singles with the group's first post-Kouchie recordings in what is perhaps the strongest of the early 80s albums still available. Pass the Kouchie (Bad Gong, 1983) showcases a not entirely successful re-recording of the big hit along with some other, pretty great songs from 1983. The success of Right Time and "Pass the Kouchie" ensured the Diamonds a place in the reggae Hall of Fame, but it also established a peak level that the group would not approach after 1982. While every Diamonds album has several worthwhile tracks and seldom contains more than one or two clinkers, they never again would achieve the level of creativity and inspiration they reached in the 70s and early 80s. Particularly galling were the three live albums. Live in Europe (Greensleeves) is abysmally recorded and both Live at Reggae Sunsplash (Synergy, 1992) and Live in Tokyo (Overheat, 1985) sound as if the group is a bit bored, which is not surprising considering the overfamiliarity with most of the material. On the other hand, the Diamonds' studio material has maintained a fairly high standard over the years and while few of the groups' songs have gained "hit" status, most of the albums are powerful statements. Three albums recorded with Delroy Wright, Struggling (Live & Learn, 1985), Never Get Weary (Live & Learn, 1988) and Jam Session (Live & Learn, 1991) all feature the Diamonds' patented harmonies laid over a kind of stripped down roots sound. A return to Gussie Clarke with Get Ready (Greensleeves, 1988) brought the Diamonds back into the dancehall. Clarke was the hottest producer in Jamaica at the time with a style that layered a rich harmonic texture on top of the spare, dancehall beat. The Diamonds fitted into Clarke's concept just perfectly and Get Ready remains one of their best albums of the last 15 years. The Junior Reid produced Bust Out (Greensleeves, 1993) is another strong recent effort. Reid's production is hard and uncompromising, forcing the Diamonds to fight for attention. They rise to the occasion with their most passionate singing since the days of "Juvenile Child" and "Revolution," reminding us that the closer the Diamonds get to the cutting edge of contemporary Jamaican reggae, the better they sound.