The group recorded some material with Prince Buster before Ken Boothe introduced them to Coxsone Dodd's Studio One label where in 1966 they recorded "Lay It On" (one of the first records to reflect the shift from ska to rocksteady), "Meet Me", "I Should Have Made It Up" and "Let's Join Hands (Together)". Lead vocal duties were now shared between Brevett and Dowe. From 1967 to 1968 they had a number of hits on Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label, including "You Have Caught Me", "Expo 67", "I'll Get Along Without You", and "You Don't Need Me". After recording "Swing and Dine" for record producer Sonia Pottinger, they had further hits with "Little Nut Tree" before recording their biggest hit, "Rivers of Babylon" for Leslie Kong. This song became an anthem of the Rastafarian movement, and was featured on the soundtrack of the movie The Harder They Come. In the early 1970s Brevett also recorded as a solo artist, having his greatest success with "Don't Get Weary". After Kong's death in 1971, they recorded for Lee Perry and Byron Lee's Dynamic Studios. In 1973, Brent Dowe left the group for a solo career. The group reformed briefly a few years later, and again in the early 1980s.
The Melodians regrouped again in the 1990s as part of the roots revival. In 1992 they recorded "Song of Love", which was issued on the Tappa Zukie label. Throughout the later 1990s they continued touring internationally, including appearing at the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in California in 2002. In 2005 The Melodians embarked on a West Coast tour.
The death of Tony Brevett in 2013 left McNaughton as the only surviving original member. McNaughton toured as a solo artist in 2014 and subsequently recruited Taurus Alphonso (formerly of the Mellow Tones) and Winston Dias (formerly of The Movers) to form a new Melodians line-up. As of February 2015, the group were recording a new album in Florida with producer Willie Lindo. The Return of the Melodians was released in May 2017 and went on to reach no. 19 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart.
In February 2017, the Melodians received an 'Iconic Award' from the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA).
Brent Gayford Dowe (29 June 1946 - 29 January 2006) after a rehearsal in preparation for a performance to take place the following weekend at the Jamaican Prime Ministerβs residence, Brent Dowe suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 59. The remaining original members Tony Brevett and Trevor McNaughton continued touring in Europe and the U.S. backed by the Yellow Wall Dub Squad.
Tony Brevett (1949 - 25 October 2013) died from cancer after being admitted to hospital in Miami in August.
Trevor McNaughton (James Augustus McNaughton, December 16, 1940 - November 20, 2018) was the last surviving original member of the group.
Sweet Sensation
The Melodians Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you held me tight
Now I feel those pain taking over
When you said goodnight
Oh, what sweet sensation
Lord, what strange emotion
You got love and devotion
Now there's nothing left for me to say, girl
Than stay in your world
You got someone's soul deep inside, girl
And love that's richer than gold
Oh, what sweet sensation
Lord, what strange emotion
You got love and devotion
And I won't forget your touch
The Melodians' song "Sweet Sensation" is a love song that expresses the feelings of a man who is in love with a woman. The first verse of the song starts off positive as the singer expresses how good it feels to be held tight and how sweet the sensation is. However, the second verse takes a turn as the singer expresses the pain he feels when his lover says goodnight. Despite the mixed emotions, the chorus repeats how sweet the sensation of being in love is and how strong the emotions are.
Furthermore, the song highlights the beauty of the love shared between two people. The singer acknowledges the depth of love and devotion that his lover possesses, which is richer than gold. The final verse concludes with the singer surrendering to his love interest's will, acknowledging that he belongs in her world.
Overall, the song speaks of the complex emotions that come with love, regardless of whether they are positive or negative. The melody and lyrics complement each other beautifully to create a touching and emotional love song.
Line by Line Meaning
I could feel these trills walking over
I had a wave of pleasure flow through me
When you held me tight
as you embraced me tightly
Now I feel those pain taking over
But now I undergo a painful feeling
When you said goodnight
As you uttered 'goodnight' to me
Oh, what sweet sensation
This pleasure is amazing
Lord, what strange emotion
What an unusual feeling this is
You got love and devotion
You possess warmth and faithfulness in your character
And I won't forget your touch
Your touch will remain in my memory forever
Now there's nothing left for me to say, girl
I am speechless now, my dear
Than stay in your world
I want nothing more than to be in your life
You got someone's soul deep inside, girl
You have touched someone's inner-most being
And love that's richer than gold
And the love shared is more valuable than any precious metal
Oh, what sweet sensation
This pleasure is amazing
Lord, what strange emotion
What an unusual feeling this is
You got love and devotion
You possess warmth and faithfulness in your character
And I won't forget your touch
Your touch will remain in my memory forever
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RENFORD COGLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kevin Brown
This tune will still be playing in twenty thirty years time you can't beat the old time reggae the best.....
jonathan val-macauley
This Blend of Music is for all ages. First heard and dance to it in 1970. Still has that same love deep on the inside of it.
Lawrence Lee Akizie
This was one the tunes that made me to love reggae music in the mid 60's.
Mary Sebastian
I absolutely love this song!!!!!!!!!!!!!!β₯οΈβ₯οΈβ₯οΈ
Greenockianx
Oh my goodness. Feel the warmth spreading through my body. What a hit this song is. So good.
Odd Bod
My favourite Trojan song,and that's saying something. For the last 50 years it's been for me the soul of life in a song.The day I don't want to dance to this,they can quite happily put me in the ground.What a tune.
Steve Spiers
It's Sweet And Dandy for me, but I feel ya
Stephen Mills
I'm 59, this song as kept me going through 2 break ups , 4 children and 7 grandchildren , still my favourite song
Odd Bod
@Paula Rob Thanks for the reply Paula. I ll crank it up with the headphones in a bit. Every time I hear it,I am filled with the anticipation of the brillience of this tune. It's new every time.
Paula Rob
One of my favorites too β€