Mighty Diamonds: 4 Essential Songs

On March 29, under the cloak of nightfall, the darkness which the Mighty Diamonds spent over half a century rallying their voices against struck back. The murder of Donald “Tabby” Shaw, lead singer of Jamaica’s premier harmony trio, cast a pall of grief over the global reggae community; the plume of which would mushroom further at the news that Fitzroy “Bunny” Simpson, harmony singer for the group, had passed on due to health complications only four days later.

The loss of these friends and icons within days of each other is a tragedy whose weight words now do little to lift. Still, the Rastafari-oriented Diamonds never faltered in using words as tools in the struggle to illuminate, educate, and empower. In that spirit, we take a look back at four of the group’s most storied tunes to remember the men who, by all indications, maintained their optimism for a brighter future into their final days.

On the origin of the Mighty Diamonds, Lloyd “Judge” Ferguson, harmony singer and chief songwriter of the trio once fondly recalled: “After school, I was a man out there… looking people to sing with to form a group. I passed through a whole lot of people that didn’t really suit me. Ironically, [Tabby & Bunny] pass through the same set of people.” With his characteristic gap-toothed grin, Tabby then chimed in: “[Bunny and I] were trying to find a single person and him a try find two…suh di ting guh enuh!” So it went.

Without a single personnel change in the Mighty Diamonds’ 53-year-history, the three men produced a stunning catalogue of 46 albums beginning with the roots-era classic Right Time in 1976. The group’s ability to package truth into their soul-stirring harmonies is the unifying thread woven throughout their eclectic body of work. Here are just a few of the highlights.

Shame & Pride (1973)

Though the Dymonds (as they were known at the time) were able to convincingly imitate the vocal styles of Rocksteady and Motown-era outfits with their early recordings for Stranger Cole and Rupie Edwards, the greater challenge lay in replicating the commercial success of these groups. Their affiliation with Jah Lloyd opened a new door for them after the producer brought them to Byron Lee’s Dynamic Studio to record the track “Shame & Pride.” Released on Lloyd’s Teem imprint, the single ushered in a watershed moment for the trio; it was their first local hit. 

In this sombre meditation on a relationship gone sour, the warm-hearted narrator diagnoses an ex-lover with self-destructive tendencies. The emotion in Tabby’s smooth tenor shifts from disappointment to anguish as he reflects on the past and the ever-supportive accompanying harmonies by Judge and Bunny ebb and flow to match the despair of their frontman.

Right Time (1975)

Despite the fact that “Shame & Pride” was the group’s biggest single up to that point, the success was fleeting. Tracks recorded for producers ranging from Bunny Lee to Lee Perry failed to achieve the commercial results that the trio wanted and their options began to dwindle. Feeling worn down and dulled by the rigours of the Jamaican music industry, the Dymonds landed at the Hoo Kim brothers’ Channel One studio with the intention of selling a two-track tape and retiring but left with much more than whatever that tape was worth. 

In addition to a name change, (it was at Channel One that the Dymonds gained their Mighty title) the group cut a number of songs beginning with covers for the Stylistics’ “Country Living” and the Chi-Lites’ “Stoned Out of My Mind” that would go on to make waves across the island. These releases were only a preview of what was to come, however.  

“The drums was always up front of any Channel One production,” Sly Dunbar once noted, “It how Joe Hoo Kim like to hear things – he cut dubs to make sure the drums was perfect.” This philosophy is crystallised in the landmark “Right Time” released in 1975. With lyrics championing the trio’s Garveyite convictions, a trailblazing rhythm and silky melodies, “Right Time” captured the ears and hearts of Jamaicans and would go on to become a centrepiece of this period. 

Pass the Kouchie (1981)

In the early 1980s, the Mighty Diamonds found themselves collaborating with producer Gussie Clarke on a number of tracks, many of which were sold as dub plates locally and abroad. “Pass the Kouchie” began as one such effort. Rooted in an older Studio One rhythm track titled “Full Up,” the song burst onto the Jamaican scene with force before the Seaga-led government banned the tune from radio waves for its herb smoking sympathies.

Though the song’s most ardent critics were quick to condemn the “kutchie culture” promoted in the lyrics, (unbridled hedonism, in their eyes) it survives as a Rastafarian anthem; a tribute to the sacramental use of herb amongst brethren. Tabby’s vocals are as breezy as the afternoon he describes and Bunny and Judge deliver harmonies to bolster the playful air of the already bouncy production. Despite being knocked out of the commercial running in Jamaica, a re-working by the Birmingham group Musical Youth that omitted all drug references secured a place for the young Englishmen on the peak of the UK singles chart.

Reggae Street (1981)

On the deeply moving and joyous “Reggae Street,” the Mighty Diamonds reflect on the gift of life. “Wake up this morning / Give thanks and praise,” Shaw begins over the lush rhythms of duo Sly & Robbie. As far as his impassioned vocals venture through the chorus of “Reggae Street,” the backing harmonies maintain their stride alongside and the flourishes of the brass section greet the passers-by. 

“Reggae Street” shines in its ability to capture and distil the core tenets of their shared philosophy with impressive brevity. Gratitude, faith, and unity are essential to get us through this “city where there ain’t no pity,” physical or otherwise. They sing that as troubling as reality may be, there is always praise to be given and solace to be found. Essential truths. 

Gems of men whose message for righteous living shines on through their vast catalogue, Donald “Tabby Diamond” Shaw and Fitzroy “Bunny Diamond” Simpson leave behind an unbreakable legacy.