Mighty Diamonds

Glasgow ABC, 20th October 2013

And so, the holy trinity of Jamaican vocal trios to grace the Glasgow ABC this year courtesy of JA Live is complete, with the Mighty Diamonds coming hot on the heels of Culture and the Abyssinians. Except on this occasion, they were a duo, as Tabby was unable to appear due to the occupational hazard faced by many reggae veterans in Babylon: visa problems. Well, if anyone was still unsure about next year’s referendum this should decide it – people of Scotland, we need to gain control of our borders so that we can open our arms to visiting reggae artists and ensure they are treated with proper respect! Anyway, to the gig itself, Bunny and Judge stepped into the spotlight to showcase their vocal talents and were ably backed by UK reggae outfit, the Ras Ites, whose ‘Urban Regeneration’ album as teenagers caused quite a stir back in 2001. They laid down a solid foundation with a rousing version of ‘Picture on the Wall’ and a preview of their latest EP showing they are still ones to watch now that real musicians and live bands are experiencing a resurgence in the reggae world. Bunny and Judge took the stage to a warm welcome, looking dapper and casual, as if they had just been enjoying a quiet game of dominoes and half a Guinness backstage.

They opened with ‘Sweet Lady’ which made me realise I just don’t have enough Mighty Diamonds in my collection and I am off to download some now (legally of course, but I always wonder if they get any royalties), starting with the ‘Inna de Yard’ sessions. That’s better. A couple of rock steady standards such as ‘Party Time’ and ‘Swing and Dine’, a lovely version of ‘Keep on Moving’ bringing it back to the Impressions original, reminding us that Jamaica has produced a wealth of singers who belong up there with the likes of the Four Tops and the Temptations. But the Mighty Diamonds were always looking forward, never backward, and adapted to the change from roots to digital with a couple of great albums for Gussie Clarke in the eighties, with ‘Heavy Load’, a version of ‘Bodyguard’ revisited and one of my favourites, ‘Idlers Corner’ (they did not play that one, I just wanted to get it in). Still, the ‘Right Time’ album remains a stand out classic of any genre or era, with every track a gem, showcasing the Diamonds’ warm and easy soulful style, with conscious lyrics articulating the hardest points of history and opening up a deep mine of love and unity. All that was missing (apart from Tabby) was a horns section – I know it adds to the cost of the ticket, but I for one would stump up an extra fiver, no matter how talented the keyboard player is, we need to get the horns back onstage,– I’m starting a campaign; ‘Get Horny, Reggae!’ who’s with me?  Anyway, that’s just me, the positive vibes on a night like this are strong enough to overcome any obstacle and as ‘I Need a Roof’ merged seamlessly into ‘Get Up, Stand Up’, Bob’s spirit was present, as at every reggae gig. Of course, they could not leave without ‘Pass the Kouchie’ which, when adapted by a group of Brummie schoolkids demonstrated how accessible and popular this music can be from a Studio One instrumental to Top Of the Pops. Finally, they gave us an encore of ‘Country Living’ to leave the crowd skipping away into the rainy night. Walking in the gutter but looking at the stars*, I found myself thinking and hoping that Diamonds are forever.**

*Oscar Wilde, not many reggae connections there.

**Brinsley Forde from Aswad appears in this film. For more James Bond-reggae connections, see ‘To Jamaica With Love’