Biography
160 tracks, four decades and counting!
Still going strong since the early 70s and still recording on the homepage you hear nine excellent samples of songs from Jamaican reggae/soul/r&b/pop group Me and You celebrating the release of two more albums making it 16 albums ie 160 tracks in total now in their huge varied repertoire. For some reason a few fans seem to have got the mistaken idea they only made one or two records in the 1970s and have not done anything else since. We are keen to put that inaccuracy to rest so please help us tell others about this website, their music and that they are still very much alive and kicking. Those fans would love to hear more music.
A trio not a duo!
Contrary to popular belief there are actually three members of the group two sisters and a brother, they were only marketed as a duo because DEB Music their then record company run by Dennis Brown and Castro Brown already had several other trios eg Carlton & The Shoes, Tamlins, 15, 16, 17 and Black Harmony. Also unbeknown by many fans is that their singing career did not start with From Me To You the DEB Music album in 1979 containing their biggest pop and reggae hits eg You Never Know What You've Got and This Love.
Roots before lovers rock!
Widely acknowledged as purveyors of classic love songs, they actually started in 1974 recording genres which at the time included roots reggae reflecting the social consciousness in Jamaica at the time, songs such as There Is A Land based on Abyssinians' Satta Massa Gana, Can't Stop Natty Dread & Dreadlocks In Moonlight written and produced by Lee Perry are backed by various bands such as The Revolutionaries, The Aggrovators, Skin Flesh & Bones, Upsetters, and The Original Wailers band. Check out the recently released Natty Dread and Natty Dread Version albums on this websites homepage - also included are wicked love songs such as the superb cover of Bloodstone's Natural High, their own heartfelt Gee Baby which although sharing the chorus is different to Al Campbell's and a brand new dub to their popular classic This Love Dub. There are several other love songs on the albums so lovers rock fans wont be disappointed.
Versatility and style!
Each talented in their own right these three wonderful, versatile and accomplished vocalists each has their own style which is unheard of for a family group. They bring tremendous variety to their music and unlike their Jamaican or any other reggae peers they have been singing other genres throughout like pop, soul, r&b, slow jams, slow ballads, garage, house, ska and even soca and are good at blending genres within a song and an album. (Check out Soulful Selection, Living My Life, Stay, New Shortcake, Make Love No War, Stay amongst others). Also they have guest artists contributing such as The Temptations, Alton Ellis, Sugar Minott, Al Campbell and Shirley McLean (Friends album), Junior Giscombe of Mama Used To Say Fame on Living My Life album and there are others).
Multi-talented family!
All three group members play piano, synthesizer and percussion and write and arrange songs. Collins and Claire have played on theirs and other peoples records as session musicians. Collins a seasoned arranger and producer plays keyboards, organ and percussion on their own and other peoples songs such as Mikey Dread, Red Rose, Jennifer Lara, Eagle & (Burning) Spear and Al Campbell. He has formed several bands which have toured internationally and backed artists such as Creation Stepper, Tapper Zukie, Sammy Dread and Errol Dunkley where he performed backing vocals. Their nephew Delroy plays bass, rhythm and lead guitar professionally with them and has toured even more extensively with scores of artists such as Delroy Wilson and Dennis Brown.
The group as a whole have done backing vocals for numerous artists in the studio including Alton Ellis, Dennis Brown, Junior Delgado, Sugar Minott, Shirley McLean and Al Campbell (- hear some of these on the Friends album). They have written songs that have been Top 5 hits for Shirley McLean in Jamaica such as Let Me Go, Get Rid of Those Girls which Beres Hammond and Pam Hall did backing vocals on. Collins has worked extensively with Grammy award nominated Mad Professor who has worked with many well-known international artists including Horace Andy, U Roy and Yabby You. Collins band Wreckless Breed played on many of the first songs ever released by the Professor which Collins arranged and played on.
Got 5 minutes?
Whether you are a fan or not, you really need to hear all of their albums - it only takes 5 minutes to listen to one as none have more than 10 tracks! Their music is brilliant but often difficult to describe, as they mix and blend so well, every one of their 160 tracks is truly unique. They have to be heard to be believed. If you love love songs and lovers rock, you will love Me and You's output.
Sweet homepage music!
When you visit the homepage you will hear nine short wicked samples from the group they are You Never Know What You've Got from From Me to You album, Going Back from New Shortcake, Oh No Not My Baby from Soul Selection album, Home and Away from Stay album, The Deepest from Stay album, Money Can't Buy Happiness from Midnight Blue album, Let Me Go from Let Me Go album, If Only You Knew from Looking Somebody album, Get Rid Of Those Girls from Railway Station album and an excellent popular cover of Johnny Gil's My My My from Stay album. Incredibly what you hear represents less than 5% of their output, listen to all their albums by checking out the homepage.
Musicians and producers!
Bands that have backed Me and You include the best in the world such as Bob Marley's Original Wailers Band, Sly & Robbie, The Upsetters, The Aggrovators, The Revolutionaries, Skin, Flesh & Bones, Roots Radics, We The People, Chinna's High Times Band, Soul Syndicate, Sound Dimension, Studio One Band, The Horsemouth Wallace Band, Wreckless Breed, Mafia & Fluxy, Aswad and Firehouse Crew and. Producers they've worked with include the legendary Lee Perry & King Tubby, Prince Jammy, Sir Coxsone, Alton Ellis, Dennis Brown, Junior Delgado, Castro Brown, (Bobby) Digital B, Steely & Clevie, Dennis Bovell, Paul Weller and Mad Professor. Musicians include Lloyd Parks, Earl 'Chinna' Smith, Dean Fraser, Danny Browne, Pablove Black, Ruddy Thomas and Leroy 'Horsemouth' Wallace. Artists they have worked with include Dennis Brown, Junior Delgado, Alton Ellis, Sugar Minott, Shirely McLean, Al Campbell and Devon Russell. (See Friends album below) Beres Hammond and Pam Hall have sung backing vocals on hit cover versions of their songs.
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