The Paragons

Two groups have recorded under the name "The Paragons". 1) The Paragons was an influential rocksteady band from Kingston, Jamaica, operating in the 1960s featuring John Holt who wrote The Tide Is High. 2) The Paragons was a doo wop group perhaps best known for their 1957 single Florence b/w Hey Little School Girl. 1) They were originally Garth "Tyrone" Evans, Bob Andy, Junior Menz, and Leroy Stamp. In 1964 Stamp was replaced by John Holt, and Howard Barret replaced Menz. The early Paragons sound was heavily influenced by American soul music and used the tight vocal harmonies of Jamaican groups of the early 1960s. In 1964, the group caught the attention of the record producer, Duke Reid, and they cut a succession of popular singles for his "Treasure Isle" record label. After this early success Bob Andy quit the group, and the Paragons abandoned their soulful sound to become the most popular rocksteady act in Jamaica, but disagreements over money led to the band's break-up in 1970. Of the band members only John Holt went on to have a significant solo career. The Paragons’ recordings, most famously The Tide Is High, written by John Holt and featuring the haunting violin of "White Rum" Raymond, are among the highlights of Jamaican popular music. "The Tide Is High" was taken to the top of the UK and U.S. charts by Blondie in 1980; whilst Atomic Kitten's cover version also topped the UK Singles Chart in 2002. ("The Tide Is High" was also covered by Billie Piper in 2000, but not released as a single.)