The Melodians sealed their place in music history with their biblical anthem Rivers Of Babylon – even though most people know it best by Boney M. I’d rather listen to this song, Sweet Sensation, than either version.

The Melodians were one of the first three-part vocal harmony groups, emerging in the mid-60s just as ska was evo;ving into rocksteady, prior to re-emerging as reggae music.

They began in 1963 when Trevor McNaughton formed a trio with Skatalites bassist Lloyd Brevett’s little brother, 14-year-old Tony, and Tony’s friend Brent Dowe. A fourth member, Rennie Cogle, wrote and arranged the songs, and provided additional harmonies with McNaughton.

Their 1966 tune Lay It On, recorded for Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One label, was one of the first rocksteady tunes, but the group drew little attention until they moved to Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle label the following year.

They had a big Jamaican hit in 1968 with Come On Little Girl, showcasing their sweet vocal harmonies, followed by Little Nut Tree and Swing And Dine, both produced by Sonia Pottinger – Jamaica’s first female producer – and their 1970 single, You Have Caught Me, gave listeners an early taste of toaster U-Roy.

The Melodians’ international breakthrough came when they moved to producer Leslie Kong the following year to record this tune – Sweet Sensation – and the even bigger hit Rivers Of Babylon, adapting the text of two psalms.

After the death of Leslie Kong in 1971 and the emergence of roots reggae, The Melodians’ success declined and they disbanded a couple of years later, soon after their version of Rivers Of Babylon reached a new (white) audience in the film The Harder They Come.