The Mighty Diamonds

Mighty Diamonds
Background information
Origin	Kingston, Jamaica
Genres	Roots reggae
Years active	1969 – Present
Labels	Channel One/Well Charge, Virgin/Front Line, Bad Gong, Music Works, Shanachie, Greensleeves, Live & Learn, RAS
Website	themightydiamonds.com
Members	Donald "Tabby" Shaw Fitzroy "Bunny" Simpson Lloyd "Judge" Ferguson

Mighty Diamonds are a Jamaican harmony trio, recording roots reggae with a strong Rastafarian influence. The group was formed in 1969 and remains together as of 2012. They are best known for their 1976 debut album Right Time produced by Joseph Hoo Kim and the 1979 release Deeper Roots.

Formed in 1969 in the Trenchtown area of Kingston, the group comprises lead vocalist Donald "Tabby" Shaw, and harmony vocalists Fitzroy "Bunny" Simpson and Lloyd "Judge" Ferguson. They had become friends at school in the mid-1960s, and were originally called The Limelight, adopting 'Mighty Diamonds' after Shaw's mother started referring to them as "the diamonds". Their smooth harmonies and choreographed stage show were inspired by Motown vocal groups of the 1960s, with Shaw listing The Temptations, The Stylistics, The Impressions, and The Delfonics as influences as well as Jamaican rocksteady artists such as John Holt and Ken Boothe.

Their early recordings were produced by Pat Francis, Stranger Cole ("Girl You Are Too Young" (1970), "Oh No Baby"), Derrick Harriott ("Mash Up"), Bunny Lee ("Jah Jah Bless the Dreadlocks", "Carefree Girl"), Lee "Scratch" Perry ("Talk About It"), and Rupie Edwards, but it was in 1973 that they had their first hit single with the Francis-produced "Shame and Pride", recorded at the Dynamic Sounds studio. It was their mid-1970s work with producer Joseph Hoo Kim that gave them their real breakthrough. "Country Living" and "Hey Girl" were recorded and released by the Channel One label. "Right Time" followed, on Hoo Kim's Well Charge label, and cemented their status as one of the top Jamaican groups of the time.

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