I ask you: is there a more sublime moment in a pop song t han the violin solo in The Paragons' "The Tide Is High"? (a.k.a. the rocksteady thread)

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Because if there is, I desperately want to know.

Let's talk about: rocksteady.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 4 April 2003 16:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I want this song to be played at my wedding and my funeral and every important occasion in between for no good reason other than I adore it to pieces.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 4 April 2003 16:45 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.coasttocoast.org.uk/paragons.jpg

― Amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 4 April 2003 16:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I've always preferred "It's Raining." The vocals are sweeter than Tupelo honey.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Friday, 4 April 2003 16:55 (twenty-two years ago)

I've never heard that; is it another Paragon's track? Is it the Irma Thomas song?

― Amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 4 April 2003 16:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Oops, my bad. All this time I thought it was a Paragons track and it's actually by The Three Tops. It's a great rocksteady track, nonetheless. It can be found on the 3-CD "Gems from Treasure Isle" on the Charly label. The Paragons are well represented on that compilation as well.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Friday, 4 April 2003 17:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Amateurist, do you have any Slim Smith/Techniques/Uniques stuff? He's my fav rocksteady singer. 'A Unique Technique' on Westside makes a good intro.
John Holt's solo stuff is amazing as well. How can anyone not like 'Ali Baba'?

― oops (Oops), Friday, 4 April 2003 17:16 (twenty-two years ago)

big fan as i am of both the paragons and john holt's solo career, in my book the most sublime is Youssou N'dour sining 'a million voices' about four minutes into 7 seconds. he hits that note that he seems to do no more than once an album, and its absolute perfection.

― big d (big d), Friday, 4 April 2003 19:09 (twenty-two years ago)

three months pass...

this song is so good, even the atomic kitten version isn't that bad. def one of my desert island discs

― Robin Goad (rgoad), Thursday, 31 July 2003 07:28 (twenty-one years ago)

there is actually a more sublime moment in a pop song than this. luckily it's in the same song: the way he sings "i'm not the kind of man". oh god.

this is an absolutley indestructable song - i know four versions and all of them are great

― adam b (adam b), Thursday, 31 July 2003 09:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Blondie sucks, dammit.

― xnelio, Thursday, 31 July 2003 22:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Fabulous violin solo, but I can't help thinking that the very, very, very woozy trumpet solo on Jimmy Cliff's "Miss Jamaica" runs a close second.

― marco (marco), Friday, 1 August 2003 11:16 (twenty-one years ago)

yes.

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 1 August 2003 15:53 (twenty-one years ago)

I play this track on my radio show all the time. Sadly, I haven't been able to find much more Paragons material outside of that one comp.

― Dale the Titled (cprek), Friday, 1 August 2003 16:11 (twenty-one years ago)

possibly more sublime are the vocals by errol dunkley on "i'm going home", particularly the ending when he soars up high and then says "are you coming? ha!" also try the wailers with junior braithwaite singing lead on "it hurts to be alone"...i can't think of a more heart-shattering, beautiful song. if only he had recorded more material....

― arc, Friday, 1 August 2003 17:05 (twenty-one years ago)

that's another great one (the wailers track). see also their "made a mistake."

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 1 August 2003 17:23 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 09:25 (twenty years ago)

My thanks to this thread for bringing that Charly box set to my attention. I just ordered from a seller on Amazon for 7 bucks. Looking forward to the rock and the steady.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 09:57 (twenty years ago)

There is no way in God's earth that the Atomic Kitten version can be rationally described as "isn't that bad." It is cat's piss without even the benefit of a syringe to contain its rank odour.

Not rocksteady, but kudos for the violin solo at the end of "Love Is All I Have To Give" by Sonny Charles & the Checkmates; it's like Spector's last rites.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 10:13 (twenty years ago)

four years pass...

this is the fucking shit, esp "Come a Little Closer". I don't even think John Holt is involved in any of the tracks, but it doesn't matter one bit.

― hope this helps (Granny Dainger), Sunday, 5 April 2009 16:43 (sixteen years ago)

six years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpoA4XETmzE

when back vocals kick in on refrain

― nauru, Monday, 18 January 2016 12:26 (nine years ago)

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