Lloyd Charmers & The Hippy Boys - House In Session

Another hard to find gem of an album from 1970, Lloyd Charmers & The Hippy Boys - House In Session.

Released on the 'Pama' Label, this album has never received a re-issue or re-release since!

The late Lloyd Charmers, born Lloyd Tyrell in Kingston 1938, started in the Jamaican music industry at the very beginning. During the late 50's he teamed with vocalist Roy Willis and the duo went by the name of The Charmers and they cut a number of Jamaican R'n'B singles before splitting in the early 60's just as Ska and Rocksteady was fast becoming the music of the day.

Lloyd then joined up with Slim Smith and Jimmy Riley to form The Uniques and went on to work with producer Clement 'Sir Coxsone' Dodd cutting singles for the Studio One label including his early hit "Jeannie Girl". He also very briefly joined the supergroup The Messengers with Ken Boothe, B.B Seaton and Busty Brown.

Lloyd was enjoying a high profile between 1962 and 1967, it was during this time that, under the guidance of Alton Ellis, he began to learn the piano, read music and write songs.

In 1966 Lloyd began working with the instrumental group The Hippy Boys, made up of guitarist Alva "Reggie" Lewis and the Barrett brothers, Carlton (Drums) and Aston (Bass).

The group began working with producer Bunny 'Striker' Lee who briefly renamed them The Bunny Lee All-Stars and together they recorded a number of hit singles with singers including John Holt, Ken Parker, Max Romeo and Pat Kelly.

Lloyd and the Hippy Boys also found time to record their own tunes during this period and released them on the albums "Reggae Charm", "Reggae Is Tight" and this very offering "House In Session".
All of which became harder and harder to find as time passed and apart from the compilation "Psychedelic Reggae" released in 1998, the full albums have yet to be given a re-release.


The band quickly became highly sought after by the islands other producers including Sonia Pottinger, Harry Johnson and Lloyd Daley but the group chose to work next with Lee "Scratch" Perry.

Perry of course renamed them The Upsetters and the producer and the group went on to record some of Perry's finest creations of the late 60's and early 70's.

Lloyd Charmers would go on to create his own label, after watching and learning from the producers he had worked with, called 'Splash' and scored massive hits with Ken Boothe during the early to mid seventies including the smash "Everything I Own".

He also worked with another group during this period, The Now Generation, who were also very popular and he maintained a high profile throughout the 70's.

In 1979 Lloyd relocated to the UK and enjoyed some success during the early 80's, choosing to aim at the Lover's Rock market which had become very popular in England and avoiding the more Roots Rockers orientated Jamaican scene of the time.

Lloyd then maintained a reletively low profile throughout the 90's and remained a permanent resident of London, England until his death on the 27th December 2012, suffering a fatal heart attack whilst driving.

His legacy as one of Jamaica's all time greats is safe however, for as long as his music lives on.

Enjoy!  : )

Tracklisting:

1) Soul At Large
2) Soul Of England
3) Sweet Sweet
4) Confidential
5) House In Session
6) Cooyah!
7) Shang Hai
8) Everybody Needs Love
9) African Zulu
10) Stronger
11) Ling Tong Ting
12) Yes Sah

Lloyd Charmers & The Hippy Boys - House In Session  - 

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