Biography
Among Jamaican vocal ensembles the Tennors remain distinctive yet overlooked, issuing a steady flow of strong singles throughout the rocksteady period whose appeal extended deep into reggae. George “Clive” Murphy, the outfit’s guiding spirit, spent his childhood in the countryside parish of St. Mary, an environment that left a permanent mark on the sound he later cultivated. Education eventually drew the young man to Kingston, but his passion for singing steered him toward live performance and entry into local talent contests. Before long he was providing backing vocals for Owen Gray and for the duo Owen & Leon, which placed him at Studio One and Treasure Isle in turn. At the latter imprint he cut the sides “Little Girl Over There” and “Hit Yu Let Yu Feel It.” Even so, he was still little known when he formed the Tennor Twins with Maurice “Professor” Johnson.
Their breakthrough occurred inside a taxi in 1967 after Murphy auditioned “Pressure and Slide” for Jackie Mittoo, then Studio One’s arranger. Norman Davis expanded the pair into a trio, and Mittoo fashioned one of the decade’s most memorable rhythms—a sultry, driving track that highlighted the suggestive words of “Pressure.” The release became the year’s top seller, and its rhythm proved so enduring that countless versions followed over time. Success arrived dramatically, yet Murphy later recalled that the three members never received payment for the hit; when he approached producer Coxsone Dodd for compensation he was given three copies of the single and shown the exit. Intimidated by Dodd’s stature, Murphy never returned. Resolved to avoid such treatment again, he promptly founded his own Tennors label and took on production duties alongside his performing roles. The imprint served as an outlet for much of the group’s material while also issuing singles by former Kingstonian Jackie Bernard, ska veteran Eric “Monty” Morris, and reggae singer Roman Stewart.
Tragedy struck before 1967 ended when Johnson died in an accident, reducing the Tennors to a duo. Murphy and Davis kept writing together, although they never planned to follow “Pressure” with their own composition “Ride Yu Donkey.” They offered the folksy number to every producer and artist they knew; only after repeated rejections did the pair record it themselves. Murphy’s production foregrounded the rural character of the song, a quality that would become his hallmark. Issued in 1968, “Donkey” proved a major success whose popularity prompted widespread piracy; years later Murphy learned that several Jamaican producers had licensed the track without permission for release on international labels. The Jamaican B-side “Cleopatra” appeared as an A-side in Britain that same year, while the Tennors also put out further singles such as the equally rustic “Grandpa,” the country-inflected rocksteady of “Massi Massa,” the tender “Girl You Hold Me,” and the suggestive “Rub Me Khaki.” Later in 1968 young Ronnie Davis joined and soon assumed lead vocals from Murphy; his debut single with the group, “The Stage,” remained in his repertoire for years under the later title “World Is a Stage.” Additional singers passed through the ranks over time, among them Nehemiah Davis (featured on “Cleopatra”), George Dekker, Howard Spencer, and Milton Wilson.
Although the Tennors never matched the commercial impact of their first two hits until their final release in 1973, they maintained a high standard of 45s in the interim. A strong batch appeared in 1969, mixing socially conscious tracks like “Sufferer,” “Sign of the Times,” and “Biff Baff” (also known as “Traitor”) with lighter fare such as “Bow Legged Girl,” “Little Things,” “Cherry,” and “Oh My Baby.” Among the strongest was “Another Scorcher,” on which the trio backed Jackie Bernard for a fiery single that climbed the charts. They marked reggae’s emergence with “Reggae Girl” and celebrated repatriation on the early roots cut “Run Come,” while 1970 also saw “Wishes,” “True,” and the lively “I’ve Got Soul.” That year the group briefly altered course, enlisting Duke Reid to produce “Hopeful Village” in hopes of winning the Jamaican Independence Festival Song Competition. The entry performed well and became a sizable hit, yet the prize went to Hopeton Lewis’ “Boom Shaka Lacka”; the Tennors did share in Lewis’ triumph, however, having supplied backing vocals on his chart-topping record. Reid was not the only external producer they worked with; they also delivered two standouts for Sonia Pottinger—the buoyant “Gee Whiz” and the driving “Give Me Bread.”
Internal friction eventually slowed their output to a trickle, and the trio appeared on the brink of dissolution. Unexpectedly they returned to Reid’s studio in 1973 to record the powerful “Weather Report,” an adaptation of Paul Simon’s “Only Living Boy in New York.” The single became a major hit and earned the group the Best Performer award at that year’s Independence Festival. It also proved their valediction, after which the Tennors disbanded. Davis had already begun a solo career and later formed the Itals. Murphy moved to the United States and eventually launched his own solo work as Clive Tennors; his debut album, Ride Yu Donkey, appeared in 1991.
Across their career the Tennors blended rocksteady and reggae in a singular fashion, merging rural textures and everyday themes with memorable melodies and rich harmonies. Because most of their singles were self-produced and issued on the Tennors label, they seldom surface on later compilations, and their profile has consequently faded. In their prime, however, they enjoyed genuine affection, a regard their present obscurity does not reflect.
Their breakthrough occurred inside a taxi in 1967 after Murphy auditioned “Pressure and Slide” for Jackie Mittoo, then Studio One’s arranger. Norman Davis expanded the pair into a trio, and Mittoo fashioned one of the decade’s most memorable rhythms—a sultry, driving track that highlighted the suggestive words of “Pressure.” The release became the year’s top seller, and its rhythm proved so enduring that countless versions followed over time. Success arrived dramatically, yet Murphy later recalled that the three members never received payment for the hit; when he approached producer Coxsone Dodd for compensation he was given three copies of the single and shown the exit. Intimidated by Dodd’s stature, Murphy never returned. Resolved to avoid such treatment again, he promptly founded his own Tennors label and took on production duties alongside his performing roles. The imprint served as an outlet for much of the group’s material while also issuing singles by former Kingstonian Jackie Bernard, ska veteran Eric “Monty” Morris, and reggae singer Roman Stewart.
Tragedy struck before 1967 ended when Johnson died in an accident, reducing the Tennors to a duo. Murphy and Davis kept writing together, although they never planned to follow “Pressure” with their own composition “Ride Yu Donkey.” They offered the folksy number to every producer and artist they knew; only after repeated rejections did the pair record it themselves. Murphy’s production foregrounded the rural character of the song, a quality that would become his hallmark. Issued in 1968, “Donkey” proved a major success whose popularity prompted widespread piracy; years later Murphy learned that several Jamaican producers had licensed the track without permission for release on international labels. The Jamaican B-side “Cleopatra” appeared as an A-side in Britain that same year, while the Tennors also put out further singles such as the equally rustic “Grandpa,” the country-inflected rocksteady of “Massi Massa,” the tender “Girl You Hold Me,” and the suggestive “Rub Me Khaki.” Later in 1968 young Ronnie Davis joined and soon assumed lead vocals from Murphy; his debut single with the group, “The Stage,” remained in his repertoire for years under the later title “World Is a Stage.” Additional singers passed through the ranks over time, among them Nehemiah Davis (featured on “Cleopatra”), George Dekker, Howard Spencer, and Milton Wilson.
Although the Tennors never matched the commercial impact of their first two hits until their final release in 1973, they maintained a high standard of 45s in the interim. A strong batch appeared in 1969, mixing socially conscious tracks like “Sufferer,” “Sign of the Times,” and “Biff Baff” (also known as “Traitor”) with lighter fare such as “Bow Legged Girl,” “Little Things,” “Cherry,” and “Oh My Baby.” Among the strongest was “Another Scorcher,” on which the trio backed Jackie Bernard for a fiery single that climbed the charts. They marked reggae’s emergence with “Reggae Girl” and celebrated repatriation on the early roots cut “Run Come,” while 1970 also saw “Wishes,” “True,” and the lively “I’ve Got Soul.” That year the group briefly altered course, enlisting Duke Reid to produce “Hopeful Village” in hopes of winning the Jamaican Independence Festival Song Competition. The entry performed well and became a sizable hit, yet the prize went to Hopeton Lewis’ “Boom Shaka Lacka”; the Tennors did share in Lewis’ triumph, however, having supplied backing vocals on his chart-topping record. Reid was not the only external producer they worked with; they also delivered two standouts for Sonia Pottinger—the buoyant “Gee Whiz” and the driving “Give Me Bread.”
Internal friction eventually slowed their output to a trickle, and the trio appeared on the brink of dissolution. Unexpectedly they returned to Reid’s studio in 1973 to record the powerful “Weather Report,” an adaptation of Paul Simon’s “Only Living Boy in New York.” The single became a major hit and earned the group the Best Performer award at that year’s Independence Festival. It also proved their valediction, after which the Tennors disbanded. Davis had already begun a solo career and later formed the Itals. Murphy moved to the United States and eventually launched his own solo work as Clive Tennors; his debut album, Ride Yu Donkey, appeared in 1991.
Across their career the Tennors blended rocksteady and reggae in a singular fashion, merging rural textures and everyday themes with memorable melodies and rich harmonies. Because most of their singles were self-produced and issued on the Tennors label, they seldom surface on later compilations, and their profile has consequently faded. In their prime, however, they enjoyed genuine affection, a regard their present obscurity does not reflect.
Albums
Singles
