Biography
A Jamaican rocksteady vocal trio from an earlier era, the Three Tops cut several notable sides for Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle imprint during the middle and later 1960s, among them the songs “Do It Right” and “It’s Raining.” The lineup featured vocalists Dion (sometimes spelled Dionne) Cameron, Orville (or possibly Oswald) Robinson, and Joe Riley; although certain reports name Jimmy Riley as a participant, the J. Riley credited on session documents was almost certainly Joe Riley himself. Additional sessions took the group to Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One facility. Deeply drawn to American soul music, the Three Tops allowed that influence to shape their singing, yielding an engaging blend of Southern soul phrasing with rocksteady rhythms. When the single “Do It Right” appeared in Britain, the label mistakenly rendered the group’s name as the Treetops—an error that arose from hearing “Three Tops” through the filter of Jamaican patois. The same artists also issued material under the name the Soul Tops. Whether heard as the Three Tops, the Soul Tops, or the Treetops, the ensemble supplied dependable Jamaican rocksteady harmonies that continue to earn admiration from devotees of the style.