The Uniques

In 1966 Slim Smith and Franklyn White, both formerly of the Techniques, joined forces with Roy Shirley to launch the Uniques’ first lineup. That configuration cut several ska sides for J.J. Johnson before the group split, only to regroup almost at once. The new front line consisted of Smith, Lloyd Charmers, and Jimmy Riley, with Cornel Campbell appearing from time to time. Between 1967 and 1969 this version of the Uniques issued a string of vocal-trio classics for producer Bunny Lee, among them striking covers of Stephen Stills’ “For What It’s Worth” (released as “Watch This Sound”) and Curtis Mayfield’s “Gypsy Woman,” as well as their signature recording “My Conversation.” Anchored by Smith’s piercing, emotionally charged tenor, the trio was widely viewed as the apex of Jamaica’s harmony-group tradition. The ensemble disbanded in 1969 when its members turned to solo work, and any prospect of reunion vanished with Smith’s death in 1973.