The Paragons

Jamaican rocksteady vocal group, Kingston

The Paragons were a Kingston vocal group who came up through ska and hit their peak in the rocksteady years, recording for Duke Reid at Treasure Isle from the mid-1960s. The line-up that cut “The Tide Is High” paired lead singer John Holt with Garth “Tyrone” Evans and Howard Barrett. Their Treasure Isle catalogue — “Man Next Door,” “Tonight,” “On the Beach” — has been mined by reggae and pop acts ever since. Holt left for a solo career around 1970 and the group carried on in various forms into the 1980s.

Who recorded it

Songs The Paragons recorded first

The Tide Is High

Recorded it first — now often credited to Blondie

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