The Blues Busters

The Blues Busters, Lloyd Campbell and Phillip James, were one of the earliest Jamaican vocal duos. Their late-'50s start saw them emulating American R&B and, surprisingly, at the dawn of the '60s arriving at the same soulful conclusion as that of their U.S. counterparts. They were also major contenders in the ska boom with hits like "Behold" and "(If I Had The) Wings of a Dove." Although the duo worked with other producers, including a few early sides for Coxsone Dodd, they recorded primarily with Byron Lee. The bandleader brought them to New York in 1964 to perform at the World's Fair. While there they recorded their debut album, Behold How Sweet It Is. The Blues Busters were determined to have success in the States, and returned again and again throughout the second half of the '60s to record and perform. They released a number of singles on small labels like Minit and even a few for major-label Capitol, but never had the breakthrough success they sought. They continued to record in the '70s but as the decade wore on and their well of hits began to run dry, they recorded less and less. Their last recordings date from the early '80s. ~ Wade Kergan, Rovi