1968
ONLY A SMILE * LYNN TAIT - JETS * PYRAMID 6062 * UK
An organ lead instrumental cut to the fabulous Only A Smile by the mighty Paragons, curious really because the Paragons original was a Duke Reid production, and this is Leslie Kong. With hindsight it can be argued that this tune is on the verge of becoming a Reggae track, it is clearly a Rock Steady, but there seems a fragility to the sound; and, like the Owl of Minerva, it would seem the spirit of Rock Steady has already departed into the new Reggae sound. One explanation of this could be that the [some] musicians had begun playing the reggae sound elsewhere and while the song itself calls for Rock Steady the inspiration is pulling them away in another direction.