Although their biggest hit, "Johnny Too Bad," is a Jamaican classic and was included on the soundtrack to The Harder They Come, the exact makeup and history of the Slickers is a tangled mare's nest of rumors and contradictions. The first single to appear under the Slickers name, "Nana," was produced by Neremiah Reid, and appears to have been actually recorded on the sly by members of the Pioneers.
Derrick Crooks was a member of the nascent Pioneers (along with his brother Sydney Crooks), and seems to have formed the actual Slickers around 1965 with Winston Bailey, although the group essentially consisted of Crooks and hired guns he enlisted to sing with him. A young singer named Abraham Green (later known as Ras Abraham) is said to have handled the lead vocal on "Johnny Too Bad" when it was recorded for producer Byron Lee in 1970.
Nothing concerning the Slickers seems to be written in stone, however, and half-informed conjecture about the group's makeup and history seems to be the norm. "Johnny Too Bad" became a legendary song after its inclusion on the Harder soundtrack, and countless versions have been recorded by other musicians in a variety of styles, including a disco mix rendition credited to the Slickers themselves. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-slickers-mn0000501622/biography
3 Comments (since 20 Mar 2014)
music_xplosion
Although their biggest hit, "Johnny Too Bad," is a Jamaican classic and was included on the soundtrack to The Harder They Come, the exact makeup and history of the Slickers is a tangled mare's nest of rumors and contradictions. The first single to appear under the Slickers name, "Nana," was produced by Neremiah Reid, and appears to have been actually recorded on the sly by members of the Pioneers.
music_xplosion
Derrick Crooks was a member of the nascent Pioneers (along with his brother Sydney Crooks), and seems to have formed the actual Slickers around 1965 with Winston Bailey, although the group essentially consisted of Crooks and hired guns he enlisted to sing with him. A young singer named Abraham Green (later known as Ras Abraham) is said to have handled the lead vocal on "Johnny Too Bad" when it was recorded for producer Byron Lee in 1970.
music_xplosion
Nothing concerning the Slickers seems to be written in stone, however, and half-informed conjecture about the group's makeup and history seems to be the norm. "Johnny Too Bad" became a legendary song after its inclusion on the Harder soundtrack, and countless versions have been recorded by other musicians in a variety of styles, including a disco mix rendition credited to the Slickers themselves. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-slickers-mn0000501622/biography