Rocksteady legendary group The Melodians is back in the game with a new single, the trio’s first release since the death of founder Trevor McNaughton two years ago.

The single, I’ll Take You Where The Music’s Playing, is a cover of a 1965 hit by The Drifters. McNaughton, who died in November 2018, appears on the version by The Melodians’, which is produced by Willie Lindo.

Winston Dias and Taurus Alphonso, members of the trio, stressed the importance of keeping the legacy of The Melodians alive.

“There are millions of people out there who love The Melodians. Being out there is not about money; it’s about honouring the memories of Trevor and the other founders,” said Dias.

The recently released version of I’ll Take You Where The Music’s Playing is a remix of the single they did for The Return of The Melodians, a 2017 album which entered the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart.

The current version hears new member Lee Milo making his debut on drums. Milo is a 40-year veteran of the reggae scene in South Florida, where Dias and Alphonso also reside.

Lindo plays guitar on the track, with Robbie Shakespeare on bass and Lindo’s son Kashief playing keyboards.

“We did a remix to put a new sheen on The Melodians, something to show that we are still around in 2020,” said Alphonso.

He and Dias joined McNaughton in the group after the deaths of original members Brent Dowe and Tony Brevett in 2006 and 2013, respectively.

The group formed in 1963 in Greenwich Farm, Kingston, and had a number of hit songs during the rocksteady era that decade. Most of those songs, including Little Nut Tree and Swing And Dine, were done for producer Duke Reid at Treasure Isle.

The group’s best-known song is By The Rivers of Babylon, produced by Leslie Kong.

The new-look Melodians debuted at the Red Rose For Gregory show in Kingston last February.

— Howard Campbell