Like the majority of ska, rocksteady, and early reggae producers in Jamaica,
Derrick Harriott had a thing for U.S. R&B. In the late '50s and early '60s, as a member of the singing group
the Jiving Juniors,
Harriott's vocals bore the stamp of soul luminaries like
Sam Cooke,
the Miracles, and
Curtis Mayfield. Likewise, soul figures prominently in the later
Harriott cuts heard on Trojan Records'
Step Softly, which not only includes his cover of the
Mayfield-penned
Jan Bradley hit "Mama Didn't Lie," but also features his excellent
Impressions-inspired, late-ska groover "The Jerk." The later hippie soul sound of
the Temptations' "Psychedelic Shack" also crops up, particularly on
the Chosen Few's "Psychedelic Train" (with
Harriott on lead vocal) and their cover of
Isaac Hayes' "Do Your Thing." Thankfully for variety's sake, there are also plenty of homegrown sounds on this collection of
Harriott-produced tracks from 1965-1972; among the 16 titles are excellent rocksteady instrumentals (
Bobby Ellis and the Crystalites' "Step Softly") and vocal numbers (Keith and Tex's classic "Stop That Train"), as well as fine version cuts of "Psychedelic Train" and "Do Your Thing" (including a masterful DJ reading by
I-Roy). And for some real rootsy moments, there are the bongo and bass workouts "Salaam" by
Bongo Herman, Les and Bunny and "Tough Version" by the Crystalites (the Crystalites were
Harriott's crack studio band and included Jamaican session greats like Lynn Tait,
Winston Wright, and
Val Bennett). Another fine title in Trojan's Producer Series,
Step Softly is a must for fans of ska, rocksteady, and early reggae.