Lloyd Charmers

Biography

Lloyd Charmers, born Lloyd Tyrell (also spelled Terrell or Terell) on April 18, 1946, in Kingston, Jamaica, began his musical career in 1962 during Jamaica's Independence Year as part of the vocal duo the Charmers with Roy Willis, performing on Vere Johns' Talent Hour and recording hits with producers like Coxsone Dodd and Prince Buster, including 'Time After Time' and 'Oh Marie.' Guided early by Alton Ellis, who refined their harmonies, Charmers transitioned through ska and rocksteady, joining the influential trio the Uniques in 1967 with Slim Smith and Jimmy Riley, delivering classics like 'My Conversation,' 'Watch This Sound,' and 'People Rock Steady.' His style evolved into sophisticated soul-infused reggae, marked by falsetto vocals, organ playing, and pioneering sexually explicit 'slackness' lyrics in tracks like 'Bang Bang Lulu,' 'Birth Control,' and 'Yum Yum Pussy,' released under aliases like Lloydie and the Lowbites on his Censored albums.[1][2][3][4]

In the late 1960s, Charmers formed the session band Hippy Boys—featuring Aston 'Family Man' Barrett, Carlton Barrett, Glen Adams, and Alva Lewis—releasing the landmark instrumental album Psychedelic Reggae and hits like 'Zylon,' which later evolved into Lee 'Scratch' Perry's Upsetters. Entering production in the early 1970s, he founded the Splash Records label, yielding massive successes such as Ken Boothe's UK No. 1 'Everything I Own' (1974) and 'Crying Over You,' alongside work with artists like the Gaylads, B.B. Seaton, and Lloyd Parks using his Now Generation band. His productions stood out for intricate arrangements blending reggae with soul covers of artists like Isaac Hayes and Marvin Gaye, spanning ska, rocksteady, early reggae, lovers rock, and roots.[1][2][3]

Relocating to Britain in the late 1970s, Charmers continued recording and producing across lovers rock and disco until his death on December 27, 2012. His 50-year legacy as a versatile singer, keyboardist, songwriter, and producer—often undervalued—shaped Jamaican music's soulful, oily sound and introduced X-rated themes predating dancehall slackness, influencing global reggae appreciation through UK licensing deals with Pama and Trojan.[1][2][3][4]

Fun Facts

• Pioneered sexually explicit reggae lyrics nearly a decade before dancehall slackness, with X-rated hits like 'Yum Yum Pussy' and 'White Rum and Pum-Pum' under Lloydie and the Lowbites.
• His Hippy Boys band, including the Barrett brothers, released one of the earliest significant reggae instrumental albums, Psychedelic Reggae, and later became Lee Perry's Upsetters.
• Sold the 'Everything I Own' master to Trojan Records for £7,000, leading to Ken Boothe's UK No. 1 hit and a club tour.
• Known as Jamaica's answer to Blowfly and Rudy Ray Moore for his raunchy, comical Censored albums rivaling Judge Dread and Max Romeo in coarseness.

Associated Acts

• The Uniques
• The Charmers
• The Hippy Boys
• The Messengers
• The Charmers Dub Band

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Alton Ellis - Taught the Charmers how to hone their harmonies and introduced them to Coxsone Dodd (Early Charmers recordings at Studio One) [1962-1963]
• Coxsone Dodd - Key producer for early hits (Several hits for the Charmers) [Early 1960s]
• Prince Buster - Rival producer for notable recordings ('Time After Time') [Early 1960s]

Key Collaborators

• Roy Willis - Vocal duo partner in the Charmers (Early ska recordings including 'Oh Marie') [1962]
• Slim Smith - Vocal trio member in the Uniques ('My Conversation', 'Watch This Sound', 'People Rock Steady') [1967-1969]
• Jimmy Riley - Vocal trio member in the Uniques ('My Conversation', 'Watch This Sound', 'People Rock Steady') [1967-1969]
• Aston 'Family Man' Barrett - Bassist in Hippy Boys session band (Psychedelic Reggae album, 'Zylon') [1966-1969]
• Carlton Barrett - Drummer in Hippy Boys session band (Psychedelic Reggae album, 'Zylon') [1966-1969]
• Ken Boothe - Produced major hits via Splash label ('Everything I Own', 'Crying Over You') [Early 1970s]

Artists Influenced

• The Specials - Updated Charmers' 'Birth Control' into 'Too Much Too Young' ('Too Much Too Young') [Late 1970s]
• Lee 'Scratch' Perry - Hippy Boys morphed into his Upsetters band (Upsetters recordings) [Late 1960s]
• Bob Marley and the Wailers - Barrett brothers from Hippy Boys joined as core rhythm section (Wailers albums post-1970) [1970s onward]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

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