World of Jamaican Music

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An illustrated map of the creators of Jamaican music and how they are connected.

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The Maytones

Vernon Buckley
Sunrise Clarendon, Jamaica
Gladstone "Son" Grant

Band. Reggae

Active
1968-present

The Maytones were a duo, Vernon Buckley and Gladstone "Son" Grant, neighbors in May Pen, Clarendon, which is where the name came from. They recorded almost entirely for Alvin "GG" Ranglin between the late 1960s and 1981, and were among the most consistent harmony acts of the roots years without ever breaking through abroad.

Buckley moved to Kingston first and sang behind Trevor Lloyd, who appears to have introduced him to Ranglin around 1967. The first singles, in 1968, were self-produced and credited to Buckley alone, mostly on his own VB label, and none of them sold. Ranglin then took over as manager and producer, relaunching his GG's label in the same year. "Billy Goat" got attention and "Loving Reggae" gave them their first hit; "Funny Man" and a cover of "Black and White," a hit that year for Greyhound, followed in 1971.

Their material turned cultural in the early 1970s, in "Cleanliness," "Bongo Man Rise," "Judas," "Babylon a Fall" and "Run Babylon," and in "Little Boy Blue," which Judge Dread versioned into a career. "Madness" was a British hit in 1976 and gave its name to their first album; Greatest Hits followed in 1977, Boat to Zion in 1978 and One Way, co-produced by Buckley, in 1979. The records were cut at Channel One and at Joe Gibbs's and Harry J's with the session players of the rockers era, among them Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, Style Scott, Winston Wright, Vin Gordon and Sticky Thompson. On the strength of the Mighty Diamonds' success, Ranglin billed them for a period as the Mighty Maytones.

"Money Worries" was included on the soundtrack to Rockers, which gave them their widest exposure. Ranglin's attention moved to other acts, no British label picked them up, and the duo ended in 1981 when Buckley moved to Canada.

Last updated October 23, 2026

Connections

Notes

  1. Peter I, "The Maytones: Madness Upon the Land (The Interview)," Reggae Vibes, July 29, 2024 (interview conducted January 2003), https://www.reggae-vibes.com/articles/interview/2024/07/the-maytones-madness-upon-the-land-the-interview/. "The Maytones," Wikipedia, accessed October 3, 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Maytones.
  2. The Rough Guide calls Buckley and Grant "the leading exponents of the rural style of reggae - a simple approach that has always enjoyed a much greater following in Jamaica itself than among the island's sophisticated expatriates," and credits Ranglin's rural style "particularly" to "hits from the Maytones, with whom Ranglin originally sang." Steve Barrow and Peter Dalton, The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd ed. (London: Rough Guides, 2004), 114. Buckley called the idea that Ranglin had been a member "propaganda," saying he sang one song with him when a session singer failed. Peter I, "Madness Upon the Land."
  3. Buckley described Trevor Lloyd as "a guy from Kingston" who came to work in May Pen, recorded with the duo there, and "was the one who get in touch with Ranglin." Peter I, "Madness Upon the Land."
  4. No release on a VB label was found. Buckley recalled the duo's first session, the rocksteady "A Little Bit of This" and "Land of Music," as songs rehearsed for Ranglin and cut at Studio One with the Soul Vendors. Peter I, "Madness Upon the Land." Wikipedia, citing David Katz, says two Studio One tracks went unreleased. "The Maytones." A 1969 single is credited to "Vernon Buckley & Alvin Ranglin." "Vernon Buckley & Alvin Ranglin: Everybody Reggae / Another Fool," Discogs, accessed October 3, 2026, https://www.discogs.com/release/12295401.
  5. "Billy Goat" was issued in 1968 on GG's, credited to the Maytones. "The Maytones: Billy Goat / You Didn't Love Me," Discogs, accessed October 3, 2026, https://www.discogs.com/release/11254103. Buckley said Ranglin managed the group with his sister. Peter I, "Madness Upon the Land."
  6. Buckley named "Loving Reggay" as their debut 45 as the Maytones and said "Funny Man" reached number one. Peter I, "Madness Upon the Land." The Rough Guide calls "Loving Reggae" "one of their first successes." Barrow and Dalton, Rough Guide to Reggae, 114. Wikipedia, citing Colin Larkin, dates "Black and White" to 1971. "The Maytones." Katz names "the Maytones' Funny Man, for Alvin Ranglin" among the records the drummer Winston Grennan played on. David Katz, "Winston Grennan," Guardian, November 8, 2000, https://www.theguardian.com/news/2000/nov/08/guardianobituaries.
  7. "Babylon A Fall" came out on a GG's imprint in 1969. Peter I, "Madness Upon the Land." "Little Boy Blue" was issued as by Verne and Son. "Verne And Son: Little Boy Blue," Discogs, accessed October 3, 2026, https://www.discogs.com/release/3623994. Judge Dread's "Big Six," his first UK hit, was "based on Verne & Son's 'Little Boy Blue.'" "Big Six (song)," Wikipedia, accessed October 3, 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Six_(song).
  8. The Rough Guide calls "Madness" "their one best-selling record in the UK." Barrow and Dalton, Rough Guide to Reggae, 114. The Madness album appeared on GG's in 1975 and on Burning Sounds in Britain in 1976; Maytones Greatest Hits (1977) was recorded at Channel One. "Mighty Maytones: Madness," Discogs, accessed October 3, 2026, https://www.discogs.com/release/1879636; "The Maytones: Maytones Greatest Hits," Discogs, accessed October 3, 2026, https://www.discogs.com/release/11819436. The One Way sleeve credits Ranglin alone as producer; Buckley said Ranglin was rarely at the sessions. "The Maytones: One Way," Discogs, accessed October 3, 2026, https://www.discogs.com/release/4209372. Peter I, "Madness Upon the Land."
  9. The One Way sleeve lists Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, Winston Wright and Sticky Thompson. "The Maytones: One Way." Buckley also named Gladstone Anderson, Theophilus Beckford, Style Scott, Flabba Holt and Jackie Jackson, and said most of the work was done at Channel One. Peter I, "Madness Upon the Land."
  10. Peter I, "Madness Upon the Land." Wikipedia credits the idea to Ranglin and Clement Bushay. "The Maytones."
  11. Peter I, "Madness Upon the Land."
  12. Wikipedia dates the end of the duo to 1980. "The Maytones." Buckley said he first came to Canada with the group for shows and stayed after marrying; he dated Only Your Picture, with Grant still in the group, to around 1980. Peter I, "Madness Upon the Land." The duo did have a British outlet in Burning Sounds, which issued Madness in 1976. "Mighty Maytones: Madness."

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