Day 214 of 365 Day Jamaican Music Challenge - Slim Smith - Rougher Yet

The late Slim Smith, born Keith Smith, was a founding member of the vocal group The Techniques who recorded for Duke Reid during the heyday of the ska era.  In 1965 the group broke up and Slim Smith went on to put together The Uniques who put out a stack of tunes on Ken Lack's Caltone label.  Two years later the original Uniques parted ways and were reassembled by adding Jimmy Riley and Lloyd Charmers and had a string of hits including "Watch This Sound" and "My Conversation" which I rank right up there as one of the nicest tunes ever recorded, for Bunny Lee.  But after their album Absolutely The Uniques was released, Slim Smith had another change of heart and left the band to pursue a solo career.  In 1969 he hopped into the studio with Prince Buster and Coxsone Dodd with whom he created some of Jamaica's greatest vocal recordings ever.  Sadly, Slim Smith died in 1973 after bleeding to death when he lacerated his arm on a broken window while trying to gain entry into his parent's home... yet another beautiful voice silenced way too soon.  Today's track "Rougher Yet" recorded at Studio One in 1969 and originally released as a 7" on the Coxson label.  The backing riddim often referred to as either Rougher Yet or Love Bump, after the DJ Lone Ranger's take of the same name, is one of my personal favorites!  More on Lone Ranger's version tomorrow...