Barry Llewellyn and Earl Morgan formed The Heptones in 1965. The group’s lineup went through several changes before Leroy Sibbles joined them. With Leroy Sibbles as lead singer, legendary Studio One producer Coxsone Dodd showed an interest in the trio, and they enjoyed instant success with Fatty Fatty. During the rocksteady era at studio One they scored a string of hits with songs like I Hold The Handle, I’ve Got A Feeling, Why Must I, and Baby. They more or less became an integral part of Coxsone’s Studio One set up. On the group’s debut album Fattie Fattie, both Barry Llewellyn and Earl Morgan also came up with the occasional song and lead vocal.
The early 1980s saw the release of some fine sets, first the 1982 On The Run lp, a year later followed by Back On Top, released by Vista Sounds in the UK. The set was produced by The Heptones and recorded at several studios, with the help of some of Jamaica’s finest musicians such as Robbie Shakespeare, Flabba Holt, Bingy Bunny, Winston Wright and Style Scott. Recording was also done in New York by Lloyd ‘Bullwackie’ Barnes.