The Silvertones exemplify a style of harmony singing which dominated the rocksteady and reggae scenes of the 1960s.
“Raindrops” is more rocksteady than reggae. Rocksteady can be viewed as the intermediary of ska and reggae, smoothing the transition between the fast bounce of ska and the slow step of reggae.
It can be hard to pin down exactly where rocksteady ends and early reggae begins, because the styles are similar. In many ways, rocksteady does just sound like an early form of reggae. The bass is emphasised less, and the drums are more simple.
The lyrics of the song are about love, typical of much of the genre. It takes a lot of influence from the U.S. R’n’B scene in that respect, and also stylistically.
The vocal harmony is the defining feature of the song, but there’s also a nice horn riff!
“Raindrops” was released in 1966, in both Jamaica and the U.K.
I need these lyrics!!!