Throwback 45s: Hugh Godfrey – My Time
The post Throwback 45s: Hugh Godfrey – My Time appeared first on Reggae Vibes.
Black News 
Throwback 45s: Hugh Godfrey – My Time
ARTIST: Hugh Godfrey
TITLE: Time
LABEL: Coxsone Records
YEAR: 1967
Time
Every now and then, you come across a Studio One tune that makes you stop and think, “How did this stay under the radar?” My Time by Hugh Godfrey is one of those. Coxsone released it in Jamaica and the UK, and these days it’s the kind of 7” collectors don’t pass up. You’ll often see it paired with Hound Dog by Norma Fraser (sometimes wrongly credited to Marcia Griffiths) or Cry To Me by The Wailers on labels like Coxsone Records and Studio 1.
The tune itself is a clever rework of The Clovers’ Love Potion No. 9, but Hugh Godfrey turns it into something fresh, with new lyrics and that unmistakable early Jamaican feel. It’s familiar, but it hits different.
Godfrey started in the early ’60s with The Moonlighters recording doo-wop sides, including the outstanding Going Out, for Coxsone Dodd. Then he formed The Velstars and took the lead, but success didn’t really follow. So, like many artists around that time, he stepped out solo as rocksteady was taking shape.
Studio One was all about singles then, so most of his work came on 7” rather than albums. Later on, some of his singles resurfaced on compilations like Studio One Ska Fever. And honestly, when you listen to songs like Mad World, You’re My Baby, and My Time, you can’t help but wonder why he didn’t go further. The voice was there, the songs were there, but timing just didn’t line up.
Around 1968, Hugh and his brother Neville joined forces with Peter Austin from The Clarendonians. You can hear the Godfrey brothers’ harmonies wrapping around Peter’s lead on songs like Lonely Heartaches, I’m Sorry, and Funny. Beautiful, emotional records that still hit today. It’s a small chapter in reggae’s history book, but well worth your time if you’re exploring that era.
The post Throwback 45s: Hugh Godfrey – My Time appeared first on Reggae Vibes.
