"A crying child may be smaller,but it is hard to see a big person cry. When you see a big man cry, then you know something is wrong"

The first of many harmony groups to come out of Kingston 11, formed in 1965. The members were Roy Cousins, Errol Green, Trevor McFarlane, Bertham Johnson, and Maurice Johnson. The others would leave, making way for 'Tall Roy' Cousins to be joined by Errol Wilson (who later sang with The Jays and Black Uhuru), Keith Smith, Ivan Rennee, all residents of Waterhouse.

The Royals recorded for Duke Reid and Federal in the mid-60s, and for Coxsone Dodd in 1967, though no releases were forthcoming until 1968 when they cut 'Never See Come See' for producer Joe Gibbs. The following year the group recorded 'Never Gonna Give You Up' for Byron Smith, 'Pick Out Me Eye', and, in 1969, '100 Pounds Of Clay' for Lloyd Daley.

Though they achieved a measure of popular, if not fiscal success with these records, Cousins disbanded the group and took a two year sabbatical. He eventually saved enough money from his job in the Jamaican Post Office to finance a self-produced single, 'Down Come The Rain', issued in Jamaica on his own Tamoki label. In 1973 the Royals again recorded the classic 'Pick Up The Pieces', the success of which prompted Coxsone to release his original version of the song, which had been languishing ignored since the group's stint with him in the late 60s. This too became very popular, particularly the rhythm which has been versioned countless times since.

More self self-produced releases followed throughout the decade including 'Promised Land', 'When You Are Wrong', 'Ghetto Man', 'Blacker Black', 'Only For A Time' and 'Sufferer Of The Ghetto', all collected on the essential Pick Up The Pieces, which ranks alongside the finest works of contemporaries like the Abyssinians, the Wailing Souls, and the Mighty Diamonds. Cousins also produced records by other artists, including 'Jah Jah Children' by the Kingstonians, 'Genuine Way' by Lloyd Ruddock (King Tubby's brother), 'Heart In Pain' by Vinni O'Brien, 'Monkey Fashion' by I Roy, and 'Way Of Life' by Gregory Isaacs, many included on the various artists set, Herb Dust Volume 1 (1983).

In 1975, the group split yet again, the rest of the group going on to record for Channel One as the Jays, Roy enlisted two new members with whom he recorded the single, 'Make Believe', followed by two more albums, ten Years After and israel be Wise, featuring Heptones Barry Llewelyn and Naggo Morris on harmonies. Cousins has been resident in the UK since theearly 1980s, concentrating mainly on producing other artists for his Wambesi and Dove labes, including the gaylads, Derrick Pitter, Cornell Campbell, Earl Sixteen ( Julia and crazy Woman), Prince Far I, Charlie Chaplin ( diet Rock) and Don Carlos ( Plantation).

Albums: Pick Up The Pieces (Magnum 1977) Ten Years After ( Ballistic 1978), Israel Be Wise (Ballistic 1978), Moving On (Kingdom 1983). Compliations: Royals Collection (Trojan 1983). Copyright: The Guinness Who's Who Of Reggae,Square Books Ltd. London, 1994.