On The Right Track (featuring Webber Sisters)

Raised in a musical family in Kingston, Jamaica, Merlene Webber (also credited as Merline, Merlyn, or Marlene) first came to prominence singing with her sister Cynthia (“Joyce”) Webber as the Webber Sisters, one of the island’s earliest female vocal duos to record in the rocksteady and early reggae eras. Over the course of her career, she has also been a member of or recorded with The Spanish Town Skabeats, The Soul Sisters, The Spanishtonians, and The Tonetts, reflecting her versatility across ska, rocksteady, reggae, and soul.

The Webber Sisters performed extensively in Jamaica before Cynthia relocated to Toronto, Ontario in 1969. Merlene soon followed, establishing herself in the city’s Caribbean music scene. The sisters continued to collaborate, releasing I & I Love You Honey (1982) on Black Eagle/Micron Music Canada and Sweet Soul and Inspiration in the late 1970s (UK, Ronnie Bop), along with dozens of singles that spanned soul covers, gospel-inflected numbers, and original reggae compositions.

As a solo artist, Merlene’s key recordings include Once You Hit the Road (1976) — credited as Merlyn Webber with Skin Flesh & Bone — and On the Right Track (1978), produced and arranged by Lloyd Campbell with co-production from Joe Fraser and backed by The Revolutionaries at Joe Gibbs and Treasure Isle Studios. The latter album paired originals like “Right Track,” “Forget the Past,” and “No More Running” with inspired adaptations such as “He Will Have to Stay” and her celebrated version of “The First Cut Is the Deepest.”

In 2023, Merlene’s work reached new audiences when Sid Bucknor opened his compilation Sisters of Soul with two of her recordings from the 1970s: “Dream Dream (All I Have to Do Is Dream)” and “Stand By Your Man.” The inclusion cemented her place among the most emotive and versatile female voices of the reggae era.

Now based in Toronto, Ontario, Merlene Webber’s legacy bridges the roots of ska and rocksteady in Jamaica with the vibrant reggae and soul scene in Canada, making her a vital link in both musical histories.
-Robert Williston

Merline Webber: vocals
Cynthia Webber: vocals

Backing band: The Revolutionaries

Written by P. Dillon (“Right Track”); L. Dillon (“Forget the Past”); M. Webber (“No More Running”); Lloyd Campbell, Rhoden (“May Be the Next Time”); C. Steven (“The First Cut Is the Deepest”); Skeeter Davis, Audrey Allison, Charles Grean, Joe Allison (“He Will Have to Stay”)
All other titles adapted

Produced by Ronald Ried
Produced and arranged by Lloyd Campbell
Co-produced by Joe Fraser
Recorded at Joe Gibbs Studio and Treasure Isle Recording Studios
Engineered by Errol Brown
Remix engineered by Errol Thompson
Executive producer: Jim Small

Cover design by Jeff Browne
Photography by Carib Foto Studio

Manufactured and distributed by Future City Production and Record Corner
Canadian distribution by Beverly Records

Special thanks for the musical backings of The Revolutionaries