The Tennors' Ska classic "Weather Report" adapts Simon and Garfunkle's "Only Living Boy in New York"

The Tennors were formed in Kingston, Jamaica in the mid-1960's by singer George "Clive" Murphy who formed a duo with Maurice "Professor" Johnson. At first they called themselves the Tennor Twins. In the back of a taxicab they auditioned a song called "Pressure and Slide" for arranger Jackie Mittoo from the legendary Studio One. Murphy and Johnson were then joined by Norman Davis, and the trio recorded the song backed by Mittoo. "Pressure and Slide" went on to be on of the major Jamaican hits in 1967

The Tennors left the Studio One label and formed their own label growing their own stable of artists. Johnson died accidentally and the trio was reduced back to a duo, with Murphy and Davis continued as songwriters. They shopped around their song, "Ride Yu Donkey", to a number of artists, all of whom turned it down, but ended up recording it themselves. When the song was subsuquently released in 1968 it was a huge hit.

Ronnie Davis joined the group in 1968 making them a trio again. Over the years other singers were in the Tennors included Nehemiah Davis, George Dekker, Howard Spencer, and Hilton Wilson. The trio backed singer Jackie Bernard on "Another Scorcher", and moved towards reggae with the song "Reggae Girl". Under Sonia Pottinger, they recorded "Gee Whiz" and "Give Me Bread".

In 1970, they worked with Treasure Isle producer Duke Reid on the song "Hopeful Village". It was a big hit and won the group the Best Performer title at that year's Jamaican Independence Song Festival. 

Ska, was Jamaica's first indigenous urban pop style. First pioneered by the operators of powerful mobile discos called sound systems, ska evolved in the late 1950's from an early Jamaican form of rhythm and blues that emulated American rhythm and blues, especially that produced in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

Long wave radio from centres like New Orleans and Galveston, Texas (which was the furthest southern point in the United States) deeply influnced Jamaican music. You can hear the influence of artists like Fats Domino, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles and country guitar slinger Buck Owens and the Buckaroos throughout Jamaican music particularly early Ska. 

Bob Marley's own early ska sides with Studio One (recorded from 1963-1966), are a too-often overlooked part of the group's oeuvre. In the mid-'60s, they were evolving (like most of their contemporaries) from the galloping ska sound, influenced by American Rhythm & Blues,  that had ruled the Jamaican dancehalls for the previous five years into the slower, into the thicker rhythm that would come to be called Rocksteady (and would later slow and thicken further into Reggae). 

Generally when you talk about American music that influenced Reggae it's, as mentioned, R&B (particularly Motown), early Rock 'n' Roll or Country- but rarely Folk. (Although Toots & The Maytals version of John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" is another good example).  Simon and Garfunkel don't immediately come to mind. Yet, that's exactly how The Tennors got their final hit. 

In 1973 the band worked one last time with Duke Reid on "Weather Report" where they adapted Simon and Garfunkel's "The Only Living Boy in New York". Had he been aware of it, which might be doubtful, Paul Simon, who was by then thoroughly interested and highly educated about the business of music, would have no doubt been furious. Or pleasantly honoured. At least someone was ripping off his ethnic music for once. 

The first two verses of "The Only Living Boy In New York" are:

"Tom, get your plane right on time

I know your part'll go fine

Fly down to Mexico

Doh-n-doh-de-doh-n-doh

And here I am

The only living boy in New York

I get the news I need

On the weather report

Oh, I can gather all the news I need

On the weather report

Hey, I've got nothing to do today

But smile, de-doh-n-doh-de-doh

And here I am

The only living boy in New York"

Whereas, the lyrics to "Weather Report" by The Tennors are:

"Go get your plane right on time 

I know your body will be fine

Fly down the country way 

De-doh-n-doh-de-doh

Here I am

De-doh-n-doh-de-doh

Here I am

You're the only little girl in my hometown

I can gather all the news I need on the Weather Report

News on the Weather

I can gather all the news I need on the Weather Report

News I need on the Weather

Hey I've got nothing to do today but smile

De-doh-n-doh-de-doh

Here I am

De-doh-n-doh-de-doh

Here I am

You're the only little girl in my hometown"

After that, the group folded. Murphy emigrated to the United States and started a solo career under the name Clive Tennors. He released a solo album, Ride Yu Donkey, in 1991.