The Termites

The career of The Termites started around 1966. Their name came on after a joke when Vernal started to play the piano and found his "blocks" eaten by termites. They scored a big hit "Have Mercy Mr. Percy", a plea for leniency from a landlord. Furthermore they had a song on one of the most important rocksteady compilations Get Ready Rock Steady (US) (opens in a new tab), called "Last Love". Their voices harmonized and fitted perfect over the slower rocksteady beats. They also included a little doo-wop touch in their rhythms. Only a few of their recordings got versioned. They recorded an album for Studio One and also had distribution in the U.K. via Pama Records where they released "Show Me The Way / What Can I Do". They mostly worked with producer Clement "Coxsone" Dodd. They split up around 1969. Wentworth Vernal left the music scene, Lloyd Parks continued as a bass player, producer and singer over the years.