In the autumn of 1973 while at their High School parents open evening, Stephen McIntosh and his two class mates Joseph Francis and Charles Keymist were ordered into the schools music room as they just happened to be walking past. The reason being not one single music pupil had turned up to entertain the parents by demonstrating the schools music facilities. Whilst deputizing playing instruments and making noise or music as they like to put it, the seed was sown for a life long career in music, as 'The Cool-Notes' was born. Shortly after that Joseph 'JC' Charles and Loxsley Williams had joined.

The band originally was destined to become just an all boys 5 piece outfit, but it soon became evident that because of the bands style of melodic and sweet harmony arrangements which also led to the band becoming one of the leading acts in the newly created home grown reggae sounds of the British Lovers Rock movement in the mid to late 70's through until the early 80's, that by having girls in the band would become the winning formula to their success. So in 1975 Lauraine Smart and Heather Harewood became the latest members of the band making The Cool-Notes a 7 piece mixed group.