Marco On The Bass

Madness Confirmed To Play San Diego on Tuesday April 17th

2012-01-29T10:11:00.003-05:00

News out today should warm the hearts of Madness and ska fans across the U.S., Humphrey's By The Bay, a well known concert venue in San Diego, has announced that the Nutty Boys are confirmed for a show there on Tuesday April 17th. Tickets for the show start at $48 and there are dinner show and premium suite packages that range from $115 to $499! If you live in or near San Diego, I suggest you move quickly to get tickets as I suspect this will sell out FAST!

Hopefully this announcement means that more shows (and more shows outside California -- hint hint don't forget New York City kind Madness booking agents!) are in the works for the long anticipated Madness tour of the U.S. Its been seven years since the band toured here under their alter ego The Dangermen. It looks like the long wait may be over...

UB40 Preview Wille Nelson's 'Blue Eues Crying In The Rain' Live: Song Slated For New Album

2012-01-28T12:50:00.001-05:00

UB40 are proving to be a resilient lot. Despite some negative press around the news that members of the band had to declare bankruptcy this past fall, the band are currently on a short European tour and are putting the finishing touches on a new album of original tracks and at least one cover (it wouldn't be UB40 without a cover right!) that should be out this Spring.

The band previewed that cover track, Willie Nelson's 'Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain' last night at a show in the Netherlands and its caused a stir among the hard core UB40 faithful known as 'Loonies'. The song became Nelson's first number one hit as a singer in October, 1975, and at year's end was the third-biggest song on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" #302 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

UB40 have given the Nelson classic a nice spin through their well oiled reggae riddim machine and the Campbell brothers (Robin and Duncan) harmonize quite nicely a la a blue-eyed reggae version of the Everly Brothers. Its all topped off with a nice bit of slide guitar over the band's patented loping bass and drums, making it a serious contender for a new fan favorite among the band's many popular cover songs. Its got crossover radio radio hit written all over it, but alas, who still listens to the radio these day?

Have a look and listen and let me know what you think.

Fishbone To Perform on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! Monday January 30th

2012-01-27T08:53:00.000-05:00

Life is good for Fishbone in 2012! The band have a new EP 'Crazy Glue' out, a February tour and a band documentary, 'Everyday Sunshine' about to finally be available to the masses. To celebrate all this well deserved good fortune, the band is slated to perform live this Monday, January 30th on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' on ABC. If you live in the LA area, you can be part of the studio audience by reserving free tickets online.

In addition to this exciting news, in celebration of Black History Month during February, 'Everyday Sunshine' will finally become available for digital download via iTunes starting February 1st, 2012 and the DVD with over 100 minutes of bonus features will be released on February 21st, 2012 through all major retailers nationwide including Amazon, Best Buy and more. Pre-orders are now available directly from the filmmakers on the documentary's website. Read my interview with the filmmakers from 2010 when the documentary was first released in limited release.

Check out video for the insanely catchy 'Crazy Glue' below:

Madness Release Ska Collection 'Forever Young': Features Two Unreleased Tracks

2012-01-26T14:37:00.001-05:00

In what is likely a teaser for the long awaited announcement of U.S. tour dates this spring, Madness has announced an early April release date for 'Forever Young - The Ska Collection'. The 24 track album will feature ska and ska influenced tracks from across the band's entire massive catalog, with an emphasis on many of their classic Nutty Boy anthems ‘Baggy Trousers’, ‘One Step Beyond…’, ‘Night Boat To Cairo’, ‘The Prince’, ‘Swan Lake’ and many more.

While Madness branched out from their initial embrace of ska to become a massive mainstream pop act and the most successful singles band of the ‘80s, they have always kept ska close to their hearts (e.g., see Suggs solo singles and Lee Thompson's Ska Orchestra) the genre can be heard on every single one of their studio albums including their most recent, ‘The Liberty Of Norton Folgate’.

Of particular interest to hard core fans will be the inclusion of two previously unreleased tracks; a cover of Jimmy Cliff’s ‘Vietnam’ and a rollicking version of Edvard Grieg’s ‘In The Hall Of The Mountain King’. As a bonus, the album includes a special fold-out poster booklet and liner notes featuring new interviews with Chrissy Boy and Lee Thompson.

Dave Wakeling of The English Beat Records Two Songs For An Episode Of Scooby Doo!!

2012-01-24T20:36:00.003-05:00

In case you missed this rather amazing bit of 2-Tone-related ska news from earlier this month, Dave Wakeling of The English Beat has revealed that he and his California-based band have just finished recording two songs that will be used in an upcoming episode of Scooby Doo!

According to an interview Wakeling conducted with the San Francisco Examiner, the tunes, will feature in a ghoulish battle-of-the-bands episode pitting a zombie ska band versus recurring Scooby Doo musical combo the Hex Girls. “This was my first opportunity to do anything for television as a gun for hire, and I actually managed to record and mix two songs in 12 hours. It was like running at double speed with no brakes, but it was exciting, and Warner Bros. really loved them. So the zombies have a song called ‘You’re Dead Right, Mate,’ and the Hex Girls have one called ‘We’re the Good Bad Girls,’ which has a definite Ramones-Runaways vibe to it,” says Wakeling. “But frankly, I’m really happy I did it, because I’ve always loved ‘Scooby-Doo."

Check out a picture of Wakeling in the studio taken during the Scooby Doo recording session:

In other Wakeling/English Beat news, the band are readying a re-release of their entire back catalog. The General Public back catalog is also slated for a re-release. This begs the eternal question -- will Wakeling and Ranking Roger follow in the steps of The Specials and join forces one again for a reunion? Only time will tell.

In the meantime keep you eyes open for that ska themed episode of Scooby Doo!

Mr. Anonymous Teams With Ranking Roger & Ranking Jr. Of The Beat On 'Champion Sound'

2012-01-24T16:20:00.002-05:00

It's a long way from the jam band environs of Boulder Colorado to Birmingham, England, but Mr. Anonymous (AKA Jeep MacNichol) has made the physical and musical journey to create and record a new album 'Champion Sound' with Ranking Roger and Ranking Jr. of The Beat. Calling the project, "...a mix of The Clash’s Black Market Clash and Miles Davis’s Kind Of Blue meets The Police's 'Regatta De Blanc," the album is the third in a trilogy of records that MacNichol has recorded and released with a variety of his ska and reggae music heroes. His first self-titled CD called 'Mr Anonymous' was released in 2005. The second 'Mr Anonymous 2' came out in 2009.

MacNichol cut his musical chops as the drummer for The Samples in the 1990's when the band was at its peak and building a large and loyal audience from its regular slot on the HORDE tour and its sold out national tours across the U.S. (featuring an unknown opening act named the Dave Matthews Band). Though The Samples fell more squarely into the jam band scene of Phish, Blues Travellers and Dave Matthews Band, MacNichol brought a strong ska and reggae sensibility to the band that can be heard throughout their music.

After leaving The Samples in 1997, MacNichol recorded two solo records and toured the U.S. four times. His second solo record included Michael Rose of Black Uhuru on two tracks and this gave him the inspiration for the Mr. Anonymous project. MacNichol tracked the first 'Mr. Anonymous' album during a ten-week period in 2003 that involved three separate trips to Jamaica. Teaming up with music legends Sly and Robbie, Bounty Killer, Black Uhuru's Michael Rose and Dave Wakeling from The English Beat, he created a unique blend of reggae, trip-hop and dub. He followed the first CD up with volume number two which fit nicely into the footsteps of its predecessor featuring an eclectic and creative endeavor that fuses reggae, dancehall, dub, hip-hop and electronica in unique and surprising ways.

I've always been a huge fan of the understated majesty of 'Good Vibe' that MacNichol crafted for the first 'Mr Anonymous' album with Dave Wakeling and Michael Rose of Black Uhuru. It sounds like a lost track from 'Special Beat Service'.

MacNichol's latest, 'Champion Sound' explores new musical territory, blending trippy, psychedelic vibes, with the combination reggae chatting style of Ranking Roger and his talented son Ranking Jr. There is a fresh organic feel to the songs that feature only live instruments and that touch on reggae, dub, soca, and jazz. MacNichol has also decided to make 'Champion Sound' (and all his music for that matter) free. In a post to his web site, he explained, "I tried the traditional route with my first 2 releases, hired publicists, signed to 2 different labels and solicited every other record label in existence, management companies, and booking agencies and the result was me staring at boxes full of cd’s in my living room with less than 400 sales(no joke). They made great coffee tables, and I named one of them “Kevin”, but things ran their course. And now since my music has been free, I’ve had thousands of downloads(just hit 12,000) and there’s been a smooth free flow of my songs going directly to the ones who REALLY want to check them out."

I urge you to give 'Champion Sound' a listen (download link below). MacNichol clearly loves ska and reggae and true to form he is constantly looking for ways to expand the sound by injecting other sounds into it. While its not straight up ska or reggae, there is enough going on musically to capture the attention of open minded fans of those genres. Long-time fans of The Beat and Ranking Roger will also certainly enjoy hearing the iconic toaster and his son Ranking Jr. expanding their own musical boundaries with a sound that comes close to some of the musical experiments the original version of The Beat (see 'Psychedelic Rockers, 'Hit It') tried out.

Mr Anonymous - Champion Sound

Radiation Across The Nation!: Roddy 'Radiation' Byers of The Specials To Tour U.S.

2012-01-20T11:12:00.001-05:00

If you missed The Specials during their quick stops in New York, Los Angeles and Toronto during their 2010 tour, I have some great news for you! Roddy 'Radiation' Byers, the iconic lead guitarist of the Specials and the songwriter of 'Concrete Jungle,' 'Rat Race,' and 'Hey Little Rich Girl,' has just announced a limited engagement 'Rebellion America Tour' of California and the Southwestern U.S. this February and March. He will be backed by an American version of his band, the Skabilly Rebels, that will feature Danny Dean of The Homewreckers.

Byers is slated to play a total of 12 shows on this leg of the tour, that will feature a mix of his favorite tunes by The Specials and many of his own songs written for The Skabilly Rebels, that showcase the ska/punk/rockabilly sound he invented with The Specials. The tour kicks off on February 23rd, 2012 and will go until March 11th, 2012. More dates and venues will be announced this week, and will include stops across California, Reno and Phoenix. Rumors are that Byers may plan to hit the East Coast of the U.S. later this year.

Tickets are on sale right now for shows on March 2nd at The Casbah in San Diego, March 3rd at the Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa, and March 8th at The Mint in Los Angeles. Fans can receive up to the minute tour date information at www.roddyradiation.com.

Madness and Jimmy Cliff To Play 2012 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival!

2012-01-13T11:02:00.001-05:00

In news that will warm the heart of ska and reggae fans across the U.S., Madness and Jimmy Cliff with Tim Armstrong of Rancid have both been announced as part of the 2012 Coachella Valley Music & Arts festival.

In a stroke of genius (and a way that allows more fans to see the festival line-up) the 2012 festival is taking place over two weekends in April--and the exact same line-up for each day will play twice in a row over the two weekends. So, Madness and Jimmy Cliff will appear together on April 13 and April 20th. Tickets go on sale this weekend.

Prior to Coachella, Madness are playing the Vive Latino Festival in Mexico City on March 23-25, 2012. Other Madness North American dates are rumored to be in the works and with a week long break between the two Coachella dates I would expect, at the very least that a few more West Coast dates will be announced. Here's to hoping the band decides to make a stop in New York City on their way to or from California.

Cliff has been on a whirlwind tour of television and radio shows across the U.S. the last few weeks to promote his new 'Sacred Fire' EP which features Armstrong. Armed with just his acoustic guitar he has been playing a mix of his iconic origins, new tunes from the EP and his cover of The Clash's 'Guns Of Brixton'. Watch a few performances below.

Marco On The Bass Back On Line!

2012-01-12T08:13:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all Marco On The Bass blog readers. Apologies that I have been quiet for a few weeks. Life has been a bit hectic but I have lots of ska and reggae goodness to share so stay tuned as more posts will be on line this week!

Thanks for your patience!

Marco On The Bass Takes A Look Back At The Year In Ska 2011

2012-01-01T09:50:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to all readers of the Marco On The Bass blog! While 2011 was a stressful year for most people (continued job losses, mounting unemployment rates, continued home foreclosures) it's going to be very hard to top when it comes to ska. There was an unbelievable cornucopia of 2-Tone era band tours, shows, books, media coverage and new albums and music to enjoy. In fact, the amount of ska related developments came so fast and furious at times, it was hard to keep up because there was so much to write about. So in that time honored tradition of looking back at the year that was, here is my totally subjective, top 11 Marco On The Bass ska highlights countdown of 2011.

11. King Hammond visits New York City!
Ska renaissance man Nick Welsh revived his King Hammond moniker in 2010 and since that time has been prolific releasing three albums (The King and I, Jacuzzi, and Showbiz) and two vinyl EPs ("Riot in London Town" and "Hey, Mr. DJ") of some of the best skinhead and dirty reggae around. Welsh made a quick trip over to New York in early December to show us Yanks what we have been missing.

10. The Toasters celebrate their 30th Anniversary
The Toasters celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2011 with a tour of the U.S. While the band are known around the world for carrying the ska torch and Bucket long ago moved his home base to Spain in order to tour Europe more easily, New York still remains the band's spiritual home and its where Bucket often honors the band's legacy. To mark the occasion, the band played a show in Brooklyn earlier this year and was was joined by its former toaster/vocalist Coolie Ranx (who appeared on the Dub 56 and Hard Band Fe Dead albums) for an extended version of one of their most popular and iconic tracks 'Run Rudy Run' taken from their first 'Recriminations' EP (which was produced by Joe Jackson). The band is about to embark on another U.S. tour.

9. Books, books and more books about ska!
Was it me or were there more and more books about ska and ska bands available to read in 2011? Pauline Black of The Selecter set the bar high with her no holds barred autobiography 'Black By Design' which recounts her experiences growing up as a bi-racial child adopted by a white family in 60's era Britain. It also takes an unflinching look at her life and times in the early days of the birth of 2-Tone and The Selecter. I was also a fan and regular reader of Horace Panter's blog on The Specials website titled 'Specials U.K. Tour By Sir Horace Gentleman'. The posts are detailed updates -- part travelogue and part tour diary -- of The Specials experiences on their very last U.K. tour (at least until 2013) and picked up where Panter's excellent read 'Ska'd For Life' left off.

Fans of 2-Tone can look forward to two more books in 2012. Lynval Golding, the guitarist and prime mover behind The Specials successful 3 year reunion is collaborating with Paul 'Willo' Williams author of the definitive history of the band 'You're Wondering Now -- The Specials from Conception to Reunion'. The two have been meeting together for several months and are in the early stages of mapping out Lynval's story and perspective on the band and his life changing experiences playing music. The current working title of the book is 'Back In Time'.

Madness fans can look forward to a tome from lead vocalist Graham McPherson (A.K.A Suggs). The book is due out in the Fall of 2012. U.K. publishing house Quercus announced that they had purchased the world wide rights to Suggs' autobiography. This will not be Suggs first book writing adventure. He previously authored 'Suggs And The City: My Journey's Through Disappearing London' in 2009. The book was billed as the Madness frontman's personal guided tour of the unseen nooks and crannies of his London hometown.

8. Hollie Cook the new face of U.K. reggae?
After playing her eponymous album over and over this summer, I can say without hesitation that Hollie Cook (daughter of Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook) could be the new face of reggae! Her album, produced by none other than Price Fatty, was the soundtrack to my summer and is without a doubt the finest UK reggae set of 2011.

7. Meet America's Finest 2-Tone Band -- The Crombies!
Combining their love of ska, reggae, punk, and rock, The Crombies may be the finest American 2-Tone All-Star tribute band I've ever seen or heard! Founded by vocalist Mike Park (ex-Deal’s Gone Bad, Lord Mike’s Dirty Calypsonians) and Deal’s Gone Bad guitarist Dave Simon, the six-piece band perform fantastic, pitch perfect versions of songs by The Specials, Madness, Bad Manners, The Beat and more.

The Crombies have made such an impression on crowds around Chicago, that none other than super ska label Jump Up Records released a 7" single by the band featuring a fantastic 2-Tone inspired cover version of Niney The Observer's reggae classic 'Blood & Fire' backed with 'Mad At The World'. The song is a revelation taking the best of The Specials and The Selecter and mixing it with a hint of punk and reggae.

6. Stranger Cole & Patsy reunite for first show in 40 years!
Stranger Cole and Patsy! The names are synonymous with the founding of ska and rocksteady in Jamaica in the early 1960's. Some of my earliest memories of discovering original 60's ska are of hearing Cole belt out the lilting and anthemic 'We Are Rolling' and Patsy duet with Derrick Morgan on 'Housewifes Choice' from the raw and always sensational 'Intensified: Original Ska 1962-66' album that rarely left my turntable in college. So I was beyond excited to be part of the crowd that packed the Bell House in Brooklyn in October to witness ska history. Nearly 40 years in the making (and nearly four years of persuading, pleading, and negotiating to set this show up) it finally came to pass -- Stranger Cole and Patsy reunited! Read a great review of the show over at the Duff Guide To Ska and watch footage of the show below.

5. The Saga Of The Selecter continues
While 2010 marked the 30th anniversary of the release of The Selecter's iconic 'Too Much Pressure' album, it also saw the emergence of two competing versions of the band led separately by vocalist Black on one side and lead guitarist Neol Davies on the other. In 2011 Black moved to take ownership of the band name ahead of the release of a new album 'Made In Britain'.

Though the reality of two version of The Selecter has always been intriguing on a certain level, its also been a shame that the original members have been unable to patch up whatever differences existed between them and come together to properly honor their legacy. With this decision, Davies, who has also been playing and performing under The Selecter band name will be known as Neol Davies AKA The Selecter for any of his future musical projects. Davies has been invited to perform at the 2012 London International Ska Festival.

4. London International Ska Festival 2011
Featuring a who's who of notable ska legends and current up and comers, the second edition of the London International Ska Festival was so much of a success that the 2012 version was announced days after the 4 day festival ended.

The 2011 version was much more ambitious and broader in scope that the 2010 kick-off including a diverse mix of original artists from the 60's and 70's (Ken Boothe, Dave & Ansel Collins) as well as bands from the original festival in 1988 (The Loafers, Napoleon Solo, Bim Skala Bim) and ska mainstays like The English Beat, Dub Pistols, The Trojans and last minute addition The Lee Thompson All-Star Ska Orchestra. Special guests included Lynval Golding of The Specials, Rico Rodrigues, Rhoda Dakkar of The Bodysnatchers/The Special AKA and Buster Bloodvessel of Bad Manners and Jerry Dammers (who were both spied dancing in the audience).

The 2012 edition is shaping up quite nicely and will include The Dualers, Neol Davies AKA The Selecter and The Hot Knives.

3. New Madness album confirmed for release in 2012
Madness frontman Suggs has confirmed the U.K. ska/pop institution plan to release a new studio album in 2012! The new record will be the band’s first since 2009′s ‘The Liberty of Norton Folgate‘, which broke into the UK Top 5. The band showcased songs from their brand new, as yet untitled, tenth studio album, in all its glory during their 'rehearsal set' as part of the House of Fun Weekender in the U.K. this past fall. As with ‘The Liberty of Norton Folgate’ which the band performed live a full year before its release, Madness gave the new album tracks an early airing in their embryonic state for their most hardcore fans who attended the show. Quite a few of the songs have been played live during the band's summer tour, but it was the live debut for more than half the songs on the set list.

2. Jimmy Cliff collaborates with Tim Armstrong of Rancid on release of 'Sacred Fire' EP
In a musical collaboration that makes perfects sense, Jimmy Cliff teamed up with ska/reggae aficionado Tim Armstrong of Rancid (who cites Cliff as a major influence and inspiration) to release a 4-song EP of ska and reggae songs in November including a memorable and haunting version of The Clash's 'Guns Of Brixton'. A full length album is due out in 2012.

Its fitting that Cliff covered the song that Clash bassist Paul Simonon penned with a knowing nod to the classic reggae gangster film The Harder They Come that made Cliff an international star. Its also telling that the song, which depicts feelings of discontent that were building in the U.K. in the early 80's due to heavy-handedness of the police (leading to the Brixton riots in 1981) was released the week riots once again exploded across London and other cities in the U.K. in 2011.

Guns Of Brixton by JimmyCliffMusic

1. The Specials to soldier on!
The good news is that The Specials have decided not to call it quits after all following what was to be the very last show of their three year reunion in London in early November. The news represents a complete about face for the band, who announced the tour would be their very last. In fact, only recently, front man Terry Hall had announced that after this tour they’d call it a day. The decision to continue on was confirmed by Lynval Golding and the band are now hinting that new material may be on the way.

So what does this news mean for fans of the band? First and foremost it would suggest more touring, particularly in the U.S. and Japan which are markets where the band remains incredibly popular. It also means the band may have finally committed to writing new material as they have now taken the live show of the their two albums as far as they can. It also begs the question: What role will or won't Jerry Dammers play in the future? Stay tuned!

Below are my favorite songs of 2011

1. Jimmy Cliff - Guns Of Brixton
2. Little Roy - Lithium
3. Madness - You Can't Keep A Good Thing Down (Unreleased)
4. Blue Riddim Band & Big Youth - Nancy Reagan Remix 2011 Voice Of The People
5. Hollie Cook - Walking In The Sand
6. King Hammond - Rocking On Ridley Road
7. The Rudie Crew - Newscarrier
8. The Selecter - Back To Black
9. The Forthrights - Camp Birdman 7"
10. The Crombies - Blood & Fire

An Ode To 'Cod Reggae': A Look Back At Some Of The Worst Reggae Inspired Music Ever Recorded

2011-12-23T17:31:00.003-05:00

I strive to celebrate and venerate the best of ska and reggae music on this blog. The many artists who made the music a cultural phenomena are all heroes to me and many others. However, as ska and reggae music made its way into the charts of the U.K. (and the U.S, to a lesser extent) and its influence and popularity spread, many mainstream singers, bands and musical artists began including the rhythms and sound in their own songs. Some of these efforts were magnificent and some less so. Others were just plain terrible.

I've previously highlighted some of the better attempts at this (see Paul Simon, Blondie and Johnny Nash), However, I felt it was high time I trained the spotlight on some of the more dreadful attempts of what the Brits call 'Cod Reggae' (which is a term I have always loved). This list is neither exhaustive or complete and focuses on the late 60's and 70's. (I'll look to do a similar post for the 80's and 90's in the new year). With reggae making real inroads in the U.K. and the U.S. musically in the late 60's to mid 70's I looked for reggae and Caribbean music from the era that actually did the genre no favors artistically. So without further ado I present a selection of some of the worst attempts to play this beautiful music. Consider yourself warned!

But first, let me say I am an open minded fan of calypso, ska, reggae and all other forms of Caribbean music. While there are certainly social, political cultural reasons why 'cod reggae' tracks may be more popular with mainstream audiences then than tracks recorded by the original artists (e.g. racism), what I will say is that I have a real soft spot for certain musicians' attempts to 'go reggae'. They never get it quite right, but it can often result in something really interesting and different. This post is about those attempts that don't get it right!

The grandfather of 'cod reggae' music has to be Bernard Cribbins and his 1962 track ‘Gossip Calypso'. The song was inspired by Lord Kitchener's wonderful ‘London is the Place for Me’ which is a gorgeous ballad that extols the beauty and splendor of London from a recent Jamaican immigrant's perspective. I can't say the same for Mr Cribbins' attempt which sounds like an outtake from a bad Saturday night variety show as sung by a comic.

A few years later saw Millie Small's joyful ‘My Boy Lollipop’ hitting the charts, riding a wave that included Prince Buster, John Holt, Ken Boothe, Desmond Dekker and Jimmy Cliff. From these great moments, one of the most awful sub-genres, loomed. Calypso required huge bands and great skill, but reggae was much easier to recreate to the ears of the uneducated. Reggae sounded like two chords, a jaunty bass line and required a singer to pipe “dat” instead of “that”. While The Beatles's 'Ob la di, Ob la da' is likely the first massive 'cod reggae' hit, it inspired Marmalade's cover version which was likely totally unnecessary (though it may be better than Sir Paul's version and hit #1 in the U.K. pop charts in 1969!).

But I've saved the worst for last. My all time favorite worst 'cod reggae' song has to be Paul Nicholas and his song 'Reggae Like It Used To Be'. Nicholas was better known on this side of the pond for his hit 'Heaven On The Seventh Floor' which I distinctly remember dancing to at a 6th or 7th grade dance in the late 70's. It wasn't until very recently that I was introduced to his left turn into reggae. Here it is as performed on Top Of The Pops in May 1976. The song actually reached #17 in the charts which doesn't speak kindly to the taste of the British listening public! Luckily, punk and 2-Tone were just months away from washing this type of clap trap off the charts.

And before I go, here is truly awful piece of 'cod reggae as performed by 60's pop icon Sandie Shaw on a popular British TV show called '2 G's and The Pop People' in 1972. In a word this is 'horrendous'! Sadly the song borders on the worst aspects of minstrel. And while Shaw was no racist, this was the era of television when Black and White artists sadly remained mostly separate. You may want to clean your ears out with soap after listening to this one!

Blue Riddim Band Release Remastered 30th Anniversary Version of Classic 'Nancy Reagan' Track

2011-12-13T17:19:00.002-05:00

Today marks the 30 year anniversary of the release of the Blue Riddim Band classic reggae track 'Nancy Reagan'! To honor the original, Rougher Records have re-released a special 30th anniversary, remastered edition of the track. The song has the distinction of being one of the best and most overlooked American reggae songs ever recorded and released. The timing of this release couldn't be better as the Republican Party is weeks away from beginning the process of selecting a Presidential nominee who will seek to claim the mantle of conservative Republican values and economic policies espoused by Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy Reagan. These policies have continued to make the 1% very wealthy and the 99% struggle to make a living. The track is available for download from iTunes. Below is a short video teaser:

During the 1980's in the U.S., alternative music continued to be a strong voice of protest against President Reagan and his policies. Perhaps the catchiest song to poke fun of the Reagan's came from the Blue Riddim Band, an American reggae band, who wrote and recorded the satirical track 'Nancy Reagan' about the President's wife. With brilliant lyrics including, "All my clothes are from the best designers/All my china is a perfect match', the song is a fantastic piece of Studio One inspired bass, drums and brass that may be one of the most overlooked reggae rhythms ever recorded. It used humor to make a cutting political statement about where the First Lady's (and our country's) misguided priorities lay during the 1980's. It couldn't be more relevant today in this era of Occupy Wall Street protests around the U.S.

More significantly, this all-white band hailing from Kansas City, Missouri have the distinction of being the very first American reggae band to be invited to play at Reggae Sunsplash. Their blazing set of ska and reggae covers and originals as dawn was rising over Jarrett Park on August 15, 1982 is legendary. They earned two encores from the crowd of 20,000 Jamaicans who were mesmerized by their 'blue eyed reggae.' Their Sunsplash performance was recorded for the LP 'Alive In Jamaica' released in 1984 which was nominated for a Grammy for best reggae album in 1985. The record's highlight is a blistering live version of 'Nancy Reagan'(see video below).

According to noted Reggae music author, historian, DJ and commentator Carter Van Pelt, few groups have played reggae outside Jamaica as convincingly as the Blue Riddim Band. The group coalesced as Rhythm Function in the mid-70s under the guidance of multi-instrumentalist and composer Bob Zohn and percussionist Steve "Duck" McLane. The group earned a reputation skillfully playing soul and R&B at clubs in the South and Northeast of the U.S. The original line-up included McLane (drums, bass, percussion & vocals), Zohn (guitar, drums & lead vocals), Andy Myers (bass & trombone), Scott Korchak (trumpet & lead vocals), Pat Pearce (keyboards, percussion & vocals), Jack Blackett (saxophone), and Howard Yukon (guitar, percussion & vocals.

So what was the band like live? According to Gavin B. who was at the 1982 Sunsplash performance, "I was operating the video camera that was doing the pan shots of the crowd in this video and I was stunned at the enthusiastic reaction of the mostly all Jamaican crowd. Look closely at the crowd shots and you'll see an ecstatic Winston Rodney (aka Burning Spear) skanking away to the music. He was good friends with the band and was largely responsible for getting BRB as performers at Sunsplash." The band were voted co-'Best Band' of the entire Sunsplash festival. According to McLane, they were surprised by the reaction they received, "It blew me away that we blew them away. I was expecting pineapples and cantaloupes thrown at us. We're playing these old songs, and we're also from America, and we're also white. It's five o'clock in the morning, and they're going, 'What in the ... ?'"

The 'Nancy Reagan' track soon became the band's calling card and it inspired a young fan of the band living in California to showcase the track and Blue Riddim Band further. Roberto was known to Southern California reggae fans as host of a weekly reggae radio program. He envisioned creating a protest song that would be critical of the ongoing Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union and his view that it was being perpetuated by Reagan. Calling in a few favors, he was able to land the help of reggae enthusiast David Lindley, who mixed the "Nancy Reagan Re-Election Remix" side, and of Ranking Roger, who featured on "America & Russia/Selective Service System" and a free-style toast over the basic 'Nancy Reagan' track.

According to an interview he conducted with the Los Angeles Times when the record was released in early 1985, Roberto explained that the record's packaging was designed to reflect his anti-Reagan message: the record sleeve features a newspaper-style layout with the headline 'Special $18 Million Inaugural Edition' over a striking Paul Bedard painting of Nancy Reagan holding a bowl of jelly beans while five starving black children stand at her feet. The $18-million figure, Roberto said, represented the amount spent on the 1985 inaugural celebration. "I can't see how they can spend $18 million on a four-day gala when there are people dying of starvation in this world," he said. "There is a time and a place to party, but that is just too much."

According to the Los Angeles Times story, Roberto first met Ranking Roger in 1981, when Roger and fellow General Public founder Dave Wakeling were still members of The Beat. "Roger did not have to do this (record)," Roberto said, "but he was sympathetic with my concerns and my concept that came from being fed up with the current administration." While recording one of the songs in New York, Roberto tracked down veteran Jamaican producer-engineer "Maxi" McKenzie, who mixed the two tracks with Ranking Roger.

Operating as a one-man record label and basing himself in Orange County, California, one of the most pro-Reagan parts of the U.S.. Roberto set out to get his message and record out. According to the interview with the Los Angeles Times, Roberto said, "It might be an impossible task," he admitted, "but you've got to start somewhere. Those who are offended will be offended anyway. But if I can open some eyes, raise some people's consciousness, then I'll be satisfied."

So what did the band think of the final product? I had always assumed that the band had collaborated directly with Ranking Roger. Apparently that was not the case. I interviewed Todd "Bebop" Burd who joined Blue Riddim on bass in 1983, about the collaboration with Ranking Roger on the remix of 'Nancy Reagan'. According to Burd, "'Nancy Reagan' was originally recorded at Channel One in Jamaica in 1982 while the band was on the island to perform at Reggae Sunsplash and was released on our label as an EP along with five other songs."

"The remix of Nancy Reagan was produced in 1985 by this guy named Roberto in California. He knew Ranking Roger; he knew us; he borrows the master tape; flies to LA; records Roger; flies back to Kansas City; flew in Maxie from Channel One in Jamaica to mix the whole thing in New York. We never saw each other during the recording process. Ranking Roger joined us briefly on stage on Catalina Island a few years later."

What was Blue Riddim Band's reaction to the finished tracks? According to Burd they weren't completely happy. "So one day , we show up at the band house to discover several boxes of the new remix . The response to the cover varied from shock to hysteria. The song 'Nancy Reagan' was never really a political statement , it was more of a well natured poke. Roberto never checked with us on the art work , and next thing we know is we've got this LP with Nancy Reagan handing out jelly beans to starving Ethiopians . To say he took liberties is an understatement. According to Burd, the remix played well in California on College radio , but it didn`t help that the " Alive at Sunsplash" record came out at the same time and was receiving more press because of the Grammy Nomination."

I interviewed Carter Van Pelt to get his take on Blue Riddim Band and their legacy in Reggae history and why they never seemed to get the credit they deserved as one of the greatest Reggae bands of all time.

Put Blue Riddim Band into context for me. In particular around the song 'Nancy Reagan'. Was 'Nancy Reagan' a protest song or a good natured poke?
It was a strange diversion for the band to record a novelty song considering how serious they were about their music overall. I can't imagine anyone in the group was really good natured about the Reagan's, but humor is the greatest way lampoon the powerful.

The song seemed to be very popular with people in the know about reggae in the 80's but did it get airplay beyond college radio reggae shows?
Probably not, but I'm not sure. They had a big ally in Ken Williams here in New York, who played their music. They were respected by all who heard them, especially the Jamaican musicians. Tommy McCook was one of their biggest advocates.

Why did the band record so little during their years together? I'm only aware of 'Alive In Jamaica' and 'Restless Spirit'
Duck has said their biggest mistake was being the 'ultimate road warriors,' because they didn't leave enough of a recorded legacy. They have an unreleased album recorded at Channel One in Kingston in 1982. Chris Blackwell had Jack Nuber (engineer for Bob Marley, et al) record
a session in Kansas City circa 1980. Blackwell opted not to do anything with them because he said he'd have to spend too much money to market them while eager Jamaican acts were a dime a dozen.

What is the band's legacy?
Their legacy is hampered by the fact that the recorded work has never been officially released on cd and there isn't much of it to begin with. It really hurt them when Bob Zohn died, because he was the main songwriter.

Anyone who ever saw them live will attest that they were one of the greatest live reggae groups, and they couldn't have impressed the Jamaicans at Sunsplash if that weren't the case. Ask Sly Dunbar about them, and he'll remember Duck as a wicked drummer. Also check out on the youtube videos from San Francisco, and how they would switch instruments -- Bob Zohn playing drums and singing, Drew switching between bass and trombone, etc. They did have a strange way of going through keyboardists, faster than Spinal Tap went through drummers, but I digress.

One of my favorite quotes about them is from Roger Steffens, who said, and I paraphrase, "All the attention that UB40 ever got, it should have been lavished on Blue Riddim." The problem that ultimately hampered them is that they were victims of white audiences' perceptions of 'authenticity,' which is sometimes a bullshit concept but it something that white musicians who perform in black idioms have to deal with. While they should have to deal with it to an extent, frankly, it says more to me that Tommy McCook, Lloyd Parks, Mikey Dread, and Sly Dunbar loved them than the fact that no major record deal ever materialized and they are relatively unknown. If there is any such standard to be met, they exceeded it in my opinion.

This Is England '88 To Air In The U.K. On December 13-15th

2011-12-09T20:21:00.000-05:00

Next week sees the airing in the U.K. of the next instalment in the This Is England series. This Is England '88, a three-part TV series will be screened on consecutive nights on December 13-15th on Channel 4. Billed by series creator Shane Meadows as a "sort of broken nativity play", fans of the series will have a chance to catch up with Shaun, Woody, Lol, Milky and the gang. This Is England '88 picks up 18 months on from where its predecessor left off, with Woody and Lol struggling to cope with the emotional fallout following her killing of her rapist dad. Shaun, meanwhile, is learning all about the ups and downs or romance with Smell. It will be followed in 2012 by 'This Is England '90', which will focus on the ecstasy-fuelled rave scene of the era.

Meadows has described the three-parter as 'kind of like a very brutal Nativity play… I just remember Christmas being shit… I wanted to make a sort of broken Nativity play, but there’s a real positive outcome, I hope.'

I'm a huge fan of the series, having first been introduced to the story and characters via the movie 'This Is England.' I loved its take on a mostly affable group of ska loving skinheads living in the north of England in 1983. I was impressed with how 'This Is England '86' showed the group moving on and growing up and was struck by the depth of character development. Indeed, Vicky McClure who plays Lol won a BAFTA in May for her performance in 'This Is England '86'. As a Yank, I'm hoping to find a way to view the series. Hopefully some of my friends in the U.K. will share a link!

The trailer, with a soundtrack of 'What Difference Does It Make' by The Smiths, gives glimpses of most of the main characters familiar to fans, including Gadget, Milky, Kelly, Trev, Harvey and of course the jailed Combo.

2-Tone Sound Alive And Kicking In 2012!: Madness, The Specials and The Selecter Get Ready For The New Year

2011-12-09T19:38:00.000-05:00

As we get ready to bring 2011 to a close, I'm happy to report that it looks like 2012 will be another exciting year for fans of 2-Tone ska and its many musical purveyors who are still keeping the flame of the sound alive.

Madness to play in Mexico City in 2012!:
As the band readies its new batch of songs (which were previewed at the House Of Fun Weekender), Madness is also gearing up to finally cross the big pond to play a show on the North American content! Thanks to a tip from one of The Duff Guide to Ska's readers in Mexico, the news is out that Madness will be playing the Vive Latino Festival in Mexico City from March 25, 2012. With the band in Mexico in March, it begs the question: Will Madness finally play shows in the U.S.? The last time the band performed in the U.S. was during a very short 2005 tour as The Dangermen.

The Specials to tour in 2012!:
True to their word, The Specials will be back on the road in 2012. The band is scheduled to play 4 dates in Australia from April 3-7, 2012 and a show at the Live At The Marquee in Cork in Cork, Ireland on June 11, 2012. Fans of the band living in the U.S. are still keeping their fingers crossed that the band will finally return to play and rumors I've heard from sources inside the band suggest this is a distinct possibility! Stay tuned.

The Selecter release Christmas single:
The Selecter have just released a double 'A' side digital Christmas single. According to the band, the single represents the 'yin and yang' of the holiday season, including including the light side 'Skank Til Christmas' and the dark side 'A Christmas Fable'. The single is available as a download from iTunes, Amazon and other online music retailers. Check out the video for 'Skank 'til Christmas' which includes video clips submitted by fans showing off their best 2-Tone style skank dances.

King Hammond To Play Two Shows In New York City!

2011-11-30T15:57:00.001-05:00

All hail the King! King Hammond (the alter ego of Nick Welsh) will be gracing New York City with two shows this weekend -- backed by NYC dirty reggae band The Hard Times--on Thursday, December 1, 2011 at The Shrine in Harlem and Saturday, December 3, 2011 at The Lake in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

Welsh remains one of the busiest and most prolific ska musicians on either side of the Atlantic and his resume is a mile long. He has worked with and produced A-list artists like Prince Buster, Laurel Aitken, Dave Barker, Rico Rodrigues, and Judge Dread as well as Lee 'Scratch' Perry with whom he worked on the Grammy Award winning album 'Jamaican ET'. Welsh has also been the bassist and song writer in Bad Manners and The Selecter (helping to shepard both band's post 2-Tone careers - he wrote 'Skaville UK). If that wasn't enough, he also writes music for U.K. and U.S. television shows and video games. Welsh revived King Hammond in 2010 and since that time has released three albums (“The King and I,” “Jacuzzi,” and “Showbiz”) and a slew of vinyl EPs on his own N.1 Records imprint. In June 2011, King Hammond was a featured performer at the Ink ʼn ʼIron Festival in Long Beach, California.

I had the pleasure to meet Welsh in 1991 when my band Bigger Thomas was the support act for The Selecter's first tour of the U.S. since the band had broken up in the early 80's. Welsh, Pauline Black and Neol Davies were all very kind to us (it was our first proper tour) and they always made sure we got a sound check and a dressing room (which is more unusual than you might expect in the cut throat music biz). As a fellow bass player I was also always impressed that Welsh played a Steinberger bass (which is a very sleek guitar that has no tuning pegs.)

To get you in a royal mood, here's a little taste of The King. Give a listen to 'Rockin' On Ridley Road' from King Hammond's latest LP 'Showbiz' and 'Tatoo Girls' (there should be plenty of them at The Lake on Saturday night!). I'll be at The Lake on Saturday night, so if you make it out be sure to say hello!

Jimmy Cliff Releases 'Sacred Fire' EP: Comeback Produced By Tim Armstrong Of Rancid

2011-11-29T09:26:00.000-05:00

The first step in Jimmy Cliff's musical comeback is out today. While the four song, Tim Armstrong-produced EP 'Sacred Fire' includes three covers, its the throwback energy and choice of covers which should resonate with ska and reggae fans of multiple generations. A full length album is due out in 2012.

Notable tracks include Cliff's sublime cover of The Clash's 'Guns Of Brixton' which reveals the melancholy sadness that lies underneath the anger of the original and Rancid's 'Ruby Soho' which now sounds like it was recorded in Kingston circa 1971. The EP is available on iTunes and Amazon and a special 'Deluxe Pack' including vinyl, t-shirt and poster is available from Cliff's own website.

Cliff started recording as a child in the early 1960s with producer Leslie Kong. In the late 1960s, he moved to Britain where he enjoyed considerable success with the song 'Wonderful World, Beautiful People'. He became a massive star after starring in 'The Harder They Come', the 1972 low-budget movie based on the exploits of Ivanhoe 'Ryghin' Martin, a gunman who terrorized sections of west Kingston in 1948. The film's soundtrack contains songs that are Cliff standards, including the title track, 'Sitting In Limbo' and 'You Can Get It If You Really Want'.

Cliff appeared on Jimmy Fallon last night where backed by The Roots he performed his classic cut 'The Harder They Come' and 'World Upside Down'.

Interview with Jose Luis 'Caplis" Chacin of Venezuela's Ska Super Stars Desorden Publico

2011-11-28T20:44:00.001-05:00

Everyone I have ever met who is a truly devoted and passionate fan of 2-Tone and ska music tends to have followed a similar path no matter where in the world they are from. Like alien abductees, we all remember in great clarity and detail that singular moment when we heard The Specials first album for the very first time. And almost to a person, I have noted that the lightning bolt 'religious' experience of hearing that record has stayed with us and shaped our lives. For me it was when a friend at school played me The Specials first album in late 1979 (I sat opened mouth and was actually a bit afraid!). I rushed out and bought my own copy and that started a regular routine every Friday after school when I haunted the local record store near my house. I pestered and annoyed the clerks there so much about The Specials that when they saw me coming they would suggest new records for me to buy. This was the start of my ska and 2-Tone education and it lead me to where I am today.

José Luis "Caplís" Chacín is a fellow traveler and 2-Tone devotee. He is best known as the bassist and one of the founding member of Venezuela ska band Desorden Público (Public Disorder). Though we lived thousands of miles part, our love of 2-Tone and the impact it has had on us throughout our lives is striking. Chacín's first exposure to The Specials sent him and his band mates on a path that has made them purveyors of a an amazing hybrid of ska and Latin music and as both entertainers and political commentators in Venezuela.

Chacín's love of ska and 2 Tone started in Caracas in the early 80's, when as a heavy metal loving teen he was given The Specials first album. It set him and his band mates along the path to starting the one of the very first South American ska bands. Now after 25 years of popularity and success in Latin America, including eight studio albums, several greatest hit releases and live performance in over 30 countries, Desorden Público have reached superstar status throughout South America. Taking their name from Venezuelan military police trucks that had 'Orden Publico' [Public Order] written on the side, the band's name is political, but it is more tongue-in-cheek and humorous about advocating any serious form of public disorder.

With Desorden Publico a musical institution and celebrating their 25th anniversary, I thought it was high time I connected with Chacin to learn more about the beginnings of the band, their influences and what it was like growing up in Caracas, Venezuela as a Rude Boy in the 80's! For the uninitiated, imagine if Madness or The Specials had emerged in Venezuela. And while the band emerged just as 2-Tone peaked, they had trouble imitating the 2-Tone sound too closely. It just didn't work for musicians steeped in local Latin rhythms, culture and beats. The music of Desorden Publico has continued to evolve, thanks to near relentless playing and recording during the past two decades. The band has a dozen or so releases to their name and have had platinum sales, #1 and top 10 hits. They have tours that have taken them all over Latin America, North America and Europe.

Without further ado, I present José Luis "Caplís" Chacín:

What was it like growing up in Caracas, Venezuela in the early 80's?
It was great! I was born in 1964 and it means that I really had the eighties as my very influential years. Thank God it wasn't the 70´s!

Finding music in Venezuela in the 80's wasn't an easy task, so we had to beg every friend, every father or mother or relatives, who were travelling outside, to buy the new releases, and when you buy 2 or 3 LP´s and try to transport them in a luggage it´s kind of a nightmare.

Well, the thing is that here in our country many good and bad things came as an avalanche: Heavy metal, Punk Rock, New Wave, Hard Core, New Cool, Post Punk, Ska, Reggae. And before becoming musicians we were DJ´s of our own Sound System called ASEO URBANO. It was the only one in Caracas that specialized in New Wave, Punk and of course Ska, so we were the natural Sound System at the gigs of many new acts of the underground Punk scene of Caracas.

How did that experience effect you socially, politically and musically?
Being a teenager, here in Caracas in the 80´s was incredible. In a certain way Venezuela was for many years (in the decade of the 70´s) a country drunk on Petrodollars (money from the sales of oil), so we had an incredible “Bonanza” where the most of our government leaders were super corrupted. But suddenly, a serious crisis brought a hard fall of the prices of oil and our economy began to feel the consequences of many years of bad guidance. So suddenly we started to know a different country with a cost of living that was more and more expensive every day.

This was a perfect time for many young people to realize that too many things were going wrong in our country, and some of us started to open our eyes and do our own criteria of the society. Now we also had the lyrics of people like The Clash, Dead Kennedy's, Sex Pistols, The Specials, and also Latin American artists like Ruben Blades, Ali Primera, Soledad Bravo to help start to make sense of our own lives and Venezuelan society. We became critics and non-conformists with our reality. And we started this band!

Most people I've spoken to who are into ska remember the exact moment when they fell in love with it. How did it happen for you?
I remember I was a kid loved Disco Music to Heavy Metal. (I loved the first era of Van Halen, and still like it). But after 3 or 4 years of hard rock, I started to listen New Wave music: Devo, The B-52´s, Oingo Boingo, Wall of Voodoo, XTC, Joe Jackson, The Jam. One day I was working as a DJ at our Sound System and a good friend gave me a very badly recorded cassette of the first LP of The Specials. The first song 'A Message To You Rudy' was immediately the biggest revelation of lure lives. We didn´t understand what kind of music this was. I remember I had listened to the first two Madness albums but I could not engage with their version of ska. But The Specials definitely was the BOMB! An ATOMIC Bomb in our minds.

What was your first ska album you bought?
After I listened to that tape, I immediately order that first album by The Specials and when a good friend gave it to me, I just couldn´t believe how good the whole album was. Even today I still feel that sensation of how GREAT and how good that first album is.

How did you go from being introduced to ska music to starting Desorden Publico in 1985?
We were tired of waiting for the start of a ska band in our city. We finally decided to form our own band and we sold many of the equipments of our Sound System in order to save money to buy our first used instruments.

When did you decide to become a bass player? Did you play the bass before you were into ska?
At the same moment we decided to form DESORDEN PÚBLICO...

Can you explain what your band name means for readers who don't speak Spanish? Does it have a social or political connotation?
DESORDEN PUBLICO = PUBLIC DISORDER. It was a joke against the military trucks with the name of PUBLIC ORDER on the side. There are a very repressive institution here in our city

Fashion was such a huge part of the ska scenes here in in the U.S. in the 80's. Can you describe the importance of fashion in the Venezuelan and South American ska scene?
Here in Venezuela, especially in Caracas in the 80's, you could see Punks, Rockers, Rastas and of course Trendy's. There was not an Ska scene, so when we started to use our suits, we were like strange birds in this jungle! We didn´t look like Punks, Rockers nor Rastas and we had to explain that we were Rude Boys, hahahahahaha!

Your band tours the world regularly. Can you share any unusual stories about any live shows the band played that were particularly memorable?
Wow! There are many, many good and bad experiences, but talking about good ones, the fact of being in a same stage with people like Prince Buster, Jerry Dammers, Ray Barreto, Ruben Blades, The B-52´s, The Selecter, Ranking Roger and his version of The Beat. To be backstage with all the guys from Madness, thanks to the courtesy of my very good friend Coolie Ranx and all the guys from The Pilfers, that was magic!

I remember meeting Paul Weller in New York City. He was a very nice guy to me and my wife. Another magical moment in my life was the time I found the one and only Andy Summers of The Police totally lost in the corridors of the radio station where we have our radio show.

Last year, I was walking on the streets of Berlin visiting the best record stores, and to my surprise, I saw a very tall man walking just in front of me. It was none other than one of my all time musical heroes: Joe Jackson! This was great!

There are many anecdotes and good situations.

What was it like for the band to tour the U.S. in 2004? What kind of reception did you get from American ska audiences?
We were helped by our good friend Bucket from The Toasters and that was a good introduction for us to the North American ska audiences. It also helped that we had many good friends in New York and Boston, and many of them were at our first gigs. This helped provide the impression that the audience knew who were were! Hahahaha!

In those early tours, we also had the chance to do things for the Latin American market in the USA and also for the American public into the Ska scene. Surprisingly, I must say the reception we received from Ska audiences was 1000 times better than the reception we had from Spanish speakers! During that time most of the people from Latin America in New York were Mexicans, Puerto Ricans or Dominicans and those audiences were a bit hostile with bands from other Latin countries.

The band is celebrating 25 years this year! What has kept you all together and what plans do you have for 2011?
Well, here we are in 2011 and we have a new album called 'Los Contrarios', and we gave been promoting it all year long through national and international tours. The release party in Venezuela was on April 7th and we did a press conference in front of more than 3,000 people in one of the most popular shopping centers of our city (the owners were expecting 500!) In less than a month our first edition of 2,500 copies was totally sold out.

We also had a couple of good shows celebrating 25 years of playing music along with our good old friends from Argentina: Los Pericos, and that same night we traveled 2 hours for a second gig in Valencia here in Venezuela with King Chango. This summer we also played a great concert here in Caracas with our good friends The Busters from Germany. In June we travelled to Europe to do our 9th European tour and we did a Venezuelan tour in August. Hopefully we´ll return to USA with this new album! We are in conversation with an agency from Los Angeles.

Below is video of the band paying homage to their 2-Tone heros on a London double decker bus and performing Derrick Harriott's 'Monkey Ska' while on tour in London in 2005. The song appears appears on their 2007 album "Estrellas del Caos".

Below the band performs their distinctive mix of Latin and ska with the song 'Valle De Balas' live in Venezuela in 2010.

Finally, here is 'El Poder Emborracha (Power Drunk) from the band's new album 'Los Contrarios'.

Madness Showcases New Songs From New Album At House Of Fun Weekender

2011-11-27T09:35:00.005-05:00

Madness showcased songs from their brand new, as yet untitled, tenth studio album, in all its glory during their 'rehearsal set' this past Friday night at the House of Fun Weekender in the U.K. As with ‘The Liberty of Norton Folgate’ which the band performed live a full year before its release, Madness gave the new album tracks an early airing in their embryonic state for their most hardcore fans who attended the show. Quite a few of the songs have been played live during the band's summer tour, but it was the live debut for more than half the songs on the set list.

A fan in attendance at the Friday night performance reviewed the show on the Madness Central website:

"If Folgate was about grandeur and well crafted songs in a Kinks and English bands steeped tradition, this new as yet untitled Madness album is big time about pop music, All kinds, from the most upbeat and catchy new Madness bouncers I've ever heard, through themes harking back to Motown, big ballads and ages past of eras of the music they love. And it's flowing with love songs too.

Early it's a worry that the crowd wont take the new songs set with so many here to party, but we get a new spoken Chas intro, loud hailing from off stage and the heralded look behind the Madness curtain, into the machine and the workings. It's clearly explained what this is, and the band are not dressed in suits, to mark this with more casual look. Like it's a live rehearsal room? Well maybe. But man they didn't seem to need to crib off sheets much, apart from Carl seated at a stool. It's only the first song that false starts. And despite in band comments, and a lot of Woody's honest admissions that he's play some things from a box or he might need 2 goes, they all perform like hard worked rehearsals have paid off."

The set list of the 11/25/11 performance included:

Death Of A Rude Boy
Black & Blue
Big Time Sister
Deolali
My Girl II
La Luna
You Cant Keep A Good Thing Down
Kitchen Floor
I Never Knew Your Name
Misery (Loves Company)
1978
Crying
So Alive
How Can I Tell You
Powder Blue

Below are a few of the new songs as performed by the band over the summer:

You Cant Keep A Good Thing Down

Death Of A Rude Boy

1978

Madness have made a free download of 10 songs performed by support bands at the House Of Fun Weekender. Just visit the Madness website to register.

Unsung Bands Of The 2-Tone Era: Lou & The Hollywood Bananas Put Belgium On The Ska Map

2011-11-26T14:09:00.000-05:00

Any discussion about Belgian 2-Tone era ska band Lou & The Hollywood Banana's must first start with the story of the Belgian singer Plastic Bertrand who gave the world the 1977 Euro-punk anthem 'Ça Plane Pour Moi'. Not familiar with the song? It reached #8 in the U.K. charts and also garnered airplay in the U.S. Despite being hatched in the studio by music producer Lou Deprijck (who it was later determined actually sang the lead vocal as well), the song may have been one of the very best songs of the punk era. Ca Plane Pour Moi would be covered and translated into in English as 'Jet Boy, Jet Girl' by Elton Motello. The song has an undeniable punk pop hook and was one of Joe Strummer's favorites:

"By purist rules, its not allowed to even mention Plastic Bertrand. Yet this record was probably a lot better than a lot of so called punk records." -- Joe Strummer Mojo October 2001

Plastic Bertrand was actually Belgian musician Roger Jouret. Originally a drummer, he was recruited for his good looks to take on the Milli Vanilla-like persona of Plastic Bertrand. However it is alleged that Jouret pulled a Milli Vanilli by fronting and lip-syncing during TV performances, but that the actual singing was really done by his producer Deprijck. Controversial stuff eh? A court case finally settled the case of the real singer of the song was in 2006, finding in Deprijck's favor.

Apparently Deprijck also had a penchant for ska. As Plastic Bertrand ran its course and 2-Tone took off in the U.K. in the late 70's, he turned his attention to his next project: Lou & The Hollywood Bananas. The name alone should give a sense about the seriousness of the project. While they were a one man studio project, Deprijck released some overlooked ska classics during 1978-80, including 'Kingston, Kingston' which was a hit in Belgium and France and later gained some attention in the U.K. While the name alone suggests a Weird Al Yankovic joke ska band, instead think a French-language version of Bad Manners, with Deprijck as Captain backed by two attractive Tenille-like back up singers. The look was goofy but the songs had solid ska chops and musicianship.

Deprijck is still active in the music industry and currently resides in Thailand. The story of his life in Thailand was shown in a Flemish-language documentary as part of the Belgian news program. Have a listen to some of Lou & The Hollywood Banana's best known ska tracks below:

Kingston Kingston (French Version)

Kingston Kingston (English Version)

I Won't Never Let You Go

Et Puis... Et Puis... Rien

Hong Kong Ska

The Detonators Classic UK Dub/Lover's Rock Album 'Gangsters' Re-Issued: Highlights Music of Ghost Town Producer John Collins

2011-11-25T17:09:00.000-05:00

The latest re-issue from Sean Flowerdew's fledgling U.K. reggae revival label Phoenix City Records is the long lost 'Gangster' album by The Detonators. The album was the brainchild of dub lover (and lover's rock producer) John Collins, who recorded the tracks in 1979 on a DIY studio he built in his front room in the North London neighborhood of Tottenham. Though released in the late 70's, the album has long been out-of-print until now.

Collin's work is a straight up serving of lovers rock with a dash of dub for good measure, and despite Collins’ DIY ethic, the magic he produced with his own handmade synths, drum machine and stdio effects on his 4 track studio studio put him on par with the UK’s finest reggae producers. Luckily, the reissue also includes a copy of the very rare 'Lift Off', a dub track which aside from being something of an ambient reggae experiment, also acted as the blueprint for The Specials’ 'Ghost Town' track.

According to Flowerdew, Collins is the British version of noted Jamaican producer King Tubby. By building his own recording gear and equipment, he developed his own brand of reggae and deserves credit for recording and releasing the very first U.K. dub track 'Lift Off'.

He’s credited by many as producing the first ever UK dub track, called Lift Off, which was on the flip side to a hit by Victor Romeo Evans called At The Club, bit of a lovers track. The Specials heard that and asked him to produce Ghost Town. But John’s instrumental side was the Detonators and he made this album that came out in ‘79, and he did things like building his own drum machine because none were available at the time. I mean Dennis Bovell was probably doing dub first but this had an electro vibe that was like nothing else.

As the story goes, on hearing 'Lift Off' on the flip of Victor Romero Evans’ 'At The Club', Jerry Dammers talked Collins into producing what would turn out to be The Specials final single. You can read more about the recording of 'Gangsters' over at Collins’ own Local Records website and while you’re at it, hit play below on 'Lift Off' which inspired Ghost Town’s iconic eerie intro, created by Collins in post production with a hand built Transcendent 2000 synth.

I had the pleasure to interview Collins about the recording of the album as well as the studio techniques he used to create his cutting edge dub sounds.

Where and how was 'Gangster' recorded?
"Lift Off" was recorded in 1980 at my house in Tottenham on the 4 track Teac like the other tracks on Gangster. I started by playing and recording the bass (DIed) along with the (home made) drum machine and then overdubbed guitar, organ and tambourine.

How did you get the great dub effects on the album?
I got the effect at the start by using a home made ring modulator and a signal generator along with the transcendent 2000 synth for the wind effect running live during mixdown onto the Teac 2 track. I used a Sony TC377 for stereo tape echo with my home made phaser in the feedback loop and a Hammond spring for reverb. The 2 track was put into record and the effects faded in, turning the dial on the signal generator gradually to get the "lift off" effect. When it felt right, I started the 4 track, faded in the rhythm, faded out the effects, muting tracks and playing with the echo and reverb - dub style. I then put the 2 track (semi) master 1/4 inch tape on the 4 track machine and recorded my voice doing the countdown on one of the inner tracks. This was pretty much the same technique I used on "Ghost Town" the following year.

Can the song 'Lift Off' be considered one of the first British dub songs?
My first dub was "Working Dub" recorded in 1978 and released in 1979. UK band like Matumbi (Dennis Bovell) and Steel Pulse were around and must have released some sort of dubs before me, but I'm sure my recordings were the first "electro dubs" made using a drum machine.

What was the genesis of Victor Romero's involvement in the project?
Victor was in a dance group when we first met and the tracks were made for their performances.

Do you think the songs on 'Gangsters' have stood up to the test of time?
I certainly enjoyed listening to the old master tapes again, which were fortunately recorded on Scotch tape and in perfect condition - I've still got the Teac 2 track to play them on. The recordings have a period quality - it was a bit like looking at old photos for me!

You can preview and download a copy of 'Gangsters' over at the iTunes UK store and .

Could Hollie Cook Be The New Face of Reggae?

2011-11-16T15:55:00.000-05:00

I finally had a chance to catch live video of Hollie Cook (daughter of Sex Pistol drummer Paul Cook) performing on U.K. music TV show 'Later With Jools Holland' which was broadcast last week. After playing her eponymous album over and over this summer, I can say without hesitation she could be the new face of reggae! Her album, produced by none other than Price Fatty, has been the soundtrack to my summer and is without a doubt the finest UK reggae set of this year - if you haven't already, get it here.

Her self-coined 'Tropical pop' sound is a bit of a misnomer since her songs and style are really an homage to British Lover's Rock reggae singers Janet Kay and Phyllis Dillon crossed with the sound of classic 60s girl soul and pop groups.

For those of you living outside the U.K. or who were not lucky enough to catch the program, here is Cook and her co-vocalist Horseman (and their excellent backing band) performing 'Body Beat' and 'Milk and Honey'. Enjoy some of the sweetest sounding reggae recorded and performed this year.

Horace Panter's Excellent Blog - An Inside View of Life Inside The Specials Just Completed U.K. Tour

2011-11-16T14:31:00.001-05:00

If you've read Horace Panter's memoir 'Ska'd For Life', then you know he is a great writer with a wonderful flair for conveying the truth about life as a musician. The book charts the rise and fall of The Specials from their founding in 1978 to their disintegration in 1981. I loved the book, particularly for the way in which Panter explains what can happen when seven very different individuals with unique personalities and distinct backgrounds can harness their creative energy and passion. If you haven't read the book, then I highly recommend you pick up a copy. Both Amazon.US and Amazon.UK have copies available.

If you have read the book, and were sorry when you finished, then I have very good news for you. Panter has just posted an update on The Specials website titled 'Specials U.K. Tour By Sir Horace Gentleman' which picks up where the last one 'Specials European Tour Blog' left off. The posts are detailed updates -- part travelogue and part tour diary -- of The Specials experiences on their very last U.K. tour (at least until 2013). As always, its great reading and a perfect epilogue to his book and a capstone on the band's final tour to celebrate their 30th anniversary. Panter provides a vivid look at how much chaos -- travel, boredom, traffic delays, bad food, bad sound and bad moods can impact a traveling band of 10 plus support (roadies, sound, family, etc) attempting to get from Point A to Point B on time. Oh and then there is the small detail of having to perform with energy and enthusiasm. Its not always pretty, particularly when most of the band are pushing 60 years of age and don't recover from the wear and tear of touring the way they used to. That said, the show must go on and the band is playing at the height of their powers. Here's to hoping Panter will consider putting it all down in another book about The Specials reunion.

The latest installment may be the best one yet. Its precise, concise and pulls no punches when it comes to providing a real look behind the scenes of this most recent tour. Heard about rumors of tension in the band? Panter writes about it openly and honestly.

The reason Roddy has been spitting and snarling through the past few shows is because Terry has started singing Concrete Jungle. It was always agreed that Rod would sing it and he has since the band reformed. Terry had brought up the subject a few months ago that we should re-visit it. Rod would never stand centre-stage to sing it and it looked visually awkward. I would take Terry’s mich for the choruses. The upshot of all this is that in Hull, Terry stayed on stage and, much to everyone’s surprise, sang Concrete Jungle with Rod. It sounded great, the extra voice gave the song a lot more power but it put Roddy’s nose out of joint. This hasn’t helped and has ratcheted up the tension. There now exists the band…and Roddy which is sad.

Even better, Panter and his bandmates are clearly self-aware enough of the conundrum that faces them moving forward. One of the selling points of the tour that just ended was that the band incorporated songs from their second album 'More Specials' which is night to the first album's day. The crowd reaction to these songs varied. Here Panter ponders if he and his bandmates are the world's greatest Specials tribute band or just The Specials?

International Jet Set is obviously not a rude boy crowd pleaser but there again, it wasn’t supposed to be. This is something I’ve noticed and we’ve talked about…The Two Specials. There’s the ‘first album’ band, all Doc Martens, tonic suits and Ben Shermans. Long Shot Kick De Bucket and 200 skinheads on stage. Then there’s the ‘2nd album/Ghost Town’ band which was a lot more studious, musically. The band that people associate with is not the second incarnation. There aren’t too many fans turning up to see The Specials wearing Zoot suits, berets and sporting goatee beards. The Manchester Skinhead Moonstompers don’t get the party they expected. It’s a difficult problem. Are we a tribute act to ourselves.. ‘Ladies and Gentlemen,The World’s greatest Specials tribute band…..The Specials!!’ Or do we become this ‘Heritage Act’ which gives us a certain room to maneuver, creatively.

It would seem that the answer to that question will be answered in the next year or so. In the meantime, here is some video of the the band performing 'It Doesn't Make Alright' from the show in Glasgow which Panter deemed 'blistering'. Enjoy!

Long Awaited Radio Riddler Productions 'Purple Reggae' Album Taking Shape: Members of Fun Lovin Criminals Helm Production

2011-11-15T16:42:00.000-05:00

I'm proud to say that I am a huge Prince fan (I even stuck with him through that period of time when he changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol). The 'Purple Rain' film and album still remain defining touchstones of my late adolescence and early adulthood. I saw the film the day it opened during the summer of 1984 and I never got tired of hearing 'When Doves Cry' played on the radio at the David's Cookies store I worked that summer (and that song was in HEAVY radio rotation).

As such, I got very excited when I recently learned that Radio Riddler Productions (Fast and Frank Benbini of Fun Lovin Criminals (FLC), who are reggae remix producers in their spare time), are working to pull together a completely reggae tribute to Prince and the 'Purple Rain' album in its entirety (as well as a collection of Marvin Gaye's vocals over reggae music). Rumor has it that the album will feature a variety of artists and singers including members of The Specials brass section, members of Madness, former UB4O singer Ali Campbell (who will be singing 'Purple Rain'), Sinead O'Connor (performing 'I Would Die 4 U') and many more. It certainly doesn't hurt that Benbini is originally from Leicester in the U.K. and is well connected in the British music scenic.

Though originally from New York and best known here for their tune 'Scooby Snacks', FLC was never fully embraced by American audiences, though the UK and most of Europe really took the band to their hearts. The band members in turn always seemed to understand and tap into a uniquely European, and especially British, sense of humor.

Having worked to produce reggae remixes for a variety of artists, the Radio Riddler 'Purple Rain' project is a extension of their love of all things reggae and of Prince in particular. According to an interview that FLC drummer Frank Benbini did late last year, the album is a true labor of love that originally came about as a lark and took on a life of its own.

Yeah, across the board. It was one of those things where we love reggae, and we have a reggae remix outfit called Radio Riddler. We’ve remixed a lot of people…Lily Allen, Coldplay…you know, we’ve done a lot of remixes for a lot of people. So we thought, what can we do? He went – “Why don’t we do the soundtrack to ‘Purple Rain’?” I was like – “That won’t work, that won’t happen, it just won’t work”. He was like – “Well, let’s give it a go”, and he did the first one, ‘Purple Rain’, he got the beats ready and sent it to me, and I was like – “Fuck! It sounds great!” Then I got a lot of my hometown players, brass sections, people from The Specials playing on there. I sang all the songs but then it was like – “Let’s get some guest artists on it”. So I started to approach different people and one person I approached was Sinéad O'Connor. She hasn’t sung a Prince song since ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ which was an international number one so I didn’t think she’d go for it. But she did, and did a version of ‘I Would Die 4 U’. Amazing. Then we’ve got Plan B, he’s doing one, Madness are doing one, the singer from UB40’s doing one. So, yeah, that’s a great little project we’ve got going.

The album release has been delayed in part to complications in getting publishing approval from Prince and his camp, who are notoriously picky about anyone recording covers of his back catalog. That said, all indications suggest its just a matter of time before the tracks see the light of day.

While they put the finishing touches on the Purple Rain album, Radio Riddlers have been very busy remixing a variety of artists and track including a wicked remix of the track 'Hard Life, Harsh Times' by Leicester-based reggae/ska band By The Rivers (who are just off tour as the support band for The Specials U.K. tour). Have a listen below:

By The Rivers - HARD LIFE, HARSH TIMES (Radio Riddler Remix) by Radio Riddler Productions

Have a listen to a sampler of Radio Riddler's reggae remix of Marvin Gaye below:

The Specials To Soldier On! Roddy Byers Is Still A Member Of The Specials!

2011-11-05T11:11:00.001-04:00

The good news is that The Specials have decided not to call it quits after all following what was to be the very last show of their three year reunion in London on Thursday night. And despite what you may have read in a variety of media outlets (including this blog), guitarist Roddy 'Radiation' Byers, has NOT left the band. The decision to continue on was confirmed by Lynval Golding and the band are now hinting that new material may be on the way.

The news represents a complete about face for the band, who announced the tour would be their very last. In fact, only recently, front man Terry Hall had announced that after this tour they’d call it a day.

“I just don’t want to be in a band any more," he said. "I think that this is the time to say, 'Thanks very much. See you later really.' I have been doing this for over 30 years and just think it is time to go now. I am 52, and I am the youngest in the band. I don’t get much time with my family, and touring tires me out.”

However, after the show on Thursday night, it seems like splitting up is a thing of the past. Vocalist Neville Staple stated:

"Seeing the people dancing right into the back of the venue made us reconsider our decision and we realised that an iconic band like The Specials shouldn’t go and leave their fans in this sad way. We thought we’d rather celebrate the last show of our tour in style.

Despite any confusion about Byers role in the band moving forward and contrary to what his band mates may have been quoted as saying, the iconic guitarist, whose sound and stage attitude add so much to The Specials, is still a member of the band. His publicist shared a statement with me that makes it clear where Byers stands:

"In response to the November 4th NME article citing Roddy “Radiation” Byers’ alleged decision to leave the Specials, Mr. Byers would like to make it clear that he has not, in fact, left the Specials. Any previous statements quoted in the articles that were made by Mr. Byers regarding leaving the Specials were in reaction to Terry Hall’s public statements in August 2011 about disbanding after this last tour, and have nothing to do with the recent decision by Mr. Hall and other members to continue on. Byers is still planning to be involved in all future Specials’ music and tours, and is looking forward to seeing the Specials’ fans in front of the stage once more."

Byers plans to continue playing live with his band The Skabilly Rebels who have recently released an album. The band's next show is on November 18th in Derby.

So what does this news mean for fans of the band? First and foremost it would suggest more touring, particularly in the U.S. and Japan which are markets where the band remains incredibly popular. It also means the band may have finally committed to writing new material as they have now taken the live show of the their two albums as far as they can. It also begs the question: What role will or won't Jerry Dammers play in the future? With Byers still in the fold, the band has three legitimate song writers in Hall, Golding and Byers. Stay tuned!

Who is Barnsley Bill?!: His True Identity May Surprise You

2011-11-02T14:51:00.002-04:00

Who is Barnsley Bill? Its an incredibly obscure musical question but one that bears asking only because the answer is so ultimately satisfying.

First the details. Barnsley Bill could be the man responsible for the first British Rap record! This obscure 1981 12" single 'Freewheeling Rap', pre-dates any other U.K. 'Rap' record ever released. Signed to the independent label, 'Mother-In-Law-Records', Bill took a uniquely British approach to early 80's rap, choosing to deliver his rhymes in his native Northern accent. In fact, Bill is so 'hard', he can "fold a newspaper", "drive 75,000 miles a year" and even "eat THREE Weetabix!" The track was produced by Ronnie Bossanova, and backed by The Daves International who supply the heavy funk riff, (borrowed from the classic 'Shack Up'). Have a listen and see if the answer becomes clearer!

Any clearer yet?! For those living outside the U.K., Barnsley is a coal mining town in South Yorkshire, England located between Sheffield and Leeds. While I'm no native, my guess is that Barnsley Bill is tweaking the locals and the local culture if you will.

How about the sound of that cornet/flugel horn? Its quite distinct and may lend a clue to the real identity of the artist?

Give up? Believe it or not, but Barnsley Bill was the alter ego of Horace Panter of The Specials. During the time after 'Ghost Town' when band members were taking a break (read: breaking up), Panter recorded the song on a lark at a cost of just £300! And rumor has it that the one and only Dick Cuthell laid down that unmistakable horn line.

The song and another that Panter recorded as Barnsley Bill titled 'Wedding Rap' are both long out-of-print so if you like what the Specials bassie cooked up 30 years ago, feel free to download the song below.

Barnsley Bill - Freewheeling Rap

A Halloween Story: The Song That Inspired The Recording of Ghost Town by The Specials

2011-10-31T19:07:00.000-04:00

Here is a trivia question for all fans of The Specials and 2-Tone. Have you ever heard of John Collins? How about Victor Romero Evans? If you haven't you are in good company. You can thank them both for their direct and indirect roles in the recording of one of The Specials greatest songs 'Ghost Town'.

John Collins, a North London-based music producer and owner of Local Records was drafted in to produce 2-Tone's finest moment, 'Ghost Town' after Jerry Dammers lauded his production on Victor Romero Evan's Lover's Rock hit 'At The Club'. Collins got his start working with local talent, using home made equipment and recording in a front room on a 4-track TASCAM recorder in North London. He founded Local Records in the late 1970's and it quickly came to the forefront of the post-punk DIY record label boom - making reggae and dance records, selling them through shops and later topping the UK reggae charts and the national charts.

But, it all started with one record - 'At The Club' which Collins recorded with Victor Romero Evans. Evans was a up and coming UK movie and TV actor and singer, who appeared in the 1980 UK reggae movie 'Babylon'. The song became a hit quickly, spending five weeks at #1 on the UK reggae charts in 1980. Part of the reason the track became a hit was production techniques employed by Collins. It was the first track to use a homemade drum machine sound and the rhythm copied 'Another One Bites The Dust' by Jamaican-based Clint Eastwood making it instantly recognizable. The song reached a broader audience after Jerry Dammers heard it and later voted it his record of the year in New Music Express, which landed Collins a deal with Epic Records.

Dammers was smitten with the track and in March of 1981 phoned Collins up to invite him to produce The Specials next batch of songs. Suspicious that it was some sort of joke, he agreed to travel up to Coventry a couple of days later to meet the band and was surprised to find that they were serious. They were surprised to discover that he was white.

After recording two major label records, Dammers had become disillusioned with high tech, expensive studios and liked Collins homemade approach and reggae credentials. Dammers had found a small 8-track studio in Leamington and it was decided to go there to record three songs for the band’s next single. According to Collins, The Specials usually recorded by all playing together live, but he was used to building a backing track bit by bit. It was in this fashion that he got drummer John Bradbury to set up just his bass drum, snare and hi hat; and bass player Horace Panter to plug directly into the mixer, going for a Sly and Robbie sound.

According to an interview Collins did with 2-Tone.info, 'Ghost Town' may have been influenced by another song. "I took a 12" of "What A Feeling" by Gregory Isaacs to Woodbine to test the sound of the monitors. It's a Sly and Robbie rhythm similar to Gregory Isaacs' "Night Nurse". I think this influenced Brad's playing, it certainly influenced me in getting the drum sound.. Also I had used the idea of fading up a track through a sound effect on "Lift Off", the B-side of "At The Club", and the idea of fading out under a sound effect on "Working Dub", which I had put out on Local Records previously."

Collins has posted a great article on his own Web site about the genesis of recording 'Ghost Town' as well his experience working with The Specials. I've always been struck by the eerie ghost sound effect at the start and end of the song which makes the track so haunting. According to Collins, the sound was hand created by a home made synthesizer dropped in at the start of the final mix, fading up The Specials from Brad’s drum count-in and fading down the synthesiser under Jerry’s chromatic diminished chord sequence. At the end, he muted everything apart from bass, drums and backing vocals, dub style, and faded the ghost synth back up just before The Specials come to a halt, leaving the synth on its own again for a few seconds before the final fade. And there you have it - the production of a masterpiece.

You can read more about Collins and Local Records at his Web site where you can purchase copies of all of his music. You can also hear more tracks recorded by Victor Romero Evans at his Web site.

London International Ska Festival Band Competition Update: Voting Well Underway

2011-10-24T13:35:00.001-04:00

Voting for the 2012 London International Ska Festival band competition is well underway with more than 3,000 votes cast since the competition kicked off in mid-September. Ska fans from around the world have been voting to select one winner from 20 finalists who hail from the US, Mexico, Canada, UK, Scotland, Spain, Denmark and Indonesia. The winning band will receive an all expenses paid trip to travel to London to perform at the festival. Here is how the standings stack up so far:

1. Los Furious (Canada)
2. Monkey Boots (Indonesia)
3. Jamaica 69 (Mexico)
4. Kinky Coo Coo's (Catalonia)
5. Bigger Thomas (U.S.)

In order to vote you need to email the band's name in the subject line of the email to enquiries@rockersrevolt.com. There is only vote per person and only valid email addresses will be counted. You can listen to tracks from all 20 finalists on the London International Ska Festival band page. The contest ends on December 1, 2011.

The 2012 edition of the Festival will be held May 3-6, 2012 at the Brixton Academy, Shepards Bush Empire and Islington Academy. Bands already confirmed for 2012 edition of the festival include: Dandy Livingstone (Jamaica), The Dualers (UK), Neol Davies aka The Selecter (UK), The Hotknives (original line-up; UK), The Moon Invaders (Belgium), Los Granadians (Spain), Capone & The Bullets (Scotland). More bands and DJs will be confirmed and announced over the coming months.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I play bass in Bigger Thomas (above), so while I would hope the many readers of the Marco On The Bass blog will consider voting to send me and my band mates to London next spring (I guarantee regular live updates and features from London on this blog if you help send me there), please vote for your favorite band out of the 20 on the list (we are in excellent company).

If you need a bit more convincing about my band then please download one of our albums for free from the sidebar along the right side of the blog and give us a listen. If you like 2-Tone influenced ska then we just might be your cup of tea. If you like what you hear please vote for us. After 23 years of blood, sweat and tears and many ups and downs the trip to London would be a dream come true for us. Here are a few videos of us if you need some visuals to help you make up your mind:

Ska In My Pocket

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Horace Panter's Excellent Blog - An Inside View of Life Inside The Specials Final Tour

2011-10-23T08:46:00.000-04:00

If you've read Horace Panter's memoir 'Ska'd For Life', then you know he is a great writer with a wonderful knack for conveying the truth about life as a musician. The book charts the rise and fall of The Specials from their founding to their disintegration. I loved the book, particularly for the way in which Panter explains what can happen when seven very different individuals with unique personalities and distinct backgrounds can harness their creative energy and passion. If you haven't read the book, then I highly recommend you pick up a copy. Both Amazon.US and Amazon.UK have copies available.

If you have read the book, and were sorry when you finished, then I have very good news for you. Panter has just posted an update on The Specials website titled 'Specials European Tour Blog September 2011' which picks up where the last one 'Summer Fun with The Specials' from the summer of 2010 left off. The posts are detailed updates -- part travelogue and part tour diary -- of The Specials experiences on their very last European tour from last month. Its great reading and a perfect epilogue to his book and a capstone on the final tour. Panter provides a vivid look at how much chaos -- travel (planes, trains and automobiles), boredom, traffic delays, bad food, bad sound and bad moods can impact a traveling band of 10 plus support (roadies, sound, family, etc) attempting to get from Point A to Point B on time. Oh and then there is the small detail of having to perform with energy and enthusiasm. Its not always pretty, particularly when most of the band are in the their mid-50's and don't recover from the wear and tear of touring the way they used to. That said, the show must go on and the band is playing at the height of their powers. Here's to hoping Panter will consider putting it all down in another book about The Specials reunion.

Here is some video of the the band performing 'Nite Klub' from the show in Amsterdam which Panter deemed 'blistering'. Enjoy!

Members Of UB40 Declared Bankrupt: What's The Real Story Behind The Story?

2011-10-22T14:35:00.002-04:00

Despite an incredible 33-year career in which they have notched up more than 50 chart hits in the U.K. alone, and countless others across the world, four current members of UB40 -- sax player Brian Travers, drummer Jimmy Brown, toaster Terence Oswald – known to fans as Astro – and percussionist Norman Hassan -- have all been declared bankrupt by a judge in the band's hometown of Birmingham.

According to a variety of media reports out of Birmingham, across the U.K. and around the world (including the Wall Street Journal and New York Times), the court order lasts for a year and means that tax officers can seize band property to pay off any outstanding debts. The case revolves around the failure of the band’s record label and management company DEP International – and follows on the heels of an acrimonious and bitter fight with vocalist Ali Campbell and keyboardist Mickey Virtue over band finances which split the group in 2008. At a previous hearing in July, the Judge gave liquidators the green light to chase debts and royalty payments on UB40’s hits. He also warned the band they would have to pay costs in the case, which already run into tens of thousands of pounds. At the time the band vowed to fight bankruptcy. Sadly, in recent weeks it became apparent that the bankruptcy battle against the members of the band had been lost.

There is a real Shakespearian quality to the recent trials and tribulations of UB40. Whether its a comedy or tragedy really depends on your point of view about the band. As a fan I've found it discouraging, but oddly fascinating to see how the age old demon of money has made enemies of brothers and bandmates, who have sent broadsides at one another through the media. The human quality of it is certainly messy but makes the story lines more compelling.

The media stories get most of the facts about the case right but none of the nuance and casual readers and fans are left with the impression that the band is bankrupt. This is not true. Individual band members are on the hook and not all of them were included in the ruling. The filing does not mean that the band has ceased operations. Nevertheless the band and Ali Campbell tried to put the news into context. Not surprisingly, Ali Campbell's media quotes further buttressed his long held position as the 'lone voice of reason' stating that he saw the bankruptcy coming and got out when he could.

“This is the very reason why I left the band. This was my biggest fear when I was with them, that bankruptcy was going to happen and no-one can say I didn't warn them. In the 1980s we were living in five-star hotels and we got through a lot of money. Why weren't the other guys listening to me when I started to flag these money problems up? They decided to back the management and not me, I'm still very bitter about it. I was very proud of what I achieved with UB40. It was a band I started, I was with them for 28 years and we made 24 albums. But we were divided and ruled, and this is what happened in the end. UB40 have been asset-stripped by the people around them."

His former bandmates unveiled a very different story as the news broke. Drummer Jim Brown shared a long and very revealing post on the UB40 website that sought to put the news into perspective downplaying the sensational quality of the media reports reporting the band were bankrupt (only four members have been declared bankrupt) and laying much of the blame for the band's current economic duress on Campbell, making some damning allegations about Campbell's conduct and claims that Campbell was paid more than his bandmates which violated the 'all for one and one for all' spirit of the band.

“As usual, it's only partly accurate. And the usual ambulance chasing from our ex-singer isn't helping much either. Let me tell you what REALLY happened with UB40 supporting their management. In the year before the split our financial manager was absent from work. This had been going on for a couple of weeks, so we wanted to know why he hadn't turned up for work. When we found out why the band were shocked and angry. Turns out that our ex-singer was going to our financial manager behind the bands back and demanding to be paid more money than the rest of the band. It had always been band policy to pay everyone exactly the same, but because of our ex-singers expensive lifestyle [he had a new girlfriend to impress] he was constantly demanding more and more of the bands income. these demands would come with various threats, usually along the lines of - if he doesn't get what he is asking for he'll leave the band.

At first our accountant gave our ex-singer what he was demanding, thinking that it would be the best way to keep things going. but the demands became so frequent and unreasonable [like keeping the extra money that he was taking a secret from the rest of the band] that our manager found himself in an impossible situation. He was being so compromised by the situation that it was making him ill. When the band discovered our ex-singer was taking money behind their backs we were rightly angry. And we gave instructions to our management that our ex-singer should NOT be given any more than his fair share, which was the equal split that we all agreed back at the beginning. This was when our singer decided to leave. he told us that he could 'earn 10-tines more without you lot' and left. Our ex-singer was found dipping his fingers in the till behind the bands back. The band gave our management instructions to stop that happening, so our singer left. That's how it happened. And the financial difficulties were as a result of our singer leaving. It caused us to lose several million pounds worth of work and this had a knock on effect of creating a black hole that the band have been working to drag themselves out of.

We tried everything we could to come to a reasonable deal over the administration of DEP, but in the end we failed. Now that it has come to a conclusion it gives us an opportunity to put this all behind us and move on. We've got a new album on the way and we are already booking shows for January next year. So it's a relief to get this over with, now we can concentrate on the future.

As usual, our ex-singer is trying to stick the boot in, and did you notice there was no mention of our ex-singers own bankruptcy?, which was for his own out of control spending, nothing to do with the DEP litigation. If you remember, his case didn't get any press attention, so he's careful not to mention it when he's waving his shroud in the press. The claim that our case proves he was right all along is a classic case of putting 2 and 2 together and coming up with 5!

Amazingly, the week the band members were declared bankrupt, UB40 put up a brave face and performed a special semi-acoustic show at the Hare & Hound pub in Birmingham where the band were honored with a special Performing Rights Society plaque. The pub is famous as they venue where the band played their very first show in 1978. Watch video of 'Food For Thought' and 'Bring It On Home To Me' from the performance below:

Despite these set backs, UB40 are busy at work on a new album and have just announced a set of tour dates in 2012. Campbell also continues to tour.

UK Reggae Documentary 'The Story Of Lovers Rock' To Make U.S. Debut in New York City

2011-10-15T12:38:00.001-04:00

The Story of Lovers Rock, a feature length documentary from director Menelik Shabazz, tells the unique story of a music that defined a generation of Black British culture in the late 70s and 80s. Lovers Rock is romantic reggae that was uniquely British and developed against a backdrop of riots, racial tensions and the stirrings of multiculturalism. Initially it developed among a small scene of musicians and performers based in South London but quickly grew to become a global brand picked up by bands like UB40, Culture Club and Maxi Priest and was name checked by The Clash in their song of the same name.

Currently enjoying a successful theatrical run in the UK, the film will open the African Diaspora International Film Festival 2011 on Friday, November 25 at the Thalia Theater at Symphony Space here in New York City, in a program that also includes Shabazz’ 1981 narrative film Burning an Illusion.

The roots of Lovers Rock lie in the early days of reggae, with Jamaican and American singers such as Ken Boothe, Johnny Nash, and John Holt enjoying international hits with reggae versions of well-known love songs. It was a style that resonated with the London reggae scene and became an apolitical response to the conscious Rastafarian sound dominant in Jamaica at the time. The style combined the popular 70's sounds of Chicago and Philadelphia soul with reggae basslines and rhythms.

Taking root in the Sound systems of South London, the genre coalesced around the DIY Lovers Rock record label founded by Dennis Bovell which gave the genre its name. The songs and sounds quickly appealed to women and produced many female stars including Carroll Thompson, Janet Kay and the vocal trio 15-16-17 spawning the distinctive young girl female sound associated with early lovers rock.

The documentary is currently showing in select theaters across London, Birmingham and other cities. Check the screening section of the film website for locations. Tickets for the one time screening at the Symphony Space in New York City are available thorough the African Diaspora International Film Festival website.

Watch the trailer for the documentary below:

Watch a two part Q&A with the documentary director Menelik Shabazz below:

This Is It!: The Specials Embark On Final Leg Of Their Reunion Tour

2011-10-14T08:48:00.003-04:00

The end is nigh! After 3 years of critically acclaimed, sold out live shows around the world, The Specials are now treating their loyal fan base in the U.K. to one last round of shows. While its hard to imagine that the reunion is finally coming to an end, the fact that the band stuck together as a unit since playing Bestival in September 2008 is testament to the will of the six members to reclaim their legacy and even more to the enduring power of the messages in their songs that still resonate in a world of diminished economic expectations and political and personal relationships that still fail to deliver on their promise. Further it speaks to genuine hunger that music fans have to see and hear great live music that speaks to their heart and soul and moves their feet!

The U.K. tour kicked off in Wolverhampton earlier this week with a few surprises. The band unveiled a large visage of Margaret Thatcher (who still never fails to elicit boos and jeers) along with other images of social unrest and riots that roiled the UK this year as a way to perhaps remind their fans that as much life changes it still remains the same (riots and a Conservative-led government were in power 30 years ago much as they are today). Still playing much of the same set they have for the last three years, the band has included a few chestnuts from the 'More Specials' album (Peal's Cafe with its unforgettable coda of 'Its all a load of bollocks and bollocks to it all!', 'Stereotype' and 'International Jet Set') and apparently have added a string section!

As a fan I will cherish the fact that I did get a chance to see The Specials here in New York last year. I was struck by the pure energy of the band which still rotates around the fixed pole of Terry Hall. Despite his recent profession of good cheer, the night I saw the band, Hall seemed to revert to his moody nature shouting down an unruly fan with a tirade of expletives and then hurling a mic stand in anger across the stage. Later, after water spilled in front of his mic stand, he stopped the band in the middle of a wonderful version of 'You're Wondering Now' to take his shoes and socks off. After padding around the stage in his bare feet he watched in dismay as Neville Staple deposited the socks into the audience! Whether is was genuine behavior or theatre, it didn't matter as it added to overall experience of the show. I was also amazed by guitarist Roddy 'Radiation' Byers rock god moves and searing leads and Lynval Golding's energetic runs across the stage. Later, I had the pleasure of meeting keyboardist Nik Torp (who ably fills the big shoes of Jerry Dammers) and saxophonist Drew Stansell who also joined my band Bigger Thomas a few nights later for covers of 'Nite Klub' and 'Monkey Man'.

When all is said and done, I believe that The Specials reunion was a unique blue print for how a reunion can be managed. While many fans remain disappointed that Jerry Dammers did not join his band mates or that the band decided to focus on playing songs from their catalog rather than record new ones was ultimately an afterthought to a band that sought to play shows at both small intimate venues as well as large outdoor festivals. The philosophy seemed to be 'give the people what they want' and on that the band has delivered again and again. To that end, if you want to re-live the memories of a show you've seen on the current tour or want to hear the band live, you can purchase live CD's that the band are selling on their website. A very limited edition box set of the entire tour is also in the works.

Below is a video shot by Paul 'Willo' Williams who is the admin of The Specials fan forum The Specials2.com. In the video he asks each member of the band to share their favorite memories of the reunion.

Madness Frontman Suggs' Reveals His 13 Favorite Albums Of All Time

2011-10-07T08:56:00.001-04:00

Back when there were still record stores I used to love to visit Tower Records on lower Broadway here in New York City. I could easily kill an hour or two browsing the many aisles of vinyl and cassette tapes (remember them?). At the time, no trip to Tower Records was complete without picking up a free copy of their monthly magazine 'Pulse!' which contained record reviews, interviews and advertising. I would read the magazine cover to cover on my train ride back home to New Jersey plotting out a wish list of purchases on my next visit to the store.

One of my favorite features in Pulse! was 'Desert Island Discs' which published the lists of top ten records readers would take with them if they were stranded on a deserted island. Despite the contrived conceit, I loved the column, because it forced music lovers to really cut to the chase and often resulted in some fascinating and eclectic results. What really were your favorite, must have records? What was the cream of the crop of all that vinyl in your bedroom? What bands and songs had made such an impression on your psyche and soul that would you want them to keep you company in your isolated solitude.

In the spirit of 'Desert Island Discs' the online music magazine The Quietus has begun a similar endeavor wherein they ask musicians to share a 'Baker's Dozen' list of their favorite records of all time. The kicker here is that the musicians provide an in-depth soliloquy on the impact each record had on them, proving that at the end of the day we are all music fans!

The current online version of The Quietus includes a list of Madness lead sing Sugg's favorite records of all time. While no one will be surprised that Suggs is a fan of early reggae and punk (King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown, The Harder They Come soundtrack, The Clash) he also includes a few interesting choices that might surprise hardcore and casual fans alike.

Fishbone Documentary 'Every Day Sunshine" Opens In New York This Weekend: Band To Perform Opening Night!

2011-10-04T12:16:00.000-04:00

I don't even know what to say that hasn't already been said about Fishbone. They remain, hands down, one of the best live bands I have ever seen and one of the best American bands of all time. As one of the only African-American bands (as opposed to acts) to emerge from the 80's (along with Living Colour), Fishbone were a uniquely American cultural and musical phenomenon. They exploded out of the Los Angeles music scene of the early 80's with ska as the foundation for their early sound. They quickly expanded their musical palette to include everything from punk to funk to metal to rock into a unique and uncompromising musical stew. Poised to break-out of the alternative music scene of the early 90's they were confronted by a variety of forces that conspired against them. First, a music industry that seemed confused by and unwilling to market them to a wider mainstream audience. But the band also suffered from a self-inflicted destructive streak that often ended up taking them one step forward but then two steps back. Despite some uneven albums and a shifting range of personnel and personal problems, their live show always remained free of the ongoing ups and downs they endured. Whatever problems they might be having, they left it off-stage or used it to fuel an even more energetic and intense performance. The show always went on!

The band's trial and tribulations have been documented in the sublimely beautiful film 'Everyday Sunshine: The Story Of Fishbone' which is finally having its New York theatrical opening this weekend at the reRun Gastro Pub Theatre in the Dumbo section of Brooklyn. The filmmakers Chris Metzler and Lev Anderson will be joined by band members Angelo Moore and Norwood Fisher to answer audience questions after every show this entire weekend. Tickets for the limited one week engagement are only $7! If that wasn't fantastic news, the band will be playing live at the theater on opening night this Friday October 7th! Get tickets for all showings here! Read a review of the documentary from the New York Times here.

I was lucky enough to be able to see a preview of the documentary when it was screened during the CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival in New York City last October and to interview the filmmakers who produced it. The warts and all film traces the history of the band from their early days as high school friends who start a band, blow up big, attempt to conquer the musical world and then run into musical racism, fight with one another, lose members, replace members, continue to carry on and influence a generation of musicians and bands in the process. It's a must see. Watch a clip below:

Stranger Cole & Patsy To Perform Rare Show In Brooklyn, NY: Ska Originators Backed By Crazy Baldhead

2011-09-27T20:10:00.001-04:00

Stranger Cole and Patsy! The names are synonymous with the founding of ska and rocksteady in Jamaica in the early 1960's. Some of my earliest memories of discovering original 60's ska are of hearing Cole belt out the lilting and anthemic 'We Are Rolling' and Patsy duet with Derrick Morgan on 'Housewifes Choice' from the raw and always sensational 'Intensified: Original Ska 1962-66' album that rarely left my turntable in college.

Ska and reggae lovers living in the New York City metropolitan area are in for a real treat. Cole along with Patsy will be making his first ever appearance in New York at the Bell House in Brooklyn, NY this Saturday October 1st. The iconic singers will be backed by New York ska band Crazy Baldhead which counts guitarist Jay Nugent of The Slackers as a member. Tickets for the show are available for purchase online. This is a chance to witness Jamaican musical history live and direct!

Stranger Cole began his career in the era of rocksteady and is one of the pioneers of reggae music as we know it today. Cole has worked with producers such as Arthur ‘Duke’ Reid, Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dodd, Prince Buster, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee and Sonia Pottinger and recorded duets with Gladstone Ellis, Patsy Todd and Ken Booth. Cole is a true reggae originator with a soulful voice to boot.

For most of the early 1960s, Millicent 'Patsy' Todd along with Millie Small (My Boy Lollipop) was one of the premiere teen stars of ska. She recorded numerous duets with singers Derrick Morgan and Stranger Cole. Todd's best-known hit with Morgan was Housewife's Choice for producer Leslie Kong. Her biggest hits with Cole included the uptempo When I Call Your Name and the ballad Give Me The Right, which were done for producer Arthur 'Duke' Reid. Since the late 1960s, Todd has lived in the United States. Most of those years were spent in New York City where she worked as a secretary at Lennox Hospital in Manhattan.

Have a listen to 'When I Call Your Name' a sweet duet Cole and Patsy performed together in the 60's and one that is sure to be on the set list this Saturday night!

The Story Behind Rico's 2-Tone Classic 'Jungle Music': Song Originally Written By Stevie Wonder

2011-09-25T13:28:00.002-04:00

The story behind the recording of 'Jungle Music' by Rico & The Special A.K.A. is yet another fascinating reminder of the way that reggae songs are written, morph and are re-invented again by new artists for new audiences. Who would have guessed that a song that is so identified with 2-Tone and members of The Specials was originally written by Stevie Wonder and also later covered by a member of Musical Youth!

The song (originally known as 'What You Talkin' Bout (You Don't Like The Reggae Beat)' had its genesis in an onstage jam session that Stevie Wonder did with a hotel house band in Jamaica that featured Glenroy Washington, a journeyman reggae musician who played and performed with a who's who of 70's and 80's reggae producers and bands. Washington provided the backstory on the song in a online interview:

"I was living in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. We were the resident band at the hotel, The Americana. It's now called the Sheraton. So, while we were there, one day we met these two sisters, the Andrews sisters. Stephanie and Bonnie Andrews from California. We were talking, having a conversation, and one of the ladies says she works for Stevie Wonder. She is his coordinator. In my mind I was saying "yeah, right." But, she said Stevie is coming to spend a vacation there, and she came down to scout out the area, to make sure and do different things. We didn't believe her at all, but one Saturday night we were on stage and playing with this guy, doing his show, and in walks this woman with Stevie Wonder. And the whole place was in an uproar. He already reserved front row seats, right in front. So he came down and sat right in front of the stage. After everybody settled down, we were doing our show, and he wanted to talk to us after. Because he was sitting there rocking, and he say he like the way the band sounds. So for about two weeks, every night he would come on stage and jam with us. The place would be packed. He get on stage .... one night he played drums, most night he played keyboards. That was fun. He came and jammed with us. He wrote a couple of songs for me. There was a song called 'Jah Business,' and 'Jah Coming.' And then there was another song that we made up right on stage, 'What You Talking About,' that musically we did a cover of it .... (sings): "What you talking about, say you don't like the reggae beat, you must be craaaaazy." We did it on the 'Tempted to Touch' rhythm, but 'Tempted to Touch' wasn't even around yet."

Washington would later move to the U.S. to work with Wonder and this version of the song was later covered and released by Dennis Seaton of Musical Youth in a failed attempt at a solo career in 1984 following the break-up of Musical Youth. Check out the video below (which prominently features Wonder) and you will note that while the Wonder and Rico songs share a chorus that is where they similarities end!

It turns out that Rico heard the Stevie Wonder version performed at the Reggae Sunsplash festival in Jamaica. He liked the tune so much that he wrote and performed a variation of it with members of The Specials (Jerry Dammers, John Bradbury, Horace Panter and Dick Cuthell) who backed him on a short German tour. The song proved to be a crowd pleaser and the band returned to Coventry to record the song. It turned out to be one of the last singles ever released on the 2-Tone label in February 1982.

Nearly 30 years later the song, a delightful reggae-cum-ska track with hints of African hi-life remains a pure pleasure and would form the musical blueprint for Dammers and Cuthell who just two years later would write and record their most famous piece of music -- 'Nelson Mandela'. The best part of the song is the perfect symmetry of Rico singing and playing trombone! George Marshall author of 'The Two Tone Story' put's the song in the pantheon of 2-Tone classics:

"Jungle Music could have come straight out of Walt Disney's Jungle Book let alone Walt Jabsco's stable (a compliment from a big fan of the film's music), and was Rico's most commercial released to date. He even put his trombone down often enough to supply the vocals. ... Of all the 2Tone records not making the charts, the colourful Jungle Music has the right to feel most hard done by. Still, the public's loss was the true fan's gain."

I recently discovered the very rare Barney Bubbles’ video promo for the song. According to Paul Gorman who is author of the book 'Reasons To Be Cheerful' about Bubbles, the video was a sunny contrast to the doom laden 'Ghost Town' video which Bubbles also directed:

"The Jungle Music film serves as a carnivalesque counterpoint to the appropriately dour Ghost Town, evoking in part the innocence of Technicolor 50s coffee bar newsreels. As in Ghost Town, the musicians (including Dammers in his bluebeat hat-defying giant sombrero) travel in a classic car, but this time arrive to celebrate multi-cultural Britain, not mourn its inner-city decay."

Here is all its glory is the rarely seen video for 'Jungle Music' as directed by Barney Bubbles. Enjoy!

Sound Effects Album From 1960's Is Inspiration for The Specials Ghost Town Cover

2011-09-16T22:17:00.000-04:00

The look and visuals of 2-Tone have been as much an inspiration for me as the sound of the music. Indeed, among the most satisfying experiences I've had writing this blog has been the chance to meet and interview the talented artists who were as much responsible for its overall success and legacy as the musicians who wrote and performed the songs.

The arc of my life over the last 30 years has been defined by ongoing change. However the one constant has been my ongoing love affair with 2-Tone ska and its iconic imagery. In fact, my own band Bigger Thomas plays 2-Tone influenced ska and our logo since the very start has been a direct descendant of Walt Jabsco, whom we affectionately call 'Mr 2-Tone' (and who looks a lot like Jerry Dammers on the back cover of The Specials first record). A debt of gratitude is owed to three individuals: Jerry Dammers; David Storey and John Sims.

Sims met David Storey at Chrysalis Records where they worked together as a team for over ten years. Working directly with Jerry Dammers, they were responsible for a huge amount of 2-Tone graphics including the album covers for The Selecter, Dance Craze and The Specials 'Ghost Town' single. As well as record sleeves, they produced hundreds of promotional items: posters, ads, T-shirts, badges etc. Where Sims strengths were as a 'Swiss School' typographer, Storey's strength was on the pictorial/collage side, so they made a perfect team.

As The Specials officially kick-off the European leg of the last tour of their three year reunion, I came across the album cover that inspired Dammers, Storey and Sims magnificent cover art for the Ghost Town single. Thanks to LPCoverLover.com who uncovered the original late 1960's masterpiece from an old Soma Records release of Halloween themed 'Sounds To Make You Shiver'. Soma was based in Minneapolis Minnesota and were better known for garage band guitar hits like “Surfin Bird” by the Trashmen). While the Ghost Town cover that Dammers, Story and Sims created takes the Soma cover as inspiration, note that only 2 of the skeletons from the original made it on to the cover! Nevertheless, the album cover captured the dark dread and gloom that hung over a recession ravaged U.K. in 1981. Ironically, thirty years later the album cover's timeless imagery is still relevant.

Voting For 2012 London International Ska Festival Band Competition Launches!

2011-09-15T13:11:00.001-04:00

Voting for the 2012 London International Ska Festival band competition has launched! Ska fans from around the world can now vote to select one winner from the 20 finalists who hail from the US, Mexico, Canada, UK, Scotland, Spain, Denmark and Indonesia. The winning band will receive and all expenses paid trip to travel to London to perform at the festival. The names of all the bands are listed below. In order to vote you need to email the band's name in the subject line of the email to enquiries@rockersrevolt.com. There is only vote per person (only valid email addresses will be count) and the contest ends on December 1, 2011. You can listen to tracks from all 20 finalists on the London International Ska Festival band page. As of today nearly 600 people had voted so things are off to a flying start.

The 2012 edition of the Festival will be held May 3-6, 2012 at the Brixton Academy, Shepards Bush Empire and Islington Academy. Bands already confirmed for 2012 edition of the festival include: Dandy Livingstone (Jamaica), The Dualers (UK), Neol Davies aka The Selecter (UK), The Hotknives (original line-up; UK), The Moon Invaders (Belgium), Los Granadians (Spain), Capone & The Bullets (Scotland). More bands and DJs will be confirmed and announced over the coming months.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I play bass in Bigger Thomas, so while I would hope the many readers of the Marco On The Bass blog will consider voting to send my band to London, please vote for your favorite band out of the 20 on the list (we are in good company). If you need a bit more convincing then please download one of our albums for free from the sidebar along the right side of the blog and give us a listen. If you like what you hear please vote for us. After 23 years of blood, sweat and tears and many ups and downs the trip to London would be a dream come true for us. Here are a few videos of us if you need some visuals including a cover of Monkey Man with specials guests Drew Stansall (saxophone) and Nik Torp (piano) of The Specials!:

Bigger Thomas - I Can't Remember My Name

Bigger Thomas - Monkey Man (featuring Drew Stansall and Nik Torp of The Specials)

And if it can't get your vote for my band Bigger Thomas then, I'd love to see an American band win this contest, so I've started the list below with the US acts...

Bigger Thomas (New York, NY)
The Forthrights (Brooklyn, NY)
Maddie Ruthless (New Orleans, LA)
See Spot (Los Angeles, CA)
Green Room Rockers (Bloomington, Indiana)
Babylove and the Van Dangos
Offbeat Offensive
The Riffs
The Downsetters
Akatz
The Simmertones
Monkey Boots
Kinky Coo Coos
Captain Accident
Jamaica 69
Bombscare
Los Furios
The Oldians
Jeramiah Ferrari
The Liptones

Hope to see you in London next May!

Suggs of Madness Signs Publishing Deal To Write Autobiography: Book Due Out Fall 2012

2011-09-12T18:06:00.001-04:00

Fans of 2-Tone bands will soon need to make more space on their book shelves! Pauline Black of The Selecter's new book 'Black By Design' is now out. Late last week Lynval Golding of The Specials announced that he is busy at work on his own memoir. And now Madness fans can look forward to a tome from lead vocalist Graham McPherson (A.K.A Suggs). The book is due out in the Fall of 2012. Horace Panter and Neville Staple of The Specials have previously published 2-Tone themed books as have Ali and Robin Campbell of UB40.

U.K. publishing house Quercus announced that they had purchased the world wide rights to Suggs' autobiography. According to non-fiction publishing director Richard Milner at Quercus:

“Like millions of others, I was a huge fan of Madness growing up, and everyone at Quercus is hugely excited to be publishing Suggs’ autobiography. Popular music is littered with short-lived successes, but part of the reason Madness endures is Suggs’ literate, heartfelt and cheeky dissection of British life. His voice leaps off the page, taking the reader on an extraordinary journey in the company of one of our genuine national treasures.”

This will not be Suggs first book writing adventure. He previously authored 'Suggs And The City: My Journey's Through Disappearing London' in 2009. The book was billed as the Madness frontman's personal guided tour of the unseen nooks and crannies of his London hometown.

Suggs embarked on a solo spoken word tour earlier this summer dubbed 'Live Suggs' (which garnered good reviews) and much of the material that he performed will likely form the basis for his autobiography. Described as part music, part personal vision, part music hall extravaganza the show was 'a surprising, hilarious and sometimes sad story. He navigates his audience through his hooligan youth, the dangers of undreamed-of pop success at just 18. The brawling, the boozing and the riotous mishaps of a life he can still not quite believe is happening to him.' Watch videos below of Suggs spoken word show and of him performing the songs 'Baggy Trousers' and 'Shut Up'.

Suggs performing 'Shut Up'

Honoring The Life & Times Of Peter Tosh

2011-09-11T08:18:00.001-04:00

I intend to mark today solemnly with quiet meditation and reflection and then I will play the music of Peter Tosh very loudly to mark another tragic occasion that occurred twenty-four years ago today. Sadly September 11, 1987 was the day that Peter Tosh was murdered under mysterious circumstances.

In no way, shape or form can I do justice to the life and times of Peter Tosh within the confines of a blog post. I would never even attempt to try. Its too daunting a task. Instead I turn to the the brilliant documentary 'Stepping Razor Red X - The Peter Tosh Story' directed by Nicholas Campbell and released in 1993 to tell the story. In fact, the power of the documentary is that it is told through Tosh's own words which he kept in a series of cassette tapes he recorded that were discovered after his death. (read a New York Times review of the film which helps put the documentary into context). The film succeeds in providing a detailed look at Tosh that is distinct and separate from the role he played in founding The Wailers and further helps to portray him as a separate musical personality with political and social viewpoints which clashed with that of the Jamaican establishment and government.

"And in the early 1990s when I realized that the whole world was only focusing on Bob Marley and everybody had forgotten about Peter, I decided to put together this film so the world could understand the mind of this great poet." -- Wayne Jobson - Producer of Stepping Razor Red X

If you are a fan of Tosh or are interested in learning more about his influence and impact on promoting reggae music then I recommend watching the documentary in its entirety.

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10

To further honor Tosh, below is a fantastic 60 minute set he performed live at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles from 1983. The show features 'Pick Myself Up,' 'African,' 'Glass House,' 'Get Up, Stand Up,' 'Not Gonna Run,' and a smoking cover of 'Johnny B. Goode'. Rest in peace Stepping Razor!

Lynval Golding of The Specials To Write A Book About His Life & Adventures In Music

2011-09-08T16:06:00.002-04:00

Add Lynval Golding of The Specials to the illustrious list of 2-Tone era musicians (Horace Panter, Neville Staple and Pauline Black) who have written books about their personal and musical experiences playing ska. The guitarist and prime mover behind The Specials successful 3 year reunion which wraps up this fall, is collaborating with Paul 'Willo' Williams author of the definitive history of the band 'You're Wondering Now -- The Specials from Conception to Reunion'. The two have been meeting together for several months and are in the early stages of mapping out Lynval's story and perspective on the band and his life changing experiences playing music. The current working title of the book is 'Back In Time'.

While it will more than likely touch on Golding's experiences with The Specials, its sure to explore more personal issues related to his experiences as an child immigrant moving from Jamaica to a pre-multicultural Britain. The memoir may also relate the inside story on the band's improbable reunion in 2008 and the effect and impact that has had on him, his family, his bandmates and fans of the band around the world.

I spoke with Williams about the book writing process he and Golding have recently embarked on.

What prompted Lynval to decide to write a book?
I think Lyn has reached that point in his life where he wanted to look back over at what he had done so far, pay his respects to family and friends that have helped him along the way, get points in his life straight, exorcise a few demons and talk about his love of The Specials and his family.

Are you two collaborating together on the project?
Yes we are. I was very honored when he approached me as he felt I was the right person to help him. Its a project thats been talked about for about a year or so on an intense level, but he had his mind set on doing the book a couple of years ago. Lyn provides great material and I do the rest! I am doing research as well. Lyn is also photographing lots of things as he goes around which we can use.

Will it be an autobiography or will it focus more on his life as a musician and the band's recent reunion?
Its a mix of all those really. He is very up on talking about the monumental reunion -- Its an important factor he wants to get down. The story flits from his early days in Jamaica ( this is VERY hard reading - his departure to England will make people shed a tear) to facts about how he got into music. Big influences on his life, but I don't want to be say too much just yet!

Have you started working together on a first draft?
The first draft started back in April and he comes up to my place when he is over in the UK. Our last session was in August. I set the recorder going and the man just talks with a passion. There is also the wonders of skype and email. We will probably link up on the tour as well. I am loving putting it together!

Do you have a publisher yet?
No not yet. Its something we haven't really thought about but Lynval will have his own ideas and I have a few contacts so I'm sure we will come to some arrangement with someone.

Any anticipated timing for publication?
No nothing set yet. Obviously Lyn has other stuff to do first! We have thought about schedules but the book will tie in with something very special and personal (no pun intended) that Lyn has up his sleeve but it will be not too far off. I'm afraid its a case of watch this space at the moment!

Is there a working title?
The working title we have at the moment is 'Back In Time'. Again, as you will see later down the line, the title will all make sense. Its a labor of love for him. Its a project he wants done right. He is so passionate about this.

Where do you think Lynval's book fit into the crop of recent 2-Tone themed books by Horace, Neville and Pauline Black?
Well, the good thing I think about this is that it briefly touches on the original Specials story. His idea, and he is right in many respects, is that that particular story has been done -- by Horace, Neville and even myself. There's nothing more he could add. So this is about the charismatic man under that pork pie hat. A heart on the sleeve moment, but the reunion, of which he has played a huge part, will be a big focus and believe me, it will be worth reading.

So there you have it! While the band may be embarking on the final tour of their reunion, fans of The Specials and 2-Tone can look forward to reading all about Lynval and his unique perspective and experiences as as musician. Stay tuned!

Many thanks to Paul 'Willo' Williams for the picture.

The Story Behind 'Love Of The Common People': Country Ballad To Reggae Pop To 80's Hit

2011-09-07T21:38:00.001-04:00

The first time I heard 'Love Of The Common People' as sung by 80's blue-eyed soul singer Paul Young, I was struck by the lyrics to the song. In contrast to the cheery melodies and backing vocals, the lyrics tell a bleak story of poverty and joblessness. There is a mention of 'free food tickets,' a reference to government food stamp and welfare programs, and the lyrics also describe the subject family as having holes in their clothes.

The song was written as a Woody Guthrie-like folk ballad by John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins in the late 60's. Though Hurley and Wilkins did not expressly convey it the lyrics, the song is a protest of what they saw as the failure of the American government to do more for the poor and unemployed than it already had. As we endure the third year of the Great Recession, I could not think of a more appropriate song to write about, as a Republican Congress dominated by Tea Party members seek to cut and limit more and more of the safety net of unemployment insurance, Medicare and other benefits that the millions of unemployed and underemployed Americans have used to barely scrape by.

The song was first released in January 1967 in the U.S. by The Four Preps but gained prominence when it was recorded by Country singer Waylon Jennings. Most of us who came of age in the 80's are most familiar with the Paul Young version which dominated U.S. and U.K. radio during 1983. However, the most powerful versions of the song are soul and reggae versions. The first was recorded by Washington, D.C soul/funk band The Winstons in 1969. However the definitive version was recorded by reggae vocalist Nicky Thomas in 1970, reaching number 9 in the UK Singles Chart. It was Thomas's only major hit single, and became his signature song, coming to define the term 'pop reggae'.

The story of how Paul Young came to record the song is very interesting. Young met Jake Burns of Irish punk band Stiff Little Fingers at one of their concerts. The band had added the song to their live set and Young asked Burns whether Stiff Little Fingers were planning to release the song as a single. When Burns told them they weren't, Young asked if they minded him releasing it as a single. They said he could, not thinking the single would do well. Burns later self-mockingly stated in an interview, 'Pfft! Go ahead. You'll never get anywhere with that, mate. Yeah, number 2, that'll teach me!' The Stiff Little Finger's version has a great punky reggae feel.

Young initially released his interpretation of 'Love of the Common People as a single in 1982, but it failed to chart. It was only when Young had his first hit in 1983 with 'Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)' that his record company decided to release the song again. The single peaked at #2 in the UK, and reached the number one spot in Ireland and the Netherlands. The song features a wonderful trombone solo in the middle which was provided courtesy of the one and only Rico Rodriguez. The trombonist had just endured the break-up of The Specials and decided to branch out and was tapped by Young to join his band. Rodriguez mentioned the song in an interview.

Q: And it was time to escape the English raining to some sunshine for a change.

A: Yes, and before me go to Jamaica me do one recording with Paul Young, a song from Nicky Thomas, 'Love Of The Common People', and I think Paul Young made a hit out of it.

Q: OK, pop stuff.

A: Yes, and I did the solo in that. And when I was in Jamaica I used to hear it on the radio in Jamaica, but since I'm in Jamaica here nobody don't even know is me who do the solo on that record. But it got regular play, it was regularly played on the radio.

Look for Rodriguez in the video of the song below.

Little Roy's 'Battle For Seattle' Out Now!: Nirvana Transformed Into Reggae Classics

2011-09-06T13:23:00.000-04:00

Little Roy's much anticipated reggae take on Nirvana 'Battle For Seattle' has just been released and the 10-track album is getting rave reviews from U.K. media. I imagine it will only be a short time before music media in the U.S. start to wake up to this gem of an album given its the 20th anniversary of the release of the first Nirvana album in 1991.

Little Roy's take on Kurt Cobain is a revelation as he and his backing band draw out new melodic and vocal subtleties from the original grunge masterpiece that are striking and inspiring. While you immediately recognize each and every song, they stand alone as brand new interpretations which speaks volumes. This is no run of the mill covers project. Much love and thought was put into bringing these songs new life. Little Roy is able to mine the surface below Cobain's self loathing anger to find the sweet and dare I say joyful vulnerability hidden below and transforms them from raging rockers into something incredibly beautiful. I've been playing the album constantly since I got it a few days ago.

The reggae legend who cut his first single at the legendary Studio One in 1965, recorded 'Battle for Seattle' with Wailers guitarist, Junior Marvin, producer Prince Fatty and other reggae musicians (notably vocalist George Dekker of The Pioneers and brother horn players trombonist Henry 'Buttons' Tenyue and trumpeter Patrick Tenyue who had a long residency with UB40) in a style similar to that of The Easy Star All-Stars, who have released reggae versions of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and Radiohead’s OK Computer. Its my humble opinion that this collection may be better than those because Little Roy's vocals are a constant and help hold the entire collection together.

Despite the amazing final product, Little Roy confessed that initially he found it was a challenge getting his head wrapped around the original songs: “When I listened to the lyrics as [Cobain] sung them, I found it hard to pick up on what he was saying. The lyrics came too quickly for my ears and were buried in the music. It sounded to me like he was crying out. You have to listen deep to get it. The melody was always there, though, so I knew this was a chance for me to bring them up so people could really hear what Kurt was saying.” And in many ways, Little Roy has served to translate Cobain in a way that may have missed our ears when we were all younger and angrier. While all the hits are here, its two of the more obscure tracks on the album 'Very Ape' which is now slow 60's style rocksteady burner with a memorable organ melody that will stick in your head and 'Son Of A Gun' which is now a shimmering and memorable lovers rock track which may be the best songs on the album.

Little Roy debuted songs from the album at a live performance in London late last week with support from Hollie Cook and the Prince Fatty Soundsystem. Little Roy also played the set to large crowds at festivals in Leeds and Reading and was greeted with great enthusiasm. Check out two live performances from the Reading Festival below:

Little Roy - Lithium

Little Roy - Come As You Are

The album is available as a digital download from iTunes in the U.S. and iTunes in the U.K. and all other major online musical retailers. Do yourself a favor a pick up a copy!

Remembering The Ska/Reggae Sounds Of Amazulu

2011-09-03T10:52:00.001-04:00

Amazulu were a guilty pleasure. Arriving on the UK music scene in the early 80's just as 2-Tone had run its course, this 6 piece multi-racial band of mostly self-taught musicians initially launched themselves as a serious reggae and ska band long before they morphed into a new wave pop cover band. In fact, the original version of the band drew attention with their political tinged songs, capturing the attention of noted music Svengali Falcon Stuart (who discovered X-Ray Spex and took Adam Ant mainstream) as well as BBC radio DJ John Peel who was an early fan and recorded two radio sessions with the band.

The band's first single was the political tinged 'Cairo' backed by 'Greenham Time' which was an ode to the women protesting the placement of U.S. Cruise missiles at Greenham Common military base in the early 80's. Despite their relative lack of musical experience, 'Cairo' is a catchy if serviceable slice of early 80's era reggae and the edgy video was miles from the the lush pop videos the band would later produce. The B-side 'Greenham Time' is the more interesting of the two tracks. Its a chant down Babylon/feminist reggae rocker that would have sounded right at home on The Slits first few albums. (download the long out-of-print track which was a John Peel favorite at the bottom of the post.).

Amazulu's reggae growing bona fides brought them to the attention of Jerry Dammers and Dick Cuthell (taking a much deserved break from recording The Special AKA 'In The Studio' LP) and Dennis Bovell who took the production reigns behind the band's single release of 'All Over The World' backed by the sunny 2-Tone sounding ska of 'Moonlight Romance'. Though the single failed to chart, the band and 'Midnight Romance' were prominently featured performing a more ska sounding version of the song in an episode of the 'Young One's' which guaranteed them national exposure and set them up for the pop success they would have with later material like 'Excitable', 'Don't You Just Know It' and the smash 'Montego Bay'. Watch a television performance and a rare live performance of the track below:

Amazulu - Greenham Time

Terry Hall & Jerry Dammers of The Specials Speak to BBC Radio About Making The Band's Classic Debut LP

2011-08-31T20:54:00.002-04:00

Did Hell freeze over! Below is a radio interview that Terry Hall and Jerry Dammers conducted with Steve Lamacq of BBC6 about the making of the band's iconic first self-titled album.

Sadly, I'm unable to listen to the interview since I live outside the UK so I can't say if Hall and Dammers were interviewed together or separately (based on the photos I would venture to guess separately but anything is possible). Hopefully some you living in the UK and EU will be able to enjoy this and one of you will send me a transcript!

UPDATE: I found this link to the interview which is accessible regardless of where you may live. Scroll forward to the 2 hour mark to hear the interviews. The player below is for people living in the U.K.

Could This Be The Specials Most Dedicated Fan? -- Meet Robert Taylor

2011-08-31T17:42:00.004-04:00

Officially, fandom is a term used to refer to a subculture composed of fans who share passionate feelings of sympathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the object(s) of their interest and spend a significant portion of their time and energy involved with their interest, often as a part of a social network with particular practices that differentiates fans from those with only a casual interest.

While most bands have passionate fans, The Specials have particularly passionate fans (which I experienced first hand when I saw the band perform in New Yorrk last spring). The band's reunion tour has given fans, who were often young adolescents and teens in the late 70's and early 80's, a chance to relive that initial excitement and energy again in their 30's and 40's. I know finally seeing the band live was a religious experience for me.

One of those fans is Robert Taylor of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Robert, like many of us, has been a fan of The Specials since he first heard them as a precocious ten year old back in 1979. Like many of us, he got hooked hearing 'Gangsters' on Top Of The Pops along with Madness The Selecter and The Beat. Seeing the band for the first time at eleven in Belfast turned him into a life-long, 2-Tone ska loving skinhead. Like many of us, The Specials and their music mean a lot to him,

While many of us count ourselves as dedicated fans who know the arcane and intricate details of The Specials musical history and can quote the band's lyrics chapter and verse, I do believe Robert may be one of the band's most passionate fans. Indeed, the band and their music have helped him through a number of life's challenges and to show his gratitude and dedication, he commissioned a full tattoo of a picture of the band across his entire back. The picture he selected came from the cover of Paul Williams' definitive history of the band -- 'You're Wondering Now - The Specials from Conception to Reunion'.

After hearing about The Specials gig in Belfast last weekend, I also heard rumors about Robert, who's tattooed devotion to the band caused a mini riot in the crowd, as hundreds of fans clamored to get a photo of his back. Once I saw the tattoo I knew I needed to know more about the story behind it. I was able to connect with Robert, who kindly shared his story and the events that led to his decision to tattoo the band on his back. Read excerpts of our conversation below.

I had a Specials tattoo on my right shoulder of Walt Jabsco done when I was 17. I had always wanted the picture of The Specials from the back cover of the first album done as a back piece. The thought of the pain and the cost did put some doubts in my head however.

I am a proud dad with two sons. My eldest Robbie, is 11 years old and my youngest Joel is 6 years old. They are so into their ska music! Unfortunately my son Joel needed life saving heart surgery when he was four days old and has required further major open heart surgeries since.

2010 was quite a bad year. Joel was in poor health. My mum moved into a care home with Alzheimer's and my dad had taken a stroke. I needed something to lift me and to focus on, other than the love of my family. The Specials were something that meant so much to me and shaped my life from when I was 10 years old. I had purchased Paul Williams book 'You're Wondering Now' and I got a signed picture with it. The photograph on the cover of the book looked amazing and after chatting to my wife, I decided to go for this design as a back piece.

I had done my homework on local tattooists and decided to go for a guy called Stuart Walker who had been an art student before going into tattooing. We chatted a few times over the design and on January 16th 2010, I spent my first 4 hours under the needle. I had five further four hour sittings and the tattoo was completed by March 12th 2010. I didn't flinch at all and Stuart couldn't believe how I took the pain. I used my son as inspiration and thought of the pain he went through before during and after his three surgeries.

Each one of The Specials has seen my tattoo. Terry Hall mentioned it on local radio last month and Roddy Byers has sent me messages on Facebook and The Specials website.

At the Specials gig last Saturday my back was photographed at least 500 times and the comments i got where truly amazing. I am arranging to meet up with The Band at the sound check at The Alexandra Palace show and have my back autographed by each one of the band. The Stuart will ink each signature for me.

Thanks very much to Robert for sharing his story. I'm looking to profile other fans of The Specials as they embark on their final tour. If you or someone you know has a story to tell, let me know!

Tony Beet Of The International Beat Releases New Acoustic Ska Single

2011-08-30T20:47:00.000-04:00

The break-up of the original version of The Beat twenty-eight years ago this month in 1983 was a great loss at the time. The band was close to breaking big in the U.S. and had they stayed together probably could have approached The Police in terms of popularity. Instead various members went their separate ways and the musical world gained General Public and the Fine Young Cannibals. Often overlooked in the divorce of The Beat were saxophone player Saxa and drummer Everett Morton, who in my humble opinion were just as responsible for the unique sound of the band as any of the other members.

Enter Tony Beet who through a chance meeting with Saxa at a pub in Birmingham one night helped to launch the International Beat. The band was formed in 1990 by Beet along with ex-Beat members Everett Morton and Saxa and also featured Ranking Roger as a special guest at select shows. Beet, who was the the guitarist/vocalist and songwriter for the band was also able to recruit ex-Dexy's Midnight Runners/General Public piano player Mickey Billingham as well. They toured in the early 90's and also released a studio album called 'The Hitting Line' in 1991.

The International Beat - Danny Boy

The International Beat - Are You Ready?

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for The International Beat (probably because of the distinctive playing of Saxa and Moreton) and Beet's vocals and voice was very reminiscent of Dave Wakeling's. As such The International Beat certainly satisfied fans of The Beat who missed their unique sound. Tony's songs and the overall sound of the band helped to carry on the great legacy of The Beat while adding their own unique spin. In my mind, they were responsible for keeping the flame of ska and the spirit of The Beat alive as both Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger often joined the band for live shows before reforming General Public a second time in the mid-90's. Ranking Roger has said that a sold-out show he played with The International Beat at the Greek Theatre in LA in 1990 prompted him to launch Special Beat.

More recently Beet has focused his energies on writing ska/pop songs on his acoustic guitar and performs them with the Birmingham-based Acoustic Theatre which features acoustic guitar, melodica, organ, percussion and double bass. To that end he has just released a new single titled 'Love & Unite' which fits nicely into the canon of International Beat songs, featuring a hint of The Beat, a bit of 2-Tone and rocksteady reggae. Watch a live performance of the song below.

The track is available for sale on iTunes in the U.K.

Pressure & Slide Riddim: One Of The Most Enduring Rhythms In Jamaican Music

2011-08-28T20:43:00.000-04:00

Riddim is the Jamaican patois pronunciation of the English word 'rhythm,' but in Jamaican music refers to the instrumental accompaniment of a song. A rocksteady or reggae song consists of the riddim (the bass and drums) plus the 'voicing' (vocal part) sung by the performer. Riddims are such an important part of Jamaican music that hardcore fans can instantly identify the hundreds of riddims which are the DNA of reggae music. While many songs may share the same riddim, each is truly unique based on the singer, the topic and additional instrumentation.

A given riddim, if popular, may be recorded and performed in hundreds of songs and live performances. Some classic riddims, such as 'Cherry Oh Baby' and 'Real Rock' are essentially the accompaniment tracks to the original 1960s reggae songs (Cherry Oh Baby by Eric Donaldson and 'Rockfort Rock by Sound Dimension) with those names, that were popularized by successive performers and producers who knew they could have a hit on their hands if the record buying public was already familiar with the riddim. As they say, 'Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...'

According to 'Wake the Town and Tell the People: Dancehall Culture in Jamaica':

"Riddims are the primary musical building blocks of Jamaican popular songs.... At any given time, ten to fifteen riddims are widely used in dancehall recordings, but only two or three of these are the now ting (i.e., the latest riddims that everyone must record over if they want to get them played in the dance or on radio). In dancehall performing, those whose timing is right on top of the rhythm are said to be "riding di riddim".

One of the most enduring riddims in Jamaican music is the 'Pressure & Slide' riddim which was originally written and recorded in 1966 by Prince Buster on his rocksteady hit 'Shaking Up Orange Street' and was immediately covered at Studio One by The Tennors who re-titled in 'Pressure & Slide' giving the song structure its well known name. The riddim was famously covered by Sugar Minott on his critique of the Jamaican police on 'Oh Mr. DC" and later by Yelllowman.

Prince Buster - Shaking Up Orange Street (1966)

The Tennors - Pressure & Slide (1967)

Sugar Minott - Oh Mr DC (1978)

Yellowman - Two To Six Supermix (1982)

My first introduction to the 'Pressure & Slide Riddim' came courtesy of the dancehall meets lover's rock classic 'One Dance Won't Do' by Audrey Hall that was all over the radio in the U.K in the mid-80's when I was living there. The song was a hit and the riddim roared back to life again. At last count there have been recordings of more than a hundred songs using the Pressure And Slide riddim.

Audrey Hall - One Dance Won't Do (1986)

For those who are interested in exploring the 'Pressure & Slide' riddim further, I recommend checking out the compilation alum 'What One Riddim Can Do' on iTunes.

Rare Early 80's Footage of The Specials On BBC TV Show 'Look! Hear!'

2011-08-27T07:34:00.001-04:00

In honor of The Specials first show of their very last reunion tour which kicks off at Belsonic in Belfast this weekend, I bring you rare television footage of the band performing three songs from January 1980 on Look! Hear!, a teen-orientated music show broadcast on BBC Midlands between 1977 -81. Hosted by future punk pop star Toyah Wilcox, the show featured reports on what was hot in the worlds of entertainment and fashion and performances by influential bands -- including nearly every 2-Tone band.

So far only the episode featuring The Specials performing 3 songs ('Too Much Too Young', 'Rat Race' and 'Skinhead Moonstomp') is available for viewing, though I'm hopeful the recently discovered episodes featuring The Selecter (‘Three Minute Hero’, ‘Every Day’, ‘Too Much Pressure’), The Beat (‘Big Shot’, ‘Mirror in the Bathroom’; ‘Ranking Full Stop’), and The Swinging Cats (‘Never on a Sunday’, ‘Away’) will all come on line soon.

Without further ado, I transport you back to height of 2-Tone mania in the U.K. circa 1980. Enjoy one of the best live television performances of The Specials I have ever seen. Look for the band at the following times during the program:

09.00 Too Much Too Young
23.30 Rat Race
27.20 Skinhead Moonstomp

Vive Le Rock Cover On The Specials Claims 'New Album Exclusive'

2011-08-26T11:45:00.006-04:00

The Specials grace the cover of the current Vive Le Rock magazine which claims "New Album Exclusive!" in big red type. Though I have not been able to get my hands on a copy, from what I can gather, the 4-page feature includes interviews with the band about the Tories and about their experiences touring. There is a separate side-bar article where Jamie Jazz from ska/reggae/folk trio The King Blues interviews guitarist Roddy Radiation.

What's of most interest though is that nagging cover claim, which seems to be an on-again and off-again story/rumor that has chased the band since the reunion kicked off in 2009. It tends to get the band's fans overheated and excited for a time (myself included) and then the band tend to put the rumor to rest.

In this case, it seems that the magazine has taken liberties with what band members may have said in the context of the interviews. I imagine one or more of the band members mentioned they were writing songs (and given Roddy and Neville have their own band's that is a a true statement). That tantalizig possibility of new songs makes great copy and helps to sell copies (though the band is about to sell out all the venues of their final European and UK tours so the publicity is just that -- publicity). In this case the publicity would seem to benefit Vive Le Rock.

In response to the Vive Le Rock cover story claim, The Specials posted the following statement on their web site this week that would seem to put the magazine's hyped-up headline into perspective:

Re our current Specials cover feature, Vive Le Rock would like to point out that the band have not actually said they will release a new album together, they merely said that they are all writing songs, but whether it is suitable for the Specials or not is another matter. They said they have not made that decision yet. We perhaps got a little carried away, hoping for a new album. It does however, look to be their final tour, but as one door closes, another door opens. You have not heard the last of the Specials by any means. Its all in this month's Vive Le Rock magazine.

If anyone has a link or a scan of the story or can share more about the contents to the story I would love to see it.

Montreal Ska Festival Announces The Skatalites & The Toasters as Headliners

2011-08-25T08:19:00.000-04:00

The third installment of the Montreal Ska Festival, which is quickly establishing itself as the premiere ska event in North America, will kick-off from October 13-15th with a diverse line-up of bands from across Canada, the U.S. and Europe. The festival will feature headlining sets from 60's Jamaican ska icons The Skatalites, and long-running New York ska warriors The Toasters who will be performing as part of their 30th anniversary tour celebrations.

Other acts set to perform include Mr T-Bone from Italy, Eastern Standard Time and Void Union from the U.S. and Danny Rebel & the KGB, The Hanger, and the Fabulous LoLo from Canada.

The shows are well planned, affordable and well attended and Montreal is easy to get to from anywhere across the northeast of the U.S. as well as Quebec and Ontario in Canada, which should motivate any of you ska fans still sitting on the fence about attending this three day affair a reason to attend. In fact, my fellow ska blogger Steve Shafer (The Duff Guide To Ska) and I are trying to make it up to Montreal for this. Hope to see a few of you there!

Below is a video recap of the 2010 festival.

Suggs confirms new Madness album for 2012: New songs return to ska and reggae roots

2011-08-24T08:21:00.000-04:00

Madness frontman Suggs has confirmed the U.K. ska/pop insititution plan to release a new studio album in 2012! The new record will be the band’s first since 2009′s ‘The Liberty of Norton Folgate‘, which broke into the UK Top 5.

Speaking to Digital Spy, Suggs revealed that, despite a delay in completing the new album because the band were unhappy with the original finished product, the new songs have are still slated for release some time next year.

“It’ll definitely come out next year – hopefully we’ll finish it this year,” he said. “We were hoping to get it done but then we decided to postpone the whole thing because we weren’t completely satisfied with what we’ve done so far.”

“We’re working on it and I think it’s that thing, when you’re young you have all the time in the world. We don’t spend 24 hours a day working on music like we used to when we were younger, so you have to do it in batches – sporadic, intense.”

“Before ‘…Norton Folgate’ we made an album of covers (The Dangermen) and we were really trying to get back to the reggae, ska and dance roots of what we did when we first started.”

The band previewed new songs during their tour late in 2010 and there is much conjecture among fans if any of these songs will be included on the new disc. See videos below of 'Blue and Black', 'Big Time Sister' and 'I Got You/Kitchen Floor':

Two Indie Films About Ska Titled 'Rude Boy" Seek Funding On KickStarter

2011-08-23T09:18:00.004-04:00

Not one, but two indie films titled 'Rude Boy' that have ska at the core of their coming of age stories are seeking funding support via the crowd sourcing website Kickstarter.

'Rude Boy' is a musically-driven dramatic film portrayal of Winston Brown, a fictional character based on real life musicians like Bob Marley, Toots Hibbert, Prince Buster and others, who lives in early 60's Kingston, Jamaica and who helps to pioneer ska music into rocksteady and then reggae as he struggles for respect among the police, rude boys, Rastafarians, and dance hall DJs. The film is an independent production that reports it has firm commitments from Danny Glover to star and Mario Van Peebles to direct. The film's producers who cite the Brazilian film 'City Of God' as an inspiration and a blue print for their film, are seeking to raise an unprecedented $1 million dollars on KickStarter before the end of September. While the fundraising goal seems like an impossible long shot, I'll be watching this project closely as I think it has some promise if its done correctly. Watch the film trailer below and please consider supporting the project.

The other ska oriented film titled 'Rude Boy - The Movie' is also an indie driven drama, but takes place thousands of miles and years away from 1960's Kingston. Jamaica. This film is set in Los Angeles circa 1984, as American ska was exploding and scooter riding mods and rudies, inspired by British 2-Tone, ruled the dancehalls and roadways of Southern California. Like the other film, 'Rude Boy - The Movie' also tells the coming of age story of Rudy, a Mexican-American teen who finds acceptance and trouble among a group of multi-cultural, ska music loving rude boys.

Most of the movie is being filmed on the streets of Anaheim, Buena Park and Fullerton, California. The director Gabriel Zavala Jr. has already invested 2 years of pre-production work into the film and is about to begin a 21 day shoot. To ensure an authentic early 80's feel for the film, Vespa scooters have been secured and dance rehearsals have gone on now for a year. Locations have been picked and music has been selected for a companion soundtrack. Additionally, a professional film crew is ready to get started once funding is secured.

Zavala is looking to raise the modest sum of $15,000 before September 17th. Money raised from the Kickstarter campaign will help pay for wardrobe and props, permits, insurance, location costs, crew, and gear rentals. Any money that exceeds the Kickstarter goal will go towards funding editing, promotion, festival and distribution costs. Watch the film trailer below and please consider supporting the project. I have high hopes for this film and I'm excited by the promise of revisiting the ska crazy early 80's of Southern California. Also look for an interview with the director Gabriel Zavala here shortly.

'Urgh! A Music War' Celebrates 30th Anniversary: Film Features Best Of Early 80's U.K. Reggae

2011-08-19T14:30:00.003-04:00

It was 30 years ago this month (August 26th, 1981 to be exact) that the 'soundtrack for Urgh! A Music War' was released. Filmed in August and September of 1980 at a variety of venues across the U.S., U.K. and Europe, the soundtrack would soon became a staple in the record collections of most fans of what would be called 'New Wave' in the U.S. Truthfully, it was more accurately a diverse mix of rock, reggae, ska, pop and some of the most cutting edge alternative rock music of the era featuring The Police, XTC, The Go Go's, The Cramps, Oingo Boing, Gary Numan and others. Released as a film in 1982, the film was a 'Woodstock' like experience for those of us who came of age during the 80's. It certainly was for me and I still listen to many of the bands featured in the film and soundtrack.

The trailer for the film is below:

I distinctly remember the first time I saw the film in the mid-80's. My college had a free movie night every Friday in the student center. This was long before the advent of personal computers and long before VCR's were affordable enough for students have in their dorm rooms. I actually enjoyed seeing these kinds of films in a communal atmosphere and this movie was an opportunity for me to finally see all the bands I was obsessed with (and that MTV would never show). More importantly, the film contributed to my growing love of U.K. styled reggae and it confirmed for me that I needed to pick up an instrument and start a band. It was a revelation to see all the bands in the film but for a budding ska and reggae bassist it was the promise of finally seeing The Police, UB40 amd The Members live that had such a profound impact on me.

While all the above bands satisfied me with their performances, one performance in particular stands out for me. There is a point in the film when Steel Pulse suddenly appear and kick right into "Ku Klux Klan" that crystallized my love of reggae and made them one of my reggae bands of choice. Its a theatrical performance punctuated by the appearance of one of the band members in a white Klan hood and gown that sent shivers down my spine. Coming out before The Specials released 'Ghost Town,' the song was meaningful to me and my friends as we attempted to make sense of the increasing racial and economic polarization of the Reagan years with economic recession marked by Klan and Nazi Party marches in places like Boston, North Carolina and Skokie, Illinois. As a budding musician, this song demonstrated the power of combining a political conscience with story telling that could entertain and educate. Its something I still believe and miss in most of current music today.

While 'Urgh! A Music War' was finally re-released by Warner Brothers two years ago, it was done so without input from any of the artists or with attempt to create a package that the film is due given its iconic status (rumor has it that each band recorded 3 songs for the film, so there is a tremendous amount of unreleased material). In fact, Jim Skafish of the band Skafish who feature prominently in the film has posted a critique of the way the re-release was handled. I can't disagree with any of his points. While I would never suggested that fans of the film not purchase the re-issue, please do so with caution. Nevertheless, the film and soundtrack is worth a listen again if you haven't heard it in a while. Those of you who are new to it are in for treat. Without further ado are a few of my favorite clips from the film.

Steel Pulse - Ku Klux Klan

UB40 - Madam Medusa (Did not appear on the movie soundtrack album)

The Members - Offshore Banking Business

The Police with Jools Holland, XTC, UB40 and others - So Lonely

Fred Perry Announces Range Of Shirts To Celebrate The Specials 2011 European Tour

2011-08-16T13:09:00.000-04:00

Attention fans of The Specials! As the band's final tour draws closer, those of you looking for a special keepsake should be interested to learn that Fred Perry have launched a second limited edition shirt collection to mark the bands 2011 European tour. The collection includes two Fred Perry polos (one in white and one in black) and a black polo t-shirt which has the band's European tour set list printed on the back (see above).

I have to confess, that in my humble opinion, the design and look of the 2011 shirts is far superior to the collection released in 2009 and though the band are not planning to cross the pond the play shows in the U.S. I may just have to throw financial caution to the wind and pick one of them up.

In separate Fred Perry ska fashion news, the company has announced that after much consideration and with the blessing of Amy Winehouse's family, they will continue to market the Amy Winehouse for Fred Perry line of clothes the singer had worked to design. The company also announced that a percentage of sales from the collection will be donated to the Amy Winehouse Foundation.

Who Is Gary Tyler? - The Inspiration for 1980 UB40 Song 'Tyler' Remains Imprisoned For A Crime He Didn't Commit

2011-08-14T19:30:00.002-04:00

The story of what happened to Gary Tyler nearly 37 years ago remains an ongoing American tragedy of epic proportions and a perversion of the American justice system. Who is Gary Tyler you ask? Tyler, an African-American from Louisiana, has been jailed since he was 16 years old for a 1974 murder that many believe he did not commit. An all-white jury convicted him based entirely on the statements of four witnesses who later recanted their testimony. In fact, Tyler's case has been taken up by Amnesty International as well as many others. Sadly, he remains imprisoned long after many other death row inmates have been exonerated for the crimes they were falsely convicted of by racist and corrupt prosecutors.

I have UB40 to thank for raising my awareness about Tyler's plight when I was 15 years old (both Gil-Scott Heron and Chumbawumba have also recorded songs about Tyler). Indeed, my introduction to UB40 (and part of the reason I remain a fan all these years later) is the impact that hearing 'Tyler' (the first song off the 'Signing Off' LP) had on me. The song opens with an eerie guitar reverb which gives way to a drum roll and then a solemn sax melody. Then, Ali Campbell tells Tyler's story and sings the chorus as a refrain that gives the song its heft and which makes it one of the most powerful political pop songs of all time:

Tyler is guilty the white judge has said so
What right do we have to say it`s not so
Tyler is guilty the white judge has said so
What right do we have to say it`s not so

While the UB40 song powerfully and passionately conveys the travesty that befell Tyler within the confines of a pop song, the details are even more harrowing. Former New York Times columnist Bob Herbert (who has made freeing Tyler a mission) wrote about the ongoing situation in 2007. An excerpt from the column is below:

Mr. Tyler, a sophomore at Destrehan High, was on a bus filled with black students that was attacked on Oct. 7, 1974, by a white mob enraged over school integration. A shot was fired and a 13-year-old white boy standing outside the bus collapsed, mortally wounded. Mr. Tyler was arrested on a charge of disturbing the peace after he talked back to a sheriff’s deputy.

Although the bus and its passengers were searched and no weapon was found, Mr. Tyler was taken into custody, savagely beaten and accused of committing the murder. A gun was found during a subsequent search of the bus and witnesses were rounded up to testify against Mr. Tyler. It turned out that the gun (which has since disappeared) had been stolen from a firing range used by officers of the sheriff’s department. All of the witnesses who fingered Mr. Tyler would eventually recant, saying they had been terrorized into testifying falsely by the authorities.

Mr. Tyler was represented at trial by a white sole practitioner who had never handled a murder case, much less a death penalty case. He kept his meetings with his client to a minimum and would later complain about the money he was paid.

The outcome was predictable. Mr. Tyler was convicted and sentenced to die in the electric chair by an all-white jury. At 17, he was the youngest prisoner on death row in the country. He almost certainly would have been executed if the U.S. Supreme Court had not ruled the Louisiana death penalty unconstitutional.

While the early and mid-70's reflect a time in American racial history that we would all like to forget, the truth is that the American justice system and State of Louisiana has continued to fail Tyler year after year. An article from 2006 in the International Socialist Review took up the case and the ongoing issues which have conspired to keep Tyler in prison and after a through review can only conclude that Tyler is a political prisoner in a nation that has long disavowed such practices and condemns other nations for employing similar practices.

How is it possible that, given all the evidence of his innocence and the blatantly racist nature of his frame-up, Gary Tyler is still in prison? Gary's case takes us straight into the heart of darkness of the Louisiana criminal justice system. Powerful political forces have conspired to keep him behind bars. Both racism and political persecution have played their part. In 1990, the Louisiana attorney general argued against a pardon for Tyler, because he has “demanded that he be allowed to correspond with socialist and communist publications like the Socialist Worker.

Democracy Now has posted a transcript of an unaired interview that Tyler conducted several years ago. Its definitely worth a read. If you are interested in Tyler's case please visit Free Gary Tyler or please send an e-mail to Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal asking him to re-consider Tyler's case and exonerate him.

Jimmy Cliff & Tim Armstrong of Rancid Collaborate On EP To Be Released In November

2011-08-12T12:20:00.000-04:00

In a musical collaboration that makes perfects sense, Jimmy Cliff has teamed up with ska/reggae aficionado Tim Armstrong of Rancid (who cites Cliff as a major influence and inspiration) to write and record an album of ska and reggae songs.

In a detailed interview he conducted with Stereogum, Cliff said the duo (with Armstrong behind the production board), along with backing band The Engine Room, were still recording, with plans to release an EP this November and a full-length record early in 2012. Among the tracks slated to appear on the EP is a cover of The Clash’s 'Guns of Brixton', which is available for listening below.

Its fitting that Cliff is covering the song that Clash bassist Paul Simonon penned with a knowing nod to the classic reggae gangster film The Harder They Come that made Cliff an international star. Its also telling that the song, which depicts feelings of discontent that were building in the U.K. in the early 80's due to heavy-handedness of the police (leading to the Brixton riots in 1981) was released the week riots once again exploded across London and other cities in the U.K.

Though Cliff has stayed true to the original spirit of the song, he and Armstrong have wisely added an acoustic feel to the track giving it a more hopeful sound.

Guns Of Brixton by JimmyCliffMusic

Largest U.K. Record/CD Distribution Warehouse Burned To The Ground In London Riots: Little Roy 'Battle For Seattle' LP Supply Destroyed

2011-08-09T19:33:00.000-04:00

Among all the destruction and carnage left by the riots in London over the last three days, perhaps the most devastating for music lovers was the huge fire that destroyed a Sony warehouse primarily used by distribution company PIAS.

The BBC are reporting that the warehouse in North London was burned to the ground this morning during the third straight night of riots in the UK. The 200,000 square-foot center housed the entire inventory of PIAS UK, the primary distribution hub for more than 150 independent labels including: XL/Beggars, Warp, Rough Trade, Domino, 4AD, Sub Pop, Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar, Drag City, Thrill Jockey, FatCat, Kompakt, Mute, Ninja Tune, Vice, and Soul Jazz (click here for a full list of all the effected labels). While no injuries were reported in the blaze, all the warehouse inventory is feared lost.

Sadly this also includes all the stock of Little Roy's 'Nirvana reggae covers LP and CD Battle For Seattle' which was slated for an early September release. Instead, Ark Records are urging fans to pre-order a digital version of the release through iTunes in the U.K.

Bim Skala Bim Perform Entire First Album Live!

2011-08-07T12:38:00.002-04:00

For those unable to make it up to New England to enjoy the once-a-year Bim Skala Bim celebration reunion last weekend (myself included), below is video of the band's excellent performance of most of the songs from their first self titled album that was released 25 years ago in 1986. The show featured all of the original members from the recording including original trombonist and vocalist John Ferry.

The original band line-up that recorded the first album included:

Dan Vitale: Lead Vocals
Lauren Fleischer: Lead Vocals
Jim Arhelger: Drums
John Cameron: Keyboard, Sax
Mark Ferranti: Bass
John Ferry: Trombone, Vocals
Jim Jones: Guitar

The same month that the album was recorded, Lauren left the band. Jackie Starr joined that December. Click here for a band history and chronology. Below are all the live performances of many of the songs from the the first album (which vocalist Dan Vitale said had not been played in 'quite a while') as well as songs featuring vocalist Jackie Star from 'Tuba City' and 'How's It Goin'. Enjoy!

The Key

Better Get Out

Diggin' A Hole

Jah Laundromat

Gopher Rodeo

Bangin'

Wise Up

Buster Bloodvessel of Bad Manners To Release 3-Song Ska EP To Support Injured UK Troops

2011-08-07T10:40:00.000-04:00

Buster Bloodvessel of Bad Manners has teamed up with a group of musicians dubbed 'Buster's Ska Battalion' to release a 3-track ska EP titled 'Ska For Heroes' that is due out in the U.K. tomorrow via Amazon.com and iTunes. According to a story in The Daily Star in the U.K., all the proceeds raised from sales of the record will be split between charities working for ex-British servicemen - the Chelsea Pensioners, the Erksine Hospital and Help For Heroes.

The A side is a World War I song medley set to a ska arrangement including 'It's A Long Way To Tipperary' to 'Keep The Home Fires Burning' to 'Rule Britania'. The B-side will feature Jennie Bellestar of The Bellestars singing a new version of ‘Long Ska Summer.’ All tracks were recorded with backing from UK mod/ska/soul band The Coverup.

Pauline Black's Memoir 'Black By Design' On Bookstore Shelves Today!: Read An Excerpt From The Book

2011-08-04T10:49:00.004-04:00

Pauline Black's much anticipated memoir 'Black By Design: A 2-Tone Memoir' is officially available on bookstore shelves throughout the U.K. today and for sale online from Amazon in the UK.

Of great interest to the multitudes of 2-Tone fans around the world it captures the birth of The Selecter and 2-Tone in Coventry, but its really more a tome about the search for identity. The book pulls no punches when it comes to painting a picture of the trials and tribulations Black faced as the adopted bi-racial child of white parents living in the suburbs of London. More importantly, it examines issues of racial identity during a time that the U.K. was struggling to confront its own racism and the challenges of assimilating Black and Asian immigrants into British society and culture.

Black was interviewed this morning on the BBC about the release of her book. Watch the interview below:

To celebrate the release of the book, The Coventry Telegraph in the U.K. is re-printing excerpts from 'Black By Design' in its print and on-line editions over the next few days. Below is an excerpt describing how Black developed her iconic look and her stage name.

STYLING THE RUDE GIRL

UNDER Jane’s tutelage I started to frequent the second-hand shops that used to be opposite the arts faculty at Lanchester. Jane (the wife of the band leader of The Selecter, Neol Davies) had a good eye for stuff and I was happy to follow her direction.

We took the Rude Boy look that Peter Tosh had pioneered in his early ska days and feminized it. It was just a question of changing the proportion of the garments.

She picked out some beige Sta-Prest for me, which were probably from the previous ska era, circa late 60s. They stopped an inch shy of my shoes which I was told was ‘cool’. An orange slim-fit, boy’s Ben Sherman shirt was poked through the changing room’s curtains to cover the upper half of my body. Next she handed me a double-breasted jacket made of shiny grey material. It fitted perfectly. Job done. We sourced a pair of black penny loafers at Ravel. White socks took up the spatial slack between the trouser bottoms and my shoes. We decided that my Afro hair did not suit this new ensemble, so I pulled it up into a small top knot.

I felt curiously empowered when I tried the clothes on at home and surveyed the result in the bedroom mirror. The addition of a pair of fake Ray-Ban sunglasses, strictly for posing purposes, finished everything off very nicely.’

The photo shoot came next. The photographer was a local young man, John Coles, who hauled us off down under the flyover which crosses Pool Meadow roundabout.

It was a spooky twilight shoot and all the more effective for it. When it got too dark we ended up at Charley’s house, posing in his kitchen. I like these photos the best out of all the other obviously more expensive shoots we did later.

Paul Rambali, an NME journalist wanted to do the first in-depth interview with the now rapidly emerging Selecter… Suddenly I was scared. What was I going to do about my job? I was up for promotion soon to senior radiographer?...Charley said: “Why not change your name P?” (He always called me P)

The wonderful thing about free forming with words is that happy accidents occur. So when Charley lay on his back puffing out smoke rings… and said: “What have we got? Pauline… she’s black… Pauline’s black… black Pauline…’

“That’s it,” I shouted excitedly, “Pauline Black!”

My rebirth was complete – the Rude Girl I had invented had a new name. Pauline Black. Black by design!

For those of you living in the U.K., Black will be promoting the book at the Edinburgh Book Festival on August 22nd. Tickets to hear her speak are available for sale.

By The Rivers Tapped To Play Support for The Specials U.K. Tour

2011-08-03T19:43:00.002-04:00

Leicester, UK ska/reggae band By The Rivers have been tapped to play support for the upcoming farewell U.K. tour The Specials are gearing up to kick-off this Fall.The six piece band (who have an average age of 20) was founded in 2010 by Nile Barrow and Jordan Birtles who have known each other since birth and had been writing music together for years before deciding to form the band.

Their musical union follows in the footsteps of their fathers John Barrow and Gaz Birtles who made their mark as members of 1980s band The Swinging Laurels. The connection to The Specials and ska goes back a ways as the Fathers were also members of early 80's Leicester ska band The Newmatics and later performed as session brass players for 2-Tone band The Apollonaires, as well as Musical Youth, Fun Boy Three and Team 23 (who were managed for a time by The Specials drummer John Bradbury). The Swinging Laurels recorded several singles and albums and toured as support for Culture Club and Nik Lowe in the 80's. The apple hasn't fallen far from the tree!

Check out a video of The Swinging Laurels below:

The story of how By The Rivers were selected to play support for The Specials entire UK tour this fall is one of that dreams are made of. A support slot for Neville Staple's band led to the tour of a lifetime as the band related in an interview with ThisIsDerbyshire.com:

A SUPPORT slot during a gig in Derby earlier this year could prove to be the pivotal moment in the lives of six lads with a passion for reggae. By The Rivers were wrapping up for the night when singer guitarist Nile Barrow thrust a CD and his business card into the hand of the night's main attraction at The Venue. He was 2-Tone/ska favourite Neville Staple, from the Specials, and, like many would-be stars of the future, Nile knew it was a long-shot. The CD and the card could so easily have ended up being left in the dressing room amid the after-show partying. Instead, By The Rivers will be using dates like their performance of upbeat original roots reggae on the Y Not Festival's Quarry Stage on Saturday, August 6, as a warm up before they begin a 15-date UK tour with the re-formed Specials. To say the least, Nile and the rest of the group have been stunned by the support they have received. "Within days Neville was on the phone saying he loved the EP and would be playing it to the rest of the band," said Nile. "Shortly after that Lynval Golding, the Specials' rhythm guitarist was on the phone, too, saying he would help out in any way he could. "He was brilliant, really supportive and was adamant he was going to get us a slot as the support band, probably for one of the Midlands shows. "The next message we got was a text telling us we would be supporting them for the whole tour – it was incredible."

Below are highlights of the band performing recently at the 'T In The Park' concert in London:

Stream and purchase the band's self-titled EP below:

<a href="http://bytherivers.bandcamp.com/album/ep-2">EP 2 by BY THE RIVERS</a>

Little Roy Announces September Release Date for Nirvana Reggae Covers LP 'Battle For Seattle'

2011-08-02T19:52:00.000-04:00

Little Roy has announced that his much anticipated Nirvana reggae covers album 'Battle For Seattle' has been given a release date of September 5, 2011. The reggae artist, who has been producing music since the mid-60s, has recorded covers from across the grunge pioneers back catalogue, with 'Lithium', 'Come As You Are', 'Heart Shaped Box' and 'About A Girl' all part of the 10-track collection. The album is available for preview and pre-sale on iTunes.

'Battle For Seattle' is the brainchild of King Fatty (Mike Pelanconi) who leads a U.K.-based reggae collective behind some of the best reggae music recorded and released in the last five years (including Hollie Cook's Tropical Pop). As a record producer, Pelanconi has worked with a diverse repertoire of artists and labels, but its reggae where he excels. The 'Battle For Seattle' was recorded old-fashioned JA style, using tape and vintage analog equipment, and Prince Fatty tapped an who's who of reggae musicians including Horseman, Mafia, from Mafia & Fluxy, Bubblers (from the Ruff Cut band), erstwhile Wailers guitarist, Junior Marvin and George Dekker of The Pioneers.

The album has received the thumbs-up from the original Nirvana camp and from many of their friends, including the bands original agent Russell Warby who is releasing the album on his own label Ark Recordings. Also, photographer Charles Peterson, the man responsible for Nirvana's 'Bleach' album cover shot, who helped define the look of Sub-Pop and Seattle internationally, provided the front image for the album cover.

I have to admit that I am really looking forward to the release of this album and I am not alone. From what I can gather, there is great anticipation and excitement for the release of 'Battle For Seattle' in the blogosphere. A review in Sabotage Times called the unlikely pairing 'inspired':

As unions go, it’s an unlikely one – the tortured gut wrenched angst of rock’s most iconic modern day suicide and a veteran Jamaican recording artist who has crossed dub faders with reggae legends such as Prince Buster, Lee Perry and The Wailers. But Little Roy’s “Battle For Seattle”, ten Nirvana cover versions set to a sweet rocksteady beat, is an undeniable triumph. Why? Because, like most successful marriages, the most affecting aspects of each are thrown into sharp relief by the limitations of the other.

Little Roy's reimagining of Nirvana's 1990 single 'Sliver' and its accompanying B-side 'Dive' were released earlier this summer to great acclaim. Have a listen below:

Little Roy's version of Nirvana's 'Come As You Are' has just been distributed via YouTube and is out on September 12th as a 7" and as a download with b-side 'Stain':

Preview Tracks for The Selecter's New Album 'Made In Britain'

2011-08-01T18:36:00.001-04:00

The Selecter (featuring Pauline Black and Gaps Hendrickson) have just posted preview tracks for their new studio album 'Made In Britain' which is out on September 1st.

The album features 10 tracks that mix ska, pop and reggae with lyrics that reflect the social and political issues confronting Britain’s new multicultural society in 2011. The album includes the first single,'Big In The Body-Small In The Mind' which was released on May 30th and reached No.1 in the Amazon hottest new reggae releases download chart. The song is a re-working of Woody Guthrie’s 'All You Fascists Bound To Lose', and helps to set the band's agenda, which notes that racism is still on the rise in Europe - a statement sadly vindicated by the horrific recent events in Norway. The band has also recorded a ska cover of Amy Winehouse's 'Back To Black' as well as re-recording 'They Make Me Mad' from their very first album 'Too Much Pressure'.

The line-up of the band that recorded the album includes:

Lead Vox: Pauline Black
Lead Vox: Arthur “Gaps” Hendrickson
Drums: Winston Marche
Guitar: Anthony Harty
Keyboards: Greg Coulson
Bass: John Thompson
Horns: Neil Pyzer & Orlando LaRose

Below is a great live performance of the band performing 'Back To Black' at a show in London shortly after Winehouse passed away in late July.

Have a listen to a preview of all 10 tracks from 'Made In Britain' below:

'Made In Britain'-THE SELECTER by Selecter

Doin' The Popcorn Ska - 7" Vinyl Bootleg Captures Early 60's Teen Ska/Doo-Wop Sound

2011-07-30T21:06:00.005-04:00

While Jamaican ska was originally influenced by the sound of American R&B and jazz picked up in Kingston from radio broadcasts in New Orleans and Miami, the sound of early 60's ska also had an impact on American pop music of the same era. Most of this can be traced directly back to Millie Small's smash 'My Boy Lollipop' which hit #2 in both the U.S. and U.K. and which introduced the ska rhythm to American ears for the first time. Small's version of 'My Boy Lollipop (which was originally written by American doo wop group The Cadillacs in the late 1950's) sold over six million records worldwide and helped to launch Island Records into mainstream popular music. It remains one of the best-selling reggae/ska hits of all time.

For a time, thanks to Small, the ska rhythm was all the rage with American musical producers who saw it as the latest fad to get American teens dancing and buying more records. To that end, the people behind the Ska Boots series are about to release a four track EP 'Doin' The Popcorn Ska', which honors this uniquely teen/crooner style of ska-pop/doo-wop. Surprisingly the 7" (which is available on vinyl from Piccadilly Records in the U.K.) features uniquely American artists -- Neil Sedaka, Annette Funicello and The Fleetwoods -- much better known for their 60's American vocal pop hits than for ska.

The A-side of the EP opens with Neil Sedaka's B-movie gem 'Do The Jellyfish', taken from the terrible 1964 B-movie horror flick 'Sting Of Death'. Next up is Annette Funicello (from the Mickey Mouse Club) singing her original early 60's version teen-pop cut 'Jamaica Ska' (which she later reprised with backing from Fishbone for the 1987 teen flick 'Back To The Beach'). The B-side features The Fleetwoods' 'Ska Light Ska Bright', which is surprisingly good considering their white bread appeal, and the EP closes with Baby Earl & The Trini-Dads' ace 'Back Slop' which was the alias for soul group The Church Street Five and sax player Earl Swanson who backed Gray 'U.S.' Bonds and Jimmy Soul. Its the pick of the litter, sounding like an early 60's outtake from The Skatalites.

Here are all four songs courtesy of YouTube:

Unfinished Amy Winehouse Reggae Album Set for Post-humous Release

2011-07-28T21:55:00.001-04:00

While Amy Winehouse will be best remembered for the two brilliant neo-soul albums she released -- 'Frank' and 'Back To Black' -- her love of ska and reggae ran deep as evidenced by the number of ska covers she recorded and her love for The Specials, who she famously guested with live a few years back. That love of Caribbean sounds (which featured on a number of ska b-sides pulled together for 'The Ska EP') apparently inspired Winehouse to record an album's worth of unreleased reggae tracks.

As far back as 2008, the The Mirror in the U.K. was reporting on Winehouse's trip to St. Lucia and Jamaica where she stayed at Bob Marley's estate and was reportedly working with his son Damein Marley on a set of dark, heavily reggae-flavored songs that were inspired by her failed marriage. Now The Telegraph in the U.K. is reporting Winehouse's unfinished final reggae record is likely to receive a posthumous release. According to the story:

Winehouse had spent the past two years working sporadically on a third album. Sources said that the songs were at demo stage but there was "a lot of material" available. Winehouse's parents, Mitch and Janis, will have the final say on its release and it is expected to outsell Back To Black's five million copies.

Industry experts described Winehouse as a true talent and said there would be huge demand for a posthumous album.

Winehouse was apparently shuttling between recording songs in line with her trademark soul sound with Back to Black producer Mark Ronson and more reggae-tinged material while she was in St. Lucia, (though her label, Island Records were reported to have rejected the reggae demos that Winehouse submitted). Reports have varied significantly as to what stage the reggae album is in, and whether there is enough material for a full-length new album to be released posthumously. Winehouse protege Dionne Bromfield also claimed to have heard the final album.

No one from the label has confirmed the album’s completion or posted a release date, and there’s yet to be any music from it that’s seen the light of day, so it remains to be seen if the reggae songs will eventually be released as part of an actual album or as part of a larger greatest hits or other retrospective.

In Rememberence Of Amy Winehouse

2011-07-24T15:05:00.002-04:00

Like everyone else I heard the very sad news about the untimely passing of Amy Winehouse over the weekend. My condolences and thoughts are with her family during this very difficult time. She was a truly unique talent who I greatly admired and she will be deeply missed.

Its no secret that Winehouse had a thing for ska and for 2-Tone in particular and that made me love her even more. She covered The Specials live (quite memorably at the Glastonbury Festival back in 2008 urging them to re-form from the stage) and had members of the band join her on stage. Later, she joined the reunited line-up of The Specials live and you could tell she loved every minute of the experience.

Winehouse was such a ska fan that she confirmed to Rolling Stone back in 2008 that her planned follow-up to her break through 'Back To Black' would include a fair amount of ska. Like her penchant and ease with soul and RnB which she wore like a second skin, ska seemed to come effortlessly to Winehouse. Sadly, that album or any of the ska songs she might have demoed or recorded is unlikely to see the light of day and that's a shame.

To pay homage to Winehouse and to her love of ska, I have posted some of her best live versions of her singing 2-Tone classics by The Specials below.

Here she is performing 'Message To You Rudie' and 'You're Wondering Now' live from the Glastonbury Festival on June 29, 2008:

Her she is performing 'You're Wondering Now' live with The Specials:

Finally, for those of you who share my love of Winehouse's ska side, I'm reposting for download a very rare, limited edition, European fan club only 4-song 12" EP that includes her singing very faithful 2-Tone ska and reggae versions of The Specials' 'Monkey Man', 'Hey Little Rich Girl', 'You're Wondering Now' and a moving ska/reggae take on Sam Cooke's 'Cupid'.

Please play them loud and say a prayer for Amy's soul. Rest in peace Amy...

Amy Winehouse - The Ska EP

Win A FREE Copy Of America's 2-Tone Band The Crombies New 7" Single Courtesy Of Jump Up Records

2011-07-21T09:30:00.004-04:00

Sadly, The Specials won't be making it back across the pond during their final farewell reunion tour of Europe and the U.K. this fall, but anyone who happens to live in the Midwest of the U.S. can enjoy the next best thing -- America's 2-Tone band The Crombies!

Combining their love of ska, reggae, punk, and rock, The Crombies may be the finest American 2-Tone All-Star tribute band I've ever seen or heard! Founded by vocalist Mike Park (ex-Deal’s Gone Bad, Lord Mike’s Dirty Calypsonians) and Deal’s Gone Bad guitarist Dave Simon, the six-piece band perform fantastic, pitch perfect versions of songs by The Specials, Madness, Bad Manners, The Beat and more.

The Crombies have made such an impression on crowds around Chicago, that none other than super ska label Jump Up Records are about to release a 7" single by the band featuring a fantastic 2-Tone inspired cover version of Niney The Observer's reggae classic 'Blood & Fire' backed with 'Mad At The World'. The song is a revelation taking the best of The Specials and The Selecter and mixing it with a hint of punk and reggae.

In order to celebrate the release of the single, Jump Up Records has kindly offered to give away 10 FREE copies of the single to Marco On The Bass blog readers living in the U.S. (sorry rest of the world!). The first 10 people to send their snail mail address to marcoonthebass@gmail.com with 'The Crombies' in the subject line of the e-mail will receive a free copy of the single in the mail courtesy of Jump Up Records. [NOTE: All 10 copies have now been spoken for! Stay tuned for more cool giveaways in the future.]

And, if you live in Chicago, be sure to stop by The Late Bar this Friday July 22nd for a release party for The Crombies 7" hosted by DJ Chuck Wren, who will be spinning 2-Tone Dance Craze favorites plus hundreds of private press ska rarities on vinyl.

Cant' wait to get the vinyl? Give a listen to a live version of The Crombies performing 'Blood & Fire' below as well as live versions of some of the other great 2-Tone tracks the band performs. Long live 2-Tone!

The Crombies perform 'Gangsters' by The Specials

The Crombies perform 'Night Boast To Cairo' by Madness

The Crombies perform 'Twist & Crawl' by The Beat

The Crombies perform 'Lorraine' by Bad Manners

The London Internal Ska Festival 2012 Launches 'Ska Idol' Competition!

2011-07-20T10:59:00.001-04:00

Today sees the launch of The London International Ska Festival 2012 Band Competition. One lucky ska band or solo artist, from anywhere in the world will be selected as the 'people's choice' to perform at next years festival. Looks like we have ourselves a little Ska Idol competition!

The 2011 festival was such a resounding success that festival organizer Sean Flowerdew has decided to make it an annual event. One of Flowerdew's goals is to introduce new artists and he is enlisting the global ska community to help him choose one deserving act.

The band competition is open to any ska inspired band or solo artist from anywhere in the world. To enter, artists or bands just have to email their band name to enquiries@rockersrevolt.com with a weblink of their music (myspace/facebook/youtube/soundcloud). Flowerdew has asked that bands put '2012 Band Competition' in the subject line. All entries must be submitted by August 31, 2011. Twenty bands will then be shortlisted and posted online for the public to vote for their favorite. Voting will take place between September 1, 2011 through November 30, 2011. The band with the most votes will win an opening slot at The London International Ska Festival 2012, with all travel/hotel expenses paid.

2012's line up promises 40 acts including Jamaican legends, an incredible 2 Tone Revue, plus acts from 15 countries. The first acts announced are: Neol Davies (The Selecter), Hotknives (original line up), Los Granadians (Spain), plus DJs Andy Smith, Count Skylarkin & Mark Barrett (Pressure Drop). A limited supply of earlybird/discounted tickets are available online now at
www.londoninternationalskafestival.co.uk

Producer Dennis Bovell & Ex-Beta Band Vocalist Steve Mason Collaborate On Reggae/Dub Album

2011-07-19T14:27:00.000-04:00

Former Beta Band front man Steve Mason has joined forces with respected reggae artist/producer and bassist Dennis Bovell for a dub reinterpretation of his debut solo album, 'Boys Outside', which was released last year. As such, the remix collaboration titled 'Ghosts Outside' takes Mason’s solo album and strips it down to its dub-reggae elements with surprising results. Mason’s haunting vocals are perfectly suited to a backdrop of stripped back dub beats and shimmering horns.

Bovell was a one time member of British reggae act Matumbi, finding success as a record producer working with a diverse group of artists including I-Roy, The Thompson Twins, Alpha Blondy, Bananarama, The Pop Group, Fela Kuti, The Slits, Orange Juice and Madness. He has collaborated with dub poet, Linton Kwesi Johnson for much of his working life. He would seem the perfect producer for a project like this.

Mason was vocalist with The Beta Band, who were a Scottish musical group who received much critical acclaim and achieved cult status amongst avid followers of the underground and experimental music scene. Their style was described as being 'folktronica', a blend of folk, electronic, rock, trip hop, and experimental jamming. Mason has acknowledged the influence of reggae and dub music on his song writing.

The pair have kindly share a copy of ‘Yesterday Dub’ ahead of the release of the album. Its a refreshingly old school reggae/dub track with throbbing bass, propulsive beats and brass trimmings. Throughout, Mason’s vocals are kept minimal; a sampled line here, an indecipherable, looped enunciation there. While the DNA of the original album comes, it still sounds miles away from the source material.

Ghosts Outside will be available digitally on July 26th and physically from August 2nd. Give 'Yesterday Dub' a listen below:

Steve Mason & Dennis Bovell - Yesterday Dub by DominoRecordCo

Introducing Razika: Norwegian Ska Quartet Channel 2-Tone Sound On Debut

2011-07-18T20:22:00.005-04:00

While Norway may be best known musically for the sound of Black Metal, A-Ha and Roykspop, the sound of 2-Tone ska is alive and well thanks to the latest efforts of Razika, a quartet of 19-year-old girls from Bergen, Norway, who recently got the stamp of approval from The Guardian in the U.K. Described as "an exhilarating mix of ska, Riot Grrl, 60s girl groups, post-punk and upbeat, C86 pop that would make Phil Spector, The Specials and The Raincoats proud," the band are gearing up to release their debut album Program 91 which is out August 16 on indie label Smalltown Supersound.

The band are a group of childhood friends —Marie Amdam, Maria Råkil, Marie Moe and Embla Karidotter Dahleng— who started playing together at 14 (in fact their name is a code word they used to identify cute boys at school). As teenage girls playing music influenced by ska and punk, the obvious comparison is The Slits, but the comparison doesn't quite fit. Instead I would say they channel the energy and sound of The Bodysnatchers early 2-Tone sound mixed with a multitude of indie pop influences that span many musical generations.

They switch between English and Norwegian from song to song but that has no effect on the listener. The guitars skank and chime away while the band explore the fine line between their own youthful exuberance and wistful nostalgia of their parents records and CDs which they obviously listened to with great care and passion.

Have a listen to three of the band's best songs including 'Nytt Paa Nytt" which lifts the introduction of 'Gangsters' to rapturous effect!

Taste My Dream by Razika

Nytt Paa Nytt by Razika

Vondt I Hjertet by Razika

Bim Skala Bim To Perform A Series Of Summer Shows Across New England

2011-07-16T14:11:00.000-04:00

Boston's Bim Skala Bim have announced a series of shows around New England in late July. These shows will be their first since they played the London International Ska Festival back in April and their first in the U.S. since four shows they played at the same venues last summer. Its been announced that these shows will feature all of the original members of the band plus a number of special guests.

Bim Skala Bim and The Toasters (from New York) both formed in the summer of 1983, apparently within about a month of each other and have the distinction (along with The Untouchables from Los Angeles and Heavy Manners from Chicago) of helping to create and build a thriving American ska scene in the 1980's. The band were influenced by the 2-Tone, as well as bands such as The Clash, UB40 and Bob Marley. They released several albums over the course of their career and they started their own record label to release music by other ska bands.

Here are a few videos of the band performing a few classics from a show in Boston in 1989 including ''Fathead, and 'Things You Do':

The August show dates include:

July 27: Newport Blues Cafe (Newport, Rhode Island)
July 29 Johnny D's (Sommerville, Massachusetts)
July 30: The Beachcomber (Wellfleet, Massachusetts)
July 31: The Beachcomber (Wellfleet, Massachusetts)

Interview With 'Riot On The Dancefloor' Director Steve Tozzi: Documenatry Tells The Story Of City Gardens & Randy Now

2011-07-13T14:16:00.003-04:00

As a young suburban New Jersey ska aficionado in the early to mid 1980's, I had an ongoing love affair with a big ugly hulk of a building in a blighted area of Trenton, New Jersey known as City Gardens. While it was primarily known as a punk rock club, what I loved most about the place was the number of ska and reggae shows the club's promoter Randy Now booked. Randy was clearly a fan of the genre and he went out of his way to book the best local and regional ska bands from NYC, Boston and Philly including The Toasters, The NY Citizens, Bim Skala Bim and Scram. It was always easier to wait and see these bands when they came to Trenton then to trek into CBGB's or The Ritz in New York City.

I remember the first show I ever saw at the club (The Groceries, a local NJ band with a good following) when I was a high school senior. The club was in very run down part of Trenton and it was a dark, dirty and dingy place but I was always excited to go there. The car rides with my friends to and from the club were always memorable and the characters who ran the club (e.g., Randy) seemed larger than life to me as a 18 year old. Its fair to say that my experiences seeing a variety of diverse shows at City Gardens molded me into the music fan I am today.

Fast forward a few years. My love and passion for ska led me to start my own band in New Brunswick, New Jersey while I was a student at Rutgers University. In fact, it was a chance meeting that singer Roger Apollon and I had with Steve Meicke (our original sax player) at a Ranking Roger show at City Gardens in August 1988 that took our band (then known as Panic!) from the planning stages to reality. Somehow Randy heard about us and the noise we were making and he offered us a show opening for Boston's Bim Skala Bim in March 1989. We must have made an impression on Randy, because he kept on booking us for the next 2 1/2 years until the original band split after a bittersweet gig opening for our musical heroes The Special Beat in September 1991.

Its safe to say that Randy Now played a huge role in helping us become the band we are nearly 20 years later. He acted as an unofficial booking manager (he booked us on our first tour as support for The Selecter in 1991), connection maker and guru to us and later as a good friend to me. Whenever we played there was a sizable crowd at the show (a mix of punks, dreads, mods, rockers, hippies and skinheads) and we took full advantage of the opportunity to bring our 2-Tone inspired mix of ska, reggae, punk and calypso to the diverse audiences who quickly warmed to us. I think its fair to say that all the shows we played at City Gardens had a huge impact on us as a maturing band. As we learned our craft and wrote better songs, the crowd responded and Randy would encourage us even more. The sheer variety of shows we played opening for bands as diverse as De La Soul, Burning Spear and Token Entry ensured we were seen and heard by many. In fact, people still come up and say that they remember seeing us at City Gardens back in the day.

Below is rare footage of us performing at City Gardens as support for Yellowman in late 1989:

When City Gardens closed in 1994 it was the end of an era in many ways, but the memories I had of seeing shows at the club and later playing shows there were forever burned into my memory. The club was a powerful part of my youth and the people I met there and the musical experiences I had there are still a part of who I am today. It was a life changing experience for me and for many others. City Gardens, like CBGBs or The Cavern Club changed people's lives and it deserved to be remembered in a way that honored its legacy.

Well, that has finally happened! Recently I was interviewed about my City Gardens memories and experiences for a documentary that is being produced about City Gardens and Randy. 'Riot On The Dancefloor: The Story of Randy Now & City Gardens' by director Steve Tozzi (that's Tozzi below in a Panic! shirt watching us play at City Gardens back in 1989) will chronicle the club's key place in alternative music history as well as the invaluable role that Randy Now (whose day job was as a U.S. postman!) played in turning the club into a musical oasis in the middle of a ghetto.

Tozzi who saw shows at the club as a teen and young adult is the perfect person to helm this production. An accomplished filmmaker who has worked on a number of other documentaries and films projects, he has smartly partnered with Ken Salerno, who acted as the unofficial house photographer for most of the shows at City Gardens and with Steve DeLodovico and Amy Wuelfing who are writing an oral history of the club titled 'No Slam Dancing, No Stage Diving, No Spikes: How City Gardens Defined An Era' (read an interview I did about ska at City Gardens here). Its a powerful quartet who have a vision for how to best tell the story of City Gardens and Ramdy Now and they are committed to seeing it through.

A six minute trailer for the film was just released on crowd sourcing web site Kickstarter.com last week. Its am amazing short that delivers on the promise of what City Gardens and Randy meant to so many of us. Have a look at the trailer that was released just last week (and look for me near the end right after Robert Tierney the singer of The N.Y. Citizens):

Tozzi was kind enough to take time to answer some questions about the documentary and of his own City Gardens experiences:

What is your personal connection to City Gardens and Randy Now?
I went to the club to see the ska and hardcore shows Randy put on. But I also went to the old Ritz for the Rock Hotel shows. From the town I grew up–Old Bridge in NJ, CIty Gardens was almost as far of a drive as NYC was. SO I went to both locations. The one thing I do remember about Randy back then was that he greeted people at the door at times or would hand out those punk cards to people on the way out. He was the face of that place, someone you could talk, Places like the old Ritz had no one upfront it just felt like a business.

Do you remember the very first live show you saw at City Gardens? What was your favorite show?
The first show I saw at City Gardens was Fishbone I think, I remember it being just a mad house. The band was in the crowd as much as they were on stage. I remember Chris Dowd from Fishbone, jumping into the pit ever 3 min. My favorite show is a hard one... I would have to say Bad Brains/Leeway. I remember it was during the summer and it got so hot in there that the band had to take 4 intermissions. Literally the sheet rock walls were crumbling from the heat.

What was the inspiration for the documentary?
I was inspired to do the film in two different ways and at two different times. The first was from an excerpt that I read of Amy Wuelfing and Steven DiLodovico's book about the club. It told the story of when the Butthole Surfers came to City Gardens. I remember when I was reading it, that I was laughing uncontrollably. I just couldn't believe this had happened at the club.

The second was when I met Randy for breakfast to talk about the project for the first time. After talking to him about where he grew up, how the club started and what he was doing currently. I suddenly realized that this story was much bigger than the club and the bands that played there. This man was responsible for putting on shows for thousands of kids throughout the years, with everything stacked against him. He didn't own the place and didn't make a lot of money. They were constantly dealing with lawyers because of people getting injured during the rougher shows. It was a pretty hard buck to make...and on top of it all, most of the kids did not appreciate what he was doing for them. After learning these things I had a pretty clear picture about the type of film I was going to make.

What was Randy Now's response when you first approached him about the idea for the documentary?
He said, "Great, but realize I get this offer about three times a year. So if you are going to do it, DO IT!" He basically challenged me, so I said "Allright I will" and we started filming that day.

The City Garden fan base is quite loyal. What kind of input/feedback have you gotten from fans about the project?
People are pretty loyal about the club and its history. The majority of the people that have sent us comments have been very positive and supportive. But we do get the occasional "This is about NJ Hardcore right???? We owned that place." NJ hardcore did play a roll in City Gardens history, but it is one part of that history. To focus the film on one genre of music would do Randy and the club a disservice. Every type of band played there, from Bo Diddley to Gwar, The Toasters to NIN. There was also an entire dance night community there. Everything should be represented is some way.

There's a who's who of musicians in the documentary. How hard or easy was it to get them all on board with the project?
Most of the bands we have talked to remembered Randy and the club fondly. Once we told them that the film was centered around Randy, they were in, nothing else had to be said. Most people want to do the film, the only problem we have had, has been scheduling the interviews. But that would be a problem for any interview based documentary.

For the uninitiated, can you explain a little bit about the process behind how a documentary film is produced and what keeps you busy during that time?
We currently are in production, filming interviews and filming some of the bands playing live. I also film Randy on and off every two months or so. We are hoping to start editing the film in September/October. Our goal is that we will have a final cut minus any graphics and musical scoring by spring of next year.

Can you share any unusual or particularly memorable experiences from filming the documentary so far?
One memorable night was when Ken Salerno and I went to Pennsylvania to interview Tesco Vee from The Meatmen. The club was way up in northern PA–in the mountains. The place was an 80's looking biker bar a little rough around the edges but nothing out of the ordinary. We met up with Tesco and did the interview...he was great and then he said to come up close to the stage to film the band playing. I was shooting the film camera that night and Ken was shooting stills... the show went off without a hitch. As we were packing up to leave, Ken pulled me aside and said "Did, you see what was going on with the crowd?" I said "No, I had my eye in the camera's eye piece and was filming The Meatmen" Ken then said, "Wow, you missed it, that place was filled with a bunch of Nazi's, didn't you see Tesco telling them to fuck off?" "Yes, I remember him yelling at some people but I didn't realize why." Ken then proceeded to show me some of his photographs from the night. One punter had an SS baseball cap on and another had full sleeve tattoos filled with german soldiers, panzer tanks, swastika's and just a ton of hate tattooed on his body, after seeing that we quickly jumped in my car and raced out of there. It was really unsettling.

In your opinion, what is City Garden's enduring musical legacy?
That is a good question...I guess It was a place that defied the stereotypes, It wasn't situated in a thriving metropolis. It wasn't a beautiful place. But It had Randy and he loved to bring new music to people. So to me, the legacy of City Gardens is that it was a punk club that had heart and that heart was Randy.

When can fans expect to see the documentary?
The film is in production through 2012, but we hope to have a DVD out by the end of next year.

There is a Kickstarter campaign to raise funding. What will the money raised be used to pay for?
The money raised will pay for several production costs in making the film including, film storage, travel expenses, festival fees, a second camera, just a whole slew of things. If we raise the 60K we are trying for, we will then be able to purchase some of the more costly music tracks we have always wanted for the film's soundtrack.

Amazingly the documentary raised its initial goal of $20,000 via Kickstarter in just 4 days! With more than a month of fundraising time left, please consider donating what you can. Any additional monies that can raised will help the production immensely.

UB40 for UB40? British Reggae Icons Face Possible Bankruptcy Proceedings

2011-07-12T14:23:00.002-04:00

More bad news in the soap opera that has become British reggae band UB40. News stories from across the U.K. are reporting that a judge in the U.K. has given tax officials permission to issue bankruptcy proceedings against five of the founding members of the band -- Brian Travers, Robin Campbell, James Brown, Norman Hassan and Terence Wilson (also known as Astro). The band are reportedly set to appear in court to block attempts to declare bankruptcy against them. The band has sold more than 70 million records worldwide and had more than 50 hit singles. The band split with original singer Ali Campbell in 2008 over what he called management issues related to finances.

Despite the band’s success, its record label DEP International ran into financial difficulties and shut down four years ago. An investigation was launched into the defunct label’s tax debt problems, and the five founding members are now facing claims relating to royalty payments on its back catalog, in a list that dates back more than 30 years.

According to an interview with The Birmingham Post, the band's saxophonist Brian Travers dismissed allegations that he and other members of the Birmingham band are personally facing bankruptcy. “It was only a statutory demand that we are defending, just business,” said the 52-year-old, who said he did not wish to comment further on the matter.

In an interview with The Birmingham Mail, former front man Ali Campbell stated the band blew cash on a lavish lifestyle and no longer receive royalties for their music. Campbell is quoted in the interview that he tried to warn his fellow band members that bankruptcy was on the cards before his acrimonious split with the group in 2008. “This is the very reason why I left the band,” he said. “This was my biggest fear when I was with them, that bankruptcy was going to happen and no one can say I didn’t warn them.”

Stay tuned...

Pauline Black Wins Trademark Battle For Ownership Of The Selecter Name

2011-07-11T17:17:00.000-04:00

It’s official: according to posts on her official Myspace and Facebook sites, Pauline Black now owns The Selecter name. The trademark ownership decision now clears up any confusion among fans and promoters as to which ‘The Selecter’ (the Pauline Black version of the Neol Davies version) they are going to see – there is now only one The Selecter® and it belongs to Black.

2010 marked the 30th anniversary of the release of The Selecter's iconic 'Too Much Pressure' album. It also saw the emergence of two competing versions of the band led separately by vocalist Black on one side and lead guitarist Neol Davies on the other. Though the reality of two version of The Selecter has always been intriguing, its also been a crying shame that the original members have been unable to patch up whatever differences existed between them and come together to properly honor their legacy. With this decision, Davies, who has also been playing and performing under The Selecter band name will have to come up a new name for any of his future musical projects.

To celebrate, The Selecter have released the second single, a cover of the Amy Winehouse classic 'Back To Black' from their upcoming album 'Made In Britain'.

The History Behind Third World's '1865 (96 Degrees In The Shade)'

2011-07-09T15:01:00.002-04:00

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Third World and in particular for the beloved cult classic song '1865 (96 Degrees In The Shade) which is a dramatic and musically powerful retelling of the events of the October 1865 Morant Bay Rebellion, headed by Baptist deacon and preacher Paul Bogle who led an armed group against the British authorities in Jamaica with his attack against the town of Morant Bay.

The scene that the song dramatizes is such a central one in Jamaican history. The band identifies with Bogle, the main figure in the insurrection. Even though this is a song that looks at history, it achieves exactly what the best reggae songs do: it brings history home. The song is based on a historical fact, but it is never overt: at no point does it mention Bogle or Morant Bay. The year is the major clue to the poem’s meaning. The listener has to do some work.

Although the rebellion failed, as "1865 (96 Degrees in the Shade)" makes clear, Bogle's actions reverberated across Jamaican history, sparking further revolts until the island finally won independence. Bogle is considered one of Jamaica's greatest heroes and he is forever memorialized by the song which is among Third World's most popular..

Now for some important historical context. Slavery ended in Jamaica on August 1, 1834 with the passing of the British Emancipation Act, when exactly four years later former slaves became free to choose their employment and employer. On paper, former slaves gained the right to vote; however, most blacks remained desperately poor, and a high voting fee effectively excluded them from the franchise. During the elections of 1864, the ratio of black Jamaicans to white was 32 to 1, but out of a population of over 436,000, fewer than 2,000 were eligible to vote, nearly all of them white. According to a great post on 100 Songs From The Golden Age of Reggae:

George William Gordon (picture below) a wealthy bi-racial member of the Jamaican National Assembly, was the son of a black slave woman and a wealthy British plantation owner. Gordon's father, like many other British colonial elites lived most of the time in England also sired second surrogate families with native Jamaican women, unknown to their families back in Britain. Gordon was his father's common law heir under Jamaican law.

Gordon was considered a troublemaker by Edward Eyre, the newly appointed colonial governor of Jamaica because Gordon's high profile activities on behalf of disenfranchised newly freed slaves. Gordon had assisted a group of former slaves draw up and circulate a petition to Queen Victoria asking her to bequeath a small amount Crown owned land in the bush of St. Ann's Parish for the local landless farmer to cultivate as they could not find land for themselves. At least, the Queen's worthless land would produce some tax income for the Crown and provide a means of living to many wretchedly poor Jamaican citizens who had no other means of survival.

For the newly installed British colonial governor Eyre (picture above), it was unthinkable that a group of uppity "maroon negroes" would have the comeuppance to ask Queen Victoria's permission to cultivate a few hundred acres of the vacant undeveloped land in a remote colonial town 4,000 miles from Buckingham Palace. Eyre immediately regarded Gordon as a political enemy with a subversive agenda.

On October 7, 1865 a black man was put on trial and imprisoned for trespassing on a long-abandoned plantation, creating anger among black Jamaicans. The black man was nothing more than a squatter using part of the property of an abandoned plantation to plant a subsistence crop for his family's needs. When one member of a group of black protesters from the village of Stony Gut was arrested, the protesters became unruly and freed the accused man from prison.

Governor Eyres and the local constabulary suspected that Gordon and one of his proteges, Paul Bogle (picture above) a deacon at a local black Baptist church, were the key organizers of the protest and the subsequent prison break. Bogle soon learned that he and 27 of associates had warrants issued for their arrest for rioting, resisting arrest, and assaulting the police.

The historical record doesn't confirm whether either Gordon or Bogle were involved in any of the events up to that point but it's likely that Gordon wasn't involved and Bogle probably was. It's an undisputable fact that Bogle was firmly in command of a large contingency of protesters who marched on the Morant Bay courthouse, four days later.

When the group arrived at the Morant Bay court house, they were met by a small volunteer militia (ie.. vigilantes) who panicked and opened fire on the group, killing seven black protesters before retreating. The black protesters then rioted, killing 18 people (including white officials and militia) and taking control of the town. In the days that followed some 2,000 black rebels roamed the countryside, killing two white planters and forcing others to flee for their lives.

Eyre sent government troops to hunt down the poorly-armed rebels and bring Paul Bogle back to Morant Bay for trial. The troops were met with no organized resistance but killed blacks indiscriminately, many of whom had not been involved in the riot or rebellion: according to one soldier, "we slaughtered all before us… man or woman or child".

In the end, 439 black Jamaicans were killed directly by soldiers, and 354 more (including Bogle) were arrested and later executed, some without proper trials. Other punishments included flogging for over 600 men and women (including some pregnant women), and long prison sentences. Bogle was lynched and hung without a trial, moments after the British troops took him into custody. Gordon, who had little - if anything - to do with the rebellion was also arrested. Though he was arrested in Kingston, he was transferred by Eyre to Morant Bay, where he could be tried under martial law.

Ever the politician, Eyre saw a public hanging of Gordon as a high profile opportunity to assert his authority as the newly appointed governor of Jamaica. A kangaroo court convicted Gordon of sedition and treason in two days, but Gordon wasn't informed of his sentence until an hour before his hanging.

Gordon was paraded through the streets of Morant Bay and led to the his hanging by a contingency of 10,000 soldiers. And presiding over the surreal and carnivalesque events was none other than the portly Governor Eyre dressed like a British dandy attending a night at the opera.

People from all over the island attended the grotesque spectacle and the narrator of the story in the song, '96 Degrees in the Shade' is none other than the condemned man, George William Gordon. The lyrics to the song are very close to the same final words of Gordon as he stood before Eyre. Gordon even began his remarks with a polite remark about the stifling humidity of the October day.

Bogle's final defiant words to Governor Eyre as faithfully sung by Third World in the song were: "Today I stand here a victim but the truth is I'll never die."

96 degree in the shade,
real hot in the shade (repeat)

said it was 96 degrees in the shade
ten thousand soldiers on parade
taking i and i to meet a big fat boy
sent from overseas
the queen employ
Excellency before you i come
with my representation
you know where I’m coming from

you caught me on the loose
fighting to be free
now you show me a noose
on the cotton tree
entertainment for you
martyrdom for me

96 degrees in the shade
real hot in the shade

some may suffer and some may burn
but i know that one day my people will learn
as sure as the sun shines, way up in the sky
today i stand here a victim the truth is I'll never die

As sure as the Sun shine
Way up in the sky,
Today I stand here a victim -
The truth is I'll never die...

Pauline Black's Memoir 'Black By Design' Now Available For Pre-Order: In Stores August 4th

2011-07-06T20:43:00.000-04:00

Add Pauline Black to the illustrious list of 2-Tone era musicians (Horace Panter, Neville Staple) who are writing books about their personal and musical experiences. The singer, actress and TV presenter's memoir 'Black By Design: A 2-Tone Memoir'' is now available for pre-order from Amazon in the UK. It will be on book store shelves on August 4th.

While it will more than likely touch on Black's experiences with The Selecter, its sure to explore more personal issues related to Black's experiences as a mixed race child being adopted by a white family in a pre-multicultural Britain. It will also examine issues of racial identity during a time that the U.K. was struggling with its own issues of racism and the challenges of assimilating Black and Asian immigrants into British society and culture. In that regard, it may touch on topics raised by Neville Staple in his memoir 'Original Rude Boy: From Borstal To The Specials' which was his recollection of life growing up in Coventry and detailed his Black British experience.

I asked Black about her book during an interview I conducted with her last summer. Here is what she shared with me about the process of writing her memoir and the difficult questions and topics related to race and identity that she explores:

I have been writing short stories and opinion pieces for BBC Radio 4 in the UK for years, since the early 90’s. I also wrote a novel in the mid 90’s “The Goldfinches” which picked up publishing interest, but then the recession hit and money was scarce and the interest evaporated. Therefore I did not approach my book as a novice. I knew that I wanted to write my own memoir. When a “ghost writer” is used it is usually obvious. The main difference between my first outing into the book world and now, is that I got a literary agent. Without a literary agent it is almost impossible these days for a writer to be taken seriously by publishers. Publishing interest in my memoir was there from the beginning, largely because I was the only female among the bands that did the legendary “2-tone tour” in 1979 and also because I have extended my repertoire over the past 30 years to include, acting, presenting, radio broadcasting & writing, while still remaining active as a musician throughout the 90’s and Noughties. Therefore my story covered a wider brief. I didn’t want my memoir to be just about the brief period of the 2-tone years. Fortunately my literary agent and publisher agreed with my approach. For the book to have been signed by influential, maverick publisher “Serpent’s Tail” is very much a dream come true. They have a great publishing history reflecting many of the books that have influenced me throughout my life, most notably many of the “Harlem Renaissance” writers like Langston Hughes and Nella Larsen.

Primarily, “Black By Design” is about my search for my cultural and racial heritage, which, I discovered, had surprisingly original beginnings. It vigorously discusses the twin evils of “racism” and “sexism”, which gave me the motivation to join a 2-tone band in 1979 and enter the ongoing musical polemic offered by that inclusion.

I wanted my book to be “ideas driven”, to ask some difficult questions about what it meant to grow up black in a predominantly racist Britain in the 50’s and 60’s and how being adopted into a white working class family influenced my decision to choose music as a career path. I didn’t want to write some dishonest potted history of my private life or just a scrupulously kept diary. Hopefully I have achieved my goal.

The few excerpts from 'Black By Design' that I have read suggest a book that is witty and eminently readable, but that pulls no punches when it comes to painting a picture of the trials and tribulations Black and other mixed race Britons faced as the adopted bi-racial child of a white family in the suburbs of London. For instance, here is Black's first memory:

“My earliest memory is of vomiting the breakfast contents of my stomach onto a pile of starched white sheets that my Mother had just finished ironing. I succeeded in Jackson Pollocking all of them. She was not amused, but then again it was her own fault: she shouldn’t have told me that I had been adopted.”

Black will be promoting the book at the Edinburgh Book Festival on August 22nd. Tickets to hear her speak are available for sale.