Happy Halloween - The Ultimate Ska Halloween Playlist

John from HPSKA, who is comrade in all things ska, has developed an extensive play list of 300+ ska songs appropriate for a night of Halloween listening. I was pleased and a bit surprised to see that my band's semi-serious take on The Archies 'Sugar Sugar' made the list at #22.

The reason we recorded the song is pretty interesting. Our original guitarist Steve Parker's father Ron Parker was a well known studio musician who played guitar on a number of popular radio hits from the late 1960's including 'Hooked On A Feeling' by B.J. Thomas and 'Sugar Sugar' by The Archies.



We decided to perform 'Sugar Sugar' to honor him and we developed a unique ska and reggae take on the song. At one point during the mid-90's, the song was a mainstay of our set list. Below is a download of our version.

Bigger Thomas - Sugar Sugar

Below is the Top 25 list of Halloween ska songs that John from HPSKA created:

1. Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra - Witching Hour
2. Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra - Howlin’ Wolves
3. Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra - Vampire
4. Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra - Skull Collector
5. Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra - Monster Rock
6. Eskalator - Monster Mash
7. Skazoo - Monster Mosh
8. Bad Manners - Monster Mash
9. Bad Manners - Do The Creep
10. Splitters - Monsters in my Mind
11. SkaDows - (Do the) Monster Reggae
12. Flashlight - Monster
13. Beverley's All Stars - The Monster
14. Voodoo Glow Skulls - Closet Monster
15. MU330 - Curse
16. Tantra Monsters - Curse of Boto
17. Deal's Gone Bad - Curse of the Cur
18. Skatalites - Skandy
19. The Busters - Candy
20. Lee Perry - Sugar Bag
21. Jah Berry - Daughter Whole Lotta Sugar Down Deh!
22. Bigger Thomas - Sugar Sugar
23. Mr. Symarip - Sugar Dumpline
24. Desmond Dekker - Sugar Dumpling
25. Babyshakers - Sugarlover

You can see the whole playlist at HPSKA.

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

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.

The Birth of the NYC Ska Scene: Interview with Remi Sammy of Second Step

As part of my ongoing quest to document the origins of the NYC ska scene of the early and mid-80's, I am profiling key musicians and bands who played an important part in giving birth to one of the most vibrant ska scenes in the U.S. One of those musicians was Remi Sammy who was an original member of seminal mid 80's NYC Ska band Second Step. She was also one of the very few women to help lead a band during the golden age of ska in New York City and like her earlier 2-Tone counterpart Pauline Black of The Selecter, helped add a look, vocal sound and unique viewpoint to a mostly male dominated scene. Its fair to say that this version of the Second Step helped influence the creation of my own band Bigger Thomas.


The original lineup of the band included:

Lead Vocals: Remi Sammy
Chatter/Toaster: Constant Bernard (whose brother Lionel was in The Toasters/Unity 2)
Bass: Tom Manno
Drums: Clyde Hunt
Guitar: Andrew Lee
Sax: Ross Morgan

By late 1986 and 1987what is now considered the core of the old school New York ska scene had quickly coalesced. Second Step along with Urban Blight, The Boilers, The Toasters, A-Kings and N.Y Citizens helped to create one of the most vibrant, creative and important ska scenes in the U.S. which in turn helped to galvanize scenes across the country. Second Step were always one of my favorite live bands. They were a quintessential New York band with a mix of band members from all parts of the city, who reflected the fast growing and diverse audience of black, white, Asian and Hispanic kids who were drawn to the all ages ska shows throughout the East Village and who embraced the mix of 2-Tone ska, soul and reggae that the band performed.

Though Second Step played over 1,500 shows in the US and Japan during the course of its varied career (sometimes at a clip of 200 shows a year during their peak) and had a variety of different line-ups, they really made their mark playing ska and reggae to sweaty, dancing crowds at clubs and private parties all over New York City in the late 80's. Though their sound ultimately morphed from ska/reggae, to "ethno-funk"and other dance rhythms, it was their earliest incarnation with Remi on lead vocals and Constant Bernard on toasting and chats that I remember best and that helped to define the sound of New York ska.



I recently connected with Remi. Below is the interview she did with me where she shared memories of her days as the lead singer for Second Step. Enjoy!

What was it like growing up in New York City in the 80's?
The 80's were Fresh. Fresh fashion, art, music, attitudes, hang out spots (the East + West Village), all ages shows at The Ritz, matinee's, under age drinking (ha ha), Danceteria, Peppermint Lounge, The Dive,CBGB’s...A lot of fun.

When did you first get into music?
I was always into music. My brother was a big music enthusiast. We use to analyze drum solo's, vocal harmonies and guitar riffs from bands like Pink Floyd, the Beatles,King Crimson, Elvis Costello and Jimi Hendrix. And my dad always played Calypso & Jazz around the house. A lot of times we would just sit and listen to music.

When I was little, my friends and I would stand on the benches and sing 'You got The Best of My Love' by the Emotions. And when I was really little, I’m told I would sing the Star Spangled Banner whenever I saw an American Flag -c’mon, I lived across the street from Yankee Stadium
Then I started to play the clarinet and from there my music education continued with private lessons.

Do you remember the first record you ever bought?
No. Either The Police - Regatta de Blanc, Joan Jett- I Love Rock‘n’Roll or Billy Joel - The Stranger

When did you discover that you could sing? Were you in any other bands before Second Step?
You know when your a kid and your parents make you sing whenever company's around.... I think it was somewhere around then. But later when a friend got into Music & Art, I thought, 'hey, I'm just as good as her..' so I auditioned and my acceptance validated my choice to express myself through music. Second Step was my first band but before that I wrote songs and sang them to my friends.

How did Second Step get started? Where did you meet your band mates?
Tom Manno (bass), Andrew Lee (guitar) and Ross Morgan (sax) and had already been jamming for a few weeks before I came along. I met Tom in High School gym class. After finding out he had a ska band I asked if he needed a singer. He invited me to rehearsal that week.

How would you describe the early sound of the band? Did you make a conscious decision to play ska and reggae?
The decision wasn't conscious but I really loved ska. The early sound of the band had a basic rock song structure, vocal harmonies, reggae influences and a prominent saxophone part.

Were you aware that there were other ska bands forming in NYC at the time? Had you seen or heard The Toasters? What was the time line from the formation of the band to first gig?
I knew about Urban Blight 'cause I used to go to their matinee's. I think it was just a few weeks (4?) after rehearsing that we had our first show. Shortly after that I met The Boilers and The A-Kings and The Citizens (i think that was their name) . The Toasters were kinda last on my radar.

Tell me about the way you and Constant Bernard worked together as co-lead vocalists. I always loved the vocal interplay between the two of you.
Thank You. At first he was just brought in as a chatter / toaster. Everybody loved him and we started using him more and more. Andrew always had a lot of good vocal ideas for us to play around with and we just ran with it. The more intense the music got the more we wanted to wind up the crowd.


As one of the only NYC Ska bands with a female lead singer, Second Step really stood out. Tell me what it was like as the only woman in a scene full of men.
I ain't gonna lie, it was tough defending my ideas at rehearsal with four+ guys. Luckily we wrote a lot of songs one on one. Dating sucked too. Gotta tell ya, the fellas weren’t that into me back then. But later in life a few admitted they ‘..had a crush on me back in the day...’ but were too shy to approach me. I may have been the only female musician in a band but I certainly wasn’t the only female on the scene; My closest friends were Rude Girls.


What was the New York ska scene of the mid-80's like? I always got the impression that it was a very tight knit scene.
The scene was always really open and friendly. It was great. It was great to hang out with people with similar taste, beliefs and values. To have a hang-out spot where you knew everyone and they were always happy to see you. To perform in front of crowds that came specifically to see you. It was a mixture of students from all over the city where race and class were overlooked. I could see how one might think it was a tightly knit scene ... I can't say but I usually went out with some-one from school, my neighborhood or someone close to the band and having that one hang out buddy always made the night a lot of fun.

Can you share any unusual stories about any live shows that were particularly memorable? Did the band tour at all outside NYC?
We toured a lot. With an ever changing lineup... but I toured with the band for about 4 years. Up and down the East Coast. Until I quit. One time Andrew's guitar got caught in these hoop earrings I was wearing - and I got a little electric shock. One time I got high before a show and forgot lyrics. Never did that again...

What are your lasting memories of performing with Second Step and the NYC ska scene of the 80's?
The very first show left such an impression on me, of what life as a performer could be. The place was packed, the lights were pink and hot and everyone liked us. There was so much encouragement at that first show. After that we had our second gig at CBGB's and FISHBONE came! They got on stage and skanked with us. A Very Cool Memory. I remember Constant telling me that Kendall and Angelo were inside and I said “Can’t you be serious for once, we’re about to play at CBGB’s!”

The scene was growing and everyone in it defined themselves by fashion, music and multiculturalism. I loved how that interpreted our social and political points of view.Another big moment was opening up for Fishbone at Irving Plaza. They played our video right before we went on and the person next to me said "Is that you?" I felt almost famous. Blanche's, (now Lucy’s) was the hang out spot. It was our Cheers, if you will... Vespa's out front, pork-pie hats, Monkey Boots, Pointy Shoes, 2-Tone Outfits, Tompkins Sq. Park across the street had NO curfew for closing...It was the most I have ever been surrounded by like minded people. Our picture is still on the wall.

Another lasting impression is when we won the battle of the bands in Prospect Park. What a feeling knowing so many people like your music! The win afforded us the opportunity to open up for Dr. John the following week. When I walked onto that stage, I saw what seemed like thousands of people, I froze. I had NEVER performed in front of a crowd that big. That was incredible. The only other time I froze like that was when Afrika Bambatta came to one of our rehearsals.

Once we got on the road I saw way too many body parts. Ugh, its burned into my memory -yuk-I’ll leave that one alone.

Tell me about being part of the N.Y. Beat: Hit & Run compilation that Moon Records released in 1986. I think the song 'Opportunity' is one of the best songs on the compilation.
Well, it was a big deal. I think we all felt like we were on our way to being full-time, rich and famous artists.

Did the band record any songs for an album? Are there unreleased tracks?
Yeah, we recorded quite a few songs that never got released.

Why did you leave the band?
So many reasons.
1. There were no original members.
2. The music changed too much.
3. We were doing bad cover songs
4. The horn section was always louder than me...and usually drunk
5. The ego's got way out of hand
6. And it got really tough to be the only female - especially on tour

What have you been doing musically since Second Step?
After Second Step I got into the NY Poetry scene, then formed another band under the name (my name) RemiLeku. I wanted to get back to my rock roots. We were doing really slow, ethereal trip-rock stuff. It was a great band but the sound was ahead of its time.
Nowadays there are tons of emo bands.

Any chance of a Second Step reunion?
I don't know. Maybe. If everyone were on the same page, it could be interesting.

Below is a link to download demo songs that Remi recorded with the original line-up of the band including 'Two Men In Suits', 'Give Us This Day' and 'Alien' which was recorded live at CBGB's in 1987. These tracks were recorded in 1987 by Oliver Rhee ( The Boilers ) in the bathroom of Patrick Dougher's apartment ( drummer of The Boilers / Easy Star All-Stars). You can also visit a MySpace page she created to read and hear more.

Second Step - Unreleased Demos

The Rimshots - Bristol's Very Own 2-Tone Era Ska/Pop

The Rimshots were Bristol's very own 2-Tone era ska/pop band. Like Birmingham in the Midlands, Bristol in the West County has had a long musical legacy and history of embracing reggae and ska music. The city has historically had a large Jamaican and West Indian immigrant community and many black and white musicians have lived, worked and performed music together.

The members of The Rimshots were suburban kids who lived outside the Bristol city center who met at school in the late 70's and were caught up in the wave of reggae and ska music they heard pumping out of Sound systems and on their radios. However the band (like their 2-Tone era contemporaries The Ammonites from Brighton and The Akrylykz from Hull) were ultimately unable to break out of their hometown music scene and remain an undiscovered gem of the 2-Tone ska era.

The Rimshots line up included:
Vocals: Mike Darby
Guitars: Fuzz
Bass: Simon Heathfield
Keyboards: Dick Bentley
Drums and Backing Vocals: Nick Waring

The band, whose sound is notable for its talented drummer and unusual keyboard riffs offset by the singers flat vocals, recorded their very first demo at a studio near Bristol and mailed it off to The Beat in Birmingham who had recently signed with Sire Records and also started their own label G0-Feet. While the demo didn't get them signed to Go-Feet, it ended up securing them a support slot with The Beat at the Bristol Locarno in front of a full house – 1,500 people - and the band were quickly a household name in their hometown. Almost immediately after the gig with The Beat, the band secured a singles deal with the Bristol-based Shoc Wave Records.

Shoc Wave was a label that had been releasing records by Jamaican-bred reggae bands and was very different from any label in Bristol (or the U.K.) at the time, releasing albums from bands of a variety of many genres including Reggae, Dub, Native Dominican music, Disco and Ska. It was this openness that led the label to take a chance on five middle class white kids playing 2-Tone styled ska. They promptly recorded a two track single ‘I Was Wrong / Stuck in a Boat’ for the label.



Through the owner of Shoc Wave Records they ended up with regular support slots for Black Roots and Talisman, who were Bristol's premier Reggae acts of the time. The band also managed to play some shows in London and support The Bodysnatchers, Hazel O’Connor as well as more shows with The Beat. The band recorded a second single ‘Little Boys and Little Girls / At Night’ which was released on Spectro Records and recorded a track for a Circus Records compilation album. The band went their separate ways in early 1981 with a few of the band members forming notable Bristol band Blue Aeroplanes.

Until recently the band's recorded output was limited to these hard to find singles. Now thanks to the work of the Bristol Archive Records the band's entire recorded history (singles, demos and live tracks) is available including 'Little Boys & Little Girls' which is a four song EP and 'Spitting Out Sparks' which is a compilation of 11 songs from their brief career.

Below is a download of the songs 'I Don't Wanna Be The Hero' and 'Can You See Me' from the 'Spitting Out Sparks' release which should give you a sense of their driving 2-Tone sound with a organ that sounds like it was lifted from The Stranglers as well as a guitarist who has some of Roddy Radiation's bluesy licks. You can purchase the band's entire catalog on iTunes or eMusic.

The Rimshots - I Don't Wanna Be The Hero

The Rimshots - Can You See Me

Shots In The Dark - 1981 Compilation Highlights Must Hear Obscure UK Ska

Part of the joy of blogging about music is the process of discovering a band, an album or song that may have been buried or forgotten by time. I liken the search and discovery to a form of musical archaeology. Its even more gratifying when you come across something totally unexpected, which suddenly captures a time and place so definitively that you are immediately transported back there just by listening. I'm a nostalgia junkie and I'm forever looking for bands and sounds that bring me back to the time I first discovered ska, punk and new wave -- 1981.

Thanks to Jeffen at Music Ruined My Life I recently had that experience again. He posted about a fantastic compilation called 'Shots In The Dark' which is a treasure trove of deeply obscure UK ska circa 1981. According to Jeffen, "This collection, on which each band got two songs, may as well have been sub-titled 66% British Ska. Of the six bands here, The Graphics, The Magnetics, The Mystery Guests and The Stares all borrow heavily from the scratchy rhythms of Two-Tone era ska, The Specials in particular (but with some Clash and Police nicking as well). "

The compilation was the brainchild of Laurie Mellor, who embarked on an ambitious project to create a compilation album that highlighted some of the best Christian bands around but to aim them at the mainstream. A radical idea for the day! Religious message aside (and some are quite overt) the record captures the incredible impact that 2-Tone ska, The Clash and The Police was having on bands all over the UK. As a result The Graphics' 'Just A Balloon' is notable for its punky reggae feel that recalls the very early sound of The Police while The Stares' 'Pseudo Love' has the feel of much second division UK ska that I love. Its a bit rough around the edges but lovable nonetheless. Infectious also sums up The Magnetics 'Not My Home' which sounds like it could have been taken from either the first Madness or Bad Manners LP.

If you are a fan of 2-Tone era ska or enjoy hearing bands who were active during those years but did not enjoy the recognition they may have deserved then I recommend giving the album a spin. Enjoy!

Track listing:
The Graphics - Don't Stop
The Stares - Pseudo Love
Crowd Control - There Are Houses
Mystery Guests - Take A Look At Yourself
The Predators - He Thinks He Knows Me
The Graphics - Just A Balloon
The Magnetics - Passin' Thru
The Predators - Plastic Surgeon
Crowd Control - Treason
Mystery Guests - So Misunderstood
The Magnetics - Not My Home
The Stares - Joe

Shots In The Dark Compilation

It's Madness! - BBC Plans To Air 5 Hours Of Madness Programming on October 2nd

Madness fans rejoice!  BBC 4 in the UK plans to air five hours of Madness related programming on October 4th.  The highlight of the evening will be Julian Temple's recent film of the band performing their entire new album 'The Liberty of Norton Folgate' live at several shows in London earlier this summer.  The night will conclude with the band's seminal 1981 film 'Take It Or Leave It'.

Here is the description of the night's activities from the BBC: 'Music Madness invite you back to the golden era of Cockernee music-hall knees-ups, as they star in the film of their recent album. Director Julien Temple (Absolute Beginners, The Filth and The Fury) adds impressionistic vignettes of dark, seamy London to footage of the band playing the album at Hackney Empire, surrounded by costume hecklers ("Crippen was innocent") and Pearly Kings. It's the perfect context for an LP that, more than any Madness record, tells bittersweet tales of life as it's lived in the capital, on songs including NW5, We Are London and Clerkenwell Polka. A Madness night is completed by the bands performance at this years Glastonbury festival at 9pm, and the re-run of Young Guns Go For It profile of the group at 10pm.'

The good news is that any overseas based fans of the band can watch this live from the application on this link which streams British television programming over the Internet

http://www.myp2pforum.eu/live-tv/41045-british-tv.html

You'll need VLC media player installed on the same drive as well.

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

Here is the schedule of programming:

21:00 - 22:00 (9:00 PM - 10:00 PM)
Madness / Live at Glastonbury

22:00 - 22:40 (10:00 PM - 10:40 PM)
Young Guns Go For it

22:40 - 23:45 (10:40 PM - 11:45 PM)
The Liberty of Norton Folgate
Julien Temple (Film)
Madness performing live from their new album at The Hackney Empire.

12:35 - 2:00 (12:35 AM - 2:00 AM)
Take it or Leave it (1981)

The Specials Mk 2 - Recording Rareties from the mid-90's

With word that The Specials have sold out the second leg of their UK tour this Fall, I was reminded of the band's earlier attempt at a reunion in the 1990's. The Specials Mk 2 featuring Neville, Lynval, Horace and Roddy recorded two albums -- 'Today's Specials' and 'Guilty 'Till Proved Innocent'. These albums helped to satisfy the demand for new material from the band during a time when ska was exploding in the U.S. (thanks to The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, No Doubt and Reel Big Fish). This version of the The Specials toured the U.S. and Japan extensively and were a headliner for the 1995 Warped Tour.


Below is a video of interviews with the band and promos for their single 'Pressure Drop':



I recently came across a great post from Paul Willo, one of the site administrators of The Specials fan Web site, as well as the author of a new book on the band called 'You're Wondering Now'. The post included several song rarities that The Specials Mk 2 recorded during their mid-90's resurgence. After the success of the Specials Mk2, Roddy, Neville and Lynval continued working in the studio. A version of Slade's 'Cuz I Luv You' came out of those sessions (which were likely part of sessions the band recorded as the backing band for Desmond Dekker's 'KIng of Kings LP). The other two are out takes from the 'Today's Specials' recording sessions -- The Valentinos 'All Over Now' and The Slickers 'Johnny Too Bad'.

Below are the YouTube videos of the three songs:

I have always believed the 'Guilty 'Till Proved Innocent' LP to be a very solid album, with some great original songs and vocals from Neville, Lynval and Roddy that come close to the first two albums by the original band. That said, I've always had a soft spot for its predecessor Today's Specials'. Though its plagued by plodding drum machines, synthesized keyboards and a selection of cover songs worthy of a UB40 'Labor Of Love' out take album, at the time I was thrilled to finally hear the band on American radio. Now almost 15 years later, I'm just waiting to hear that the current version of the band will be visiting the U.S. in 2010.

Below is a link to download an extensive archive of unreleased demos and out takes from The Specials Mk 2 courtesy of Liam Ska's Heavy Heavy Monster blog. Highlights include a blistering reggae version of 'Farmyard Connection' as well as a number of notable out takes from 'Today's Specials' and 'Guilty 'Till Proved Innocent' like 'Reckless Romance' which features Roddy's signature singing and guitar playing and 'Melting Pot' and 'Mad Them Up' which sound like they could be in the band's current set.

The Specials Mk 2 - Out Takes