Elvis Costello & The Roots Cover The Specials "Ghost Town"

Earlier this week Elvis Costello and the Roots celebrated the release of their new album "Wise Up Ghost" with a one-off, sold out concert at Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg. Along with performing tracks from the new album and takes on some iconic Costello songs (“Watching The Detectives,” “Shabby Doll,” an extended “I Want You”), the group played an amazing version of "Ghost Town" by the Specials. Check it out!

My Favorite 2-Tone Era Album Of All Time: The Selecter's Celebrate The Bullet

In honor of The Selecter's visit to New York City to perform at the Gramercy Theatre tonight, I wanted to re-post something I wrote about the band's second album "Celebrate The Bullet." Written nearly five years ago, before Pauline Black rebooted the band with her co-front man Gaps Hendricksen, the album remains a personal favorite that defined the hope and promise of 2-Tone. Though recorded as the band and the 2-Tone movement were moving out of fashion in the U.K., it still stands the test of time, exploring dark themes of violence, racism, isolation and decline that resonate three decades later.

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If pressed to name my favorite album of the entire 2-Tone era I would have to say "Celebrate The Bullet" by The Selecter. Surprised? You shouldn't be. Now don't get me wrong. I love The Specials first album and I am always moved by the near perfect majesty of 'Ghost Town' and the straight forward and soulful lament of 'Why'. The first album by The Beat was the soundtrack to my youth and I love the way I can track different times and places in my life by each Madness album. Indeed, 'Victoria Gardens' and 'The Sun and The Rain' are among my top 10 favorite songs of all time.

However, in my humble opinion "Celebrate The Bullet" broke the mold and remains the most creative and unique collection of songs to come out of the whole 2-Tone era. I wouldn't even call it a ska album necessarily. This is a dark, haunting, bluesy iteration of ska that to my knowledge has never been attempted before or since. This is very intense and emotional music. For that reason, it is a very unique record and it goes against the grain of what fans of 2-Tone probably expected when it was released.

At times the songs have a new wave feel via synthesized keyboard melodies that buzz over Neol Davies' blistering, bluesy and soulful guitar solos and riffs. Other times its almost undefinable as the songs are driven by a seamless melting pot of rock, reggae and new wave via memorable melodies that stick in your head. In fact, I would argue that 'Celebrate The Bullet' is on par with 'Ghost Town" as one of the best songs of the 2-Tone era. And personally, its the very end of 'Bristol and Miami' when there is an acapella chant taken from The Beatles 'Black Bird' that seals the artistic and emotional quality of the record for me.


When the album was released it took a beating from the critics. That's especially depressing given the rave reviews for "Too Much Pressure", which, while a great record, was almost a by the books ska revival recording. Songs like "Celebrate The Bullet", "Deep Water", "Washed Up And Left For Dead" and "Red Reflections" still give me the chills every time I hear them and demonstrate the huge steps the band had taken since their first LP. Under different circumstance this record could have really opened up a new path for ska, which has essentially remained fixed in time and space, except for this album. Some bands have moved beyond ska, but only The Selecter dared to expand and evolve the genre. It's too bad they were punished for it, when they should have been richly rewarded.

While the music is a step above, what stands out above all though is some absolutely great vocal work from Pauline Black who channels her own musical heroes (Billie Holiday, Nina Simone) and their presence can be felt in the music. Unlike The Specials ironic take on British society and Madness's nutty view of English life, The Selecter's second album come across like a very dark and serious news report with Pauline and Arthur "Gaps" Hendrickson reporting from the front lines of an early 80's Britain straining under the reduced expectations of Thatcherism. Indeed the songs and their subject matter seem spookily relevant for those of us in the U.S. who have barely survived 8 years of George Bush, the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina, mortgage foreclosures and a financial meltdown that threatens to devour the life savings and job security of all of us.


Here is promo video of the band performing "Celebrate The Bullet":



I had the honor and pleasure to meet Pauline Black and Neol Davies when my band supported The Selecter when they reformed and toured the US in 1991. I most recently saw her when she and Lynval Golding of The Specials sat in with The English Beat in 2006. The highlight of those shows was when Pauline came out mid-set to perform 4 songs by The Selecter. She has always been very kind and accessible and remains a true artist to this day having acted in a number of UK TV shows and stage productions in addition to her singing with The Selecter and as a solo artist exploring soul.

The Search For Evidence of George Michael's Elusive 2-Tone Ska Past

I've previously documented the ska and reggae pasts of many major pop and rock stars, including Madonna, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam.  While these icons dabbled in ska or reggae before going to make their mark in dance pop, industrial and alternative rock, George Michael actively pursued a career as a ska musician before going on to find success in Wham and later as a solo artist.

Michael and his best friend Andrew Ridgely formed their 2-Tone influenced band The Executive (rare band photo above) along with Paul Ridgely and David Austin in 1979.  The band banged out happy, sunny syncopated 2-Tone styled ska and later entered a a sixteen-track studio to cut a demo tape, recording an original titled "Rude Boy" plus a ska cover of the old Andy Williams' classic "Can't Get Used To Losing You"and a ska version of Beethoven's "Für Elise."

According to a George Michael fan web site, the band played local gigs close to where they lived and spent a lot of time hawking their demo tape around the A&R departments of London-based record companies.  Rumor has it that a copy even made its way to Dave Wakeling of The Beat who were running their own Go Feet label in Birmingham.

"George and Andrew would take time off from school and college, travel to the capital and then sit around in the waiting rooms of the music business until some lethargic talent-spotter finally agreed to see them. But even when they were granted an audience, the A&R man who lolled in his chair on the other side of the desk invariably pressed the STOP button before their tape had gone very far. 'Come back in the next millennium,' seemed to be the general consensus among the major labels, thought Andrew, and even those sympathetic to the ska cause failed to offer them anything resembling a deal. Andrew was cocky enough to attribute the negative response of the record companies to the advanced ages and modest IQs of the men who staffed the industry's A&R departments. George was confident enough to think that perhaps "Rude Boy" was sufficiently derivative to deserve all the rejection it had heaped upon it. He would do better next time..."

Though they lasted only 18 months, Michael and Ridgely ended up using the constant A&R rejection of The Executive to start over with Wham.  The truth is that The Executive was part of the many copycat ska bands that popped up all over the U.K. during 1979-1980 in the wake of The Specials, Madness, The Selecter and The Beat's ascent into the charts and on Top Of The Pops.  And while many of those bands are forgotten to the sands of time, the fact that Michael made it big as a pop star has fueled interest among ska enthusiasts to locate and hear the songs on the elusive and impossible to find demo tape.

I connected with my fellow ska blogger Tone & Wave who specializes in rare, odd and hard to find ska music.  According to Tone & Wave:

Despite my best efforts, I think it's safe to say that we're never going to hear The Executive demo. My understanding is that it was not actually released and there were less than 10 copies made. Each time George Michael would go to a major record label he would specifically make a copy for that label. The first tape had only three songs -- "Rude Boy," "Can't Get Used to Losing You," and "Fur Elise" -- but subsequent tapes would include a newly added song until there were eventually 6 to 8 songs (depending on who you ask). The song "Rude Boy" was written by George Michael but "Fur Elise" was just a ska version of the classical song, and I'm guessing that they saw The Beat perform "Can't Get Used to Losing You" live and saw the potential for a hit. The Executive recorded it before The Beat did and if they had pressed it to vinyl they might have had a successful career as a ska band. 

I have heard (and I'm not saying it's true) that the first recorded version of "Careless Whisper" was added to one of these tapes. It was recorded with Jerry Wexler at Muscle Shoals studios in 1981. It did have a bit of an upstroke on the guitar. Certainly not a ska song, but it sounds like they were playing in a style comfortable to them.

 

How much of any of this is true I don't know. I do know that it has never been on eBay. If it ever does end up on eBay it will go for several hundred - if not thousands of dollars. George Michael fans can be unreasonably devoted to all things George.  Ska fans, not so much.

I imagine there is a store bought tape with the words 'The Executive' in faded marker in George Michael's own handwriting sitting in a dusty box in the basement of a failing record company. It will be destroyed in a few years when the business is shut down. Nobody will ever hear it again. And that's just as well. From what I hear it was not very good.

Despite the fact that The Executive may not be very good, hearing their long lost demo tape remains a goal of mine.  If you've heard it or might be one of the very few people who have a copy, please let me know.

Bob Marley Meets The Jackson 5 In Jamaica in 1975!

I recently came across some amazing historical photos of Bob Marley and member of The Wailers meeting Michael Jackson and The Jackson 5 at Marley’s house in Jamaica in March of 1975.  It was a momentous time for both as the Jackson 5 had officially left Motown, the record label responsible for turning the group into the first black teen idols, appealing to both black and white audiences. It was also the year Bob Marley had his international breakthrough with "No Woman No Cry" from the Natty Dread album.

At the invitation of opposition leader Edward Seaga (who was previously a music promoter in Jamaica before entering politics), The Jackson 5 and their entourage traveled to the island to to open for Marley and his  band at the National Heroes Stadium. Before the concert, the band visited Marley at his home at 56 Hope St. in Kingston. A number of pictures of the meeting were taken to mark the historic occasion including the picture at the top of the post.

Here’s Bunny Wailer with Michael and Jackie Jackson.

While no audio or video of the concert exists, below are rare photos of The Jackson 5 taken during their opening set:

Finally, below are a few more Jackson 5/reggae related musical connections.  The first is video from a Jackson 5 television special from 1977 featuring a medley of songs including The Wailer's iconic "I Shot The Sheriff."



Here is a personal favorite of mine.  Its a reggae version of Michael Jackson's chart topping "Shake Your Body" that was recorded by Little Carlos in 1981. The singer is such a MJ sound alike that for a time I was convinced that the King Of Pop had recorded a reggae version of his own song!  Enjoy!

Madness to Re-release Film "Take It Or Leave It" With Previously Unavailable Soundtrack CD

Madness have just announced plans to re-release their 1981 silver screen debut, the autobiographical "Take It Or Leave It," thirty-two years after its initial release. Out on October 7th, the package will include a DVD of the film and an audio CD of the soundtrack, which has never previously been officially released.

Directed and produced by Dave Robinson, head of the band's original label Stiff Records, "Take It Or Leave It" provides a down-to-earth narrative of the trials and tribulations of the early career of one of Britain's most iconic bands. With the backdrop of Camden Town, the film depicts the cult band's epic rise from their humble start as a pub band to their first glimpse of fame.

The accompanying CD soundtrack album provides an interesting perspective on the band's early work and features 26 songs including singles, b-sides and album tracks. Two of the songs aren't by Madness: Fats Domino's "I'm Walkin'" and The Four Tops' "Reach Out I'll Be There," both of which can be heard in the film.

The Stones Go Ska! -- Phoenix City All-Stars Ready To Release "Skatisfaction"

Phoenix City All-Stars forthcoming album "Skatisfaction" is a Studio One meets Skatalites-style take on the Rolling Stones, including versions of "Satisfaction" featuring Trojan Records legend Freddie Notes, "Under My Thumb," "Play With Fire," "Paint It Black" and "Love In Vain." The band features members of Pama International, Sidewalk Doctors, Intensifed, Dub Vendor All-stars, The Delegators, Big Boss Man/Bongolian, The Loafers, and Kasabian.

"Skatisfaction" follows hot on the heels of "Two Tone Gone Ska," released by the band last fall, which is a collection of mostly instrumental versions of classic 2 Tone tracks including "One Step Beyond", "Stereotype", "Tears of a Clown" and "The Prince," "The Selecter," "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down," "Ghost Town," and "Too Much Too Young dub."

If you'd like to preorder a limited edition vinyl copy of the album (only 300 copies have been made and their are under 90 left) do so quickly at www.londoninternationalskafestival.co.uk/shop.   It looks like they're going to sell out before the official release in Sepetember! It's also available to preorder on CD now.

Check out "Play With Fire" below:

The Untouchables Live At Glastonbury 1985!

Thanks to my ska blogging comrade Tone & Wave, I just came across a rare BBC recording of The Untouchables live at the 1985 Glastonbury Festival.These BBC transcription discs are high-quality live-recordings which were intended for radio broadcast only and were made in a very limited quantity normally not exceeding 100 copies.

The Untouchables 'Wild Child' album was released 28 years ago during the spring of 1985. It remains one of the earliest and most popular examples of purely American-styled ska mixing in soul, pop and funk. The success of The Untouchables and their giant step from local Los Angeles ska/mod heroes to a major label deal with Stiff Records in the U.K. is a classic story about how old fashioned DIY marketing, self-promotion and good luck used to work in the music business (now all you need is a YouTube video!).

Josh "Acetone" Harris joined the band in 1983 right before they signed to Stiff Records. He was originally hired to engineer sessions for the band's two indie singles "The General" and"Tropical Bird." The session producer suggested to the band that Harris add an organ part. Since the band lacked a keyboard player, they approved. The only organ available was an old Acetone, which is much smaller than a Farfisa (hence Harris' nickname). Later, Harris was brought in as a replacement for one of the original members, guitarist, Terry Ellsworth. Eventually other members were replaced and the band evolved into the group that recorded 'Wild Child'.

In a series of detailed messages he posted over two years on a Mod message board Harris shared the fascinating details of the fast moving chain of events from 1983-1985 that lead to the band getting signed to Stiff Records and the 'UT Mania' in the U.K. and Europe that followed (which ironically happened just as 2-Tone had finally been declared dead and buried ). Part travelogue, part diary, part 'That Thing You Do' music movie whirlwind, Harris' memories are priceless in their detail and provide anyone who has ever wondered what its like to be signed to a label, record an album and hit the road to tour.  Read below about his memories of the band's Glasto appearance: 

"We once flew into the U.K. to play Glastonbury Festival (early summer of 85?). We left 95 degree Los Angeles to arrive in 50ish degree London and we were forwarded off to the venue. As we were a fun and merry bunch and loved a little laugh, we decided to perform wearing our California surfer finest to this rainy outdoor event. There we were in sunglasses, shorts, tropical shirts, keds. Upon arrival on stage, the moshers down front became a bit overcome with emotion. They began to pummell us with mud. Maybe they didn't appreciate our sense of humor, maybe they did, I don't know. After the set, we preceeded off to our dressing room, which was one of several backstage trailers. Narrow wood planks led through the mud, from the stage to the trailers. I had heard from quite a few Brits that I had a striking resemblance to Mick Talbot, a keyboard player (like myself) who played with Style Council. They happened to share the bill with us. Now who do I see walking up the plank right toward me, but old Mick himself. Just like Robin Hood and Little John (Mick was Little John, of course)facing off. Well he did look an awfully lot like me, but I was definitely better looking, no question. I was tempted to nudge him off the plank as we carefully passed, but ever the gentleman..."

Below is audio and track listing of the band's 1985 Glastonbury performance:

1. (I Spy For The) F.B.I.
2. Soul Together
3. Freak In The Streets
4. Lasershow
5. Free Yourself