Marco On The Bass

Marco On The Bass

Saturday, May 30, 2009

The Birth of the 1980's NYC Ska Scene - Beat Brigade

The advent of American ska in the early and mid 80's owes much of its early growth to two bands -- The Untouchables in Los Angeles and T...

Friday, May 29, 2009

Coventry Telegraph Publish Souvenir Supplement To Mark The Specials 30th Reunion Tour - Band Plans Additional UK/Europe and US Tours

To mark The Specials first show in Coventry in 30 years, The Coventry Telegraph newspaper asked Peter Chambers (noted Coventry music expert)...

Monday, May 25, 2009

Liberty Of Norton Folgate Hits #5 in UK Charts

The new Madness album 'The Liberty Of Norton Folgate' has hit #5 on the UK charts which is the highest chart release for a Madness a...

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

It Must Be Love - The Story Behind the Madness Cover of Labi Siffre's Pop Gem

Everyone thinks of Madness when you mention their 1981 pop hit 'It Must Be Love'. I've always loved the song, as it served as th...

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Marco On The Bass Podcast Series: The Seeds Of The 3rd Wave Of American Ska

This week's podcasts spans the U.S. from sea to shining sea in search of more American ska from the 80's and very early 90's. Th...

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Exclusive: Interview with Betsy Weiss of The Boxboys -- From Lead Singer of L.A.'s First Genuinely Homegrown Ska Band to Heavy Metal Icon

Very little has been written about The Boxboys, yet they deserve credit for being the very first Los Angeles-based ska band and for helping ...

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Marco On The Bass Live Video Series: Bigger Thomas Live @ The Sellersville Theatre 2/6/09

It was a crazy week on a number of levels and as a result I was unable to pull together the weekly podcast in time to post today. Rest assu...

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Who Is Marco On The Bass?

Marco On The Bass: South Orange, NJ, United States; I heard ska and reggae music for the first time when I was 14 and it was love at first listen. I loved the sound, the look and the energy. It changed my life. A little bit later I picked up a bass and taught myself to play and in 1988 started the first ska/reggae band from New Jersey called Bigger Thomas. Maybe you've heard of us? As a musician I've had the good luck to meet and play with most of my musical heroes. That allows me to give readers the inside scoop on all the bands they love. I also tell the stories of the many bands who helped popularize ska in the U.S. and the U.K. I pay special attention to the birth of American ska and the stories of the bands and musicians who were ahead of their time and never received the recognition they deserved. I recently helped to form two new musical projects -- Rude Boy George, a band that performs ska, reggae and rocksteady versions of 80's new wave songs and Heavensbee, an original studio project that makes dub pop. My first book titled "Ska Boom: An Oral History About The Birth Of American Ska & Reggae 1976-1991" is available through DiWulf Publishing and Amazon.

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