This week's podcast takes a slight turn to the more obscure 2-Tone era ska that was released in the UK during 1980-81 time frame when the sound was at its peak around the British Isles. I've gathered together songs from 11 bands and artists who were on the periphery of the 2-Tone mainstream. However, just because they were outside the mainstream and lacked radio play did not mean that they were not good songs. Its a shame that more of the songs in this week's mix didn't reach a wider audience. Better later than never.
This podcast includes UK ska and reggae bands that you probably have not heard of before (The Javelins, Errol Ross and The Details) as well as a few that made a dent but did not get the attention they deserved like The Equators, The Ammonites and The Akrylykz. Most of these bands did not garner any radio airplay and fewer headlined any big shows (short of Rico who was touring with The Specials and The Equators who toured with other Stiff Records bands).Of particular note are two bands fronted by women. Bette Bright (backed by the Madness production team) and The Belle Stars (featuring ex-members of The Bodysnatchers) definitely had the connections and the material to be bigger than they were. What's interesting about the group of bands highlighted in this mix are the links and associations that many of them have to established 2-Tone bands, songwriters or producers.
Here are highlights about the bands and performers in this week's podcast:
The Javelins - Not much is know about The Javelins. They were a UK-based ska band that was signed to Eddy Grant's Ice Records and only recorded one single, a cover version of Dandy Livingstone's 1967 ska song 'You're No Hustler'. It's clear that Grant produced the track as it includes his hallmark heavy electronic bass sound.
Errol Ross - An established Jamaican engineer and producer who moved to the UK in the 1970's. He was well known in 2-Tone circles for producing several tracks off The Selecter's first album. He also recorded a number of his own songs including this 2-Tone era rocker called 'Round In Circles' which has a great funky 2-Tone meets disco groove thanks to its bass line and hot horns.
The Details - One of the most obscure UK 2-Tone era bands. They recorded a cover of the Spencer Davis Band track which hit #1 in the UK charts in the late 60's (which ironically was written for Spencer Davis by ska and reggae musician Jackie Edwards). The song was recorded and promoted during the 1981 London Marathon, hence the song title.
The Equators - The most talented and most overlooked band of the entire 2-Tone era in the UK. A band that influenced any number of bands that followed in their wake including The Beat in the UK and The Untouchables in the U.S. Their brilliant cover version of Eddy Grant's original 'Baby Come Back' with The Equals connects the circle of great black pop music made by the Caribbean diaspora in the UK.
Rico - Rico's single 'Sea Cruise' for 2-Tone was one of the most accomplished releases on the label (though it did not chart) and The Specials frequently played it live and even recorded it for a John Peel Session. In keeping with the 2 Tone traditions of covers the title track was an old rock'n'roll vocal track by Huey Smith.
The Belle Stars - An all female British pop band founded in London in 1980 by former members of 2-Tone band The Bodysnatchers. The band's debut single for Stiff Records, 'Hiawatha/Big Blonde' was released in the late spring of 1981, produced by the Madness production team of Clive Langer & Alan Winstanley. The band promoted the single by playing support for The Beat and Madness. The A side 'Hiawatha' was a Bodysnatchers original and is very close to the version that The Bodysnatchers played live.
Arthur Kay & The Originals - Along with Judge Dread, Arthur Kay was one of the first musicians in the UK to embrace ska and reggae. A 60's era mod and scooterist he was attending gigs at London's Ram Jam club long before the ska revival and working as a session musician for Trojan Records. His single 'Play My Record' was released during the frenzy around the first 2-Tone records and never received its proper due. Kay still performs live in the U.K.
Bette Bright & The Illuminations - The single 'Hello, I am Your Heart' was Bette's only hit in the UK, recorded with a backing band that included Madness producer Clive Langer on rhythm guitar and future Lightning Seed Ian Broudie on guitar on this jaunty piece of ska-pop (which would be a great cover for Lily Allen to consider covering). Bette later married Suggs from Madness in 1982, and slipped quietly into pop history.
The Ammonites - Brighton's ska pop phenomenon who had the look and the sound to go much farther than they did. Along with The Piranhas they helped to establish ska in the famous seaside resort. Their cover of The Ethiopians 'Hong Kong Flu' is taken from a long lost rehearsal tape from 1980 that was recently unearthed.
AK Band - This is the AK Band's first recording from 1980. They were a British power pop trio who played 2Tone inspired ska with no horn section or keys that was reminiscent of The Police.
The Akrylykz - Hull's 2-Tone era band featuring future Fine Young Cannibal's singer Roland Gift on vocals and saxophone. The song 'Smart Boy' was the band's one single on Polydor in 1980 and the vinyl is inscribed with the words "Eat your heart out 2Tone"
Here is the track list for the podcast:
The Javelins - You're A Hustler (1980) Errol Ross - Round In Circles (1980) The Details - The London Marathon (Keep On Running) (1981) The Equators - Baby Come Back (1981) Rico - Sea Cruise (1980) The Belle Stars - Hiawatha (1981) Arthur Kay & The Originals - Play My Record (1980) Bette Bright & The Illuminations - Hello I Am Your Heart (1980) The Ammonites - Hong Kong Flu (1980) AK Band - Pink Slippers (1980) The Akrylykz - Smart Boy (1980)
Night two of The Specials live performance on Jools Holland far surpassed the first night. Perhaps it was the choice of songs (a spine tingling version of 'Man At C&A' and a energized version of 'Little Bitch') or maybe it was the growing overall excitement that the reunion is a reality. Whatever it may be, the band is clearly ready to get on with the tour. Rumor has it the band will be recording and releasing a live album from the UK tour. If that's true it should be a great album.
It was good to see that the band decided to let Roddy, Horace and Lynval conduct the interview with Holland. They all have something to add and contribute to the band's legacy and I was getting concerned that all the media coverage was focusing on the Terry Hall vs. Jerry Dammers angle of the reunion to the detriment of engaging the other band members in their take on the reunion and the band's legacy. That said, Holland did raise the issue of Dammers absence with the band and related that he had heard from him. I thought the band managed the question as well as they could under the circumstances.
Have a look at the performance and the interview below.
Man At C&A
Interview with Jools Holland:
Little Bitch:
Thanks again to Mondo De Muebles blog for the MP3 links for performances of both songs from the show. The links are below:
The reunited version of The Specials finally unveiled themselves live on British TV on Tuesday night performing 'Gangsters' and 'Message To You Rudie' on Jools Holland Live on the BBC. The band, who were nicely suited and booted and featured a horn section and a look alike sub for Jerry Dammers, played faithful and understated versions of two of their classic songs. The band will appear on the show again tonight to perform 'Little Bitch' and 'Man At C&A' and will conduct an interview with Holland.
Fan reaction has been mostly positive, though a few have felt the performance was lacking the proper enthusiasm. To be fair to the band, this was only the 2nd time in 25 years that they had played live in front of a crowd and TV studios always lack the energy of a club atmosphere. Personally I was happy and relieved to finally see the band playing live after all the anticipation and the angst surrounding Jerry Dammers involvement in the reunion.
Here is video of the performance from Tuesday night. What do you think?
Many thanks to the Mondo De Muebles blog for the MP3 download link of the band's performance on Tuesday night's show below:
It's a long way from the jam band environs of Boulder Colorado to the reggae capital of Kingston, Jamaica, but Mr Anonymous (AKA Jeep MacNichol) has made the physical and musical journey to create and record the ultimate chill-vibe party albums with his reggae music heroes. His first self-titled CD called 'Mr Anonymous' was released in 2005. The second 'Mr Anonymous 2' makes its debut on April 19th.
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 his latest 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 Beat, he created a unique blend of reggae, trip-hop and dub. He's now followed the first CD up with volume number two which fits nicely into the footsteps of its predecessor. It's an eclectic and creative endeavor that fuses reggae, dancehall, dub, hip-hop and electronica in unique and surprising ways.
Of particular interest to fans of The Beat, will be MacNichol's separate musical collaborations with Dave Wakeling, Ranking Roger and Ranking Jr. Indeed, the song 'Good Vibe' from the first recording sounds like a long-lost, unrecorded classic from The Beat with Wakeling and Michael Rose (from Black Uhuru taking Roger's role) riding an understated guitar and cowbell groove.
Here is video of 'Good Vibe' from the first Mr Anonymous LP:
MacNichol was kind enough to conduct an interview with me about his love of reggae and ska, the genesis of the Mr Anonymous project and whose a better toaster: Ranking Roger or his son Ranking Jr.?
What are you earliest memories related to reggae and ska music? What was the first ska or reggae record you ever bought? I have a really specific answer to this question. My earliest memory of reggae music was watching Peter Tosh appear on Saturday Night Live with Mick Jagger performing the song "Walk And Don't Look Back". At the time, I was in 7th grade and really had never played a drumset...only bongos which I loved. I remember setting my Craig Cassette player next to the t.v. and taping the song. And then setting up a trashcan drumset in my room to try to play that beat. Then the following summer, I went on a trip to Canada with my older cousin who brought a boombox and a bunch of reggae cassettes including Burning Spear, Steel Pulse, Bob Marley, etc...and I was HOOKED. I grew up in Toledo Ohio, and the music that I grooved on up to that point was all of the funk coming out of Detroit, Cleveland, and Dayton...bands like Zapp, Lakeside, Stevie Wonder, The Gap band, S.O.S Band, The Barkays, etc. When I got back from the trip, the first "Reggae" album I bought was "Rastaman Vibration" by Bob Marley. I used to STUDY every track on that album. For me the sound of the music was and is very visual, like elements in the jungle, and it really sunk deeply in my soul.
Were you a fan of the 2-Tone bands from the UK? Did they have an influence on your approach to playing the drums or your songwriting? Yes I was a fan of the 2-Tone bands from the UK. I would have to say The English Beat was at the top of the list because of their reggae influence. The Beat's drummer Everett Moreton was a huge influence on my drumming because his style was and is utterly unique...like a mix of reggae meets punk energy. There is not another drummer on the planet who had that "Beat" groove with the 4 on the floor kick and sidestick hits...It is HIS signature style!!! AND musically and vocally the sound of Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger with their signature styles. There are NO other singers on the planet who sound like either one of them, both individually or together. For me the English Beat sound was a jungle meets punk meets carnival island vibe, all wrapped in one. The songs all had a great sense of pop and melody but were well disguised with punk intensity and energy.
The Samples had a reggae vibe on many of their songs. Was that a direct result of your interest in reggae music? Absolutely. As far as drumming, my biggest influences were Stewart Copeland and Carleton Barrett (The Wailers) so anything I laid down was going to have a taste of that vibe for sure. The keyboardest (Al Laughlin) was also a huge contributor to the reggae element in The Samples. I would say I grooved off of his playing more than anything because he played keyboard like a percussionist and rocked the bubble. He had a sense of what NOT to play as much as what TO play, and his style was very percussive and visual which inspired me to augment those flavors.
What gave you the original inspiration to record the first Mr Anonymous CD? Did you already have connections in Jamaica? What were the first sessions like? Was it mostly improvised on the spot? Well the first Mr. Anonymous album really FELL together in a lot of ways. I didn't really pre-plan the concept at the beginning like "here are a bunch of tunes that I'm going to take to Jamaica and get singers to perform on". It initially started out as another "Jeep" album. I had already recorded two heavier "Space Pop" albums after I left The Samples and toured the punk rock circuit under the name Jeep, and this was going to be a third Jeep album. But creatively, the songs I was writing for the album were more acoustic and melody oriented as well as the grooves more 'Dancehall' oriented. I had collaborated with Michael Rose from Black Uhuru on my previous Jeep album called "Cool And Easy", and I thought it would be fun to do another track with him. Also at the same time(I know this is confusing), I had just gotten off tour from the Jeep "Cool And Easy" tour and had done some shows with Dave Wakeling. I gave him a copy of "Cool And Easy" which he really liked and expressed that he would like to make some music together.....so....I put 2 and 2 together and made the song "Good Vibe" where Michael Rose sings the verse and Dave Wakeling sings the chorus.
From that point everything started to fall into place...Michael put me in touch with Cutty Ranks...Cutty put me in touch with Sly&Robbie...and everything snowballed from there. People started showing up at the studios down there and just introducing themselves and wanting to hear the tracks I had. The concept that I did stick with was capturing pure improv and free-form expression on the mic. When I was in Jamaica, most every singer hadn't heard the track beforehand and just freestyled whatever came to mind. For me that has been the MOST important aspect of the the "Mr. Anonymous" sound because I am a huge believer in capturing the essence of a first take(in the studio). I feel like the purest energy comes from rawness and improv. I think people in general can think and plan the "life" out of situations, and as an artist the first inspiration is always the best, even if it's rough or sloppy...it's real!!! I know there are plenty of musicians and bands like Metallica who will do 100 takes of one song to get the best one, and I honestly don't get it...it's cool that it works for them but just not my vibe....I like roughness and mistakes and slop because that's what life is...not perfection.
You are following in the footsteps of other artists (Paul Simon, The Rolling Stones, The Clash) who looked to Jamaica and reggae for musical inspiration. How were you received in Jamaica? I have been received really well in Jamaica, at least with the musicians and engineers in the studio. I think the thing musicians latch onto is that I'm not coming down with a bunch of "reggae" or "dancehall" grooves. They like the fact that I have a different sound with my songs and it is refreshing for them. I enjoy taking the skills that the Jamaican singers and DJ's have and throwing them into a different context...especially in a melodic sense because for me the melody is everything. There is always going to be somebody who lays down a FATTER groove or BIGGER bass...but the beauty in the melody of a song is what sticks with me, and the singers I have worked with seem to groove on that same vibe.
The dancehall beats and electronic vibe on the Mr Anonymous CDs is pretty far removed from where you started with The Samples. What has the reaction of hardcore Samples fans been to this project? I have no idea really. I've heard from old fans who seem to dig what I'm doing, but I really don't know. I don't really keep up on the past I guess as far as old fans and new. The Samples was a great experience for me and a huge part of who I am today...but I really live my life in the moment and enjoy the experiences of today. I also try to stay true to myself first and foremost in terms of the music that I make. At the end of the day, I am the one who has to walk away saying "that track is slamming" regardless of fans liking it or not. Sometimes I feel like artists fall into the trap of trying to please their audience or make the next "hit". My vibe on art in general is that it is a snapshot of a time and sound in life, and it has to ultimately be "real" expression coming from me. If a million people like a song or just one person likes a song, it is still all good!
As a drummer, what's it been like to come out from behind the drum kit to sing, play guitar, bass and produce? It has been AWESOME....not in the sense of being a "frontman" but more in a creative sense. I have always been a guitar and bass player even when I was in the Samples. It has been fun challenging myself when I was on the road as a singer and guitar player with the "Jeep" band, booking the tours on my own, coordinating press, musicians, rehearsals, etc...kind of like running my own mini label...I really enjoyed it...I guess I felt proud that I was able to pull it off.
As far as the Mr. Anonymous stuff, I am on top of the world, seriously!!! I couldn't feel more blessed than to be able to work with the amazing talents I have been able to link up with. It has been both humbling and empowering to just be in the scenarios I've created like sessions with Sly&Robbie and singers like Bounty Killer, Barrington Levy, and Ranking Roger.
Musically speaking, looking at the whole song as opposed to just the drum track has been great. There are some songs where the emphasis is on the rhythm track and some songs that lean more to the guitars to tell the story. I enjoy approaching each song as it's own album so to speak, kind of like a chef throwing in spices to make the best entree. I'll start with some rice and peas, add some Sky Juice (Black Uhuru percussionist) and a little Robbie Shakespeare, a tad bit of Bounty Killer, and some megaphone or robot voice to finish off the sauce...and the drum track as the final flavor...sometimes a thick slamming beat...sometimes a tasty percussive pulse...always as an augmentation on the song as a whole...but ultimately painting the overall picture. I guess my analogy would be that NOW I am like a painter having the full color spectrum as opposed to just one brush and one paint color to throw on canvas.
Tell me about the tracks you've recorded with Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger individually. How did they come about? As I was listening to the tracks it occurred to me that these songs gave a good sense what a 21st Century version of The Beat might have sounded like if the band stayed together. Well of the tracks I did with Dave, I already mentioned the song "Good Vibe" in an earlier question. The other funny thing with that tune was that the melody I gave him to sing over the music reminded him of a Duran Duran track. The words "so many reasons why you wanna walk away" are in the exact same melodic riff as the verse in the song "Hungry Like The Wolf"...I'm not a Duran Duran fan but it was funny to have him call me out on it.
One of the other songs we did in that same session was over a different groove for Mr. Anonymous 1. I ended up using some of that session instead on a track on Mr. Anonymous 2 called "Rockin' She Rock" which also features a singer from Senegal named Boubacar Diabate. That track is the epitome of extreme on the new album and very movie soundtrackish. It is a combination of Electro meets Euro Dance and Robotic and very experimental as far as Mr.Anonymous tunes go. I really love the opening of the song with Dave's voice accapella on a beach in England. You can really hear the breaths and emotion in what he sings, and I felt like his voice needed to be showcased without any music...to me a cool cool vibe!
The Ranking Roger tracks were done in Birmingham England and were honestly one of the best experiences of my life. Roger picked me up at my hotel on the first day and took me all over the place. We went to a car shop where his friend's car was being fixed. Then we swung by his old rehearsal spot from the 80's where he shared jam spaces with Sex Pistols, The Clash. Then we went to his place and met his son Murphy (AKA Ranking Jr), then off to his friend Sylvia's in Mosely where we had eggs, coffee, and a couple spliffs...then off to a coffee shop and music store to get his hard drive fixed...then off to a dub record shop where we chilled and listened to all sorts of dub records...then homemade Indian food back at Sylvia's and more grooving and chilling to some dub tracks...basically the whole vibe on that first day was getting to know each other and sussing out each other's vibe.
The next day we did the tracking at Sylvia's under the same circumstances...Nescafe, great food, and spliffs...free flow...I stood out in the backyard while he laid down the vocals at her kitchen table, and I listened to him and the birds outside and watched the rain come in. It was a huge experience for me in so many ways, and honestly I feel like Roger and I are close close friends on every level. We are planning on writing more tunes for sure and both share amazing similarities in music taste and vibe. It was like playing with G.I. Joe's with an old buddy from 3rd grade.
As far as the sound of the tracks being the potential future of The English Beat if they had stayed together?...who knows...maybe? What I can say is that I have huge huge respect for both Roger and Dave when they were in the Beat as well as separate artists. I can also say that I have total respect for moving on from a creative relationship that possibly runs its course. I know I left The Samples for that reason alone. I was burnt on the music and wanted to try something new, and I strongly felt that if I had stayed for other reasons, I would have been cheating myself and the fans and the other band members. I have no idea about the ins and outs of the breakup of The Beat, and it's none of my business anyway. Both Roger and Dave are top of the top in talent. I have been blessed to work with each and plan to continue for sure!
How does Ranking Jr. rate next to his father Ranking Roger as a toaster/chatter? Ranking Jr. has some serious SKILLS...He is like a modern day Ranking Roger with a sound representative of the past and the present. I can here his influences coming from modern artists from Jamaica akin to Beenie Man, etc. as opposed to his father's influences like Dillinger, etc. His toasting delivery can be like machine gun fire with pin point clarity...and his singing voice has the softness and smoothness of his father's, with uncannily similar inflections. Rating him against his father is like rating Mohammed Ali with Roy Jones Jr. in the boxing world....like the signature sound vs.the modern day version of the signature sound. Both are equally impressive in their own right and with a bloodline that rings true between both.
What was it like to have Sly and Robbie as a rhythm section on a song? What are they like to work with? Sly and Robbie are awesome and very chill all the time. They were extremely personable and relaxed...very easy to chat and hang with....As a rhythm section, I only used them on one track on Mr. Anonymous 2. It was the song called "Breeze And River" that Ranking Roger ended up being the singer on. I tracked with them when they were out in Colorado on a tour a couple years ago. Before the session, we went to a grocery store to get wheat grass shots and juices for them. Sly and I chatted about the sounds he used on Black Uhuru's album "Sinsemilla", the syndrum parts he's famous for... Back at the studio, we laid down the groove in one take, and I played the guitar live with them which was great. At the beginning of the track, you can hear Sly doing the count off and telling Robbie that I am playing live which I decided to keep on the record. At the time I had no idea who was going to be the singer, but I had the music in my head, and I wanted a similar groove to Gregory Isaacs' song "Soon Forward". I also styled my guitar picking similar to the clavinet part on a song called "Big Brother" by Stevie Wonder. They were both really happy with the session and Sly was psyched on my drum kit which he used that day. He borrowed my hi hats that night for his show. They are both down to earth good friends for sure.
Any plans to perform any of these songs live or to tour? Yes we are starting to perform live as we speak. Because of the nature of the albums with different singers on each track, we are presenting Mr. Anonymous as a live DUB show. In a sense it is like a DJ performance of a mixtape. My DJ and coproducer "21 Dread" basically lays down and dub's out the basic sessions on turntables and laptop. I play live drums and augment with some Robot vocal. It's been a great rebirth for me on the drums because playing live with a DJ requires a whole different approach. The HUGE backbeat and FAT BASS rhythms come from 21 dread...and my job as a drummer is to augment with polyrhthms and counter beats. Sonicly, I envision it simliarly to a drummer from Fela(Nigerian artist) or a jazz drummer like Art Blakey playing tribal beats and thinking almost symphonicly. I use sticks, brushes,mallets, and a lot of "staccato Ninja" stylings of psychadelic bossa nova meets Style Scott One drop grooves...so definitely a trippy groove show.
Here is the video of 'Bring The Youth' from the first Mr Anonymous LP:
Here is video for the first single 'Discotheque from Mr Anonymous 2:
Here is the track listing for the Mr Anonymous 2 CD
1. Cool Vibe – Mega Banton and Jeep 2. One Pretty Woman – Ranking Jr. 3. Pinchers Version – Pinchers 4. Be Honest – Brando 5. Blaze Dub – Mega Banton 6. Discotheque – Afrobot & Jeep 7. Chi Widdley Bup – Ranking Roger 8. Senegal To Jupiter – Boubacar Diabate & Afrobot 9. Breeze And River – Sly & Robbie and Ranking Roger 10. Rockin She Rock – Dave Wakeling & Boubacar Diabat 11. Chi Widdley Bup (”4 on the floor” Remix) – Ranking Roger
You can learn more about the Mr Anonymous project and purchase CD's and other merchandise at the Mr Anonymous web site . You can hear more tracks from both records at the Mr Anonymous MySpace site.
The Beat's third album 'Special Beat Service' remains the most ambitious and diverse of the three records they released between 1980 and 1982. While both 'I Just Can't Stop It' and 'Whappen' stayed true to the band's manifesto of mixing politics with punky reggae and world beat sounds, by early 1982 things were changing and they were moving into the realm of personal politics with their third record.
While their 2-Tone brethren were quickly falling by the wayside and imploding, The Beat (and to a certain extent Madness), seemed prepared for the change in listeners tastes. While there were certainly internal issues within The Beat and some resistance from certain band members about their new direction, the band embarked on a musical journey that left their frenetic punky reggae and tropical sounds behind to embrace guitar driven pop music. While there were still flourishes of ska, reggae and Caribbean sounds, they now added touches of color rather than dominating the sound.
While the band was struggling to gain traction with their new sound in the UK, it was a very different story in the U.S. where the singles from 'Special Beat Service' slotted in nicely between Joe Jackson's 'Night & Day' album and the upbeat, horn driven pop of Haircut 100's 'Pelican West'. The Beat were part of the UK 'new wave' invasion and they suddenly had songs in the Top 40 of the U.S. charts. Two songs in particular resonated with American audiences -- 'Save It For Later' and 'I Confess' -- though they could not have been farther afield from what audiences and critics had come to expect from them.
These were not ska songs by any stretch of the imagination, but they were brilliant pop songs and soon took on a life of their own that established the band in the U.S. The videos for both songs were played widely on MTV and they soon entered the American music consciousness. In particular the song 'Save It For Later' sounded unlike anything else on American radio or on MTV. It seemed to connect with listeners in a way that earlier songs by the band had not. The song sounded like the love child of The Byrds and The Velvet Underground and included double entendre and innuendo that was novel for a song on the pop charts.
Dave Wakeling was once asked about the meaning of the song 'Save It For Later'. He replied, "I wrote it when I was a teenager. I wrote it before The Beat started. And it was about turning from a teenager to someone in their 20s, and realizing that the effortless promise for your teenage years was not necessarily going to show that life was so simple as you started to grow up. So it was about being lost, about not really knowing your role in the world, trying to find your place in the world. So, you couldn't find your own way in the world, and you'd have all sorts of people telling you this, that, and the other, and advising you, and it didn't actually seem like they knew any better. So it was like keep your advice to yourself. Save it - for later."
Despite the critical acclaim, it was too little, too late for The Beat, who broke up in July 1983 following a successful appearance at that summer's US Festival and right before an invitation to support David Bowie on the second leg of his 'Serious Moonlight' tour. However, like any great song, 'Save It For Later' soon took on a life of its own separate from the band. It was in the hands of Pete Townshend, that the song seemed to meet its destiny. Indeed, Townshend seemed to be the right artist at the right time in his career to sing the song as it was written to be sung.
According to the blog Locust Street, Townshend's decision to pull the plug on the Who in 1982 seemed to liberate him for a time. His solo records already had been stronger than Who LPs for at least a decade, and right before releasing the damp squib which was the 'Who's It's Hard', Townshend put out the weirdest thing he'd ever done, an album called 'All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes', filled with desultory songs about failure and age, all with rambling, sometimes unmoored lyrics. The finest track was "Slit Skirts," about how the singer and his woman no longer felt they could go out in their leather. "Can't pretend that growing old never hurts."
A few years later, Townshend was on stage at a charity gig in Brixton, and performed "Save it For Later," a recent hit from The Beat. Townshend sheared the song down to its skeleton, hanging the lyric on one repeated guitar figure. Singing in a harrowed but calm voice, Townshend lingers on the lyric's odd phrases infusing the line "your legs give way/you hit the ground" with weary resignation, and taking the lyric's silly sex joke and turning it into a vulnerable plea.
The song soon became a regular staple of Townshend's live set and he later released both studio and live versions of his rendition (the song has also been covered by Pearl Jam and 90's alt-rockers Harvey Danger). Below are the studio and live versions of Townshend's version of the song:
Amazingly, Townshend had trouble learning the odd guitar tuning for the song and unexpectedly called Wakeling up on the phone to have him walk him through it. The story of that call and the songs odd tuning are related below by Dave Wakeling during a radio interview a few years ago:
Below is a link to amazon.com where you can listen to and purchase a copy of Pete Townshend's 'White City' album which contains his amazing version of 'Save It For Later':
This week's podcast follows in the footsteps of last week's podcast. I've gathered together songs from 10 more bands from the 1980's who were responsible for establishing and helping to build the foundation for both the American and Canadian ska scenes that exploded in the late 80's and early 90's. I'm highligting bands that were playing ska and reggae either right before the advent of 2-Tone in the UK or at roughly the same time.
This podcast includes ska and reggae bands that you may or may not have heard of before. This time around I've expanded it to include bands from the Great White North who sowed the seeds for the vibrant Canadian ska scene that has given birth to The Kingpins, Planet Smashers and Bedouin Soundclash. This podcast focuses on 3 specific regions of North America that seemed to serve as the cradle of American and Canadian ska - namely California, Western Canada and The Northeastern US. They include rarities from bands you have heard of before (Fishbone, The Donkey Show, The Villains) and hard-to-find gems from bands you may have never heard of before (The Fabulous Titans, The Targets, The B-Sides). While 2-Tone often gets the lion share of the attention for combining the energy and anger of punk with the rhythms of reggae, there were American and Canadian bands who were playing their own variation of 2-Tone styled ska and reggae years before their British brethren.
Here are highlights about several of the bands in this week's podcast:
The Fabulous Titans - A ska and reggae band based in the Bay Area of California that had its roots in The Shakers who were the first American reggae signed to a major label (Warner-Elektra in 1976). The FT's signed and recorded 'Rico's Lament' for the Chiswick record label in the UK and later were the first U.S, band ever invited to tour Cuba.
The Offs -Completely overlooked and unique San Francisco based ska/punk band whose first single 'My World' came out the same week as The Specials first single. The Offs kept innovating, and produced some of the most original hybrid music to come out of the American music scene of the late '70's mixing funk, soul, R&B, ska, and reggae, and making it all their own.
The Targets - Another diamond in the rough from the verdant Southern California mod/ska scene of the early 80's . Little is know about the band which shone brightly for just a two short years. The instrumental track 'Unity Beat' pays respects to the unique side stick offbeat drum and twist and crawl bass sound created by The Beat.
The Donkey Show - LA's premiere mid and late 80's ska band who took the torch from The Untouchables and helped make Southern California the epicenter of American ska. Known for their male and female lead vocalists and for their legendary sax played Dave Hillyard who now plays with The Slackers. The song 'Ease Down' comes from their live album recorded at Berkeley CA's famous Gilman Street Club.
Fishbone - A rare cover of 60's ska track that LA's finest recorded with 1950's Mickey Mouse Show star Annette Funicello for the soundtrack to the movie 'Back To The Beach'. Enough said.
The Villians - Ska band folk heroes in Vancouver and throughout Canada for their crazy live shows and ability to publicize their antics. The band's first single 'Life Of Crime' chronicles their run-in with Canadian immigration upon their arrival from London.
The B-Sides - Little is know about this early 80's Canadian 2-Tone style power pop ska from Vancouver. Their one and only LP 'Red To Black' is long out of print and a collectors item.
The Erector Set - Boston-based ska/reggae band who recorded one 7" single in 1981 whose A side was included on the American Skathic compilation from 1995. The song 'No Room For Comfort' is the hard to find B side of the single.
Mephiskapheles - New York City-based ska band that lead a late 80's revival and a band that my band Bigger Thomas played with fairly regularly. The song 'Doomsday' comes from a cassette tape recording the band sold at shows in 1989.
Shot Black & White - New York City-based reggae/rock band that bridged the gap between the late 80's NYC SKA scene and the alternative rock club scene. Another band that my band played with a few times and who beat us out in a battle of the band's competition in 1988 which provided them the money to record the album that 'Understand' is on.
Below is the track listing for the podcast mix. Enjoy!
Marco On The Bass Mix
The Fabulous Titans - Rico's Lament [San Francisco 1982] The Offs- My World [San Francisco 1980] The Targets - Unity Beat [Torrance, CA 1983] The Donkey Show- Ease Down (Live) [San Diego 1989] Fishbone - Jamaica Ska (with Annette Funicello) [Los Angeles 1987] The Villians - Life Of Crime [Vancouver, BC 1980] The B-Sides - Late At Night [Vancouver, BC 1981] The Erector Set - No Room For Comfort [Boston 1981] Mephiskapheles- Doomsday [New York 1989] Shot Black & White- Understand [New York 1989]
The birth of 2-Tone ska was based on a failed attempt to marry punk and reggae. If you listen to early recordings of The Coventry Automatics or The Beat, their songs were either distinctly punk or distinctly reggae/rock, but not a combination of the two. In fact, it wasn't until Jerry Dammers had the idea to use 60's ska as the foundation for the band's songs as a solution to the punk/reggae dilemma that the band's look and sound finally gelled. While The Specials and 2-Tone bands embraced ska, other bands and musicians continued exploring ways to combine the energy and look of punk with bass heavy reggae. However, it wasn't until the Basement 5 that this true marriage of punk and reggae was finally realized.
Basement 5 were arguably the first black punk reggae band and are described by many artists who followed them as "hugely influential" and "groundbreaking". Mixing punk rock elements with reggae and dub, they broke down barriers and paved the way for other black bands to play rock music (see Fishbone, Asian Dub Foundation, Living Color). Starting out in London in 1978, Basement 5 created a politically charged, futurist, punk-fuelled dub. Picking up where The Sex Pistols and P.I.L. left off, the band's lyrics were an attempt to reflect the situation of young black and white people in Britain in the era of Thatcherism, high unemployment, strikes, racism, and working class poverty.
Originally assembled by former Roxy DJ and punk legend Don Letts with money from Island Records' chief Chris Blackwell, the band's lineup which also included future Big Audio Dynamite bassist Leo Williams, solidified when Sex Pistols/Bob Marley photographer Dennis Morris joined as the vocalist.
According to his bio: Dennis Morris started his career at an early age. He was 11years old when one of his photographs was printed on the front page of the Daily Mirror. A camera fanatic since the age of eight, Dennis was known around his East End neighbourhood as "Mad Dennis," due to his preference for photography over football. After inadvertently stumbling across a particularly feisty demonstration by the PLO one Sunday, the sharp young Dennis took his film to a photo agency on Fleet Street, who promptly sold it to the Daily Mirror for £16. Accustomed to raising money for films and camera parts by taking photos of christenings and birthday parties, Dennis was suddenly on to something; his hobby and all-consuming passion could be done for a living.
It was whilst bunking off school to wait for Bob Marley to arrive for soundcheck at the Speak Easy Club on Margaret Street, that Dennis's music photography career really began. Marley, quite taken with the young teenager who was waiting for him, invited Dennis to come along and take pictures on the remainder of the tour. Running home to Dalston, Dennis packed his bag and jumped on the bus. His photographs of Marley and The Wailers became famous the world over, appearing on the cover of Time Out and Melody Maker before Dennis had even turned 17.
It was Dennis's photos of Marley that caught the eye of the young Johnny Rotten. Rotten, a massive reggae fan, had long admired Dennis's work and requested that he take the first official shots of the Sex Pistols upon signing to Virgin Records. Still in his teens, Dennis was the same age as the Pistols and they soon learned to trust him completely, allowing him unrestricted access to their strange and chaotic existence. For a year, Dennis trailed the band, taking hundreds of undisputed classic shots of the band. The only photographer to put the Sex Pistols fully at ease in front of the lens, Dennis's work with the band established, not only their public image, but also Dennis's position as one of the most exciting and striking music photographers in the country.
When the Pistols split it was Dennis who accompanied John Lydon and Richard Branson on holiday to Jamaica. Now a close friend of Lydon's, the pair set about finding young reggae artists for Branson's record label. Enthused by the A&R bug, Dennis took a job as Art Director at Island Records and signed The Slits and L.K.J to the label. Still working with John Lydon, Dennis was instrumental in creating the seminal P.i.L sleeves, logo, and metal box. His passion for music led him to form his own pioneering black punk band, Basement Five.
In their short life, the band supported John Lydon's Public Image Limited (PIL) debut at London's Rainbow Theatre, performed a number of shows in Portugal and signed to Island Records. The result was the album "1965-1980" co-produced by the legendary Martin Hannet (Joy Division. Magazine). It became the first and only Basement 5 LP. Long out of print, it was eventually reissued as a partial album along with selected tracks from its original dub mini-LP partner 'Basement 5 In Dub'.
Morris was kind enough to take out of his busy schedule to conduct an interview with me:
What was it like growing up in London in the 70's? Growing up in the seventies looking back was a very inspirational time due to the lack of money and opportunities we had to create our own identity (ie: clothes, find ways to make money..,), we had to be inventive; opportunities were never given, we had to take them! There were very few jobs.
Are there any similarities between taking photographs and writing/performing music? For me photography / music are all the same. When I write songs/music, I write visually (ie: I picture the song in my head); I am a visual person. When I read, I read visually, the words become images; that’s why I am a very slow reader.
As an A&R rep for Virgin Records you signed The Slits and LKJ who are among the most iconic bands to come out of the UK in the 1980's. On the surface they are quite different. What did they have in common in your eyes? I was in fact working with Island Records and my official position was head of Art with A&R capacity. This position came about through Chris Blackwell owner and founder of Island Records who approached me about joining the label. I was reluctant because Island had no one on the label I found interesting. After many meetings, I said I would only join if he let me sign and art directed LKJ and the Slits. He agreed. LKJ for me was the voice of the Youths of Black Britain. His poetry fused with Dennis Bowell’s Reggae beats captures the feelings of Black Britain of the time. The Slits were off the wall. I felt they would inspire other female artists to take up arms (ie instruments).
During the late 70's punk and reggae came together in a way that was unprecedented. There was an openness about exploring and creating new sounds and mixing cultures. How much of that informed the Basement 5 look and sound? Basement 5 came through boredom. Bob Marley had died, the Pistols had split, P.I.L was losing direction and for me there was nothing around musically that interested me. So I did what was for me a natural progression, having worked in both music genre and creating images& identities for other musicians. In the case of Basement 5, the look (logo, image…) came before the music. The music was a collage of many influences not just reggae or punk. Not coming from a music background helped to create a unique sound.
Here is a video of the Basement 5 song 'No Ball Games':
As the first black punk rock band you helped break down barriers and influenced later black rock bands like Fishbone and Living Color. As a trailblazer what kind of reception did Basement 5 get from audiences? The receptions we received were varied…white rock audiences loved us, but black audiences thought we were weird. I remember once playing a gig in Hamburg in a club. The owner booked us having heard about us and assumed that because we were black we must be a reggae band. On the night of the gig, all the local black reggae fans turned up, as soon as we hit the stage and started playing, the place emptied. The owner refused to pay us saying that he booked a reggae band!
Can you share any unusual stories about any Basement 5 shows that were particularly memorable? Germany was always a great place to play. One particular gig, a riot broke out. Basically I walked on stage with the band, walked up to the mike and this guy spat in my face. I grabbed the mike smashed him across the head, he started bleeding. His friends tried to get on stage, I kicked them off, a huge fight started in the crowd. The gig was canceled and we had to get the police to escort us from the venue.
The Basement 5 LP '1965-1980' was produced by Martin Hannett (noted Joy Division producer) who had a very unorthodox reputation for recording songs in the studio. What was it like to work with him? Any unusual stories you can share about recording the album? Working with Martin Hannett was a joy, he was truly a genius, rock’s equivalent of Lee Perry. Completely off the wall. We used everything available to get the sounds we wanted. I even did the vocals for Heavy Traffic outside the studio in the street. Anything was possible, he had an open mind, we truly connected. Incidentally the title 1965-1980 was a diary of my life growing up in Britain from 1965-1980.
Is it true that Charlie Charles from The Blockheads played drums in the recording studio and laid down his tracks in one day! Charlie Charles from the Blockheads did play drums on all the tracks on the album. We had just finished touring with the Blockheads and had become great friends with Charles and Ian Durry. What basically happened was on the first day of recording, our drummer at the time (we had a lots of problems with drummers) completely flipped out. He had a nervous breakdown and walked out of the studio and to this day was never seen again. We were all in shock. Martin came up with the idea about Charlie Charles, I agreed, we made a call and within hours he was in the studio. He not only saved the day but also played some memorable beats. Sadly Charlie Charles is not with us any longer, like Ian Durry truly a great man.
After Basement 5 split up, you went onto form Urban Shakedown. Tell me about that band? Paul Weller signed you to his Respect Records label right? Paul Weller did sign us to his Respect Label, in fact it was the first release on the label. After Basement 5 split, I worked to create a new sound. I was never truly happy with the bass sound on the album. So I decided to play bass myself with a young drummer named Michael Smith, stage name T. To get my sound, I basically split the sound on stage (ie: two rigs, one giving out bass end, the other top treble).
Your single 'The Big Bad Wolf' in 1984 with Urban Shakedown may have been the very first drum and bass song ever! What was the decision to just record bass and drums with horns playing a melody over the track to complement your vocals? Big Bad Wolf was possibly the first Drum & Bass song, as I said earlier it was my desire to create something new. It was in my head I could hear it and see it.
Do you think the U2 borrowed elements of the Basement 5 look and sound? U2 took everything from us. We played a few gigs together and we always blew them away. Our guitarist JR always wore a cowboy hat and played a flying V guitar; think of the Edge. Also he had a unique style of playing (rhythm and lead combine); think of the Edge. Bono’s stage antics were a complete copy of me, climbing on the PA, flag waving….There is a saying in Rock: “Beware of the support band!”.
The Basement 5 album captures the dismal years of Thatcher's reign in the UK and yet the songs have a timeless quality. What's you take on the current state of affairs around the world? Bob Marley said “time will tell”. Look at the Basement 5 song “Last White Christmas” change is coming…”. Listen to "No Ball Games” Youth frustration, “Too soon” man’s fascination with space while the earth is dying, “Immigration”. I feel I got it right and it gives me great pleasure to know that there are people like yourself worldwide who feel the same. Thank you for your support. I will continue to create new images and sounds.
Here is a recent interview with Morris about his days in Basement 5 and his new musical project Stanley Kubrik Goes Shopping:
Below is the track listing and download from a Peel Session that the band recorded for the BBC in 1980:
Last White Christmas No Ball Games Silicon Chip Immigration
Morris continues to work as a photographer and to write and record music. His latest project with Youth (formerly of Killing Joke) is a band called Stanely Kubrik Goes Shopping. You can read more about them and hear their songs at the Stanley Kubrik Goes Shopping MySpace site
This week's podcast takes a slight turn to the more obscure 2-Tone era ska that was released in the UK during 1980-81 time frame when the sound was at its peak around the British Isles. I've gathered together songs from 11 bands and artists who were on the periphery of the 2-Tone mainstream. However, just because they were outside the mainstream and lacked radio play did not mean that they were not good songs. Its a shame that more of the songs in this week's mix didn't reach a wider audience. Better later than never.
