Laurel Aitken and The Unitone- The Godfather of Ska Recruits The Ruts To Cut 2-Tone Era Hit

One of the best things about 2-Tone was the way that it showed respect to the first wave of ska and reggae artists who helped to popularize the music in the UK. In fact, many of the original artists moved from Jamaica to the UK in order to enjoy the benefits of their growing popularity. One of those artists was Laurel Aitken AKA The Godfather of Ska.

Aitken moved to London in 1960 and recorded both in the UK and Jamaica throughout the 1960s. This cemented his position as one of ska's leading artists and gained a loyal following not only among the West Indian community, but also among mods, skinheads and other ska fans. He had hit records in the 1950s through to the 1970s on labels such as Blue Beat, Pama, Trojan, Rio, Dr. Bird, Nu-Beat, Ska-Beat, and Dice.

By the mid-1970s Aitken had moved to Leicester with his wife and settled into semi-retirement, but was soon to return to prominence as an icon of the 2Tone ska revival. Aitken, then in his 50s, found himself hailed as the elder statesman of ska. During the 2-Tone era, Aitken's career was rejuvenated and like other first wave artists (Prince Buster, Desmond Dekker) he aligned himself with 2-Tone, mod and punk bands to help increase his audience. He performed with The Beat and also toured with the mod band Secret Affair. One of the most interesting pairings of old and new blood was when punk/reggae band The Ruts backed Aitken on a single "Rudi Got Married" b/w "Honey Come Back To Me" that was released as Laurel Aitken and The Unitone (a play on 2-Tone) on Secret Affair's own I-Spy Records imprint. The single was released in May 1980 on I-Spy Records and stayed in the UK charts for 3 weeks peaking at #60. Aitken and The Ruts also recorded a session for John Peel's radio show in April 1980 that included "Jesse James" and "Big Fat Man".

Grover Records have released several volumes that chronicle Aitken's musical career. Volume five "Rudi Got Married" includes songs recorded in the '80s. A singer with incredible longevity, Aitken's style is low key - his voice never reaches any dizzying heights. The material here is some of his more popular work "Mad About You," "Sally Brown" and, includes his tracks with The Ruts "Rudi Got Married" and "Honey Come Back To Me".

Here is the tracklist and download:

Rudi Got Married
Honey Come Back To Me
Big Fat Man
It`s Too Late
Mad About You
Sahara
Skinhead
Hey Little Girl
Sally Brown
Je T`aimerai Toujours
Eh Mon Amour
Don`t Turn Your Back
I Love You, Yes I Do
Peggy Sue
Rude Boy Dream
Hitchhike
Ringo The Gringo
Skinhead (12" Edit


Laurel Aitken - Rudi Got Married

Shack Records - Neville Staple's Label Releases Single by Specials Roadies

In 1981, following in the footsteps of Specials drummer John Bradbury's Race Records, vocalist Neville Staple's and his then girlfriend Stella (from The Bodysnatchers) launched Shack Records. Their first signing was ska/reggae band 21 Guns and the single included the songs "Ambition Rock" b/w "21 Guns". The songs were also produced by Neville, and peaking at #46 on the UK Charts after 3 weeks.

The band, formed by ex-Specials roadies Trevor Evans (Keyboards) and Johnny Rex (Drums) and included Kevin Turner (Bass), Stuart (Guitar) and Gary 'Judge' Chambers (Vocals), had previously recorded a three song session for John Peel in early February 1981 based in their connection with Golding and The Specials. The session included the A and B side of the single as well as the song "Dark Night".

The band scored a support slot opening for Hazel O'Connor and their short set list included their three original songs plus 2 covers ("Too Hot" by The Specials and "Johnny Too Bad" later covered by UB40).

The single is difficult to find, but if I come across it I will post it here.

Judge Dread - Rude Father To All 2-Tone Ska Bands

Seven years before the world ever heard of The Specials, The Selecter or Madness, Judge Dread had put his first ska and reggae hit into the UK charts. Although often dismissed as a novelty act, Judge Dread was actually a groundbreaking artist. Not only did he put more reggae records onto the U.K. chart than anyone else, he was also the first white artist to actually have a reggae hit in Jamaica ("Big Six"). He also holds the record for having the most songs banned by the BBC, 11 in all, which is also the same number of singles he placed in the charts.

Alex Hughes (who took his recording name from one of the characters in a Prince Buster song) was a huge influence on 2-Tone era bands particularly Madness and Bad Manners. Indeed, it was Judge Dread who first recorded a cover of Prince Buster's "Al Capone" (later to be recorded as "Gangsters" by The Specials"), a version of Dandy Livingstone's "A Message To You (Rudy) and a ska take of "Swan Lake" long before Madness had a go of it. Judge Dread even wrote a song for Madness called "One Eye Lodger" which they turned down and he released as a B-side in 1981.

He had grown up in London alongside the first wave of immigrants from Jamaica. After leaving school, he lodged with a Jamaican family, and it was only a short step from there to a lifelong love affair with Jamaican music. His work as a bouncer led to work as a bodyguard (to the likes of The Rolling Stones) and as a debt collector for Commercial Entertainments (who used to arrange UK tours for Desmond Dekker, The Pioneers and the like) and Trojan Records. Little did he know that within a few short years, not only would he be sharing a stage with the likes of Bob Marley & The Wailers, but would become an even bigger star than the Jamaican artists he idolized.

Here are videos of some of Judge Dread's biggest hits including "Big Six" which cracked the UK Top 10 at #9 in 1972 (selling over 300,000 copies and spending six months on the chart, despite getting no radio airplay due to its lyrics) and "Je T'aime" (a cover of the original UK chart-topper by Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin) which hit #9 in the UK charts in 1975.







Below is a link to amazon.com where you can purchase a copy of 'Big Seven: The Best of Judge Dread':

Love Madness? Love Their Music? Now You Can Dress Like Them Too!

As we all wait patiently for news on the release of the new Madness album "The Liberty of Norton Folgate" here is news every self-respecting nutty boy and rude boy will appreciate. Now, not only can you listen to your favorite Madness songs you can dress the part while doing so.

Let me introduce you to the fine gentlemen at Ace Face Clothing Company. These chaps have brought back the classic tonic suit and they are ready to put you in one. Not only that, they are the official tailor to Madness (see picture above) who will be wearing Ace Face suits during their December 2008 UK tour. They also outfit those 21st Century Rude Boys in the Dub Pistols.

As background, fashion drove the mod and 2-Tone scenes and though fashion trends changed rapidly, there were some common denominators: the tonic suit, traditionally three-buttoned; Harrington jackets, Sta-Press trousers and Levi jeans (brought onto the scene via cash-strapped Black American GI’s in West End clubs); mohair suits and Cuban-heeled shoes; quasi-military attire such as parka jackets, suede desert boots and RAF t-shirts; pork-pie hats from the West Indian rude boys; the essential American-style button-down shirts, which at its most pristine was Brooks Brothers, or Ben Sherman for best of the rest; splashes of colors everywhere, maybe white jeans, a pale yellow shirt; perhaps blue or stripped or chequered. Most importantly, was the attention to detail which changed often: maybe one week it would be a six-inch vent on the suit jacket, maybe next week eight-inches, maybe bowling shoes, or perhaps a feather in the cap. The variations in style were not noticeably to the ‘outsider’, but they mattered to the in-crowd.

Below is Suggs in an Ace Face Tonic suit:

Ace Face tonic suit colors include:
Ruby Blue - sublime claret with a blue shimmer
Midnight Gold - striking blue electrified with dark gold
Blue Jade - a mix of gold with blue to create a hue of green
Forest Claret - dark emerald green with an aubergine shimmer
Kingfisher -turquoise combined from blue & green
Bronze - dark brown hue with a bronze shimmer
Sapphire- rich dark blue blended with wine
Pale Moss- subtle shade of green combined with black

You can learn more about Stuart, Marc and Gary who run Ace Face at their MySpace Web site here.

Horace Ove - Black British Filmaker Documents Rise of Reggae In UK

Horace Ove deserves credit for the leading role he has taken in promoting the growth and popularity of reggae music as it travelled from the West Indies to the UK and then became a cultural phenomenon. Ove was born in Trinidad and emigrated to the UK to attend film school in the early 1960's. His 1971 documentary, "Reggae", was the first in depth film on reggae music to ever be produced. Filmed at Wembley Stadium during the 1970 Caribbean Music Festival, the film documented the first large reggae concert to ever be held in Britain (it drew an astonishing 14,000 people).

Unfortunately the documentary went almost unnoticed when it was first released. The film which also includes footage of the extreme poverty of the West Indies and the makes a case for reggae's radical roots. Interviews with disk jockey Mike Raven and producer Graham Goodall review the history and development of the music. But for fans, the highlights of the movie are the performances by The Pyramids (Symarip), The Pioneers, Millie Small, Toots & The Maytals, Bob Andy and Marcia and Desmond Dekker.

The film is currently out-of-print and unavailable though there are 3rd generation copies floating around. A few years ago there was some talk of a reissue but there have not been any updates. There are a few clips taken from the film available on YouTube and MySpace. I've attached them below.

Here is footage from "Reggae" featuring Toots & The Maytals performing "Monkey Man"



Here is footage from "Reggae" featuring Bob Andy & Marcia performing "Young Gifted & Black"



Here is a clip from "Reggae" that explains the white skinhead phenomenon over Symarip's "Skinhead Moonstomp"

You can read more about Horace Ove and his storied career here.

The Pyramids = Symarip: Establish Skinhead Reggae in The UK and Influence A Generation

The Pyramids were formed in the mid-sixties by six young British-based musicians. The band were also known at various stages of their career as The Bees, The Pyramids, Seven Letters and Zubaba. In the mold of The Equals, they began their career as a straight "pop" group, consisting of founders Frank Pitter, Michael Thomas, Josh Roberts, Ray Knight, Monty Naismith and vocalist Roy Ellis and were signed to President Records.

In 1968, President bagged their first Number 1 with “Baby Come Back” by The Equals, featuring a teenage Eddy Grant on lead vocals. At the request of his label, Grant had also been working with the Pyramids, who had backed Prince Buster on a recent U.K. tour. Besides composing songs for the band (and one for Prince Buster himself, the rude classic "Rough Rider" which was later covered by The Beat), Grant also produced several tracks for The Pyramids in 1969 including the band's debut single and sole hit, "Train to Rainbow City" which appeared on their self-titled LP.

Here is a video of the song "Train To Rainbow City" written by Eddy Grant for The Pyramids:

According to sleeve notes from a best-of collection released by Trojan Records, The band’s relationship with President soured when their record ‘Mexican Moonlight’ was a hit in Germany, but the label neglected to tell them about it. As a result, the band decided to rename themselves so that they could record elsewhere without President Records knowledge. Organist Monty Neysmith came up with a plan: ‘I came up with the idea of turning Pyramids around and you leave out the ‘d’. So originally it was spelt Simaryp. I don’t know how it came to be spelt Symarip!’ So in 1969, safe in the knowledge that Presidnet Records would never unravel the secret of their true identity, Simaryp/Symarip prepared to record for their new label, Graeme Goodall’s Treasure Isle - whose chief label was ironically called Pyramid!

The band then recorded their first album as Symparip in 1970 and immediately became the face of "Skinhead Reggae" with songs like "Skinhead Girl", "Skinhead Jamboree" and "Skinhead Moonstomp", which is based on the Derrick Morgan song, "Moon Hop". According to Neysmith, the band noticed a new element coming to their live shows: Skinheads. ‘A lot of skinheads started coming to our shows, and Roy and I said, it would be good to write a song for skinheads. We remembered a song [‘I Thank You’ by Sam & Dave] where they said, ‘I want everybody to get on their feet, and this and that, and give me some of that old soul music’. I thought, let’s change the words and put, ‘I want all you skinheads to get on your feet, put your braces together and your boots on your feet, and give me some of that old moonstomping’.

In 1980, the album Skinhead Moonstomp was re-issued in the wake of the 2 Tone craze, hitting the UK pop charts for the first time and a whole new generation of fans were introduced to their sound. The Specials further expanded their name and popularity of Symarip by recording a live cover version of "Skinhead Moonstomp" as part of a medley of 60's reggae songs on the B-side of their "Specials Live EP" which hit number one in the UK charts.

Here is a brief video of Symarip performing in Horace Ove's documentary "Reggae" recorded at Wembley in 1970 before a crowd of 14,000. The tune is a Rupie Edwards tune called "Pop Hi". Don't miss Roy Ellis's back-flip at the start of the clip:

Amazingly Ellis and Neysmith have reformed the band and plan to perform around the UK in 2008-09. They will perform a show on Friday October 31st at The Hootananny in Brixton, London. You can get ticket information here. There must be something in the water in the UK that's causing all these bands to reform.

Here is the track list and a download to their 1969 LP "Skinhead Moonstomp" that was reissued in 1980 during the height of 2-Tone"

1-Skinhead Moonstop
2-Phoenix City
3-Skinhead Girl
4-Try Me Best
5-Skinhead Jamboree
6-Chicken Merry
7-These Boots Are Made For Stomping
8-Must Catch a Train
9-Skin Flint
10-Stay With Him
11-Fung Shu
12-You’re Mine
13-Bam Bam Baji
14-Hold Him Joe
15-Tomorrow at Sunrise
16-Parsons Corner
17-Redeem
18-La Bella Jig
19-Holidays By The Sea
20-Feel Allright

Symarip - Skinhead Moonstomp

Race Records - John Bradbury's Record Label Releases Single by Ex-Selecter Members

In many ways drummer John Bradbury was the glue that held 2-Tone together. It was his relationships with many Coventry-based musicians, both pre and post-2-Tone, that added to its history. He had a hand in helping to start both The Selecter and The Specials and he stuck with Jerry Dammers upon the break-up of the band to play drums for The Special AKA. He was also the leader and founder of the "JB Allstars" soul revue band, who's final single "Alphabet Army" was released as last ever official 2Tone record. Brad has since worked with The Special Beat, the reformed Selecter and ska punkers "Big 5". He also produced the album "High and Dry" in the 90s for UK Ska resurgence act "Maroon Town". Most recently he joined his Specials band mates for their first reunion performance at Bestival.

Born in Coventry, Bradbury attended Hull University. On his return home from school, the reggae and soul loving drummer took up with a number of bands including the "The Transposed Men" where he played with The Selecter's Neol Davies. Both he and Davies would ultimately be responsible for the track "Kingston Affair"which became the track we know as "The Selecter" by The Selecter (the group did not exist at that time) and found national release as the flip side of The Specials' debut 45 "Gangsters". After the original Coventry Automatics' drummer Silverton Hutchinson departed, Dammers called on Brad and The Specials were complete.

But the connections do not end there. Based on his experiences with 2-Tone, Bradbury decided to have a go at running his own record label. He launched the short-lived Race Records in February 1981 with a party at the Hope & Anchor where he introduced his first two signings: a ten-piece reggae band called Night Doctor and a smaller combo called Team 23. Night Doctor put out "Just Enough" b/w "Hit & Miss Affair".

Race Records two signings were quickly joined later by The People. In 1981, The Selecter made the dificult decision to leave 2-Tone to sign a separate deal with Chrysalis. As the dust was beginning to settle on the split from 2 Tone, keyboard player Desmond Brown decided he had had enough and quit the band. Taking stock of the situation the band made the decision that some sections of the band were not up to the job and bass player Charley Anderson was asked to leave. Harking back to their days in Coventry reggae band Hardtop-22 (with Neol Davies and Lynval Golding), Charley and Desmond went on to team up with original Specials drummer Silverton Hutchinson to form The People. Bradbury quickly signed the band who released a single "Musical Man" b/w "Sons & Daughters". The A-side an ode to Specials trombone player Rico Rodriguez. The label released one more non-ska/reggae song by The Lemons and then called it a day.

Here is video of the single "Musical Man" by The People:



Here is Race Records short discography:

RB001 Night Doctor (A) Just Enough (B) Hit & Miss Affair
RB DIS 001 (12") Night Doctor (A) Romancin (B) Menelik
RB 003 The People (A) Musical Man (B) Sons & Daughters
RB004 The Lemons (A) My favourite Band (B) English Summer

Here are downloads of Night Doctor's one single for the label:

Night Doctor - Just Enough
Night Doctor - Hits and Misses