Various Ska and Reggae

If you don't like classic Ska or Reggae then skip this post now.

I have made this posting for a couple of reasons, firstly there was always some synergy between Punk and Reggae, in the early days there was often reggae bands in the support line up. Also bands like the Clash, who were the first white band to enter the 'Reggae Hall of Fame' with their excellent cover version of 'Police and Thieves' were only one of many bands that regularly covered or used the reggae style on their sets and releases.

Secondly for nostalgic reasons, I am sure some of you remember there used to be adverts at the back of 'Sounds' and 'NME' offering 100 various reggae/ska singles for £5 or £10 (I can't remember the actual price or the record shop, but I think it was Notting Hill Records Exchange, can anyone else remember? or have they got a copy of the ad? as I would of posted it if I had one)

Memory failing me again as I can't remember who, but I can remember the night when someone in our squat received the 100 records. We sat up all night playing them, and recording all of the good ones. We didn't sleep that night and played these songs full blast, dancing around until we played the last song.

This posting includes all of the songs we liked that night, and I have played this tape ever since. So now at last I have digitized the scratched sound of these classics so I can share them with you.

There are 28 tracks on this posting, and a couple I am not sure if I have the right name, as the cassette listing has faded over the years. So if any of you are experts out there please correct me

The pick of the tracks in my opinion are as follows:

Track 12, 'The Ten Commandments' by 'Busters All Starts' (better know as Prince Buster of Al Capone fame). This is one of the most politically incorrect songs I have heard, but it's still brilliant, if you like classic ska you will love this.

Next up Track 16, is a rare vinyl from 'Joyce Bond' called 'This Train', it's all about the Mods and Rockers traveling together (in harmony), it is outstanding and my pick of the lot.

The Ethiopians 'Hong Kong Flu' is a classic infectious track (17) which you cannot fail to like.

Track 21, 'The Train Is Coming back' by the Gladiators, is another song about trains and another example of a perfect ska classic.

The final track on this selection is 'Burning' by the 'Dynamics' if this doesn't get you dancing around nothing will.

Leave a comment and tell ASFM what you like best.

Band: Various Artist (Ska and Reggae)
Label: Various
Tracks:
1. Hipp Ska - Cindy Starr
2. Pain Of Love - Cindy Starr
3. You Are The Girl - The Ethiopians
4. Train To Skaville - The Ethiopians
5. Bama Boom - Damaicens
6. Work It - Vice Roys
7. Love Is All I Had - Phillis Dilon
8. Boys and Girls - Phillis Dilon
9. Sounds And Pressure - Unknown
10. Tell Me Darling - Buster's All Stars
11. Sting Like A Bee - Buster's All Stars
12. Ten Commandments - Buster's All Stars
13. Sweet Nanny - Virtues
14. Spit In The Sky - Joe Liggs
15. Tell Me Why - Joe Liggs
16. This Train - Joyce Bond
17. Hong Kong Flu - The Ethiopians
18. Clap Your Hands - The Ethiopians
19. Greedy Gal - Patrick Morgan
20. Children Get Ready - Versatices
21. This Train Is Coming Back - The Gladiators
22. Feeling So Fine - The Gladiators
23. Move Up - Al and Vibrators
24. Sweets For My Sweet - Bobby Aitken
25. Pee Pee Cluck Cluck - The Pioneers
26. Everybody Rock Now - Kim McCarthy
27. Spoogy - Lester Sterling
28. Burning - Dynamics

Ripped from glorious scratched vinyl onto glorious hissing tape onto mp3:

Steel Pulse - Ku Klux Klan

After listening to 'Clint Eastwood' from over at John's excellent Ballistic Wax blog I decided I had to post this.

Reggae was always synonymous with punk around 1977-78. You would often see reggae support bands, and reggae music played in the intervals. Apart from there being some very good reggae songs, another reason why it was played at punk venues like 'The Roxy' was due to there being a limited availability of good quality punk songs being released.

Steel Pulse were an English band from Birmingham who were often around the punk scene and this for me is one of their best singles, 'Ku Klux Klan' has excellent lyrics and is an outstanding song. The b-side is a dub version of the same song, I was never keen on this and always felt it was a little lazy, but plenty of people really like dub, so who am I to criticize.

Band: Steel Pulse
Label: Island
Year: 1978
Tracks:
1. Ku Klux Klan
2. Ku Klux Klan (Dub)

Ripped from glorious scratched vinyl:


If you like this then you have plenty of choice, this one for their classic debut album at £3 its a bargain, you wont find the dub version on any of these albums, but obliviously Ku Klux Klan is on just about all of them:

Handsworth Revolution

If you want to sample there different types of music then try this one:

Sound System: The Island Anthology (2CD)

If you want to hear the reggae music played at the Roxy then get this one:

Dread Meets Punk Rockers Uptown: the Soundtrack to London's Legendary Roxy Club December 1976-April 1977

Papa Levi - Bonnie And Clyde 12"

I don't know too much about Papa Levi, but I love this single. It's a reggae cover of the 'Georgie Fame' classic 'Bonnie and Clyde. I first heard this version played on a John Peel session, and as soon as it was released it was a must buy.

I've mentioned before I'm a fan of covers especially when they are done differently and this one clearly is. The b-side 'Warning' is all about avoiding catching 'Herpes' lovely topic, but then again it does make sense.

The picture cover is not mine, I found it here (which also giver a bit more background on Papa Levi). My copy just had the standard island cover as per the scans.

So if you know the original 9and if you don't go and find it, its classic, which one do you prefer?

Singer: Papa Levi
Label: Island
Year: 1984
Tracks:
1. Bonnie and Clyde
2. Warning

Ripped from glorious scratched vinyl

If you like this you can either get all of these albums at Amazons market place or on iTunes. I can't comment as I don't yet have any of them.

Code of Practice

Lyrics, Tricks and Politics

Back to Basics

Matumbi - Seven Seals

Alongside UK reggae bands 'Steel Pulse, Aswad, Black Slate and Misty In Roots' was 'Matumbi. This is their first and and for me their best album and surprisingly it is still OOP.

Originally formed in 1972, it took them until 1978 to release their first album 'Seven Seals'. A real blend of reggae, soul, funk and pop produces some really catchy numbers. I'm sure a few reggae purists may criticize this but hey who cares, I've always liked it.

As the covers are interesting and also the lyrics are printed I have added high resolution scans as well.

So try it out and leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Ripped from glorious (green) scratched vinyl

Band: Matumbi
Label: Harvest
Year: 1978
Tracks:
1. Guide Us Jah
2. Hook Deh
3. Hypocrite
4. Bluebeat and Ska
5. Empire Road
6. Music In The Air
7. All Over This World (Money)
8. Rock

If you like this then again your in luck, although this album is OOP in its entirety, the following best of has taken tracks from all of their three albums:

The Best of Matumbi

Steel Pulse - Nyah Love 7"

The second single from Steel Pulse was released on Anchor records in 1977, and I'm sure if this had been released post their debut album "Handsworth Revolution" it would of been a hit. This is the single that got me into Steel Pulse, and if you haven't heard it before you're understand why. I'm not sure why they never tried to reissue it, when they did become more popular (does anyone know?). Their following releases were all on Island records, so maybe it was down to ownership.

The b-side is a traditional dub version of the a-side, even though I'm not a big dub fan, this one also works for me.

So give it a try and see whether you agree this should of been a hit.

Band: Steel Pulse
Label: Anchor
Year: 1977
Tracks:
1. Nyah Love
2. Luv Nyah

Ripped from very scratched vinyl

If you like this then your lucky as you can still buy both sides in a pristine rip from Amazon mp3 download here (although it does sound a little different - is it a re-recording?).

And if you haven't bought their classic debut album, you can still buy it here for £6:28:

Handsworth Revolution

Barry Biggs - Work All Day 7"

Most people in the UK (well anyone between the age of 40-55) will remember Barry Biggs for his cover of "Sideshow" (a no prize for anyone who can name who recorded the 1974 original) which reached number 3# in the UK charts in 1976. Personally I thought it was OK but nowhere near as good as his debut UK single also released in 1976 "Work All Day".

"Work all day" is a catchy and I guess more on the popular side of the reggae sound, but who cares I like it. The b-side consists of the good traditional dub version "Play all night" by the Dynamics.

Does anyone else remember this one?

Artist Barry Biggs
Label: Dynamic
Year: 1976
Tracks:
1. Work All Day
2. Play All Night - The Dynamics

Ripped from glorious very scratched vinyl (see comment for link)

If you like this, you won't go far wrong with buying his greatest hits here, its more expensive but more complete and includes, Sideshow, Work all Day (but not the b-side) and also his first big hit in Jamaica, another cover of the Osmonds hit "One Bad Apple":

Sideshow: the Best of Barry Biggs

This one is a bit cheaper but not so complete (the Osmonds cover is not included):

Sideshow