[quote]
Originally posted by NuWaveRx
[br]I'm sure Glok can help with this as well as others on the Outpost.
Last week I atended a typical end of summer friends gathering. The host's son (age 22) was playing a lot of latter day ska stuff, so I struck up a conversation with him about ska music. Somewhat to my dismay he has never even heard of bands such as The English Beat, The Specials, Selector, etc. He knew Madness sang "Our House" but had no idea they were a ska band. So I promised him a CD (I know, so 20th century) of more "Classic" (read: from my era) ska music. Certainly I have some good stuff from the bands above, but wondered if the ska experts here had any further recommendations. All help appreciated.
[/quote]
Hi NuWaveRx!
Ok, so when i read "classic" from my era, you mean the 2-Tone movement combining ska with the energy of punk, the second wave of Ska.
That would bring us to The Specials, The Selecter, The (English) beat, Bad Manners, Madness, The Bodysnatchers, The Argyles (Roland Gift of The Fine Young Canibals was lead singer), Graduate (first band that Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith were in together before forming TFF), and a few other bands that escape me at the moment...
From Los Angeles Ska scene there's The Untouchables and Fishbone.
Some of the other songs listed by rewind are from the first wave: Ska, Rocksteady, and Skinhead Reggae classics from the early '60s to the early '70s.
So there is not that much to really choose from: 2 albums and an EP by The Specails, 2 albums by The Selcter, 3 albums by The beat, 10+ albums by Bad MAnners, and like the first 3 or 4 albums by Madness would contain Ska influenced tunes with the first album containing the most.
Also The Clash did numerous covers and some originals on most of their albums. Great covers include: Wrong 'Em Boyo, Police On My Back, Pressure Drop, and Police and Thieves. Other good originals are: (White Man) in Hammersmith Palais, Bankrobber, and Rudie Can't Fail to name a few.
My Suggestions:
[b]The beat:[/b] first album - Two Swords, Twist & Crawl, Ranking Full Stop, Mirror in the Bathroom, and their Prince Buster covers of Whine & Grine and Rough Rider, as well as their cover of Tears of a Clown.
Second album - Too Nice To Talk Too, Doors of Your Heart, and Monkey Murders.
Third album - Nnot so much Ska on there.
[b]Bad Manners:[/b] cover of My Girl Lollypop, Inner London Violence, Lorraine, Special Brew, Lip Up Fatty, Samson and Delilah, and their covers of Laurel Aiken's Sally Brown and Skinhead Girl.
[b]The Speicals:[/b] first album - Gangsters, Too Much Too Young, Stupid Marriage, Little Bitch, Nite Klub, and their covers of: A Message to You, Rudy; Concrete Jungle; Too Hot; and Monkey Man.
Second album - Man at C & A; Hey, Little Rich Girl; Sock It to 'Em J.B.; and their covers of Enjoy Yourself and Rat Race.
EP - Ghost Town, and from their third album as Special A.K.A. - (Free) Nelson Mandela.
[b]The Selctor:[/b] first album - On My Radio, Three Minute Hero, My Collie (Not A Dog), Too Much Pressure, and their covers of Everyday, Murder, Carry Go Bring Come, Time Hard, and James Bond.
Second album - Washed Up and Left For Dead, Celebrate the Bullet, and Bristol and Miami.
[b]Madness[/b] first album - Bed and Breakfast Man, The Prince, Night Boat to Cairo, and their covers of Prince Buster's One Step Beyond and Madness. I also have the spanish version of the One Step Beyond... single: Un paso adelante..., just e-mail me.
Second album - Baggy Trousers and Embarrassment.
Third album - Cardiac Arrest and Grey Day.
Seventh album (released 1999) - Drip Fed Fred featuring Ian Dury!
Also from some compiled Madness albums in US released forms: House of Fun. [:D]
[b]The Bodysnatchers:[/b] singles - Let's Do Rocksteady, Easy Life, Ruder Than You, and Too Experienced.
Other 2-Tone bands worth a listen, maybe include, maybe not: Rico (the trombone player for The Specials), The Swinging Cats, The Higsons, The Apollinaires, and JB's Allstars.
Hope that helps, anything else just ask or e-mail me! Cheers, [8D]
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Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:41 pm