Conference marvin::uk_music

    When I `remember' Ska, just three groups come to mind; The Specials,
    The Selecter and, to a lesser extent, The Beat (there should hopefully
    be a re-issue of their 1980 classic `Stand Down Margaret' one this govt
    gets the democratic message (oblig. smilie -;)

    I'm familiar with The Specials first album (`Too much, too young' etc),
    and some of the Beat's stuff. And of course The Specials' `Ghost Town'.
    One spin-off band from the Specials was the Fun Boy Three, I've only
    heard some of their music but it seemed quite good. I think Terry Hall
    is in the Colourfield now. Again as I don't listen to radios etc much I
    haven't heard their music.

    - Tim (ONE STEP BEYONDDDD!!!)

    P.S. Oh and maybe Madness were Ska also.
    

    My fav two tone lp is a compilation from a few years ago - This
    Are Two Tone.  Can be found cheap!
    
    Anyone know where I can find the 12" dub/remix of Stand Down Margaret?
    
    Mikef

    
    Are you talking about the Two-Tone groups (named after the label)
    when you say Ska? I was under the impression that they merely copied
    a style which was popular with Mods in the mid-Sixties.
    
    I saw The Selector once and they were cr*p! (Which was a shame because
    I liked their records), but the Bodysnatchers on with them were
    pretty good live (but rubbish on record).
    
    The Beat were probably the best of this style of group with better
    lyrics and playing. The Specials were a bit patchy, but their singles
    were usually good.
    
    Mark

    To answer #1 Terry Hall of Specials, Fun Boy Three and Colourfield
    fame he is now part of a trio of which  I cant think of name but
    i know it is him and two girls one of which is called Anooshka.
    
    
    Russ

>>      Anyone know where I can find the 12" dub/remix of Stand Down Margaret?
    
>>      Mikef

	The race is on!! If there's only one copy left in some speciality
	shop in London...then I'll queue overnight! (smilie etc-;)

	- Tim

    You should both try RED RECORDS in London!!
    
    Russ
    
    

    Address please Russ ?  Or are they in the book under that name ?

    Thanks.

    - Tim

    Desmond Dekker LIVES ! (poorly)
    
    There are quite a few SKA compilations about, the Two-tone one being of
    the better ones...However, i think there maybe two different ones...i
    have got an old one, but i seem to remember that a new one was released
    a couple of months back...i will check on this !
    
    There are some compilations which have a mixture of Sixties and
    seventies Ska.
    
    Terry Hall has just released a single with the afore mentioned band...
    something  like Terry, Anooshka & ? (the band that is !)
    
    Byeee

Someone was  right when they said SKA was a 60's phenomenon. In fact Desmond
Dekker took part in both movements.

Ska is  alive in BOSTON with groups such as Bim Skala Bim and Plate O'Shrimp
and a few others which I can't remember right now...Ed

>>                       <<< Note 531.6 by SHAPES::DIGGINSR >>>

>>         You should both try RED RECORDS in London!!
			       ^^^
		
    I think I fell for smt here...it's not run by Glynnis Kinnock is it ??

    - Tim
    

    For the real thing, try a bit of Prince Buster, as celebrated in
    Madness's (IMO, the last great British pop group) 'The Prince'.
    
    Also, I find this new ska/acid crossover *very* infectious. Now,
    I'm no dancer, but the Rebel MC single, which borrowed heavily from
    'Liquidator', gets me up every time.
    
    Bob

    
    The early stuff from Dexis (spelling) midnight runners you should
    look out for.
    
    Other bands include Bad Manners, Selector, and early UB40.
    
    I still have the original copy of the BEATs "I just can't stop it".
    I play it from time to time and it could be re-released its so good.
    "Stand down Margaret" would be just about right for release at the
    moment.
    
    I still have a soft spot for Madness too.
    
    Jeff.

    
    Wasn't sixties ska a Jamaican forerunner of reggae?
    
    There's a couple of compilations of 60s ska released as a spin-off from
    the film Scandal - one is (I think) kind if a soundtrack, the other is a
    more general compilation (called Ska Scandal???). Apparently the link
    is that ska reached the UK at about the time of the Profumo affair, though
    it peaked in Jamaica a bit earlier. There's also a heap of compilations of
    Jamaican music in general - even in Our Price.
    
    Specials spin-offs include Jerry Dammers (Free Nelson Mandela) and JB's 
    All Stars (covers of soul classics - still around?). Plus the guitarist
    (name?) is managing and playing with a highly rated new Coventry band, 
    whose name escapes me.
    
    
    Chris
    
    (from Coventry, home of the Specials, Two Tone and not a lot else)
    

    What about those 'Tighten Up' compilations that were around late
    60s/early 70s? I seem to remember they had some good stuff on them.
    
    Bob

	It's interesting to note that most of the replies so far have mentioned 
	2-Tone. In fact, ska music came about many years before 2-Tone. Here's
        a brief history...

	Originating in Jamaica in the late 1950's,  Duke Reid, Prince Buster and
	Sir Coxsone Dodd began to produce a variation of American 50's R'n'B 
        using local musicians. These were mainly instrumentals with the DJ
        providing vocal accompaniment - a 50's talk-over.

        In the early 60's, the biggest and "best" sound system belonged to
        ex-boxer Prince Buster. Busters music was sexist to say the least - 
        listen to "Ten Commandments". However, Buster's music was for dancing 
        and with songs like "Earthquake", and "Al Capone", he succeeded.

        Millie Small made the crossover single - "My Boy Lollipop" - in 1963 (or
        thereabouts) and although not strictly ska, it had the toned downe
        rythms to enable it to enter British, American and home charts.
        Edward (then know as Eddie) Seaga was a producer at this time, however
        he is perhaps best known as Leader of Jamaica Labour Party and 
        President.

        As the ska beat became popular, more "names" enter the scene - Jimmy
        Cliff, Toots Hibbert and Lee Scratch Perry. SKa did progress though -
        the original fast dance movements of ska being replaced by a slower,
        slinkier dance - rocksteady. The main difference between the two was in
        the mix. In ska, the vocals were to the front; in rocksteady, it was
        the bass. Anton Ellis produced the first big hit - titled "Rocksteady".

        Around 1966, rocksteady was developing a new style - Rude Boys. Named
        after Kingston gangs, rudies wore a special gangster-style jackets and
        always pair of shades. The rude boy cult took off withthe Wailers "Rude
        Boy" and "Rule Them Rudie". Prince Buster got back into the act with 
        "Too Hot" before his classic take-off of the scene - "Judge Dread"
        The rude boy craze finally died down, but it's parting shot was the
        Jimmy Cliff film "The Harder They Come" with a soundtrack that included
        The Slickers "Johnny Too Bad" and Desmond Dekker's "Shanty Town". 
        Ska/Rocksteady/Rudies had entered the 70's.  

        Two-Tone came about from The Specials who took their name from ska's 
        habit of producing "special" one-off recordings (Madness took theirs 
        from a Prince Buster song). Two-Tone had idealistic aims, but took off
        far to fast to allow the movement to progress. Originally distributed
        by Rough Trade, 5000 copies of "Al Capone/The Selector" were pressed.
        Chrysalis Records offered Two-Tone a deal which was at that time unique
        - Two-Tone could control what was released. As I was working for
        Chrysalis at this time, I can vouch for the excitement the movement 
        generated. The deal also enabled Two-Tone artists to set up their own
        deals - like The Beat and Go-Feet. Despite it's obvious multi-racial 
        position, Two-Tone acts attracted a lot of National Front/fascist
        attention - Madness being the worst affected. The groups then started
        to take on a far greater political awareness to highlight their 
        non-racial stance. By now it was the early 80's and things had got to
        a slightly ridiculous state. Two-tone socks, shirts slippers, badges,
        ties (i still have mine), and a groups of sociologists at every gig.

        It's perhaps ironic to look back and think, living as I did a stones
        throw from Railton Road, that the no.1 record during the 80's riots was
        The Specials "Ghost Town".

        Ken

        PS - Two-Tone trivia. The gormless looking skinhead on the cover of
        "Too much too young" (bottom left corner) was put there by an art
        department and wasn't in the audience. 
                                                                              
                                                               
    

    Thanks for the info Ken. FWIW I was honoured enough to live close to the
    Brixton riot(s) in '85.

    Wonder how you snuck off to Valbonne from there ??

    - Tim

    Does anybody remember the movie spawned by the SKA scene? I'm not
    sure about the title; something like "Dance Crazy"(?).
    
    I remember seeing it in Sydney a few years back at an independent
    cinema called the Valhalla. There was quite a cult SKA following
    in Sydney at the time but the oldest members of the audience,
    apart from my mate and I, were about 17. I fondly recall walking
    into the foyer, long hair, suede chelsea boots, looking like a
    Heavy Metal ligger from the Marquee. All around us were these
    little rude kids (no Viz jokes please!!) and skinheads giving us
    the evil stare treatment.
    
    Once the movie got under way the audience was up and dancing. The
    bands featured were The Specials, Madness, and The Beat among others.
    Halfway through the film they let off the fire extinguishers down
    the front and all kids were scurrying around whilst being chased
    by the management. Not nearly as funny as when the whole audience
    decided to get up and dance on the stage in front of the screen.
    There must have been a hundred or so moonstomping silhouettes bumping
    into each other and throwing each other of the stage. The house
    lights then came on and the fun was over.
    
    That was probably the best night out at a cinema I've ever had.
    
    
    Barry O'

I WAS THERE!!!



Only kidding!

The movie  was  called, "Dance Craze" and there was an album released by the
same name...

Ed

    A friend just bought me "The Best of The Beat" so I've finally got
    "Stand Down Margaret". Just thought I'd `share' that with you.

    - Tim

    is it the dub version?
    
    Mikef

    No Mike it's the `normal' version. The album is quite good though,
    "Best Friend", "Drowning" and "Mirror in the Bathroom" are some of
    the other  tracks on it. It's also widely available. (I even saw it in
    Boston - where they're known as The English Beat).

    If it aint too late - Hoppi New Year to everyone...

    - Tim
 

    re .15
    Two Tone Trivia
    
    The picture on the front cover of "Specials" Too much too young, was
    taken at a "Selecter" gig at the Lyceum in the Strand.
    
    I know, cos I was there. My claim to fame is that I am actually in
    the picture.
    
    Kev