Ska 258 Items

RSD Exclusive heayweight 180g 12" vinyl. 6 Tracks incl. Original 7" Mix & previously unreleased instrumental.

A new compilation collecting all of the band’s extended 12" remixes. This will be a one-time pressing on The Vinyl Factory's 'Eco-Jazz Recycled Vinyl.'

Nubiyan Twist return with their brand new album "Freedom Fables" on Strut on 5th February, the follow-up to the acclaimed "Jungle Run" from Spring 2019. Woven around soul searching, cautionary tales and parables for modern life, the new album is the most accomplished yet by the Leeds / London collective, effortlessly fusing different soul, jazz and global styles with great musicianship and lyrics. "Freedom Fables reflects on the power of narratives. Each vocalist on this record explores their own memoirs, a freedom of expression underpinning our belief that music is the ultimate narrative for unity," explains Tom Excell. "The record references a lot of music that we all loved during our formative years; you can hear touches of broken beat, blunted hip hop, highlife, Latin, jazz and UK soul running through the tracks." The album is also packed full with illustrious guest appearances: regular collaborator Cherise features on the brilliant "Tittle Tattle", calling out gossip through acerbic nursery rhyming, the loping "Flow" dealing with the ebb and flow of anxiety and the epic Brazilian jazz workout, "Keeper"; UK jazz saxman Soweto Kinch brings a burning alto solo and rhymes to the determined "Buckle Up" alongside the band"s own vocalist Nick Richards as the track aims to "find the door to peace" among life"s challenges. "Soweto is a trailblazer of the UK scene both as an alto player and as a rapper with a unique flow and important lyricism," reflects Tom Excell. "It was really important for us to invite him to contribute to the album." Richards continues the "dust yourself off and find hope" theme on the rousing "Wipe Away Tears"; Ghanaian great Pat Thomas voices a gorgeous Accra meets London highlife jam; massive new vocal talent Ria Moran (a contemporary from the band"s time at Leeds College Of Music) steps up on the sensual "Morning Light" tackling delicate complexities of the heart and long time friend of the band, KOG, brings his trademark full strength Afro dancefloor energy.

The smooth and funky sound of prime-time Japanese reggae pop in the 1970s and ‘80s fired up an obsession with Jamaican music that persists to the present day.

If there is a year zero for the introduction of reggae music to Japan, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was 1979 when Bob Marley and the Wailers toured the country, trailed by an entourage of journalists, photographers and fans ready to spread the message of the music into all corners of Japanese society. But the story of Japanese reggae is not a linear one, and the music that is collected on Tokyo Riddim 1976-1985 captures the moment J-reggae entered the broader public consciousness, merging commercial city pop style with an infectious backbeat, that has drawn comparisons with the emergence of Lovers Rock in the UK.

Rather than look directly to Jamaica, many producers and artists in Japan were inspired instead by the more approachable sounds of The Police and Ub40, their reggae fix arriving pre-filtered through the lens of new wave pop from the UK. Playful and groovy, these album deep cuts have been overlooked for too long. Among them are Miki Hirayama, the idol singer who borrowed the bassline from Bob Marley’s Natural Mystic on ‘Denshi Lenzi’, Chu Kosaka, who headed to Hawaii to cut the Jimmy Cliff-inspired ‘Music’ and Marlene, the Philippine songstress whose cover of Roberta Flack’s ‘Hittin’ Me Wear It Hurts’ owed much to her producer’s obsession with Sly & Robbie’s Compass Point sound. Then there was Izumi “Mimi” Kobayashi, who enlisted the Babylon Warriors to perform on a dubbed-out version of her own track ‘Lazy Love’, the city pop-meets-new wave reggae sound of Miharu Koshi’s ‘Coffee Break’, Junko Yagami’s anti-apartheid deep cut ‘Johannesburg’ and Lily, whose ‘Tenkini Naare’ was produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto and closes out the compilation with a flourish.

While these stories may not always conform to neat narratives, they do provide a more accurate reflection of the indirect ways in which styles infiltrate one another and, in their naivety, have the potential to create something beautifully strange and entirely new. Previously only available in Japan, the tracks on this compilation are a testament to that curious alchemy.

Tokyo Riddim 1976-1985 is released on vinyl and as a full album download (no streaming), featuring original artwork by Japanese Fukuoka-based artist Noncheleee, whose cover pays homage to the iconic dancehall album art of Wilfred Limonious. Released on 1st September, Tokyo Riddim 1976-1985 is part of Time Capsule's Nippon Series, a loose series of compilations exploring different musical scenes from Japan between the 1960s and 2010s.

Ska never stopped you know! From it’s Jamaican music if the piano’s not playing ska or the guitar… any music you have… reggae… even the computer music… the piano’s playing ‘ska, ska, ska…’ it leads the music so ska is still the backbone of Jamaican music. Right?” Bunny Lee

The music of Jamaica has had a profound and lasting influence all around the world and reggae is the name by which it has become universally known. Although the term ska is often used to describe all Jamaican music before dub, deejays and dread in the mid seventies the real Jamaican ska was made in Kingston between 1961/1962 and 1966.

In the early fifties the popularity of driving rhythm & blues from the USA reached fever pitch in Jamaica and mobile sound systems (the forerunners of today’s discos) were assembled and operated by men such as Tom ‘The Great Sebastian’ Wong to play this music to wildly appreciative audiences at levels that were felt physically rather than merely heard. Competition was fierce, both metaphorically and literally, and sound system operators including Arthur Reid, ‘Duke Reid The Trojan’, and Clement Dodd, ‘Sir Coxsone The Downbeat’, would travel to America on record buying expeditions. On their triumphant return to Kingston, laden with exclusive records, they would be met by their enthusiastic supporters. Only the followers of their sound systems could hear these records and the records’ real identity would be a closely guarded secret. The titles were often scratched off and the tunes renamed to confuse the opposition.

As the decade drew to a close America turned to a softer more mellow sound and supplies of the music favoured in Jamaica began to dry up… so the sound system operators began to make their own rhythm & blues recordings. Initially intended for sound system play only on one-off acetates these tunes proved so popular that they were soon made

commercially available. Many sound men now became record producers including ‘Sir Coxsone’, Duke Reid ‘The Trojan’ and Prince Buster ‘The Voice Of The People’ although the first ‘local’ recording to make the number one spot in Jamaica was Laurel Aitken’s ‘Boogie In My Bones’/‘Little Sheila’ on Chris Blackwell’s R & B label.

The emphasis was placed firmly on the offbeat and these rhythm & blues shuffle and boogie recordings were unmistakably Jamaican in form and content and far, far more than straightforward copies of American rhythm & blues. A sound was gradually created that was not only completely new and original but that would also go on to outlive a large proportion of its influences. Powered by the musical collective known as The Skatalites together with solo singers including Derrick Morgan, Eric ‘Monty’ Morris, duos Higgs & Wilson, Keith & Enid and Stranger & Patsy and vocal groups The Maytals, The Wailers, Justin Hinds & The Dominoes the producers now began to drive the music one step beyond. Together they created an entirely new genre of music whose inventions and innovations would reach far beyond its parochial beginnings in Kingston sound system rivalry.

The Pogues' live performance at Chalet-à-Gobet in Lausanne, Switzerland, on June 15th, 1989, stands as a testament to their electrifying stage presence and unrivaled musical energy. Te band delivered an unforgettable performance, blending their signature blend of punk, folk, and traditional Irish music with raw passion and fervor. The Pogues captivated audiences with their infectious rhythms, poignant lyrics, and Shane MacGowan's distinctive vocals. This historic concert showcased the band at the height of their creative powers, leaving an indelible mark on the annals of live music history.

Recorded live in one of France's largest rock music festivals during the Back To Black Tour. Outstanding performance, top shape. Amy Winehouse made people rethink music.

"You'll Never Know" was released as a coupling to "In The Mood For Love" on Ska Beat in the UK. Everything from the intro to the lyric and rhyme scheme is beautiful. Tanamo is good at calypso style singing, but the sad tune also suits him well. The coupling song, "I Love You Truly", is a wonderful song with a fast and furious performance of the Skatalites in their heyday and Lloyd Knibb's powerful drumming. Lord Tanamo's Lovers Ska, Double Sider!

A reissue of a classic dub/reggae album, originally released in 1982.

a Sino/Japanese twist.

In the early 1960s Justin Yap and his brother Ivan [aka ‘Jahu’] ran the Top Deck sound system from their family’s ice cream parlour and restaurant in Barbican, Kingston. The local success of the sound system encouraged them to venture into the recording business, and by 1962 Justin had recorded singers Larry Marshall, Ephraim ‘Joe’ Henry and Ferdie Nelson. The fledgling label enjoyed a modest local Jamaican hit in 1963, with trumpeter Baba Brooks and the Trenton Spence Orchestra's “Distant Drums” issued on Top Deck Records as the b-side to Larry Marshall’s hit “Too Young To Love”. As a fan of exotica composer Martin Denny, Justin had heard “Jungle Drums” on Denny’s 1959 LP “Afro-Desia”. His liking for Martin Denny would prove fruitful later, when Justin recorded the Skatalites in a mammoth all-night session in 1964 at Clement Dodd’s Studio One on Brentford Road.

By 1963-1964, hundreds of ska tracks were being recorded by Clement Dodd, Arthur ‘Duke’ Reid, Vincent Edwards, Vincent Chin, Leslie Kong and Prince Buster and others. Justin had linked up with Allen ‘Bim Bim’ Scott, a friend of Clement ‘Coxson’ Dodd, owner of the Studio One label who had already recorded the musicians who became the Skatalites.

Justin and Ivan organised a session in November 1964 at Studio One; it lasted 18 hours. The length of the session allowed for alternate takes to be recorded, but the highlights of the sessions were the five original compositions by Don Drummond – “Marcus Junior”, “The Reburial”, “Confucious”, “Chinatown” and “Smiling”. The first two are in tribute to the Pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey; “The Reburial” refers to the occasion of his interment in Jamaica in 1964, his remains having been brought from the cemetery in Kensal Green London, where he was originally buried in 1940, and reburied in King George VI Memorial Park Kingston [later renamed National Heroes Park].

Along with these originals were some well-chosen cover versions. Two came from the Duke Ellington songbook: “Ska-Ra-Van” is of course Ellington and his trombonist Juan Tizol’s classic composition “Caravan”, while “Surftide Seven” is Ellington’s “In A Mellotone”. The LP title track “Ska-Boo-Da-Ba” is a version of Bill Doggett’s 1958 “King” US 45 “Boo-Da-Ba”. “Ringo” had also appeared on Arthur Lyman’s “Taboo” LP [1958] as “Ringo Oiwake”. Originally it was sung by Hibari Misora – a very famous vocal song in Japan, recorded in 1952, the melody composed by Masao Yoneyama. Yet another tune copped from Lyman’s “Taboo” LP is “China Clipper”, composed by the pianist / arranger / orchestrator Paul Conrad.

The last track on this fine LP is “Lawless Street”, a feature for Roland Alphonso. Unlike the other Skatalites, Roland wasn’t a graduate of the celebrated Alpha School, like many of Jamaica’s top musicians from Bertie King to Yellowman. Alphonso was a graduate of Boys Town School in Denham Town. “Lawless Street” was another tune that was recorded twice at the session – the second version features vocal ‘peps’ and exhortations by DJ King Sporty.

By late 1966, Justin emigrated to the USA, settling permanently in New York. There he took up US citizenship and was called up to serve in the US Army in Vietnam, In the early 1970s he worked in computers and eventually drove a New York cab. In his all too brief involvement in the competitive Jamaican music business he certainly left his mark as a producer. He produced some of the best ska ever made, and the LP reissued here is perhaps the most coherent LP in that genre, deriving as it does from a single session.

The celebrated record producer at Randy’s Studio, Clive Chin:

“It wasn’t the fact that they [the musicians] really love Justin; it was the fact that Justin used to pay them the right money and make them comfortable. Make sure them have them smoke, them food, them drink, and after them finish they got paid.” Unlike many other producers, Justin actually attended the sessions.

It stands as his defining legacy in Jamaican music history.

This is the first re-release on 7inch vinyl single of the mythic double sided single credited to producer Joe Gibbs and released in 1968 on Amalgamated Records in the U.K. Although both tracks are credited to Joe Gibbs, many believe the A side “People Grudgeful” was sung by The Ethiopians whilst the B side “Pan Ya Machete” was performed by The Pioneers. “Grudgeful” though does not really sound like The Ethiopians and according to Trojan, both sides were performed by The Pioneers. Which makes sense for several reasons. Firstly, the sound of the song is indeed more reminiscent of the Pioneers/Joe Gibbs work of that time. In fact The Ethiopians did not record with Joe Gibbs, with the exception of The Ring which was released in 1972, four years later, while the Pioneers were routinely involved with Gibbs in 1968. Last but not least, The Ethiopians had no beef with Lee Scratch Perry whilst The Pioneers songs were clearly incriminated by Scratch in his hit song “People Funny Boy. Attention: This is a special limited edition strictly limited to 500 copies - one release only. Note: the number of copies is now included in the catalogue number “hsrss-0023c-500” printed on the single label, “500” standing for 500 copies and C for collector.

THE Pioneers The Pioneers were formed in 1962 by two brothers Derrick and Sidney Crooks and their friend Winston Hewitt later replaced by former Heptone Glen Adams. The Pioneers' early singles were not successful, and the group broke up in 1967 Sydney started working at Joe Gibbs shop and then in the studio where he met a talented new young singer: Jackie Robinson. The new Pioneers were reborn as a duo. They recorded several successful singles such as "Longshot" "Jackpot", "Catch the Beat" with Gibbs before joining producer Leslie Kong where they recorded Samfie Man which topped the Jamaican charts. They then recruited George Agard and became a trio again. They scored in the charts again with "Long Shot (Kick De Bucket)" a sequel to “Long Shot”, the tragic story of a race horse that never won and died racing! “Kick De Bucket” became an instant hit both in Jamaican and in the U.K. particularly among skinheads in 1969. More hits followed and the band moved to the UK in 1970. Over time, their sound changed and became more sophisticated and pop and they eventually recorded soul albums with Eddy Grant as a producer in 1976. It was not successful and the band split before reforming. They have been performing sporadically since then.

Pat & Roxie's "Way Of Fortune" begins flowing from the impactful theme of the Skatalites. The duo vocals are not as slick as those of the Blues Busters, but the mood is stylish. The original release was on Jamaica's Down Beat label, and the UK version was never released. Rare ska vocal that fetched over 150,000 yen at the Drum & Bass Recoreds auction.

These two avidly sought-after early Reggay tracks are quite rare. Splash Down is the instrumental version of Sufferer and both songs have been produced by Derrick Harriott. This is the first time these two wicked tracks are released together on a 7inch vinyl single.

THE Kingstonians Jamaican vocal trio, the Kingstonians were formed around 1966 by Cebert Bernard (aka Jackie Bernard) and his brother Lloyd "Footy" Bernard, along with mutual friend Lloyd Kerr. They began their recording career with producer J.J. Johnson, but had their greatest success between 1968 and 1970 with producer Derrick Harriott, who helped steer the singles "Singer Man" and "Sufferer" to the top of the Jamaican charts. An LP of the Harriott material was released in 1970 under the title “Sufferer”. The album was the career high point for the Kingstonians, who left Harriott to work briefly with producers Leslie Kong and Rupie Edwards before breaking up as the roots reggae era began.

THE Crystalites The Crystalites were the backing and studio band for legendary producer Derrick Harriott and included top 60s Jamaican musicians e.g. Bongo Herman, Bongo Les, Boris Gardiner, Gladstone Anderson, Karl Bryan, Winston Wright among others!

They were extremely productive between 1968 and 1974 and recorded 4 albums and countless singles covering many styles from Boss Reggae to Dub. More specifically, they recorded many wicked and awesome “versions” of hit songs of that time e.g. Sufferer by THE Kingstonians!

Symarip began in the 1960s as The Bees, the UK’s first major 60's Reggae band then as The Pyramids, Symarip and Seven Letters. In 1971 they moved to Germany to perform Afro-rock music under the name Zubaba. Frank Pitter, Symarip's original drummer, recalls watching Keith Moon, The Who's drummer on TV around 1965/1966 and deciding " right then and there to become a drummer, to make a living as a musician”. The Bees included: Roy Ellis (Vocals, Trombone), Monty Neysmith (Hammond Organ & Keyboard), Frank Pitter (Drums), Micheal Thomas (Bass), Josh Roberts (Guitar), Roy Bug Knight (Saxophone), Johney Johnson (Trumpet), Carl Grifith (Tennor & Alto Sax). They all originated from the Jamaican community and quickly became the U.K. main supporting act for visiting Jamaican artists. They toured extensively across the UK, playing for Lauren Aitken, Prince Buster, Eddy Grant, Millie Small, Owen Gray, Jackie Edwards, Desmond Dekker, The Pioneers, The Ethiopians, The Maytals... to name a few. They signed with the label President under the name The Pyramids, with Eddy Grant writing and producing their first album and their first hit, Train Tour To Rainbow City in 1967. Despite their popularity, they got little support from their record label. This is then that Monty Neysmith came up with the idea of turning Pyramids into Symarip, hence allowing the band to sign with Trojan. Symarip recorded their first album under this name with Trojan in 1969. It featured among others "these Boots Are Made For Walking", “Skinhead Girl”, “Skinhead Jamboree” and “Skinhead Moonstomp”. "Moonstomp" was in fact a version of Derrick Morgan's 1969 "Moon Hop". Additionally, it featured a vocal introduction: "I want all you skinheads to get up on your feet/Put your braces together and your boots on your feet/And give me some of that old moonstomping" that was very similar to the Sam & Dave' "I Thank You” song introduction. Over the years “Skinhead Moonstomp” charted several times for Symarip and finally reached number 1 with The Specials in 1980. Although their songs were the first targeting the Skinhead audience, they have become mega anthems for the black and white communities in U.K. and around the world. And Symarip special brand of Reggae is also widely recognized to have greatly influenced the Two Tone bands of the early 80's. Today's Symarip songs are still incredibly popular. 50 years after their releases, the legend goes on!

A cover of the hit song "I'm In The Mood For Love," sung by Frances Langford in the movie "Every Night At Eight" and later released in many versions as a standard. This take, which was not very successful in Jamaica, was loved in the UK and is now one of the most popular ska anthems and Tanamo's most popular songs. The Jamaican version was pressed in small quantities by Down Beat, and a UK Ska Beat version is in distribution, but it too is rare. The combination of Tanamo and Skatalites is excellent. The coupling is a bright and simple melody sung by the mysterious one-hit wonder Orville Alphonso, and nice ska vocals backed by a vigorous rhythm.

In the 1950s, Jamaican dancehall regulars were crazy about the haunting sounds of American Rhythm & Blues. But in the mid-1950s, Rock 'n' Roll began to replace RnB in America, and Jamaican dancehall owners like Duke Reid and Clement Dodd turned to local musicians to record their own versions of American RnB. The trend of covering foreign hits exploded during the Ska heyday of the early 60s and continued through the Rocksteady and Reggay eras. Jamaican musicians have covered virtually every genre of music, from jazz and rock to film scores, television soundtracks, pop, classical music and more. Over the years, they have also recorded many "versions" of already existing covers. Cover of cover of cover… Admittedly, some of these covers were futile but many were sublime as this new and eclectic collection of Ska, Rocksteady and Reggay nuggets, compiled by the very competent and very charming D.J. Héléa, brilliantly demonstrates. Attention we are here "undercover", there are no well-known covers. Some of the tracks selected are rare, others unknown or forgotten - but all are excellent and blended in an impeccable mix, in line with previous the Harlem Shuffle compilations... All Killer, No Filler! Reggay Undercover is an exciting musical kaleidoscope of Jamaican and Reggae music from the early 60s through to the mid 70s. We hope you will enjoy listening to this album as much as we had composing it for you. All aboard for Reggay Undercover!

Debut single from ska infused swingy rhythm & blues all star band with lead vocalist John Bunkley of Gangster FUN and Atomic Fireballs fame. Two jams pleasing the jump blues crowd, big horns call-and-response lyrics and some innuendo! "jumpin AT THE RED Door" b/c "fifth OF You". Big hole white wax.

Originally released in 1987, this album is considered by many to be the birth of modern "third wave" ska in the USA. Remastered audio with "new" artwork that includes illustrations by legendary comic book artist BOB Fingerman. Repressed on random color vinyl in picture sleeve

Original limited edition vinyl - 200 copies

This is the first volume of the HOT Sauce compilation LPs dedicated to the Trojan related UK labels between 1965 and 1975. The initial plan is for at least 3 albums of 14 titles. HOT Sauce Volume 1 features Rocksteady, Boss Reggae, early Dub & early Reggae outstanding original Jamaican tracks including rare songs, overlooked gems, hidden treasures and some hits. The record labels showcased on the first volume are Attack, Amalgamated, Black Swan, Blue Cat, Downtown, Doctor Bird, Duke, Grape, High Note, Randy’s and Trojan. The tracks here have been selected according to their musical interest firstly, their rarity, and their complementarity. These tracks are all outstanding tracks, “killer tracks”, there are no “fillers” whatsoever. Particular attention has been paid to the way the songs are sequenced (or “mixed”) so that the album builds up nicely and gradually, generally starting with the Rocksteady songs on the A side and the 70s songs on the B side. HOT Sauce is a musical journey across the early Reggae UK labels and across different Jamaican musical genres & talents and the way they interact together. Since the early 70s “Tighten Up” series, no compilation have really explored these labels in depth on vinyl…

There were some cool ska albums released at the turn of the millennium, including 2 albums by THE SPECIALS! Both “SKINHEAD GIRL” and “CONQUERING RULER” dig into the TROJAN RECORDS songbook, and the band’s sound was top notch, lead by RODDY RADIATION, NEVILLE STAPLE, HORACE PANTER, and NEOL DAVIES. The release of these records on vinyl from Black Butcher Classics gives the albums a new lease on life and will be enjoyed by an entire generation of vinyl fans!

Studio One Freedom Sounds is the new collection from Soul Jazz/ Studio One focussing on the intense period in the second half of the 1960s when Studio One’s vast and unbeatable output of ska, soul, rock steady and reggae made it literally one of the hottest musical empires in the world.
During this highly successful period, Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd released hundreds and hundreds of superlative singles seemingly on an almost daily basis, in the process making huge stars out of Jamaican singers such as Alton Ellis, Delroy Wilson, The Wailers, Slim Smith, Jackie Opel and many more.
Powered by the finest in-house musicians working in Jamaica, whether it was The Skatalites, Jackie Mittoo’s Soul Brothers, The Sounds Dimension or The Soul Vendors, Studio One functioned as hit factory on the scale of Motown in the USA, shaping and defining reggae music for decades to come.
Singlehandedly Studio One’s founder Clement Dodd was able to create the most successful vertically-integrated record company that Jamaica had ever known with pressing plant, printers, studio, shops, and sound systems all running at once, with over 50 employees and hundreds of artists working with Studio One during this time.
Studio One Freedom Sounds tells the story of Studio One in the 1960s with a stunning set of ska, soul, rock steady and reggae killer tunes as well as informative sleevenotes and track-by-track info by Noel Hawks. The album is released as heavyweight double vinyl (+ free download code), deluxe CD and digital album.

Brand New 2017 Recut - finally available on Vinyl for the First time. 2LP+Mp3 in full Original Coverart. The legendary movie soundstrack based out of Kingston, Jamaica in April 2008, telling the story of the original vocalists and musicians involved. The sixteenth release on the Moll-Selekta label shares its title with a wonderful film, a heartwarming homage to the golden age of rocksteady. It documents the recordings being made for this very album at the Tuff Gong studios, Kingston, Jamaica in April 2008, telling the story of the original vocalists and musicians involved. Excerpts from an all star reunion concert staged in Kingston and older archive material complete the picture. Never before in the history of Jamaica, which already occupies a unique place on the world map of song, its sound embraced by western popular music, has such an illustrious collection of singers and players been assembled. The album showcases 15 rocksteady classics in sparkling, deeply inspired new versions, recorded in the studio which also played host to album sessions of a certain Bob Marley. Under the musical direction of Ernest Ranglin, a guitarist of considerable renown not only on the reggae circuit, but also on the jazz scene, mixed by legendary engineer Errol Brown - in Duke Reid’s employ at the Treasure Isle studio in the sixties - and freshly arranged by Lynn Taitt.

A reissue of a classic roots reggae album, originally released in 1982.

Debut album from Chicago's 2-TONE ska champs available on limited edition cassette. Fans of THE SPECIALS, MADNESS, or THE BEAT will dig. B&W 2-TONE style sleeve & shell. Includes versions of NINEY's "BLOOD & FIRE", PRINCE BUSTER's "WASH WASH", BILLY BRAGG "LEVI STUBBS TEARS" and more. Ltd 200.

This album here is a lightning roller coaster musical journey through the music of Studio One, the most important record company in the history of Jamaican reggae music. Ska and Rock Steady feature from the greatest names in reggae: The Skatalites, The Maytals, Marcia Griffiths and The Heptones alongside vocal and roots styles from Horace Andy, Willie Williams and Wailing Souls; DJ and dancehall styles from Michigan and Smiley, Prince Jazzbo and Lone Ranger; plus some wicked instrumental and dub. It's all here! 100% essential foundation style.

First time on vinyl for this 2007 classic from Washington DC ska reggae soul legends. Includes fan favorites "don't Wanna Know", "keep ON Lyin'", "late Night Call", "change MY Ways" and their TOM Petty cover of "listen TO HER Heart". White vinyl limited to 300 copies.

Thirteen track "best of" collection from Mexico's top 2-tone / traditional act, featuring guest spots from Neville Staple of THE Specials, Mimi Maura, Kingston Rudieska, Oreskaband and King Hammond. Full of big band uptempo scorchers reminiscent of Tokyo SKA Paradise Orchesta. Hot!

Aggressively Catchy SKA Punk With Proggressive Metal Influences, Uk’s Call ME Malcolm Provides A Stellar 3RD LP Available ON Electric Blue Vinyl Razor-toothed, harmony infused, delicately ferocious ska. British 5-piece Call Me Malcolm exploded onto the Ska Punk scene in 2018 with a record described by ska legends Less Than Jake as "a saving grace of the genre." Malcolm's genre blending mastery and intricate songwriting has since crafted “some of the most special, unique, ambitious music in the punk underground.” (BrooklynVegan) landing them at #8 in Ska Punk Daily’s “Albums of the Decade” and #15 in Brooklyn Vegan’s “Best Punk Albums of 2020” with consecutive releases. 2024 sees the release of Echoes and Ghosts, a 10-track, melodic powerhouse about identity, self, and suicide. Songwriter-in-chief Lucias describes it as “a eulogy for the parts of myself I killed with medication, and a love letter to the silhouette I became.” Call Me Malcolm are the first UK band to sign with Bad Time Records (We Are The Union, Kill Lincoln, JER/Skatune Network) and fit right in with the diverse family of ska-adjacent “New Tone” bands pumping fresh energy into the genre.

Sylvaine has grown into a guiding light for ambient post-metal, but her second EP traces back to her earliest roots. Kathrine Shepard grew up in Norway, amidst the contrasts between nature and urbanity, on the outskirts of downtown Oslo. While studying music, dance and drama in high school, she performed several times at the Kampen Church. This 19th century relic is where Kathrine recorded most of Sylvaine's second EP. The special sound of this room underline ‘Eg Er Framand’, which includes interpretations of traditional Norwegian folk songs, along with three of her own original songs to the cannon. To this day, “Dagsens Augo Sloknar” still has mysterious origins, but the lyrics were written in 1891 by Elias Blix, a professor-turned-politician who also wrote hymns. Staying true to the original’s delicate, reverent melody, Sylvaine sings in a breathy, elongated whisper that’s haunting and soothing, like a shadow. But while it opens with just a steady hum of organ, her rendition ends by pulling you into a trance. ‘Eg Er Framand’ is a stark but soothing passion project from one of metal’s most commanding voices.

The Sophomore LP from Oakland, CA Ska Punk band Link 80. Vinyl has been out of print for over 15 years.

Here is the much anticipated volume 4 of the HOT SAUCE compilation LPs dedicated to the Trojan related UK labels between 1965 and 1975.
HOT SAUCE VOLUME 4 features outstanding original Rock Steady, Boss Reggae and early Reggae (“Reggay”) tracks including rare songs, overlooked gems, hidden treasures and a couple of hits.
The record labels showcased on this fourth volume are Amalgamated, Big Shot, Duke, Explosion, Grape, High Note , JJ Records, Treasure Isle and Trojan.
The tracks here have been selected according to their musical interest firstly, their rarity, and their complementarity.

Both are alternate takes - vocal and instrumental cuts. A premium series of limited edition Japanese pressed 7"s - featuring unreleased and impossibly hard to find gems from the Duke Reid archives.

Side A : 1965 Recoding In Federal Studio. Alternate Take. Walk On Bye, Killer Ska Vocal. Side B : 1965 Recording In Federal Studio. Alternate Take. Straight Instrumental without MC, different from release take. A premium series of limited edition Japanese pressed 7"s - featuring unreleased and impossibly hard to find gems from the Duke Reid archives.

This is a special limited edition strictly limited to 500 copies - one release only. Note: the number of copies is now included in the catalogue number “hsrss-0023c-500” printed on the single label, “500” standing for 500 copies and C for collector. This is the first reissue of two outstanding, very rare and highly collectible tracks by the Ethiopians. They were initially released on two different singles and are put together on a single here for the first time.

THE Ethiopians The Ethiopians were a Ska, Rocksteady, and Reggay vocal group, founded by Leonard Dillon with Stephen Taylor (apparently also known as "Tough Cock" Taylor!) and Aston Morris. Dillon was a stonemason from the small town of Boundbrook. There he was raised by his grandfather who was the church choirmaster and Dillon started singing in the church early. Like many others he moved to Kingston for work and there he met Peter Tosh who introduced him to The wailers and to Studio One where Dillon, under the name Jack Sparrow, recorded three Ska songs with the Wailers as backup… Soon after he met Steven Taylor and Aston Morris while working on a building site. They rehearsed at the Ethiopian Reorganization Centre and subsequently named themselves the Ethiopians. Morris left the group, and Dillon and Taylor continued as a duo. They recorded about 10 singles in 1966 for Coxsone Dodd, before moving to Wirl, releasing the "Train to Skaville" in 1967 which briefly appeared in the U.K. chart. It was followed by more singles such as “The Whip" and culminated with the release of their first album “Engine 54” in 1968 on Wirl in Jamaica and on Doctor Bird in the U.K. The album featured top tracks such as “Engine 54”, “Train To Skaville”, “Long Time Now”, “Come On Now”, and the great “Train To Glory” featured on the A side here. That same year they released "Everything Crash", their first major hit. The song criticised the dire situation in Jamaica whereas water and power were rationed which led to unrests. In one dramatic incident 31 people were shot by police. Their greatest album “Reggae Power” was released in 1969 on Trojan. Virtually every song is a hit: Women Capture Man, Everything Crash, What A Fire, Robert F Kennedy, Free, Hong Kong Flu, Gun Man, Feel The Spirit etc, etc… It was quickly followed by the equally good album “Woman Captures Man” on Trojan in 1970, featuring 10 new songs and “Everything Crash” and ”Hong Kong Flu” from the previous album. During the early 1970s, the Ethiopians recorded widely for many producers and record labels, including Duke Reid ("Pirate"), Derrick Harriott ("Good Ambition"), Rupie Edwards ("Hail Rasta Man"), Alvin Ranglin ("Love Bug"), Prince Buster ("You Are For Me"), Joe Gibbs ("Ring A Burn Finger"), Bob Andy ("The Word Is Love"), and Lee Perry ("Life Is A Funny Thing"), among others. It is said that Dillon also helped build Perry's Black Ark Studios in 1973-4. In September 1975, Taylor was killed by a van while he was crossing a road. Dillon stopped for a while, then continued solo as The Ethiopian. He died from cancer in 2011. No doubt The Ethiopians were one of Jamaica's greatest harmony groups along with The Paragons and the Kingstonians. Their socially oriented lyrics, drenched with humour, were truly unique though and remain strangely valid… 50 years on their timeless singles are avidly looked after by their many fans.

"Lock And Key" was written by popular Trinidadian singer Lord Bryner. The chorus will stay in your head all day, and it is rare to find an original calypso that is so pop. The coupling is by Orville Alphonso. The melody has the smell of the Caribbean, and the ska vocals are sure to be a hit with calypso lovers. Two songs full of Caribbean moods are coupled.

Legendary Jamaican songsmith Gregory Isaacs' 1995 album 'Private Lesson' on Radiation Roots. The set includes laidback cuts 'Preacher Boy', 'Feeling Sad Tonight', Diplomatic Fool', 'She Doesn't Want Me', 'Slave Master' and many more.

Reissue time for the 1989 debut album by the Stuttgart classic SKA maniacs originally released on the Unicorn label. No Sports were the main name in the Germany SKA-revival scene of the 80's, along with Skaos, Busters and Blue Beats. Clearly inspired by the 2-tone sounds of Madness and Specials, this legendary band went on for almost 30 years and included 27 musicians in their different line-ups. This long overdue reissue is out on the 'Black Butcher' serie from Mad Butcher Records.