Ska 300 Items

Two fire Ska cuts.. A premium series of limited edition Japanese pressed 7"s - featuring unreleased and impossibly hard to find gems from the Duke Reid archives.

"If You Were Only Mine" is one of Tanamo's most popular songs. Lovely ska vocals start with a beautiful, flowing, gentle horn theme. A great song backed by the Skatalites in their prime. The coupling is a killer ska tune by Don Drummond. "Bellevue" is the name of the mental hospital where Don Drummond spent his life until his death in 1969, after he was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend Margarita on New Year's Day, 1965. This is the last recording of the greatest trombonist in Jamaican history, who lived up to his name as a genius. You can hear Don's heartbreaking cry along with another take of "No More" recorded on the album.

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.

1966 Recordings. Alternate Takes here: A side with a wicked Ska Vocal backed with a great Ska Inst.

A premium series of limited edition Japanese pressed 7"s - featuring unreleased and impossibly hard to find gems from the Duke Reid archives.

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 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.

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.

A side is a Jamaican Independence festival tune from 1968. Foundation. Both here are great Rock Steady Vocal cuts.

A premium series of limited edition Japanese pressed 7"s - featuring unreleased and impossibly hard to find gems from the Duke Reid archives.

Great Rock Steady Vocal cuts. The Soul Lads were The Clarendonians.

A premium series of limited edition Japanese pressed 7"s - featuring unreleased and impossibly hard to find gems from the Duke Reid archives.

Alternate Take. Wicked Female Early Reggae Vocal with a cool old time reggae instrumental on the flip.

A premium series of limited edition Japanese pressed 7"s - featuring unreleased and impossibly hard to find gems from the Duke Reid archives.

1969 Recordings, both alternate takes. Wicked Early Reggae Vocal cuts.

A premium series of limited edition Japanese pressed 7"s - featuring unreleased and impossibly hard to find gems from the Duke Reid archives.

Reissued for the very first time on a limited vinyl edition, here’s the fifth work of the godfather of ska Laurel Aitken. Originally released in 1973 on Count Shelly Records, “Moria Sofia” was completely written, arranged, produced and sung by Aitken himself. The album is a skillful blend of soul & calypso tunes with a splash of rocksteady. A mandatory gem to be rediscovered by all Jamaican music fans!

Cover and vinyl are very close to NM. 2014 reissue.

Cover has slight wear, small sticker tear on front, price tag on back cover. Original inner sleeve. With poster. Original German pressing.

Original inner sleeve.

All four corners are bent! Records are close to NM!

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

Sticker tear on cover.

Cover and vinyl are close to NM. Original inner sleeve. 2017 reissue.

Cover with seam split

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

Japanese pressing without OBI! Cover with some yellowing and slight wear!

Heavy roots reggae album from 1988 by avant-jazz horn player Jamaiel Shabaka. Remastered and released as a double LP gatefold sleeve in an edition of 500. With its unusual jazzy/improv'd sonic essays among straight-up heavyweight roots tracks, saying that 'The Land Of The Rising Sun' is an unusual-sounding reggae album is an understatement, and far from a surprise: after all, who in the reggae world started improving for days on end with Sun Ra?

1988 debut from these US ska legends, finally reissued.

Original inner sleeve.

UK SKA Classic Originally ON THE Unicorn Label From 1988. Finally Reissued Thanks TO MAD Butcher!

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.