The Dots - Helen in Your Headphones 7'' (1982)

There were 2 different versions of this record. The first had the demo mono version of 'Helen in Your Headphones' on side a and the demo stereo version on side b.
This - the second version - features a new wave/ska b-side.



A - Helen in Your Headphones
B - Come and Get It

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Toxic Shock 7" (1980)

This is a very rare 7" from an all-girl band from Australia. Only 500 copies made.
It's punk/reggae that sounds like Lilliput was trying to sound like the Slits.

It's bugging the hell out of me because the vocals remind me so much of somebody and I just can't place who.
Any ideas?

A - Housewives
B1 - Intoxicated
B2 - Prisoner

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...this video is unrelated but I love it...

Goats Milk Soap (1982)

This is a rare compilation of bands that were active in New Zealand at the dawn of the eighties - a percentage of which were ska bands or mod/indie/punk bands that were influenced by the ska sound.
(Again, though, Screaming Mee Mees' offering here is not ska influenced)

1 Mockers - Trendy Left
2 Swingers - Never Never
3 Newmatics - Playing the Champion
4 New Entrants - The Kids are Crying
5 Famous Five - The Girls
6 Instigators - The Israelites
7 Toy Love - 2nd to Last Song Toy Love Wrote
8 Screaming Mee Mees - Pointy Ears
9 Danse Macabre - ECG
10 Corners - Ward
11 Blue Asthmatics
12 Bongos - Familiar Strangers
13 She Collapsed - Save It
14 Riot 111 - 1981

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Happy Christmas from the Stars

Does anyone have this?
It was a flexi given away with the December 1982 edition of Smash Hits magazine that featured Madness, Fun Boy Three, The Piranhas, and a lot of others saying what they would like for Christmas.

Surprisingly, Madness wasn't very interesting this time around but Terry Hall's wish:
"...what I'd really like for Christmas is a 2 Tone revival. I'd like to see all the old 2 Tone bands get together and show that perfect harmony."
...and this was from 1982.

I was hoping to have this by now to be the Tone and Wave Christmas post but I never got around to getting it yet.

There is a portion of this record on Youtube that includes the Terry Hall quote and Madness HERE.

(Bananarama's Sara Dallin's Christmas wish was for six poodles and Al Pachino)

The Press - Cantara Pepe 7" (1981)

A - Cantara Pepe
B - In the Quiet of the Night

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The b-side is the superior track.

Punch The Clown (LINK UPDATED MARCH 27, 2010)

Punch The Clown was a band from Davis California that formed in 1992 and recorded 3 fill length cds before breaking up in 1999. They mixed the 2 Tone sound with other musical influences and a lot of humor without ever going the route of the third wave sound. Alternating male and female vocals.
HERE's a Wikipedia article and here's their OFFICIAL SITE.

Punch the Clown is Caught Red-Handed (1994)

1 Intro
2 My Headaches
3 Don't Fight Now
4 Stress
5 Heather
6 Trousers Full of Lovin'
7 Party at My House
8 Our Vines Have Tender Grapes
9 Sweaty Betty
10 U.S.A. Jam
11 C.I.A. Chick
12 Go Ahead
13 Wise Guy
14 Sea Monkey Stomp (live)
15 I Give Up (live)
16 Pervert (live)
17 Punch the Clown (live)

DOWNLOAD "PUNCH THE CLOWN IS CAUGHT RED-HANDED"


Each Sold Separately (1996)

1 Sea Monkey Stomp
2 Love, James
3 I Give Up
4 Big Mouth
5 La Tortuga
6 Rocketship
7 Trouble
8 Gin & Tonic
9 Stratego / Nautical Holiday
10 Shark Attack Club
11 The Banana Song
12 I Wanna Get With You
13 Streets of Sarajevo

DOWNLOAD EACH SOLD SEPARATELY



The Secret Life of Punch the Clown (1998)

1 Clowns 'R' Us
2 Speedbumps
3 Watch Out
4 Who Are You
5 Crackerjack
6 Untitled
7 Leaving
8 8 Ball
9 Untitled
10 Song 54
11 Song 55
12 Run Away
13 Pervert
14 $10 Cigar
15 Western Sudan
16 Secret Lives
17 Auf Dub

DOWNLOAD "THE SECRET LIFE OF PUNCH THE CLOWN"

Some members went on to form The Offbeatniks and did embrace the ska punk sound.

Urban Heroes - Get It 7" (1980)

This is another one of those things that people keep posting on ebay as ska which it really isn't. Urban Heroes did do some ska inspired songs but these aren't them.
It's still pretty good though.

A - Get It
B - Lovin' You, Lovin' Me

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X-Streams

Friends / Lights 12" (1985)


A - Friends
B - Lights

In the Night EP (1987)


1 In the Night
2 Mind is at a Blank
3 Appeared to Me
4 Monkey on My Back
5 The Man
6 That's Why They Wait

(link removed by request of the band)

Lorraine Springer is not on these recordings but their first 7" (split with The Nervous) from 1980 is available HERE (link removed by request of the band).
For more info on the band see Marco on the Bass HERE and HERE.

Skaos - Rankin' & Skankin'

I just realized that I have never posted this yet. Ronan (sax player for Gangsters) sent me this about a year ago. It's Skaos' first album/demo tape. Almost all of the songs on this tape have been re-recorded with the exception of 'Sleep' which is a damn good song (okay, the vocals aren't the best but you have to look past that and appreciate the song for what it is.)

1 South African Struggle
2 Hey Neighbour
3 Sleep
4 Rankin' and Skankin'
5 Destination Skaville
6 Too Much Wine
7 New Shoes*
8 The Pink Panther
9 JB's Death
10 Prison
11 It's You (live)

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Many thanks to Ronan whose current band Supertonic Sound Club is on the verge of releasing their first album sometime in the new year. They've posted some of their songs on their Myspace HERE.

*No, 'New Shoes' is not a cover of the Mark Foggo song.

21 Guns 7" (1981)

Gus Chambers who replaced Terry Hall as the vocalist of Coventry punk band Squad teamed up with two members of the Specials' road crew.
This is their only release. It was produced by Neville Staples.

A - 21 Guns
B - Ambition Rock

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Newmatics / Screaming Mee Mees split 7" (1981)

Double a-side from two New Zealand bands. Newmatics were a punk/ska/soul/funk band that existed for a short time in the early eighties. Their offering here is in the punk/reggae style.
Screaming Mee Mees were a post-punk power pop band that dabbled in the 2 Tone sound on occasion. However their song on this record is not ska at all.

Newmatics - Judas

Screaming Mee Mees - Can't Take It

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Machtoc - Premiere Foi

From Dieppe France. This is their only full-length but they did have a 6 song EP on Unicorn called "Zippy" that I am still looking for.
I don't understand a word they're saying as they seem to speaking some sort of moon-man language but the music is as good as it gets.*

1 Ecoute un Peu
2 Trou Noir
3 1'ere Foi
4 Arlequin
5 La Berceuse
6 Machtoc
7 Le Nul
8 L'Espoir
9 Regime Sex
10 Saxo Folies

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*What do you call a person who speaks 2 languages? - bilingual
What do you call a person who speaks 3 languages? - trilingual
What do you call a person who speaks many languages? - a polyglot

What do you call a person who speaks only one language? - an American

The Cooties - Dinosaurs 7"

I don't know anything about this band except that they were from New York and I think this is the only thing they released. This is a fine example of how the b-side is by far better than the a-side. "Dinosaurs" is a no-wave song. I like no-wave but I don't care much for this. Though this is from 1981 the b-side sounds like it could have been from the Unicorn era or even from the early eighties California mod/ska scene.

The vinyl is terribly scratched and crackly but it doesn't skip.

A - Dinosaurs
B - Waitin' for the Fisherman

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Special Guests - Strength to Leave EP (1997)

I have everything by Special Guests and I have posted more of their stuff in the past but I was asked to take it down because the band is still performing and most of their music is still available for sale through their official site but I am posting this - their first release - because, as I see it, it isn't currently available anywhere.

1 Alone
2 The Times I Miss
3 Strength to Leave
4 The Fugitive
5 Outro

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Skankin' 'Round the World vol.4

...thanks to yet another person named Anonymous for submitting this!!

1 Mobsters - Steppin' Out
2 Blue Chateau - Nightmare
3 The Riffs - How We Laughed
4 No Sports - Love Song
5 The Skatalites - Big Trombone
6 Laurel Aitken - I Love You, Yes I Do
7 The Toasters - T-Time
8 Dance Hall Crashers - Dance Hall Crashers
9 Liquidators - Black & White Pictures
10 Derrick Morgan - Into My Heart
11 Just Kidding - A Girl Called Sunshine
12 Tchiky Monky - OK Les Boys


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Blue Chateau never released anything besides a few songs that were on compilations.
Some members are currently playing as Jonkanoo

Alpha Boy School feat. Joe Scholes

Alpha Boy School is working on a new album with new vocalist Joe Scholes -aka- Joachim Uerschels from The Braces.

Joe has a blog called joescholes.com...

...in his own words:

"The blog joescholes.com is a documentation of getting together the songs for a new live set and a new album. I'm also willing to include a whole bunch of other stuff, as thoughts about how spreading Ska Music was achieved in the 80s compared to today, how the scene worked etc.. There are a lot of plans, better not to talk too much in advance ..."

A very informative site with lots of audio samples - full length songs and live cuts. If you're a fan of The Braces or Alpha Boy School you'll appreciate his site.

Unsteady - Tightrope

...by request...

1 Martha
2 Bald Fury
3 Bad Attitude
4 The Cost
5 Kalinda
6 Gotta Dance
7 Without You
8 Rockabilly Lover
9 Sally
10 Joanna
11 Insecurity
12 What Kind of Fool?
13 Darkie Love Affair
14 Race and Reason
15 Heavy Rotation
16 Ode to Mr. Davis
17 Pimiento Loaf Gumbo

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Monroes - Sunday People 7" (1983)

A Norwegian pop band.They first started out in 1982.The members were Lage Fossheim(singer)and Eivind Rølles(percussion and backing vocals). Their first huge hit, ‘Sunday People’,sold 130 000 copies in Norway.’Cheerio’ became even more popular, it sold 250 000 copies. The first release, ‘Sunday People’ reached Number 1 in the Norwegian charts in 1983 and stayed there for 7 weeks. Subsequent releases showed their staying power for well over a decade. The Band split in 1987 citing “being exhausted from 5 years of constant gigs and recording” but reformed in 1993 to land yet another hit ‘Just Another Normal Day’ that reached Number 2 for 1 week in the Norwegian charts.



A - Sunday People
B - Move in Closer

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Heavy Manners - Say It! 12" (1983)

A - Say It!
B - Say It! Extended

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...random stuff...

As you can probably tell I am a big fan of older Australian and New Zealand ska and I have heard that there was a band in the late eighties called Jumpin' Chapaties that played ska, reggae, and jump bluesy-type music. They only released 2 singles and I was able to track down one of them. I was quite disappointed with it as neither of the two songs were ska. I wasn't going to post this but I figure some of you may appreciate it to some extent so here it is
JUMPIN' CHAPATIES - 2 GOLDEN GREATS


Speaking of Australian ska Ronan sent this to me a while back - some rare live recordings by The Allniters live in Sydney in 1982.


Here's an old 7" from 1994 that I have never got around to posting because it's ska-core. As far as ska-core is concerned I'm sure this is good-great stuff but I'm not really a fan of the genre. If I remember right I think this was given to me by someone who assumed "If you like ska you'll love this!"
BINGO MUT - THE MEANEST MAN EP








Here's another one that was on "Ultra Rare Ska". This time it was the b-side featured because the a-side isn't ska at all. I knew that before I bought it but I had to go and buy it anyway didn't I. The a-side sucks and I wasted money all because of my need to collect everything. Here's ALBERTO CAMERINI - SERENELLA 7"

I also wasted some money buying the Piranhas "Zambezi" 7" with the b-sides "Bouffant Blue" and "Pink Elephants" but when I received it I found it to be the other version that I already had. I got it for $2 so it's not even worth returning it. If anyone wants it they can have it. I'm still looking for the other version.

I have been looking for music by The Press for a while now. Thankfully "Music on Vinyl has posted their first one "I'm Gonna Shoot the Deejay"
"I'm Gonna Shoot the Deejay / Meet the Press" 7" 1980
"Write-Off / Boys Check Your Toys" 7" 1981
"Cantara Pepe / In the Quiet of the Night" 7" 1981
"Crossing the Line / In the Quiet of the Night" 7" 1981
"Rub a Dub / Gipsy Love" 7" 1981
"Press Here" LP 1981
Here's their video for "Write Off"


Does anybody know about the band Rude Boys? Not the English Roddy Moreno band, nor the Swedish band that released this

but the Scottish band seen here?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBHueXx2UPk

Guns For Hire - I'm Gonna Rough My Girlfriend's Boyfriend Up Tonight (1980)

...submitted by Rikard

Guns For Hire featured former Madness drummer John Hasler. This is their only release before they became Department S.

A - I'm Gonna Rough My Girlfriend's Boyfriend Up Tonight
B - I'm Famous Now

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The Untouchables - Cool Beginnings: Rare & Unreleased 1981-1983

submitted by Fredloafer

1 Ska Mods
2 Gov't Don't Need Nobody
3 Mod Knights
4 Cuz She's Mine
5 Another Late Night
6 The Great Kahuna
7 Perfect Partners
8 Who do They Think They're Fooling?
9 Overcrowded
10 Motion Like Hers
11 Dance Beat
12 Twist N' Shake
13 Tropical Bird
14 The General

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Skarab 7" (1981)

The A-side has appeared on "Ultra Rare Ska"

A - Babe, Don't You Know the Ska?
B - Michigan

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Modest Proposal - Single Minded

...submitted by Rikard.

Before Unicorn Records became a driving force in post 2Tone ska they were almost strictly a mod label. This is one of their earlier releases. A compilation of sorts from this power-pop mod act from Washington DC that spearheaded the DC mod/ska scene who played their final show at London's 100 Club before releasing this record which was recorded in a span of 4 years (1984-1987).



1 The Hardest Part
2 After You
3 Live Today
4 I've Seen Your Face Before
5 Nowhere At All
6 One Dimension Love
7 Nobody Says No
8 How I Feel
9 Laugh and Live
10 In or Out
11 The Look in Your Eyes
12 My Own Interests

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Uppers on the South Downs posted more of these early Unicorn mod releases HERE

The Rent Boys - Kick Down the Door 7" (1980)

...submitted by Rikard

A - Kick Down the Door
B - Feeling Ice

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Mod City

A million thanks to our friend Richard for submitting this!!!
I'm a happy so-and-so!

This set contains everything ever released by South Coast Ska Stars aside from their one 7" which was released with either "Head On" being the A-side and "South Coast Rumble" being the B-side, or vice-versa with each version having a different cover.

(I will have this record in the not-so-distant future and will post it as well)

1 Tich Turner's Escalator - Diana
2 Tich Turner's Escalator - Are You Wiv?
3 Rupert and the Red Devils - It's for You
4 Rupert and the Red Devils - Everytime I Do
5 Tich Turner - Seaside Bar Song
6 Tich Turner's Escalator - Ska'd for Life
7 Tich Turner's Escalator - Don't Really Want You Back
8 South Coast Ska Stars - Club Flamingo
9 South Coast Ska Stars - Code Red
10 South Coast Ska Stars - Jericho Calling
11 Teenbeats - It'll Soon be the Weekend
12 Teenbeats - Action Girl
13 Teenbeats - Can't Dance to the Music
14 Teenbeats - Gonna Let You Know
15 Rupert and the Red Devils - Please Think of Me
16 South Coast Ska Stars - Range Rider
17 South Coast Ska Stars - In the Hall of the Mountain King
18 Steppin' Out - Sticking to the Outside
19 South Coast Ska Stars - Mod City
20 Teenbeats - Teenage Beat
21 Teenbeats - I Can't Control Myself

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Tich Turner's Escalator - Diana 7" (1980)

This was sent to me by a friend who readily admits that the sound quality here is not the best. Both of these songs are on the MOD CITY compilation which is the next thing on my list to buy (unless one of you generous folks out there already has it and could be kind enough to share).

Please enjoy this until we are able to provide you with a better rendition.

A - Diana
B - Are You Wiv?

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The Loafers - Skaraties

There were only 500 copies of this record put out in 1989. I have heard rumors that this was released on cd with extra tracks but I haven't been able to find any proof of this.
This is actually the first thing I ever bought by the Loafers and it was in the bargain bin real cheap. (I have since lost the original). There is a cover that I can't find anywhere. I do have a clear image in my mind of the cover - it had some black and white checkers, maybe, and, like, a face and stuff. The face was looking up, or something, and the mouth was open - I think. I dunno.
- Hope that helps give you a good idea of the cover of this so if ever come across it yourselves you know what you're looking at.

-You're welcome!

1 Too Late Rudy
2 Laughing Loafer
3 Keep Walking
4 Liquidator
5 Melancholy Sally
6 Skankin' at the O.K. Corral
7 Average Man
8 Summers Day
9 Skankanstein
10 It's so Easy
11 Feeling's Alright
12 Living in a Suitcase
13 Z-Cars
14 Undertaker

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("Keep Walking" is my favorite Loafers song ever)

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

Klopeks

For Halloween:

The Klopeks from Birmingham UK.
Not exactly a ska band. They cite influences by Dexy's Midnight Runners, Tom Waits, and Adam and the Ants.
They have a four piece horn section and some well written atmospheric music and, yes, there is some ska influence.
Recommended to fans of Tiny Hat Orchestra.

Here's their OFFICIAL SITE or sample them first on THEIR MYSPACE

Giving Up These Ghosts EP
1 Children of the Carnival
2 Everyday is Halloween
3 Mr. Pink
4 CB Lovers
5 The Model

DOWNLOAD "GIVING UP THESE GHOSTS"

The Klopeks
1 The Pilot
2 Take Her to the Sea
3 Saviour of the Soul
4 9 Inches From the Business End
5 CB Lovers
6 By Midnight
7 Taking the Money
8 Every Day is Halloween
9 Dynamite Sweet Dynamite
10 March Thirteen
11 Sordid City Ant Weather

DOWNLOAD "THE KLOPEKS"

Night Doctor 7" (1981)

Thanks to the tragically short lived blog ChickitupPickitup for originally posting this.

A - Just Enough
B - Hits and Misses

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Potato 5

Laurel Aitken Meets Floyd Lloyd and Potato 5

Do the Jerk 12"

Five Alive

Ska Danger

Rocksteady Party

True Fact

rarities


thanks Rikard and Marco and the original poster of the rarities

The Perks - Reggae Sue

I should point out that on the Laurel Aitken post I just did that the song "Peggy Sue" is in fact NOT a cover of the Buddy Holly and the Crickets song.
This one, however, is.

(The b-side is mod/soul and at first listen I didn't care much for it but it really grew on me. It's the better song on this single.)

A - Reggae Sue
B - Keep On Doin' It

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Laurel Aitken - Ringo the Gringo

This is the 1990 cd version of the Unicorn Records 12" release from 1989. The vinyl version had only 10 tracks. You can tell this is the cd version because the lettering on the cover is blue whereas on the LP it's white. I apologize for the cover pic. I actually have a really good scan somewhere but I can't find it. You will have to suffer with this one.

His backing band this time around is The Pressure Tenants.
This is a bit different from the sound that Laurel Aitken is recognized for. Noticeably eighties.

(Though it's nothing like the single he wrote and produced for Sugar Candy in 1975. It was bubblegum pop called "Mummy, I Want to go to the Disco / You Only You" put out by EMI which I would post for novelty's sake if I had it. I have heard it before - and that's why I don't have it.)


1 I Love You, Yes I Do
2 Lookin' In the Mirror
3 Night Train to Tokyo
4 Don't Turn Your Back
5 Rock With You Tonight
6 Ringo the Gringo
7 Peggy Sue
8 Going Back to the Frontline
9 Rude Boy Dream
10 Hitchike
11 Hey Little Girl
12 Sally Brown
13 Since You Went Away
14 Je t'aimerai Toujours
15 Eh Mon Amour

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Max Headroom and the Car "Parks" - Don't Panic 7" (1980)

First, I want to thank Steve for requesting this. I had never heard of it before.
I have contacted Steve Curtis from the band but he never did respond.

I just received this in the mail yesterday and I didn't think much that there was a gash in the padded envelope until I opened it and the record was cracked straight through...
(artist rendering - not an actual photo)

...and there was a gouge in it at the beginning. It was packaged well so I'm sure it wasn't in this condition before it was shipped. I was certain it was completely ruined so I didn't clean it or anything but I wanted to at least hear a bit of it just to get an idea of what it sounded like to see if I should find another copy.

It played straight through. I played each side only once and was smart enough to have recorded it. I didn't clean up the recording at all so here it is in all its crackling popping glory.
(Let's see a cd do that)

A - Don't Panic
B - Rhythm & Blue Beat

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Ngobo Ngobo - Rude Fruit

Ngobo Ngobo's first full-length from 1993 submitted by Craig.








1 Hi There Hello
2 Spaceflight 505
3 Hello Everybody
4 Rude Boy Jamboree
5 Lily
6 I Can't Stand It
7 No One Cares
8 Way Out
9 All Over Now
10 Agadir
11 Big Mistake
12 Blue Shoes
13 Good for Nothing Man
14 Blind Colors
15 Hangin' Around

DOWNLOAD MP3s

DOWNLOAD M4As

Reinholds - Sta upp Svensson 7" (1985)

...submitted by Rikard.

Swedish mod/ska in the vein of Baby Snakes.

A - Sta upp Svensson
B - Hort det forrut

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Stupidity - Maximum Insanity : Live at the Gaelic Club 1983

The last post I did on Stupidity turned out to be more popular than I thought it would be. Thanks to everyone who left comments.
The countdown comps are no longer available on Twilight Zone but they look like a good mix. I'll have to get them someday.

This is Stupidity live at the Gaelic Club in Sydney 1983. It is from a cd that came free with issue 5 of a Brisbane modzine called Modern Times that was acquired at a Stupidity gig in 2001 at the Metro by Richard who has submitted this for your pleasure. Incidently, he is still looking for that Skazoo cd.

1 Stupid's Party
2 Get Off of My Cloud
3 Down at the Doctors
4 Stupidity
5 Something's Happening
6 I Won't be Alone
7 Two Days and a Night
8 Buddy, Buddy Friends
9 The Sweeny

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The Regulars - Rude Boy Gone Jail 7" (1980)

...submitted by Rikard.

A - Rude Boy Gone Jail
B - Don't Stay Out Late

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The Youth - Make Me Rich 7"

More rare punk-reggae from 1981.

A - Make Me Rich
B - Where Does it Go?

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