Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Skyliters - Tribute to Spree (1976) - California's first ska record

The band The Skyliters formed in 1973. They performed calypso and Belizian music. They released their first (and only?) record in 1976. The A-side was a cover of Lord Kitchner's "Tribute to Spree Simon" which was a very adept rendition, but the impact of this record came from the B-side. This is California's first recorded ska song.
A - Tribute to Spree
B - Bumping Onn Down


DOWNLOAD

Some members went on to form the band Babylon Warriors

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good work (again!).
"Bumpin Onn Down" is a killer cover of Claudette's "Queen of the world"

Tone and Wave said...

Fuckin' amazing!
I had no idea this was a cover (or, more appropriately, a rip-off)
I never heard that Claudette song so I thank you twice...
once, for letting me know it was a cover, and twice for introducing me to a great ska song!