Steve Alaimo did not release New York's first ska record

Steve Alaimo was a diverse musician. In 1961 he was doin' the twist. In 1964 he was...well, he was crying...every day.  But in 1965 he was Doing the Ska! He released the album "Starring Steve Alaimo" which included a ska cover of Ben E. King's "Stand by Me", and a few actual ska covers - Monty Morris' "Sammy Dead", the Blues Busters' "Soon You'll be Gone", and Ken and Keith's (backed by Byron Lee and the Dragonaires) "I Won't Let You Go".
This compilation here is a non-official Tone and Wave collection. It includes all of the ska songs off the album, a couple from singles, and a couple unreleased.

1 Everybody Likes to do the Ska
2 I Won't Let You Go
3 Gotta Lotta Love
4 Stand by Me
5 Be Hold
6 Sammy Dead
7 I Don't Wanna Cry
8 Soon You'll be Gone
9 You're Driving Me Crazy

"Everybody Likes to Do the Ska"
"Stand by Me"

1965 - the year Steve Alaimo brought ska to New York.

But wait...

There was a Soul/Doo-Wop group from Long Island called The Pussycats who had a minor hit with the song "You May be Holding My Baby" which was released (first pressing - white label) in 1963 (a second pressing with a pink label was released in 1964). The B-side was a song called "Come on and Ska" which sounds very similar to the Ska Kings' "Oil in My Lamp", but that was released in 1964.

A - You May be Holding My Baby
B - Come on and Ska



DOWNLOAD Steve Alaimo and the Pussycats



[The next post will be California's first ska record]