This is the Eclectics' demo tape. I am posting it by request. To be honest I thought I already posted it but I have searched the blog and found no evidence of any former post so - here you go. Obnoxious ska-punk done right. The first three tracks are on the vinyl version of their first single but the
song "Cutting" is not available on any of their other releases. The same
recording of the song does appear on "Misfits of Ska II" but it plays
faster on the cassette than on the cd version.
A1 - We Can Make it Happen
A2 - Boba Fett
B1 - Harry
B2 - Cutting
This is the Busters' first release. There are two studio recordings - Orion which was re-recorded and featured on their second album Couch Potatoes as Space Patrol Orion. The version on this tape is a different version from the one on Couch Potatoes. Then there is the song Keen on Games which is the same version that was on the bonus tracks of the Ruder Than Rude re-release.
A1 - Orion
A2 - Keen On Games
B1 - Guns of Navarone (live)
B2 - My Girl Lollipop (live)
B3 - Lip Up Fatty (live)
1 You Really Got Me
2 Dead End Street
3 Midnight in Ethiopia
4 Apple Ska
5 Carry Go Bring Come
6 Phoenix City
7 What a Desaster..
8 Sound Pressure
9 Famine
10 Rocker's Rumba
Quite often I find a lot of music on eBay, Discogs, and other online sellers that is sold as "ska" which isn't ska. I have been disappointed so many times by buying things blindly that you would assume I would learn my lesson at some point and only buy things that I hear first, but I keep falling for it. There are a couple reasons for this - firstly, when I go to record shops, conventions, thrift stores, etc. I take way more chances on things than I do when I buy online and I have struck gold too many times that I see no need to to change my ways. Secondly, I listen to lots of different types of music (we all do, I know) so, even though it may not be what I'm looking for, it might still be good.
Here are a few things I bought thinking they were ska but they aren't - but they're still pretty good.
Drive-Ins - Movie Girls (1985)
I'm posting this one because I get requests for it - a lot of requests. It's labeled as ska on Discogs but it's not ska at all. It's upbeat new wave/rock with lots of keyboard, distorted 80s guitar, and a bit of saxophone here and there. The closest it comes to ska might be the title track "Movie Girls", or maybe the song "Get the Message". But it is very rare so you might want to download it for that reason alone.
1 Just Respondin'
2 Don't Kiss My Face
3 Movie Girls
4 You're so Independent
5 Life ain't no Day on the Beach
6 Busy Signal
7 Sylvia
8 Secret Sessions
9 Echoes of War
10 Get the Message
I knew this one wasn't ska before I bought it because there is an edited video for the song. How do you not like that energy?
A - Shout it Loud
B - Sing es Laut
Alleybirds - Habasit 7" (1981)
This one was on my wishlist for years because it was sold on eBay as a ska record. I think this was only due to the title of the b-side which is neither ska nor reggae. I quite like the a-side though.
I am not a fan of Buddy System. They had a hard rock look with a soft rock sound and all of their music was incredibly 80s. They wanted to impress Cyndi Lauper's, Poison's, and Bonnie Raitt's fans all at the same time. They were radio-friendly enough to the point of being bland.
Now, after slandering their good name (I know they have a fan base that wouldn't tolerate my comments all that well), I have to admit that I absolutely love their first record. Both sides are great. It doesn't sound like their other releases. Both songs are a little more heartfelt and there is a slight-but-noticeable ska influence in the rhythms of both songs. I heard samples of both songs before I bought this one and I sat on it too long so somebody else bought it. It took me years to find another copy and the small sample ate at me for those years.
Some of the other stuff in this post is just okay. This is one of my favorite records ever.
I have included their self-titled record and the "Go Back to Hollywood" single so you can compare it to this release.
If you have been following this blog for a while you know I can be pretty stupid at times. I base my knowledge on the things I read on eBay and Discogs and I take them at face value. The Heavy Manners record was posted on Discogs and it was linked to this one here but they really have absolutely nothing to do with each other.
First of all it's the band that's called Barley Wine and the song is called Heavy Manners. Secondly, they are not the Belgian band. These guys are from England and Saxa from the Beat (The English Beat to my fellow Yanks) is their sax player. I know nothing else about the band or about any other releases they might have had but if I learn anything new from an eBay seller who specializes in Andorrian folk music but stumbled across this record at a swap meet I will report anything he says as fact. That's my style.
A - That Train (Click to hear on Soundcloud - I'm trying something new)
B - Heavy Manners
This is the actual single. I know I posted this years ago but they were the versions from the album. This is my own rip of the single.
Igor was a boy from Vladivostok, Skanouska was the girl on his mind. He always did his best to attract her attention, but it seemed as if Skanouska was blind.
He swam the Wolga nude with minus 20 degrees, he climbed the Kaukasus on his two bare knees. But Skanouska made love with all the other boys, 'cause for her they were all much better toys.
One day Igor found Skanouska messin' around, she was playing with Igor's best mate. He was frustrated 'cause he wanted to show her his dung, that he saved for weeks in a box with a gate.
So Igor grabbed his knife and cut his friend in two, and after him all the others of Skanouska's crew. Now Igor was happy and he wanted nothing more, but Skanouska was crying 'cause Igor was a bore.
Let's Quit's stuff is hard to track down. They have several other recordings and there are still two that I need: a 4-track EP from 1997 called "Survival of the Quittest" with song titles: Kirk's Deception, Don't Count on Me, Postman, and Padadow, - the first three songs were on the album "Imprisoned" but the 'song' Padadow isn't on any of their other recordings and I'm guessing, because it's less than a minute long, that it's not a song, just some studio shenanigans. Then they had another one called "Burp That Offbeat". I don't know if Burp That Offbeat is an album or an EP and I have no idea what year it's from or what songs are on it. I have never even seen the covers for these two releases. I'm not exactly desperate to get a copy of Survival of the Quittest (but if you see a copy you should snatch it up - it is rare) but I am desperate to find out more about Burp that Offbeat.
What I do have by them was sent to me by different people because they have never been available for sale anywhere as long as I have been aware of the band.
I have posted their first album "The Southern Belles Party Beat" from 1995 previously and the one I'm posting here is that same low-quality version with track #14 missing.
1 The Southern Belles Party Beat 2 Lies and Lullabies 3 Skanouska 4 Let's Ska Tonight 5 Syndrome Friends 6 Ennio Ska 7 Snowflakes 8 Yes or No 9 Vegetarian Shoes 10 Hip Hip to the Next Life 11 Can You Tell Me My Name? 12 Viktor the Pig 13 The Bailiff 14 The Return of Cliff Barnes 15 Sergio Ska 16 Down I Go 17 Stolen Minds
1 Imprisoned
2 Cat Grace
3 Kirk's Deception
4 You Only Die Once
5 Fish Analogy
6 Skabble d'Babble
7 Don't Count on Me
8 Cocks & Bulls
9 Out of Sight
10 My Bike
11 Postman
Let's Quit - Liberty EP (2001)
1 Beware of the Man Called Liberty
2 Angel Dust
3 Sir Nelson
4 Can You Take Your Hands Off My Girlfriend?
Let's Quit - My Bottled Friend & Foe (2005)
(This is their last album - I don't even have a cover for it.)
1 Don't Ask
2 I Don't Wanna Lose You
3 Mayday
4 Strange Love
5 Self-Pity
6 Schoolmate
7 Your Place or Mine
8 Revenge of the Pigs
9 Can You Take Your Hands Off My Girlfriend?
10 Voor ik het Vergeet
11 Way in Our Lives
12 Dangerous Tactics
The Bakesys - Animated Violence cassette-only release (1994)
A1 - Sex Freak
A2 - Without Warning
A3 - Liquidated
A4 - Life so Tough
B1 - Open All Hours
B2 - Days Gone By
B3 - Grass is Greener
B4 - Animated Violence
The B3's - Only Human 7" (1997)
A - Only Human
B - Never Go Away
The B3's - Devil's Blue Beat (1998)
1 Sharpshooter
2 Devil Blues
3 Smith Kidd
4 New Orleans
5 Puddy's Gone
6 Last Call
7 Lift Me Up
The B3's - Church of the Double Cross (1998)
1 East Side Shuffle
2 Billy the Fish
3 Mustache Fever
4 The Trigger and the Family
5 Alan Watts
6 Makin' it on My Own
The B3's - Krakatoa (2000)
1 Billy the Fish
2 Skratchin' at Skars
3 Scheherazade
4 Devil Blues
5 Foggy Dew
6 Wake Me
7 No Stars Over Canada
8 Only Human
9 Mantequilla
10 East Side Shuffle
11 Hard Times
12 Russian Men's Eggs
This is being re-posted by request. This is a cassette rip of the Villians only album "Go Crazy". I have included my vinyl rips of their two 7"s as well because there are some slight variation in the singles.
I did not include the "Life of Crime" EP in this download because the version I have is a shitty rip with a low bit-rate (I'm talking 64 bits). I will find a better version at some point and post it then.
The Villains - Go Crazy (1984)
1 You Are (All These Things to Me)
2 Call Me Up
3 Laugh it Out
4 Lovers
5 Boogie Man
6 Go Crazy
7 Laylow
8 Long, Short, Skinny, or Fat
9 Wendy's Melody
10 I Don't Care
11 Ska Music
The Villians - Go Crazy 7" (1984)
A - Go Crazy
B - Wendy's Melody
The Villians - You Are (All These Things to Me) 7" (1984)
A - You Are (All These Things to Me)
B - Ska Music
1 Housewive's Choice
2 Confucius
3 Solid as a Rock
4 Freedom Sounds
5 Rules of Life
6 From Russia with Love
7 Rock Steady
8 Let's Start Again
9 Song for My Father
10 Can't Forget About You
11 Rockfort Rock
12 Ska-Go-Mambo
13 Take it Cheazy
14 Night of the Dragon
15 Be Thankful
16 Hong Kong Low Rider
17 Stone Boat
18 Cairo East Pt. II
Non-album tracks:
*Miss Understanding
*Skagasm
*Stop That Train
*The Best of Love
*Perfidia
This is a rare ska record from California. It is obviously based on the Specials song Why?. I don't know anything about this record aside from the fact that it was produced by M. Al Azeem from the California roots reggae band Session. I have included Session's first album in this download.
A - Wolf in Sheep Clothing
B - Wolf in Sheep Clothing (version)
Session - See Up Azeem (1980)
A1 - Dred Time
A2 - You Get the Chance
A3 - Tekk Me Part 2
A4 - Wake Up Everybody
B1 - Natty Rebel Now
B2 - Don't Go Changes
B3 - I Like to be With Jah
B4 - You Lost the Chance
Ngobo Ngobo - Live cassette demo (featuring Rico Rodriguez) (1990)
1 Katuscha
2 Salomon Gundi
3 Love Pain
4 Shanty Town
5 Way Out
6 Keep On
7 I Feel Fine
8 54-46 (That's My Number)
Ngobo Ngobo - We're Just Kidding (1992 demo cassette)
1 Good Fine Day
2 Good for Nothing Man
3 I Can't Stand It
4 No One Cares
5 Lilly
6 Hello Everybody
7 I Feel Fine
8 Skinhead Moonstomp
The Dynamics was a band from South Africa who played their own unique brand of music that included a ska influence.
In 1983 they released a cassette called "It's the Dynamics" - only 250 copies were made. They released a 12" EP in 1984 called "Switch it on and Wind it Up", then, in the early 90s they released a cd called "Organic".
This is a cd compilation featuring songs from all three releases.
1 Thugs
2 1+1
3 Pot Black
4 Who's Worried (vocal version)
5 2 Nil
6 This Weekend (vocal version)
7 Castello
8 Casino
9 Blue Plates
10 Siyabonga
11 Out of Tea Again
12 Garlic Baloney
13 Animal Jive
14 This Weekend (instrumental)
15 Untitled
16 Pull Up Your Socks
17 Ghetto Blasters
18 Chunky Charlie
The Memos was a band from Boston who played new wave and the ocassional ska song. Their live shows incorporated lots of covers of the current new wave hits at the time, which they did amazingly well, with several of their own songs and the occasional oldie but goodie thrown in.
Even though these guys could write a great song they only ever released one 2-song 7". Luckily for us the a-side was a ska original called Drag Me Down.
The Memos - Drag Me Down 7"
A - Drag Me Down
B - Childsplay
I would have loved to see these guys in the eighties. Hell, I'd love to see them now.
They had another original ska song called Procrastination Song that never saw a formal release. You can hear a live version of that on this official bootleg which also includes some other originals and some of those amazing covers I mentioned.
The Memos - Live in '85
1 I Saw Her Standing There
2 New Years Day
3 Who Gives
4 My Old Neighborhood
5 Don't You (Forget About Me)
6 Procrastination Song
7 I Will Follow
8 Everybody Wants to Rule the World
9 Stiff Competition
10 Trouble in Doggyland
11 Hang on Sloopy
12 Save it for Later
13 Stir it Up DOWNLOAD THE 7" AND THE LIVE TAPE
Rare New Zealand ska compilation. Like any other compilations there are some iffy tracks but there is also some gold on here.
1 Skapa - Jane Bondage
2 Bwa Da Riddim - Man in Black
3 Looney Tunes - Dead Bird
4 Banana Revolution - Gypsy Ska
5 Boil Up - Earth Right
6 The Offbeats - It's Not Mine
7 Screaming Orgasms - Meskal
8 The Red - Street Boys
9 Skapa - Ska Jig
10 Boil Up - Getting There
11 Bwa Da Riddim - Gun Slinger
12 Screaming Orgasms - The Pedlar
13 Banana Revolution - Man With the Money
14 The Offbeats - Dubbed Out
15 Skapa - It's Your Round
16 The Red - Dancing in the Dole Q
Jo Bisso was born and raised in Yaoundé, the political capital
Cameroon. He grew up being a fan of American soul music such as Otis
Reading and Wilson picket. In 1971 he left Cameroun to pursue his
musical career. Beginning an 8 year stint of Paris to New York jet trips
the young ambitious man forged his musical career on his own terms;
Staring off with the minor hit “Flying To The Land Of Soul” which he
signed to Decca and moving on to produce, finance, write and create
several albums released under his own name and other artsits such as
Sookie and Venise.
In 1975 Jo created his genre blended debut
album “Jo Tongo” on the Paris based Disques Esperance label. Sung in
English and his native language it was way ahead of its time for the
day, blending Jazz, Funk, Soul, afro rhythms and the sounds that were at
the time being come to be known as Disco. The album was produced by Jo
who plays a wide variety of the instruements and contributes his
baritone “Barry White” tinged spoken vocals about life and love.
The
album opens up with the title track “Dance To It”, A slice of groovy
lounge-funk. Part 1 is all about the driving catchy groove which is
layered with a downtown funk saxophone lead line. Part 2 brings in Jo’s
spoken vocals in his native language and English, setting the tone of
the album to come. “Disco Madonna” introduces a Latin flavour with
Spanish vocals, a rumba groove and darting percussion. “Ramaya” melds a
playful, summery, euro melody with Jo’s throaty, fun-loving vocals and a
nascent use of synthesizers.
“Lets Keep It Together” is a song in
two parts. The first half builds the groove over washy guitar, and
chords before breaking into a solid soul riff with bass, Rhodes and
guitar. Over this Jo layers the catchy, soulful vocals, summer-breeze
guitars and jazzy keys. A real treat. Flip over to the Vinyl B side for
what is probably the albums most “getting down” moment. The driving funk
of “Give It Up”. Stabby brass, whirling organ and tight bass which is
all wrapped up in a one tight arrangement. Add in doses of Jo’s sulty
vocal and that is a recipe for a real winner.
“Don’t Fight The
Feeling” again furthers into real deep funk territory. Jo opening up
with a sermon on “love and sex”. The album closes with the swinging soul
of the pensive Jo and his thoughts on life, “Odwa”. What is going down?
The
Give It Up track was a highlight of the recent Africa Seven debut
release “African Airways Volume 1: (Funk Connection 1972-1979). To
Follow that up Africa Seven are proud to repress the debut Jo Bisso
album in its full glory.
Before returning to the US in 1981 he recorded two ska records in France
but he used the moniker Carl Collins. The Gangsters featuring Carl
Collins - "Who's That Man?" b/w "The Game" and "Money in the Ghetto" b/w
"The Star" both released in 1980.
From
1981 to 1989 his lived in Cote D’Ivoire. He now lives in Paris and
although he sometimes “finds it hard to listen to his albums”, he does
thinks it great that people love his music and his debut album is
getting a re-release all these years later.
A - Money in the Ghetto
B - The Star
The other single was previously posted on Tone and Wave HERE but I included it in this download.
This is the record that I consider to be the rarest California ska record ever released.
I have been collecting rare California ska for decades and this is the one record that eluded me year after year. I don't know how many copies were made and there are still some rare California ska releases from the 80s that I don't have yet but I'm basing my criteria on internet presence and how many people I've met at record conventions (and elsewhere) that have actually heard of these records.
The Corvairs - Self Abuse 7" (1983)
A - Self Abuse
B - Never Stop Believin
They had an earlier release in 1981 that wasn't ska (but was still a great record):
The Corvairs - Took so Long 7" (1981)
A - Took so Long
B - Just a Friend
When I posted the RAM 7" I said that I considered that record to be in the top three of the rarest California ska records. I mentioned that I did not have the other two of the top three, but now I have them and I will be posting them here shortly.
The one I consider the absolute rarest (based on my own mission to find these gems) is by a band called The Corvairs. I have since acquired two singles by the Corvairs and, although I said in the RAM post that the rarest is not as good as good as the other two, I rescind that statement. Both of their singles are excellent.
The one I considered 'the third rarest' is a 4 song 7" by a band called Dutty Rass. I just got that one yesterday and I haven't actually listened to it yet.
The reason I'm saying all of this in this particular post is because this would be #4 on the list. I know nothing about this band except that the lead singer Dilithium Cristil (whose real name is Celena Allen) was invited to pose in Playboy in 1985 in an issue that featured 'The Women of Rock'.
Aside from that I can't find any information about the band or any individual members. I don't know if they ever recorded anything else but I know this record is extremely difficult to track down and both songs are great. Neither track is straightforward ska but quintessential new wave with the B-side showing a 2 Tone influence.
The song "Breaking Up New Ground" might sound familiar to you if you have the 100% British Ska compilation. Prior to recording this EP the band recorded two songs for the "Vaultage 78" compilation and later recruited a female vocalist and changed the name of the band to Vol Sec and they released a four-track cassette.
Steppin' Razor was not a band, but a studio project of two people in Florida. This is the only album they recorded. It's a blend of ska and new wave/rock. After they recorded this album they moved to California and formed the band Steppin' Lazer who released an EP called Plain Wrap which included different versions of Follow the Leader and Seein' What I ain't Got.
1 Follow the Leader
2 Seein' What I ain't Got
3 Another Pretty Face
4 You Don't Approve of Me
5 Another Way to Live
6 I Can't Afford it
7 I Really Wanna Dance with You
8 Ready to Break
9 Yellow Lights
10 Für Elise
The band Etch-A-Sketch from Ann Arbor Michigan made an impact in the American ska scene of the early 90s but, sadly, they never released anything aside from their very few appearances on compilations. They released two songs on the "Ska Takes the Great Lakes" compilation as well as the song "Too Late" on the "Death of an American Skathic" comp.
As far as I know they only got around to recording six songs in a studio. This download includes all six of those songs.
1 Hit the Ground
2 Inhibitions
3 (Spirit of) Leslie Kong
4 Too Late
5 Escape
6 Killer Bees
This is being re-posted by request. It was originally posted in 2008. I have since re-ripped it and it sounds better now than the previous version I offered so, even if you downloaded it back then, I recommend you download this version. It's still not a great rip but it is better.
1 Mama Kiss Him Good Night
2 Unity
3 I Have Got You Under My Skin
4 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday
5 Sha-La-La
6 Three Nights in Lovers Town
7 Brixton Blue Beat
8 You Didn't Love Me
9 I Came Around
10 Feelings
