Saturday, December 30, 2017

House in Orbit - Same Sun (demo tape 1991)

This one is so rare that I'm not thoroughly convinced that it exists (even though I have the physical copy).

The band House In Orbit was from Austin Texas that was voted Best Reggae Band in Austin in 1993. They released a demo tape in 1993 called "Turn Left at the Moon" which I don't have because nobody has it. I don't think one single copy of it exists. Despite how rare that tape is this one is even more rare.
See, the tape is titled "Same Sun" after their song of the same name, but that song is not on the tape. Like the Doors with "Strange Days" A live version of the song "Same Sun" was released on a compilation in 1991 called "KLBJ FM's Local Licks Live 1990".

There are only two tracks (repeated on both sides) on this tape:

01 Stand Front
02 Money

"Stand Front" is an incredible ska-punk song (one of those "how did this go unnoticed for so long?" ska songs) which did see another release. The label Reel George Productions put out a compilation in 1991 called "Tales From the Edge Volume III: Cannibal Crabs Crawl to Kill" that included it.

I'm guessing both songs were included on the official demo but I have no idea what the track listing is.

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Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Tone and Wave is ten years old!

I toyed with the idea of doing a blog for a few weeks before I actually started it. I had some friends from back in the days that had left the state and were living in so many different places. In the 90s I used to love making tapes for friends. The idea of a blog was great - I could make mixtapes for several people at the same time.
I was talking to somebody about the Graduate's "Elvis Should Play Ska" and that became my first post on December 16th, 2007.
I didn't know much about computers. Some of my earlier covers that I tried to clean up in Microsoft Paint look horrible today but I still find them online every now and then.

This banner here was used for the first two years or so before my wife designed the one that's been at the header for the last eight years.

(...and this was the early Tone and Wave header with the original Marco on the Bass header)


People keep saying how I should change the blog. Monetize it. Change the background. Add this and that to it. Aside from changing the header the blog has been consistent for better or for worse. I like stability and I hope you do too.

I have posted some punk, new wave, reggae, and mod over the years but I try to maintain 90% ska.

Most of the feedback I have gotten from the artists themselves have been positive. A small percentage has been negative and I used to try and argue why introducing their music to people who like their style of music but have never had a way of hearing it before is a good thing. I have since stopped arguing. Instead I just eliminate their name from the blog and I don't include them in any compilations I make for the blog or for people I know in the real world. I passively disavow them. Good luck selling your music from 30 years ago without allowing people to hear it first.

Anyway...I have had three different jobs, have lived in three different houses, and have had two children since I started the blog. I have met a few of you guys that I never would have met if I never started the blog. I have made numerous online friends and have been able to see how your lives have changed over the years through Facebook and other things.

I have learned a lot from you guys and I hope I have taught you a lot about this subterranean genre.

Ska is alive and well and I still have so many things that haven't been posted yet not to mention the nearly 200 records, tapes, and cds that I am still looking for.

I did not expect Tone and Wave to last for ten years (to be honest I didn't see Blogger lasting this long) and, at this point, I sure as hell don't see it going for another five years. I'm thinking I might make it another 2 years but who knows. I aim to post old forgotten ska music. If I make it to 2020 the stuff from 2007 will be old. I'm all for keeping it going. What do you say?


I wanted to do something 'special' for this 10-year anniversary but I can't think of what I could do that would be considered special to you. I thought of posting my favorite 100 songs that I've posted over the last ten years. I started a great list but then I realized that it's not really about me. It's about the bands and it's about you. What songs do you know and love that you only know about because of the blog? Let me know in the comments and I'll put a compilation together for the people who may have come to the blog too late to absorb all of these great rarities.


   

Sunday, December 17, 2017

Skatologicals - What's in a Name? (1992)

Dutch ska/funk band who released a live album on vinyl in 1990 before they put out this studio album. I don't have the live one yet but I've heard it and there is a lot of original material that's not on this or any other recording. It's at the top of my wantlist. I'll post it when I get it.

1. Happiness
2 Screamin', Dancin' and Smiling
3 Skank it Away
4 Funk Jam
5 Time
6 Loveletter
7 Rastaman
8 Take it Easy
9 Elephant
10 Drunk Again
11 Have you Met the Williams'? / Kelele






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Sunday, December 10, 2017

Suspect Bill - Mr. E (demo tape 1994)

1 Skamitzvah
2 Shipwrecked
3 Filler
4 City Light
5 What's Under Your Bed?
6 Mr. E
7 Pinnochio
8 Cement Shoes
9 Sing, Sing, Sing



DOWNLOAD

Thanks to SRP for this rip!

Lord Domino and the Ska Boys - I'm in the Mood for Love 7'' (1989)

A - I'm in the Mood for Love
B - Simply Funky

("Simply Funky" reminds me way too much of Madness' "The Prince".)

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Jamallad - Jah Creation (demo tape 199?)

Jamallad (Juh-mall-aid) was born and raised in the Ivory Coast in Africa. He was taught music by a folk singer named Lisa Sammet who was volunteering for the Peace Corps. He then traveled Europe and eventually got a degree in Music and Business at Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

He spent time in L.A. and now lives in Hawaii. He released his first album "Global Citizen" in 2008 but he recorded this demo over a decade before then.  

I have no idea how many copies were made, where it was recorded,  or what year it was released. This is ultra-rare.


1 Jah Creation
2 Jamallad
3 Lion's Way
4 Children
5 Jah Creation

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Sunday, November 26, 2017

T&W Rare 80s ska "mixtape"

I didn't have anything prepared so I just went and threw this crap together. Some good stuff on here and a whole lot of shit. Very few, if any, of these tracks have ever been posted on the blog before.

Side 1
1 Fabulous Poodles - Toytown people
2 Dolly Dots - Ragged Nights
3 Roaring Jelly - Beethoven Bluebeat
4 Take Me - Laughing Inside
5 Chairman Youth - Uncertainty
6 Big Bill - Tes Ka
7 Tempo - Not for a Million
8 Keeper - Where is He Now?
9 004 - Too Much to Do
10 Sedans - Rhythm of the Nation
11 TV Neats - Was I Dreaming Again?
12 The Bogey Boys - Gunslinger


Side 2
1 The Monotones - Edison
2 Bouncing Soles - Dangerzone
3 Talk Back - Rudy
4 The Positions - Get Up
5 Penknife Glides - Taking the Weight Off
6 Les Gangsters - Therese
7 Moira & the Mice - Heart Like a Whore
8 Split Enz - My Mistake
9 Tempo - Stay Clean
10 Timelordes - Don't Mess (With Joh)
11 Damage - Jailhouse Ska
12 Willem OP Schepper - De Tien Geboden

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Sunday, November 12, 2017

Potato 5 - Live at the Town and Country, London 9 Sept. 1989 (cassette)


1 Shuttle Disaster
2 Spit + Pollish
3 Stop That Train
4 Harvest in the East
5 Hi Jacked
6 Western Special
7 Got to Go
8 Sally Brown
9 Dial M for Murder
10 Sahara
11 Shocker's Rock
12 Never Take the Place of Your Man

DOWNLOAD


Not Quite Ska - part 2


 Some more records (and cassette) I bought thinking they were ska.

First is Prudence Dredge. A straightforward rock-n-roll band from Seattle who named themselves after a children's book about potty training. At one point Craig Ferguson played bass for them.

Unrelated to this post Craig Ferguson was also a drummer for a punk band called The Dreamboys in which Peter Capaldi was the front man. Craig Ferguson had Peter Capaldi on his show and Peter mentioned the band and said they were terrible.
They released one 3-song single including a cover of Bauhaus' "Bela Lugosi's Dead"but Craig Ferguson did not play on the recordings:



Prudence Dredge had a sax player and a trombone player and they released two albums and two singles. Not a ska beat anywhere in their recordings and, yet, they are often sold as ska just because they have horns.

Don't Stomp Away 7" (1985)


Big Ellen (1986)

Detroit Rock City 7" (1987)
Special Shovel (1989)




DOWNLOAD "DON'T STOMP AWAY" & "BIG ELLEN"


DOWNLOAD "DETROIT ROCK CITY" & "SPECIAL SHOVEL"


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Among The Donkeys - Love Bed 7" (1984)

 This was sold on eBay as a ska record. It's 80s pop-rock with prominent saxophone with no semblance of ska at all but it's pretty good and it only cost me 3 dollars. The band was Swedish and I don't know of any other recordings they ever did.

DOWNLOAD

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Buffer Zone - Buffer Zone (1990)

I'm assuming this is a demo tape. I can't find anything at all about the band (but I honestly didn't look hard at all). This was also sold on eBay as "ska". The band does have a horn section and they give thanks to Jah in the liner notes but that's about where it ends. This is one of those long-hair funk/metal bands that were popular around the early 90s. I'm not really a big fan of that sound so I was quite disappointed with this purchase. If nothing else, it is rare.

1 Oatmeal Days
2 Sick
3 Realities
4 I Explore the Soul
5 Slave to Cool
6 Hitchiking to Heaven
7 Pagan Prayer
8 You Gotta be Strong

DOWNLOAD


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Diversion Factor
Diversion Factor - Information 7" (1987)
A - Information
B - Going Home

Diversion Factor - Scenario 6 (1987)
1 Quick Fix
2 Scenario 6
3 Animal Friction
4 Break Down
5 Better Life
6 Heartbeat
7 Come With Me

Diversion Factor - Sold Away 7" (1988)
A - Sold Away
B - Reflexive

Discogs had all three of these records labeled as 'ska' but the only ska song is "Better Life" from Scenario 6. They were actually described as sounding like The Animals more than anything else.


DOWNLOAD ALL THREE DIVERSION FACTOR RECORDS


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Les Leopards - Hula Hoop Oup 7" (1981)

A - Hula Hoop Oup
B - Agent Secret

This is a French band that I know nothing about. This single may be the only thing they released and I was after this record for many years because it was always called 'ska' but guess what?

DOWNLOAD LES LEOPARDS

Spy Eye [REPOST]

Unicorn Records classic. In 1994 it was released on cd as a split with Mr. Review's Walkin' Down Brentford Road but the last song "Everything Crash" was not included. This is the vinyl version with all 10 tracks.

1 VC 10
2 Neither Red/Black Nor Racist
3 Look Smart
4 Shake it Up
5 A Message to You Rudy
6 The Things I Feel
7 Phantoms
8 Morange
9 Reminds Me of Cairo
10 Everything Crash


This is the only album they released but they did record a demo in 1989 called "Have a Good Ska Stomping" that had 6 tracks:



1 Brand New Beat
2 Rude Boys
3 Me and My Shadow
4  These Boots are Made for Walkin'
5 Reminds Me of Cairo
6 I Hate You

DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM AND THE DEMO TAPE








Sunday, November 5, 2017

Jamaican Survivers

Attack of the Maffia (1979)
1 Attack of the Maffia
2 Love Song for Dillinger
3 Jesse James on the Road
4 The Killer in Action
5 Demons in Chicago
6 The Night of Capone
7 Murders Party
8 Action in Chinatown
9 Death of the Traitor
10 Ballad for Elliott Ness
11 Dance of the Syndicate
12 Daysy's Theme

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Jamaican Survivers LP (1980) - this was previously posted - same rip
1 Dark Side of Hong Kong
2 Baby Face Nelson
3 Attack of the FBI
4 Buggy's Theme
5 Murders of Chicago
6 Dillinger is Back in Town
7 The Vendetta
8 Chicago Stomp
9 Theme from The Gamblers
10 Stoned in Bangla Desh

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Jamaican Survivers singles:




DOWNLOAD ALL 7 SINGLES FROM MEGA

DOWNLOAD ALL 7 SINGLES FROM ZIPPYSHARE




Sunday, October 29, 2017

va Honey for Tea - A Collection of Cambridge Bands (1982)

This is not a ska record but I'm posting this for several reasons...

First, it's rare. Second, there are a few songs on here that have a ska influence. I included the Hondo song on the Hondo post.
Third, I don't really have anything else prepared but I feel a need to make a post.

1 The Great Divide - Elements and Innocence
2 The Lonely - The Hurt
3 Your Dinner - Worthwhile Work in a Pleasant Atmosphere
4 Sindy and the Action Men - You're So Lucky
5 Pure Thought - Caught in the Middle
6 The Agents - Walking on Water
7 The Amyl Dukes - Universe
8 The Rapiers - Blaze of Glory
9 Hondo - Party
10 Su Lyn Band - Feels Like Magic
11 Seven Fifty-Four - Civilized World
12 The Innocent Bystanders - In Love With Emotion

DOWNLOAD




Does anybody have this...?


Sunday, October 22, 2017

Skavoovie and the Epitones - An Evening with Skavoovie (1994)

Cassette-only demo.

1 Mint Julep
2 One Eyed Giant
3 Batman
4 She Sure Can Cook
5 Sonic Boom
6 Solomon Gundey
7 Nut Monkey
8 Hi-Ball

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Sunday, October 15, 2017

Tenement Dance - Wild West 7" (1984)

This is an ultra-rare one-off single by this Australian band.

A - Wild West
B - Had My Chance

The cover shows "Wild West" as the A-side but the record itself has it as the B-side. Maybe they changed their minds at the last moment as to which song was supposed to be the driving force of this release. Both are good ska songs with a proper Australian flavor but Wild West has more of a novelty factor. 

DOWNLOAD

Sunday, October 8, 2017

Nutty Skanker - Who am I? (1994)

This is the first album from this energetic French band. It was a cassette-only release. Their second album was released on CD. It's called Definitely Rude and it's as hard to find as this cassette is. I don't have the CD yet and, let me tell you, I've been looking. If you have it, please, be a pal...

1 Jumbo Jet
2 All Right
3 Who am I?
4 Les Cadavres
5 Monsterska
6 Nebraska
7 Quadrophenia
8 Bonehead
9 Dogs of War
10 No Time to Lose
11 Chicken Pie
12 L'homme qui Rit



DOWNLOAD

Positive Craze - Pretty Body 7" (1983)

The Positive Craze was a band from Philadelphia and I don't know much about them. I don't think they ever released anything. In fact, this single was never actually released.

Enjoy.

A - Pretty Body
B - Settle Down

DOWNLOAD 

Delaney Venn - Neon Heart LP (1980)

Delaney Venn was an Australian duo comprised of Michael Delaney and Chris Venn but the band was rounded out by Paul Wheeler (ex Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, Band Of Talabene, MacKenzie Theory) bass, Chris Raggett (ex Matt Finish) guitar and Tony Doyle on drums.

They were relatively successful but their entire catalog is represented in this one release. They did have three singles but all a and b sides are on this album.  There are 10 new wave/rock songs on the album and about half of them have a ska/reggae influence. The album and the singles are hard to find and they are usually pretty pricey if you do find them. You may not love these tunes on first listen but you have to appreciate that they were from 1979-1980 in Australia. The British ska scene hadn't really hit hard yet at that time. These guys were pioneers.

After the success of this record the duo was invited to pose for a womens' magazine called Cleo. I'm not going to post the picture here but you can see it on their Facebook if you are so inclined.

Delaney was a writer who was working for different magazines before he was killed in a car accident in 1982.


1 Lucky Number
2 White Reggae
3 Fix it Up
4 Shake of the Hoodoo
5 Cub Dub
6 Young Lion
7 No Expectations
8 Prisoner
9 Tumblin' Down
10 Breaking Your Own Heart



DOWNLOAD

Sunday, September 24, 2017

United Balls - One for the Money, One for the Soul 7" (1988)

A - One for the Money, One for the Soul
B - Hot and Horny

DOWNLOAD

Beau Weevil - Wooly Bully 7" (1982)

A - Wooly Bully
B - 'Cause it Feels Good

DOWNLOAD




*Let it be known that I am still very much against ska cover versions of "Wooly Bully". Nobody ever gets the lyrics right (this one comes the closest) and nothing compares to the original Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs version. If you want to play it live, then by all means. It is a fun song to hear live. But stop recording it. Especially as an a-side.


Oh, and I don't have a cover for this so I respectfully stole this from 45 Cat which also has another picture sleeve that I have never seen for this record. I included it in the download.

The Hoodlums - Unreleased LP (1985)

The Hoodlums were a laid back ska band from Eugene Oregon... and they never actually released anything. They recorded seven songs in the studio that were intended to be for an LP but the band broke up before it was finished.

Thanks to the blog Panic on the 13th we can hear not only the seven studio songs but twelve live tracks from a show the band did at the EMU Ballroom in 1984.

1 This is Your Life
2 This Person
3 Through My Eyes
4 Follow Your Heart
5 You and I
6 My Chiquita
7 My Beach

8 You and I
9 This Person
10 My Chiquita
11 Wouldn't You Like to Talk?
12 Follow Your Heart (part I)
13 Follow Your Heart (part II)
14 Find My Heaven
15 Through My Eyes
16 Hold Them High
17 Talk to Me
18 What Are You
19 Five Characters
20 I'm Laying Down

DOWNLOAD


Sunday, September 17, 2017

Elite - You Don't Care About I (1983)

I say this a lot but this is one of those great singles from the 2 Tone era that really should be more well known. It was more popular in its day than a lot of the stuff I post but it has been all but completely forgotten. There are plenty of copies available and it usually goes for cheap but I can't find any evidence that it's ever been made available on line.


A - You Don't Care About I
B - Silly Grin

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Soul Rebels - Soul Rebel 7" (1980)

A - Soul Rebel
B - Plain Truth

DOWNLOAD

Kelvin B. - IBM Skankin' 7" (1982)

A - IBM Skankin'
B - Crooks Celebration Ball

DOWNLOAD

Requests and Re-ups

Amazulu - Too Good to be Forgotten 12"

Porkers - Tired of Being Pork Hunts

Spy Kids 1991 demo tape

No Sports - King Ska

No Sports - Stay Rude Stay Rebel 

Checkered Cabs

N-E-1 - So We Go

The Employees - Pick it Up

I can no longer offer Artur Kay's music for download on this blog. 




Sunday, September 10, 2017

King Apparatus - Loud Party (1989)



I'm sure you guys already know this is Chris Murray's band. There were two albums later released on CD but this is the first release. It was cassette-only recorded in 1988-1989.

1 Made for TV
2 Hangin' On
3 Five Good Dub
4 Dancing Fools
5 Fire (Springsteen cover)
6 Five Good Reasons

DOWNLOAD

Sunday, September 3, 2017

Shack - Suburban Urban 7" (1983)

My copy doesn't have a cover so I stole this one from Discogs which seems to be the only image of the cover anywhere online. These guys were from New York and I think this is their only release. Collector's Frenzy states that this band has one of the members of the very short-lived New York band The Plague but I think they got that information from an eBay post and I'm not convinced that it's true. I welcome you to prove me wrong.

A - Suburban Urban
B - Give a Little

DOWNLOAD

 This is hosted with Zippyshare. I don't know what's going on with MEGA but my latest links are invalid. I hope I can get it straightened out because Zippyshare deletes the file after it goes a while without being downloaded so get it now while the gettin's good.

Sunday, August 27, 2017

Fill In The Blanks - Cop Lover (1986) [LINK UPDATED Sunday September 3rd, 2017]

Fill In The Blanks (not to be confused with Phil 'n' the Blanks, the new wave band from Chicago who also did a couple of ska-inspired songs) was a pop, soul, reggae band from Portland and I think this is their only release. It's a cassette single with two tracks. The first is a poppy danceable song with some mildly humorous lyrics and the B-side is a mellow reggae-rock song with some soul/disco vocals.



This is being posted for it's rarity factor.

1 Cop Lover
2 I Wonder Who Tired Out

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