Madness - Patches flexi 7" (1980)

This is a flexi that was included in an issue of Patches Magazine in 1980. It's Madness talking about their upcoming album "Absolutely". It starts out with the guys singing Engelbert Humperdinck's "Release Me" acapella then they play a few seconds of instrumental versions of "Close Escape" and "Solid Gone".

My copy here looks okay but it sounds pretty bad. That's a flexi for you. A much better version of the guys singing "Release Me" was included on the anthology  "The Business (The Definitive Singles Collection) that was released in 1993. The other two fragments were not included in the collection and are only available on this release.

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Royal Crown Revue - Hey Santa!!! single (1992)

I tried posting swing music on my other blog but it wasn't well received. I guess there's no real place for it but it makes more sense to post it on a ska blog rather than on a punk/new wave blog so here we are.
The song "Hey Santa" was later re-recorded but this is the original and, in my opinion, much better version.
The b-side is only available on this single. It's a joke that only works the first time you hear it.

I love this single and I hope at least one other person out there appreciates it.


1  Hey Santa!!! (I'm not Sharin' My Baby this Xmas)
2 The Gift

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The Gangsters [Australia] - Mood to be Rude 7" (198?)

This is upsetting. I have only ever seen one copy of this. I sold it to somebody and they returned it because it arrived in several jagged pieces. As rare as it was, there is now one less copy than before thanks to the US Postal Service.

Look at this. Can you believe this shit? On a few occasions I have received records in this condition and somehow it's always the really rare stuff.

A - Mood to be Rude
B - Tell the Truth

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Ballistics - Gun Rush 7'' (1983)

This is a square double-sided flexi and it's indescribably rare. I could emphasize how rare it is by repeating the words "super super" or using the terms "ultra" or "mega".
The band was from New Orleans and they released two records that I'm aware of but I heard from somebody who knows this kid who heard from a guy that they recorded more than that. I'm not sure and I don't actually care.
I heard the song "Gun Rush" many years ago and had to track this record down. It is rare 2Tone style ska. The other songs on the record aren't ska except for "The Line" which is definitely ska-influenced. The other songs are surf / skronk / no-wave and I've heard that their other record is along these lines with no ska at all so I'm not really willing to pay the price their other record commands unless I hear it first.

Listen to this song "Gun Rush" and tell me you wouldn't try to hunt this thing down yourself.
Download it. Save it. It will likely be the only time in your life you will hear of this record. No matter how many copies they made, flexies don't survive very long. I got real lucky finding it in the condition I did.

1 Gun Rush
2 Surfin' Communist Guerillas
3 Naugahyde
4 The Line

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Ska Blazers - Jackpot! (1997)

Third wave ska-punk from Philadelphia. I posted their 7" many years ago. I included it in this download for those of you who missed it the first time around. This CD has not been posted before.

1 Pinball
2 Kickstart
3 Suki Suki
4 Spy
5 Mystery Machine
6 Fool's Fate
7 When in Rome
8 Skankenstein

A - Gringo
B1 - Macheesmo
B2 - Skankenstein

(The two versions of Skankenstein are very different)

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Red Stripe - Reggae 12" EP (1985)

Female-fronted poppy ska/reggae from New York.

A1 - Ambitious
A2 - Perspective
B1 - Never Know
B2 - Ambitious DUB

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The Connotations - CBGB Recorded Live Off the Board (1986)

1 You are the Ketchup in My Coffee
2 The Confidants
3 Not What I'm Dreaming
4 I do Not Think I Would Have Some Fun
5 Orange is a Good Color for Love
6 Soldier Boy
7 I Was Riding Riding
8 Gentrification Skank

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Kuby - More Ego 7" (1981)

Kubie was a moderately successful glam rock / pub rock artist who put out a couple of albums in the 70s.
I'm guessing he tried to re-invent himself with this release. He even changed the spelling of his name from "Kubie" to "Kuby" for this one (even though it's spelled "Kubie" on the record itself).
He really changed his sound. The b-side is the same old pub rock that you would expect from him but the a-side is an impressive 2 Tone style ska classic.

A - More Ego
B - The Little Ships

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Man Without Future - Over Your Shoulder 7" (1986)

This band was from Basel, Switzerland. They played post-punk with a heavy ska influence. This is their only release but both of the recordings on this single appeared on a compilation called "What's Happening" which also has two other songs by Man Without Future, one of which is also a ska song.
I do have the cassette and I'll try and post it soon.

A - Over Your Shoulder
B - Well, Listen to Me

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[LINK FIXED DECEMBER 15th, 2019]

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Spike - Can't You Hear My Heart Beat 7" (1981)

A couple of covers on this one from this British band. The b-side is a nearly-straightforward cover of the Dave Clark Five's "Glad All Over" but it's the a-side that's the winner here. A cover of Herman's Hermit's "Can't You Hear My Heart Beat?" sung in a Cockney accent with a reggae beat.

"Baby baby can't ye 'ear me 'eart beat?"  Brilliant.

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va Blue Beat in My Soul

Blue Beat in My Soul (2001)
1 Godzilla - Yes, I'm Rocking
2 The Crooked Beat - New Complexion
3 Rudy Willy's Sound System - Rude Boy Invasion
4 The Bakesys - Grass is Greener
5 Somersault - Black & White Unite
6 Calamities - Clockwork Blue
7 Ska Trek - Lightning, Earthquake, & Thunder
8 Prince Nutty - Man on the Top
9 Schwarz Auf Weiss - Madchen die Jungs - Gegenssatze Ziehen Sich An
10 The Xplosions - Grey Skies
11 Kalles Kaviar - Perfidious Game
12 Ska't - Where are You From
13 Downbeat Snapper - How Should I Know?
14 Intensified - Treasure Island

Blue Beat in My Soul - The Second Step (2003)
1 The Magadogs - Come On (ext. version)
2 Maskapone - One Ticket Flight
3 beNUTS - Ska Summer Night
4 The Braces - The Designer Song (demo version)
5 Schwarz Auf Weiss - Full Flavour
6 Rebelation - Rockers
7 Dubplate 48 - Don't Cry Over Me
8 Western Special - See Them Drop
9 Luana Point - Les liaisongs Dangereuses
10 Go Jimmy Go - Push Me Out
11 Pama International - Love We Give
12 Downbeat Snapper - Walk Over Water (longer version)
13 The Dreamlets - Someday We're Gonna Love Again
14 The Liptones - No Way Out
15 Yellow Umbrella - Candela
16 Corey Dixon & the Zvooks - Runaway Love
17 Smoke Like a Fish - One in a Million
18 The Special Guests - Talking Out

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Both compilations are in each download.

Rectum - Trip to Heaven 7'' (1998)

This is a Dutch punk/ska band that released this one single and a song called "Slave" that was on a live compilation called Heel Erg Punk Vol.1, which I included in this download. Aside from that I don't know of any other recordings.
They had a mature sound for a young punk band. For fans of OPIV and Rancid's ska stuff. So much like Rancid that I'm willing to bet that the song "What it's Like" started out as a cover of Rancid's "I Wanna Riot" that morphed into its own song. I know that might not sound very promising but, like I said, they have a mature sound. It works really well. 

A - What it's Like
B1 - Trip to Heaven
B2 - Vicious Circle
* - Slave

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va Forward March (2001)

1 Kingston 10 - Concordance
2 Steady Ups - Dub Disaster
3 The Speakeasies - Cardiac Arrest
4 The Mot!ves Project - Boy Next Door/Candy
5 Full Spectrum - Aravah
6 The Soul Stingers - China Dread
7 General Rudie - Rainy Days
8 The Empire All-Stars - Alone Again
9 The Delroys - Can't Stop Cryin'
10 The Debonaires - Tribute to Tommy McCook/Roland
11 Amusic Skazz Band - Jazzing You
12 Downbeat Snapper - My Woman
13 The Dynamos - Heartbreaker
14 The B3's - Devil Blues Boogie
15 The Tile Renters - One Last Time
16 The Legends of Brass - Horchata
17 Yellow Umbrella - Rise & Fall
18 So. Cal. Shocks of Mighty - Revenge of the Poon Poon

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Lots more stuff for sale!

Lot's more stuff was put up on eBay today with lots more to follow. I really am getting rid of everything but it's taking a while to go through everything to see what I want to rip. A lot of things I'm just saving a song or two. A lot of the records I'm just ripping and saving as WAV files that I hope to actually listen to some day.

HERE's the link.

And there's a picture of The Piranhas for no real reason.

Please Stop Talking - Fantasy 7" (1985)

Please Stop Talking was a rock/new wave band from Bremerhaven, Germany who released this lone single that shows their reggae/ska influence.

A - Fantasy
B - Letters

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Tictox - Pickney Gal single (1995)

I'm posting this one because I posted their album "Toxeuphoria" which ironically did not include the song "Toxeuphoria" but it is the b-side to the single. The a-side "Pickney Gal" is on the album.

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Foxy - Du Bist Fort (1985)

This download includes the rips and scans for the 7" version and the 12" version.

A - Du Bist Fort
B - Fjodor

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va Ska Trax - The Next Generation (1994)

This is part one of a three part series that had otherwise unreleased tracks from several bands. I will be posting the others two in the future.

I lamented in my previous post that I was disappointed that I had not found an unknown Ngobo Ngobo track, but this compilation has one - the song "Shades of Madness" was not on any other release that I know of. It's a good song too.

1 Ngobo Ngobo - So What
2 Arpioni - Noi Vogliamo un altro Mondo
3 Eskalator - Monster Mash
4 The Butlers - High Spirit
5 Skatala - Budapest
6 Engine 54 - A Rest
7 Ngobo Ngobo - Shades of Madness
8 Arpioni - Il Paese dei Balocchi
9 Eskalator - Shy Boy
10 The Butlers - Paint it Black
11 Skatala - Skatalahits
12 Engine 54 - No Duty, No Love
13 Loaded - Love Affair with Everyday Livin'

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va Skintonic 7" (1992)

This is a compilation with two punk songs and two ska songs. I bought this thinking I had stumbled on a rare Ngobo Ngobo song called "Good for U, Man" but, as it turns out, it's the song "Good for Nothing Man" that was on their demo and their first album.
On a positive note, the Blechreiz song is a rarity that is unique to this release.

A1 - Ngobo Ngobo - Good for You, Man
A2 - Die Kassierer - Tot, Tot, Tot
B1 - The Shamrocks - Empty Brain
B2 - Blechreiz - Mike Hammer

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Clear Cut - Eagle Eye 7" (1981)

Clear Cut was a band from St. Helens, Merseyside, UK. They were known for their "zany" live performances from 1979 through 1984. In that time they recorded one single. I haven't found anything else that they may have recorded. No live shows. Nothing.

"Clear Cut were a St Helens-based band comprising of Steve Briers (guitar, vocals), Dave Cotham (sax, flute, synth, vocals), Steve Moyers (bass, vocals), Garry Rowlands (drums, vocals) and Dave Wardlaw (guitar, synth, vocals). They formed in 1979 and performed at venues throughout the North West and had a massive following in the St Helens and Wigan areas. In the early '80s they made television appearances on Granada TV and recorded at Strawberry Studios, Stockport. Their first single, "Eagle Eye" was released on Recorded Delivery Records in 1981" This snippet and photo was respectfully stolen from THIS SITE.

Both sides are ska.

A - Eagle Eye
B - Sick and Tired

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Lebanon - Just Another Spliff 7'' (1987)

This is the only release from this German band whose members later formed the band Datashock for some reason. I am only presuming that this was released in 1987 but nobody really knows.

It's not ska in the purest sense but it is ska enough that it belongs in this blog.

You can hear "Just Another Spliff" HERE.

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The Braces - In Ska Studio (1986)

This is their first recording - their demo tape.

1 Julie Julie
2 Playing Darts
3 The Letter
4 No Reason
5 The Girls of Today

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Blue Chateau - What a Nice, Nice Neighbourhood 7" (1990)

You know these guys because of Steps in the Alley. I did have my own copy of this record as you can see from the scans, but the rips were sent to me by your friend and mine Rude Rich. His rips sounded great so I never bothered to rip the record myself.

A (One) - I Don't Care
A (Two) - Unity

This record is listed as being released in 1990 but you can see on the cover that it was recorded live at their last concert in 1991. Either there's a misprint somewhere or these guys are capable of time travel.

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Blacus - Side by Side 7" (1980)

This one is all about the B-Side which is ska/reggae but the A-side is a soul song. I didn't spend too much time editing the A-side because I know you won't listen to it anyway.

A - Side by Side
B - Jacamaca

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Loin Groin - Chicken Parma EP (1999)

1 Chicken Parma
2 L.T.D.
3 Life Story
4 Waverly Park
5 Spot the Ridge

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Sheep's E-Band - Gangska (1995)

1 Gang Ska
2 White Wine and Crackerfood
3 SheepSka
4 Frog's Don't Cry
5 I Can't Stand it No More
6 Skaman
7 Baboushka
8 Everything Crash
9 Sad Mind
10 Through with My Baby
11 The Tuberculucas
12 Dance With Me
13 Marlena

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Their first album "Ask Ask" from 1993 is available HERE.

Grannarna - Hissen 7" (1981)

There was a punk band in Sweden in the late 70s called Raid who needed a singer. A vocalist from a band called  ÅHMHS (Åt Hell Me Hela Skiten) joined and brought his guitarist with him forming a new band called Grannarna Klagar (Complaining Neighbor). They played hardcore noisy punk but eventually started experimenting with ska, reggae, disco, and funk.
They shortened their name to Grannarna before recording this single and the band broke up shortly after it was released. It didn't become very well known outside of their local scene. Maybe that's because whenever the band was asked about their record they lied about the title of the record and the songs which they later admitted wasn't the greatest marketing strategy.
They attempted several times to regroup but it never happened.
This is the only studio recording the band ever made but you can hear some of their live songs as well as some songs from drummer Kari Sjoblom's side projects HERE.

A - Hissen
B - Olle

Olle is a cautionary song about drugs, and Hissen has something to do with an elevator.

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The Shriners

The Shriners from Provo, Utah were sometimes called The Shriners of Ska. They played intense upbeat ska that appealed to fans of the 2 Tone sound as well as those who liked more of a third wave ska-punk style.

The Shriners of Ska LIVE! (1996) 
1 Dancehall Ska
2 Metro North
3 Rise Up
4 Rude Bwoy on the Run

The Shriners - Finally Got a Cushman (1996)
1 Metro N
2 Rise Up
3 Dance Hall Ska
4 Juanitas
5 Barbara Mae
6 Rude Boy on the Run
*untitled live instrumental

All four songs on the tape are on the CD but the ones on the tape are live and the ones on the CD are studio versions. The spellings of some of the song titles vary between the two so I spelled them the way they are on each release.

Hear "Rise Up"

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I'm selling my music - super cheap

Short story short - I'm selling my music. All of it. Not because I want to, but because I have to.

I hate selling on eBay and I don't have time to post anything so my wife has been putting everything up. She's handling all of the communications.

It may take a few months to put it all up so keep checking back. Everything is going up with a low starting bid - even that one record that ten of you contacted me about that nobody wanted to pay for. It's up for $5.00 so fight amongst yourselves.

Shipping will be combined. I'm not trying to make a profit off of shipping. If I overcharge I usually refund the difference if it's a reasonable amount.

The good thing about all of this is I'm coming across things that I forgot I had. I've been ripping everything like mad. I don't have time to listen to it or edit any of it right now. When time allows I will post as much as I can on either blog.

I have to consider whether or not it's realistic to keep the blogs going at this time. Even if I have to quit I probably have enough things already ripped to keep going about another year. A lot can happen in a year so I might just pick up where I left off or put it on hold for a while. Who knows. Let's see what happens.

Here's the link. This is just the beginning - lots more to come.

The Professionals - Watch Your Step (1997)

The Professionals were from Syracuse, New York. They released this cassette-only demo before recording a full-length album that was never released. 

DOWNLOAD THE UNRELEASED ALBUM HERE.

The Professionals - Watch Your Step
1 (untitled)
2 Towne Club Hep Step
3 1st Degree
4 .38 Baby
5 The Professional
6 Smokin'
7 Progress
8 Black Cat Joe
9 Love Me So
10 Screwed
11 What You Need
12 (untitled)

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Kuckles - Traffic Lights 7" (1982)

A - Traffic Lights
B - Fishing

Hear "Traffic Lights".

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Full Stop - Get Nice (1991)

1 Never Run Away
2 Try
3 Dubbin'
4 Sweet Candlelight
5 The Other One
6 Soul Survivor
7 All Over
8 Skankin
9 Jah Rastafari

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Slim Lean with Sax Appeal - I Wanna Go Home 7" (1982)

A - I Wanna Go Home
B - We Want Work

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Rude Agents - Heaven in the Sky 7" (1996)

This was an Italian band who never really released anything aside from this one single and a song on a compilation called Skandalo Al Sole - 13 Antinazi Songs from Italia. I have included that song with this download.

Publiqué esto en una página de Facebook hace unos meses. Esa fue una versión terrible. Si descargaste esa, vas a querer eliminarla y obtener esta versión - es mucho mejor. Además, hay otra canción que no se incluyó en la otra.

A - Heaven in the Sky
B - Meritrice
* - Wasting Time

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Mock Turtle Soup - Sticky as a Tree Frog (1996)

Punk/funk/ska band from Connecticut who released two cassettes and this CD.

They had a two song promo from 1995 stating "Two songs from our CD due out in early 1996!" and, as you probably guessed, both songs are on this CD.

But before that they released a demo tape which I have never seen before in real life. I have no idea what's on it.

Sticky as a Tree Frog
1 Frustration
2 Sizzle Rivet
3 The Lemming Condition
4 Stop Talking
5 Tammy Fay
6 Overboard
7 Pass the Peas (live)
8 Fantastic Mr. Fox
9 Mercy Mercy Mercy
10 Race Car Dub
11 Ego Maniac
12 untitled
13 Phoebe's Holistic Detective Agency
14 Jefe Rave Across America

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Mr. 2 Badd - Rude Boys with an Attitude 7" (1994)

Ska punk band from Lexington, Kentucky. I think this is their only release but they did appear on compilations. I have three of their tracks from comps so I have included them with this download.

A - Rude Boys with an Attitude
B - So Nervous
*My Old Man (from The Big Skank Theory)
*Silly Sally (from Spawn of Skarmageddon)
*Big Shot  (from American Skathic II : More from America's Breadbasket)

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I Jog & the Tracksuits

I Jog & the Tracksuits - Red Box 7" (1978)

A - Red Box
B - Worrying Man

The Tracksuits - Jah, Jah, Jah 7" (1979)

A - Jah, Jah, Jah
B - Tao, Tao, Tao

I Jog & the Tracksuits - Bedroom Tune 7" (1982)

A - Bedroom Tune
B - Optimists Song

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The Snappers - Trick Noise Makers (1995)

Horn-heavy up-tempo female-fronted third wave ska.

1 Too Slick Sawyer
2 The Pervert
3 Rude Girl in Love
4 Cup o' Joe
5 Never Knew His Name
6 Get Away
7 Too Bust Being Cool
8 B Flat
9 Pat and Adam
10 Let's Go
11 Big SKAhuna
12 Weekends
13 Late Night Love

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The Blue Beat - Say Boo! (1995)

1 Like a Virgin
2 Cat Came Back
3 Boys and Girls
4 Blues Beat Shoes
5 The Way She Wears Her Hat
6 Safety Guards
7 I Need You Dirty
8 Cool It Down
9 Hey Girl
10 In the Army
11 Secret Mission

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