The Plugs - Last of the Boiler Boys (1982)

 This is not an actual album. The Plugs never released an album. This is a collection of odds and ends. Mostly home recordings for songs they played live but never got to record in a studio.

 They hand made this tape for their fans and they sold it at their last show. 

I was holding off on posting this because I wanted to include both of their singles and a live tape which includes a compilation track (which is not ska) but I didn't have time today to work on a post so I just decided to put this out. It's very rare but a little hard to listen to because of the sound quality. The other stuff I have by them is even more rare but even more hard to listen to. I will post the other stuff at a later date. Sorry for the inconvenience.

1 We are Plumbers

2 Chips and Beer

3 Berserkers in Babylon 

4 Pluggage

5 My Bicycle

6 Interval

7 Why is Life so Complicated

8 B. Brain

9 In My Oriental Garden

10 Oh Dear!

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Crucial DBC - Haunted World (1988)

1 Spy Version#

2 Hold On

3 Oppression

4 I Don't Understand

5 Who's Lovin You?

6 King Darry's Rude Boy Rap*

7 Wicked*

8 Right for My Heart

9 Ipso Es Victium

10 Haunted World

 

# I'm guessing these tracks are not in order of how they were played. At the end of the first track Spy Version he says "Thank you! Good night!" like it was the end of the show. I didn't re-arrange anything, I left it as it is on the tape. 

*The song King Darry's Rude Boy Rap flows directly into the song Wicked. I tried separating them but without any real line of demarcation it sounded terrible so I left it as one single track. There are ten songs on this tape but you'll see only nine in the download.  

 

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Beatbusters - "Wanted" Dead or Alive (1992)

1 It's Gonna Get You

2 Saxica

3 The Popular Man

4 Ska-Fire

5 Inspiration 

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The Flys - State of Mine 7" (1985)

 The Medflys was a power pop band from California who released a self-titled tape and then changed their name to The Flys and put out one 7".

 Their song "State of Mine" was kind of their big hit. It was a pseudo-funk new wave tune. It was on the KSJO "Best of the Bay" compilation in 1985 and it was the A-side to their only record.  

I haven't heard their tape so I don't know how much they dabbled in the ska sound but the B-side to their only record was a great ska song called "Should've Stayed Home".

 I have heard their demo tape and, surprisingly, they had a full-on ska version of "Wild Thing" which I included in this download. 

 

A - State of Mine

B - Should've Stayed Home

* - Wild Thing

 

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Anton Johnson - Hey Baby 7'' (1981)

 I was reluctant to post this because it is already on YouTube - two different posters  - but this is my own rip and I think it sounds better that the YouTube videos.

A - Hey Baby

B - Ice Cream

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Verska-Vis - Danse L'Espace (1992)

 

1 Go Out Anymore

2 Do the Dog

3 Qu'est-ce Qui ne Tourne pas Rond Chez Moi?

4 Give Her

5 Time Hard

6 Get Crazy

7 A Message to You Rudy

8 Cure the Redeem 

 

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Paul PK - Jumped the Gun 7" (1982)

 There is an established country artist in from London U.K. called Little Ginny who put out a few albums in the late 70s / early 80s. Her bass player was Paul Kirby. He played in bands of various genres and he was also a songwriter who dabbled in producing. Eventually Little Ginny and Paul got married. 

Since Paul was familiar with different genres of music he knew that the emerging ska/reggae sound of the late 70s/early 80s was a path worth taking.

He encouraged Little Ginny to record a ska/reggae song. So, in 1984, she did a ska cover of Don Gibson's 1961 hit Sea of Heartbreak but she didn't use the name "Little Ginny", she used the name Ginette for this record:

This may or may not have been inspired by Paul's own ska reggae single presented to you right here and one might even go so far as to say this reggae/ska record was inspired a bit by old country music.

It seems both of them just kind of faded from the world of music after this.

Paul PK - Jumped the Gun 7" (1982)

A - Jumped the Gun

B - Pickin' up the Pieces

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Chafariz - Marisqueira 7'' (1985)

A - Marisqueira

B - Teus Olhos Tão Azuis

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RB's

Reposted by request

RB's - RB's (1981)

1 Explain

2 Careers Information

3 Let's Call it a Day

4 Let Me Feel It

5 Tonight

6 Deja Vu

7 Movie Theme (to Dance to)

8 Moving Pictures

9 Life in Exile

10 Waiting for a Dog Year

A - Uruguay

B - Time

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Patrick Retour - Ik Ben Wie Ik Ben 7" (1985)

 

 

A - Ik Ben Wie Ik Ben

B - Swing Met Mij

 

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Mr. Review - Reggae and Ska (demo tape 1987)

1 Complications of Life

2 Searching for the Past

3 Run Away

4 Independence (live)

5 unknown (live)

6 Who Closed My Eyes (live)

7 Part Time Love Affair (live)

Some of these songs cut off in middle of the song. That's how they appear on the tape.

 

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

 

DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

 

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Silent Q - 1983 demo tape

 Silent Q was a ska band from Ottawa, Canada who started out as a band called Al's Garage. They never recorded anything aside from this demo tape which was recorded at the end of the band's short but promising life.

There may be only one single copy of this tape that exists. It was ripped by the band's drummer Anthony Chhangur in 2009. The sound quality is not great but this is probably the only recorded proof of this band's existence.

The band was:

Norm Berketa - guitar/vocals

Anthony Chhangur - drums

Paul Seale - guitar/vocals

Fred Hackett - bass

Steven Bird - bass (when Fred left the band)

Greg Friend - keyboard/vocals

Silent Q were vocal about being inspired by the band Pushkins.

Silent Q - 1983 demo tape

1 Logical Patterns

2 Look Back on Your Life

3 Talking

4 Youth in Asia

5 Sabotage

6 Captivity

7 Jump and Dance

8 The Boys in the Neighborhood

9 Cruising the Autobahn

10 Bad Apples

11 Mind Jump

12 Rumour Fuse

13 Way of Life

14 Nobody Takes Me Any Higher

15 Observations (From the Planet Mars)

 

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

 If you appreciate lost recordings of old Canadian ska bands you should check out Randy Conrad's YouTube Channel. He was the keyboardist/trombone player for the Canadian band Rude Boy who released one single in the early 80s. The band was fronted by Count Steve formerly of The Villains. They had a 4 song demo tape and they released a 7" in 1982 called "Someone Elses' Car" (not on Discogs).

The band was made up of members from an earlier female-fronted band (lead singer called herself Edie Amin) called Current Situation. I don't think Current Situation had any official releases but there are some great live recordings.

Start with THIS VIDEO and then check out his other videos. Lots of great lost ska in this channel.

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Pushkins [Canada]

Pushkins - Pushkins EP (1983)

1 One Way Flight

2 The Walk Home

3 Just Dancing

Pushkins - Pushkins (unreleased EP 1984)

1 UIC

2 Sometimes

3 My One

Pushkins - ...Inviting & Invading (1985)

1 Shoot You, Shoot Me

2 Romantic Zone

3 Scissorman

4 Buzzard Bait

5 I Said

6 Pain Bank

 

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

 DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

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Blitz - Heil Reagan 7" (1981)

 It's the B-side which makes this meritorious of a Tone and Wave post. 

A - Heil Reagan

B - No Time

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

 

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Bananaboat Jumpers / Converse split demo tape (1987)

 01 Bananaboat Jumpers - '80

02 Bananaboat Jumpers - Bananaboat

03 Bananaboat Jumpers - Döhner

04 Converse - All Day & Night

05 Converse - S.O.W.E.T.O. 

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

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The Executive - Fur Elise (1980)

 I think anybody who comes to this blog knows that The Executive was George Michael and Andrew Ridgely's first band. Those of you who don't know might want to read the article that Marco wrote ten years ago. 

 This is just one track which I understand was always put as the last song when George would make individual tapes for different people. I heard that it was a short song but this is not even a full 30 seconds long so I don't kknow if this is the full song or not.

 

I found it on THIS YOUTUBE CHANNEL and I did leave a comment asking if he might have more of the demos. I think I know the answer because he probably would have included them if he had anything else but it doesn't hurt to ask.  

 

UPDATE: The YouTube channel did respond and he said he does not have anything else by the Executive. The search continues. 

 

toneandwave · The Executive - Fur Elise (1980 demo)

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

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b-Sides - Live EP (1982)

 This was a live demo tape that only had two songs but neither of these songs appear on any of their other recordings. 

You can hear their only album "Red to Black" as well as two live performances on their OFFICIAL SITE. 

1 Getting Around

2 Prisoners of War

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

va Tone and Wave Ska Compilation

 

I have a large collection of rare ska songs from the late 70s throughout the 90s. I made sure that every song in this compilation is something I personally ripped from my own records and tapes. If you have any of these songs that you also ripped and shared online at any point in the last 30 years I can guarantee that these rips are my own and not your rips. 

The only exception is the band The Insteps from Cardiff. I do have a tape from a television studio recording with three tracks but my copy sounds horrible so the two tracks I share here are the versions I found online because they sound way better than my own.

 

The song by The Stars That Wouldn't Shine is not ska but if you have their album you might appreciate this track to complete your collection. 

1 Tiny Hat Orchestra - Java (1991)

2 Spankers [UK] - She's the One (1981)

3 Little Chief - 21st Century (1988)

4 Eastcliff [Switzerland] - Faggiolini Circus (1983)

5 The Riffs - Monday Morning (1989 demo)

6 Slavdik [South Carolina] - La Bamba (NOT a cover of the song you know)

7 The Frits - Sense of Life (original 1989 version)

8 The Frits - Work (original 1989 version)

9 Zzipp - You're Better Off with Me

10 Zzipp - Groupie

11 Zzipp - I'll be a Star (live)

12 Felons - Love 'n' Skank

13 Duo Jag [Sweden] - Tidbomb (1986)

14 The Meeting [Germany] - City Nightmare (1985)

15 The Insteps - Dancing (1982)

16 The Insteps - Don't Really want to be Like You (1982)

17 The Stars That Wouldn't Shine - Scream and Shout (1983)

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

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Nik Townend / Liberace Coughs Up Blood split 7" (1981)

 This is the first release by Nik Townend after The Akrylykz broke up.  

A - Nik Townend - Gunslinger

B1 - Liberace Coughs Up Blood - Messerschmidt

B2 - Liberace Coughs Up Blood - Too Many Faces

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Zipyshare

The Blue Beat - DC (1989)

 If I had to guess I would say that "DC" refers to "Demo Cassette". They did do a demo tape in 1985 which was untitled. I don't have that one yet. 

1 Airport

2 Fire

3 P.I.L.L.

4 You've Got the Choice

5 Nothing has Changed

6 Opposition

7 Ciao Marco

8 Nein

9 It's not Funny

 

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Zippyshare

For the record I do possess the physical copy of this tape and this download is from my own recording of the tape. The inlay is hand-written and I believe it's the same copy that's on Discogs. I'm currently in negotiations to trade this tape for the 1985 demo. Of course, if that goes through I will post the demo. If it doesn't then I am willing to trade this tape for, I don't know...something. I'm not going to sell it because I don't need the money but I am willing to pass it on to a true collector in exchange for something I don't have yet. There were probably less than 10 copies of this tape made in 1989. It's a museum piece. Who wants it?