SOTD: Starpoint - Send Me a Letter (1984)

Starpoint [Wiki] was an R&B/dance group from Maryland that released 10 albums between 1980 and 1991 [Discogs]. Their biggest commercial success was the song "Object of My Desire" from their 1985 album Restless. The song "Send me a Letter" was released a year earlier on the album "It's all Yours" and it didn't get any attention. It might have been a hit if it it was released a few years earlier and/or was actually promoted. Just listen to it. This is the only time they attempted a ska/reggae song (I'm pretty sure), but it seems like these guys were listening to 2 Tone records all the while.

"Send Me a Letter"  
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You might remember this:

SOTD: Trent Reznor - Time and Chance (1983)

Yes, this is the guy who spearheaded -if not invented- Industrial music. Back in the early 80s he was in a new wave band that was known for doing a lot of cover songs in their live shows. The band was called Option 30 and they never had an actual release, but they did put out a demo tape in 1983. The tape went unnoticed until Reznor had success with The Downward Spiral. The tape was released on cd but, even then, it was limited to 1,000 copies.
On that tape were some okay new wave tunes, three cover songs, and this gem. Trent Reznor did not write this song but he did sing it. This is more than a novelty,...this is actually a good ska song. 



DOWNLOAD

...see some Option 30 videos HERE. Trent Reznor when he was only a lad.

SOTD: Tackhead - Ska Trek (1989)

Remember the song "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang? They had a group of guys backing them up called Fats Comet who were also known as Tackhead. These are the same guys backing up Grandmaster Flash on White Lines and The Message.

They released their first 7" in 20 years on November 11th, 2011. Its a cover of Bob Marley's Exodus. Here's a remix of the new track.

It's from an album of new music that's supposed to be released in 2012. Stay tuned to their Official Site for news on that.

They released the album Friendly as a Hand Grenade in 1989 and the first track on the album was "Ska Trek"




http://www.mediafire.com/?lw6tlsph6w3blvl


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SOTD: Scritti Politti - The Word Girl

http://www.mediafire.com/?qhd09xcv6992cah

SOTD: Ziggy Marley - Blackcat

You may have heard the name Ziggy Marley before (from what I hear his dad was a musician of some sort. He used to hang out with Mick Jagger)

In 2006 Ziggy was feeling the 2 Tone vibe when he recorded this song for his second solo album (without the Melody Makers) Love is My Religion.



http://www.mediafire.com/?n2423oyeuk2mvx6

SOTD: William Shatner and Toots Hibbert cover the Police

Remember the Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" about the man who was on an airplane and kept seeing a man on the wing of the plane? The main actor was a guy named William Shatner who later went on to find fame in a TV show called TJ Hooker with a woman named Heather Locklear who was married to members of Motley Crue and Bon Jovi after Charles in Charge broke up with her.

Anyways...this TJ Hooker guy went on to do commercials for an online based airplane ticket agency, which is ironic considering his beginnings. He made enough from his commercials to fund one of the most...um...interesting album of 80s cover songs. On this album he enlisted the help of a down-and-out nobody named Toots Hibbert (normally I would never say a negative thing about Toots - he's the guy who sang Split Personality - but he sank pretty low on this one and I feel like my shit talking is justified).

Here's Captain Kirk and the 54-46 guy doing a cover of the Police song "Walking on the Moon"

I wanted to expose this to the world but I never wanted to contaminate one of my podcasts with it, so, if you decide to share this with another Earthling, please do not mention Tone and Wave.

http://www.mediafire.com/?3dfnrfwpl08aw38

SOTD: What Fun - The Right Side Won (1983)

I never got around to buying this record yet. There are lots of them all over the internet so I will have a copy someday but the song itself is easy enough to find on line so here it is if you don't have it yet.
This was definitely going to be on my next podcast but I couldn't decide if I wanted the 7" version at the beginning of the episode or the 12" version at the end. You can have both:

7" Version

12" Version

SOTD: Where There's Gold - The ska stylings of...Seal?

I already did a SOTD for today but I didn't do one for yesterday, so doing 2 for today is allowed according to the Tone and Wave handbook rule 54-46.

Seal got in touch with his ska side on his 4th album in 2003 which was titled "Seal" (weren't they all?) with this song "Where There's Gold". It's a pretty good song but it didn't fit into any of my past podcasts.





http://www.mediafire.com/?nkab8ti5qn18bp7

SOTD: Corrupt Citizen - Talk is Cheap

I don't remember how this song fell into my hands but I've had it for a while now and always wanted to put it on a podcast. It just never felt right in the podcasts I have done in the past.

The band is called Corrupt Citizens and I know absolutely nothing about them except that they were from Arizona. Can't find diddly squat else on the internet except that this song was recorded in 1983 and was released on a 7" on Bad Stain Records called "The Mongolian Wild Turkey Baby Back Rib and Cheesy, but yet oh-so Spicy Stuffed Jalapeno Homemade Chili and Waffle Cookout and Square Dancing Barbecue Finals Volume 2" which was limited to 1000 copies. (HERE).

Keep in mind that these guys were out a few years before Operation Ivy...before there was such a thing as third wave.



http://www.mediafire.com/?xhemeoxaapu03p9

SOTD: Men At Work - Falling Down

A letter from the editor:

A rare photo of Jason Duncan from 1948 as he contemplates the Reformation of Minsk

I just realized a couple days ago that it's been almost a year since I did a podcast. I keep telling myself that I'll be doing another one any day now. I'll probably keep telling myself that for another year.

Let's face it...I ain't doing another podcast.

I do have this folder of songs that I intend to use in a podcast someday but I have to be realistic here and say that it's just not going to happen. I don't have the free time I used to have when I first started this blog and the bit of free time I do have is drinkin time. I have learned over the years to not internet whilst drunk.


So what do I do with this folder full of oddities? A mixtape? Nah, mixtapes don't have any personality.

How about this...Song of the Day?

Most of the time I post a 7" there's only one good song on there anyway so, in a sense, that's the song of that day.

Some of the songs are going to be great and you'll be glad I posted it. Some will outright suck. I have learned a long time ago that I don't really know what will be popular and what won't so I'll just put it all out there and let you decide.


Your SOTD (Song Of The Day [yes, the O and T are capitalized...I'm not fuckin' around here]) for today is:


Men At Work - Falling Down


A song written by Colin Hay intended to be on Men At Work's 2nd album Cargo (1983) but somehow didn't make the cut. They did play it live when they toured for Cargo and released this particular version as a B-side to the Australian 12" version of the single High Wire





http://www.mediafire.com/?em5b9atd6585414