The Roys - Blue Moon 7" (1981)

 

This is being posted by request

A - Blue Moon

B - Rise Up Youth 

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Beat Fetish - Is It Time? (1992)

 This was a ska/rock band from Albuquerque who released this cassette-only mini album in 1992. The first side, in fact, the first five songs are ska or ska-inspired. The last two songs are a little too "Hootie and the Blowfish" for my taste. 

I'm not really a big fan of hippie music - especially pop-hippie music (but I do have my favorites - I can listen to Jimi but I can't hear Jimi - I get it) so I don't really waste too many seconds of my life listening to Steve Miller's song "The Joker". I know a lot of people like it and they are entitled to their own weird opinion. The only popular song from this era that I dislike more than The Joker is American Pie. "I drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry"?? Who wrote this? A drunk toddler? 

Anyway, I'm saying this because this tape has a cover of The Joker that I actually like. I'm a hard sell for this kind of thing but I give it my approval. I'll allow it. 

At least it's not Woolly Bully.

 Again. 

Ska bands need to leave Woolly Bully alone and, at least once, I'd like to hear a ska band cover another Sam The Sham and the Pharaohs song like "VooDoo Doll"

 

But I digress. 

 

1 It Is Time

2 Feed the War

3 I'm at Home

4 The Joker

5 Just One Thing

6 Round & Round

7 Isolation Man

toneandwave · Beat Fetish - Feed the War (1992)

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Jack's Reference Band - We're Troppo 7" (1986)

 This is a British mod band that I can't find any information about. This might be their only release. The B-side is a sax-laden mod tune that they say is a tribute to Booker T. and the MGs. I don't know too much about Booker T. (nor the MGs for that matter) so it's possible this is a cover song. If so, I have never heard the original version and I don't want to. I like this version just fine. 

The A-side is a ska song that will have you singing along "We are trouble" if you're not paying attention. 

A - We're Troppo

B - The Face

toneandwave · Jack's Reference Band - We're Troppo (1986)

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The Touch - Come Feel 7" (1983)

I have posted a lot of rare stuff on this blog over the years but this is definitely in the top 5 rarest things I've posted.

I think The Touch was from Texas but I'm not sure.

I have been looking for this record for a long time and I have heard that there are about three copies known to exist. The reality is that the band members probably each have crates of these records in their basements and that two years from now there will be 15 copies available on Discogs for $5 each. But I wasn't so lucky to score one for cheap. The copy I found is in amazing shape so I'm lucky for that, but the seller knew what he was selling.

I tell people that when they go to record conventions you need to go against your instinct. If you're looking for ska, go to the guys selling rap. If you're looking for punk, go to the guys selling country. Most vendors at conventions sell things outside of their scope of interest and they don't know the value of some of what they're selling but let me tell you...the guy who specializes in ska knows what he's selling and what it's worth. The guy who sold me this record...I respect him and hate him at the same time.

Rare doesn't always mean good, but in this case it does. This is one of the best rare records you'll ever hear.

A1 No Guarantees
A2 Don't Touch Me There
B1 Trouble on My Street
B2 Agent 109
B3 Jungle & Such

Listen to "Trouble on My Street"

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Belly Button and the Knockwells - demo tape (1988)

Just like the last post, this is strictly mod music. Not a second of ska anywhere on this tape. But don't worry - I am not moving in that direction. I am running out of quality ska music but there is still lots that I haven't posted yet. I have posted some mod stuff in the past. It's allowed.

As I'm sure you know Belly Button and the Knockwells' first actual release was for their ska song "I Left the Army". The B-side of that single is "When She's Around" which appears on this tape but it's a much different version. There are six songs on this demo and "When She's Around" is the only one that was released later.

1 You're a Liar
2 When She's Around
3 Fresh
4 I Want Up
5 How Much I Love You
6 My Babe

"My Babe" is, of course, a cover of the Little Walter classic.

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Surprise Surprise - Anguished Heart 7" (1984)

Surprise Surprise was a mod band from Australia that released three  singles that I know of. This is not ska but I am posting it because I used to have the other two which also were not ska but, for some reason, any time I saw this one for sale anywhere it always labeled it as ska. It was (and still is) relatively common for a mod/power pop band to do an occasional ska song so I was intrigued. Even though I no longer have the other two I broke down and bought this one expecting a ska song. Half of me was disappointed because there is no ska to be found from this band, but the other half of me was okay with it because the A-side is a good mod song.

A - Anguished Heart
B - Walking with a Zombie

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Little Murders - Four Songs from Little Murders (cassette 1982)

 1 She's the One
2 After the Fire
3 She Said
4 One Hundred Drugs

Little Murders is a prolific mod/power pop band from Australia. They put out lots of albums but I think this is the song "She Said" from this EP is their only true ska song. They dabbled with the ska sound in a couple other songs and I included the "Take Me, I'm Yours" single in this download because the b-side has a very prominent ska sound even though it's not really a ska song.

...and, no, the a-side is NOT a cover of the Squeeze song that was covered by Tim Curry.

A - Take Me, I'm Yours
B - Things Will be Different

Listen to "She Said".


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?Uestion 16 - Jungle of Love

This band was from California and I have no idea what else they might have released. I don't even know what year this is from. I did all of the cover scans but I seem to have lost them. I got this image from online somewhere.

1 Jungle of Love
2 (You) Imitate
3 Going Overboard
4 Johnny
5 Attitude Profile





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