Squatter Boys - Sound of the Sphinx 7" (1980)

...submitted by Andreu

I had this on a tape that a friend gave me many many years ago. Somebody made him a ska tape and he was a hardcore punk who never got into ska so he gave me the tape and I never knew what exactly I was listening to. A couple years back I discovered this site and learned what the song was called and who did it.
It has more recently become a favorite of mine and I just checked my email and discovered that Andreu sent it so I had to post it immediately.

It's a forgotten rarity that I hope you appreciate as much as I do.

I have lots more good stuff to post tomorrow or the next day but I had to put this one out there right away.

A - Sound of the Sphinx
B - Harlem Sound

"Sound of the Sphinx"


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Urban Blight

My Side of the Fence EP (1983)
A1 - My Side of the Fence
A2 - Shades of Blue
B1 - Bits About
B2 - A Nite Out

A Night Out 12" (1983)
A - A Night Out
B - Urban Night Dub

Peace Train 12" (1984)
A - Peace Train
B - Peace Dub

From the Westside to the Eastside EP (1987)
1 House of Gold
2 Get Closer
3 The World Keeps Spinning
4 U Must Be
5 Go Bouncin'
6 The World Keeps Spinning (instrumental)

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Much thanks to James!!

Crucial DBC - What's Next

Crucial DBC formed in the early 80s in California and released four cassettes. This is one of them. I know they had another one called "Dread Rock" and I don't know what the other two are called or what years any of them were released.
The band was lead by Norman Jones who teamed up with Dave Wakeling in General Public and later The New Radicals.

A ton of thanks to Michael who contributed this!!

1 Discreate the limits
2 Holdback Syndrome
3 I'm Giving Up
4 My Dancing Partner
5 U R A Slave
6 Midnight Hour / Let Him Go
7 Oppression
8 A Different Kind of Black & White
9 What's Next?

"Holdback Syndrome"

"What's Next"

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Fun Addicts - Mandela 7"

...contributed by Craig

A - Mandela
B - What's Going On

"Mandela"

"What's Going On?"


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Bruce's singles collection

Here are some more singles that Bruce has been contributing:

Cairo - I Like Bluebeat / Version
Cairo - Movie Stars / Cuthbert's Birthday Treat
Clean Looking Boys - Sent to Coventry / I Like Your Feel
Division 4 - On the Beat EP with the songs She's Just Not Anybody / Stop Dreaming / I Can't Give You Everything (not ska, but good mod)
Diesel - Barbes Pigalle / Coquez Cola
China Street - You're a Ruin / I Wanna be Your MP (this is not ska but they did have a 2nd 7" "Rock Against Racism / Dubbage" that was)
Ejecutivos Agresivos - Mari Pili / Stereo
Los Cardiacos - Noches de Toison / Extranos en tu Sombra
Los Cardiaco - Salid de Noche / Chicas de Burda

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Just Kidding - Watch the Fires & Why Must We Fight 7"

1 All I Wanna Be
2 Shop Window Dummy
3 We Got Soul
4 Watch the Fires



A - Why Must We Fight?
B - Makin' Time

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A ton of thanks to Craig and Bruce for these submissions!!

Freedom of Expression - For Lack of a Better Word 12" (1985)

...submitted by James who writes:
Freedom of Expression were a mainstay in the Southern Ska scene. In fact, 2 of them play in A.K.A. Rudie these days. They put out this mini lp in 1985, and a cassette only release a few years later. I haven't been able to track down the cassette, but they also had a song on the first Mashin Up The Nation comp, and 2 songs from their cassette on the Ska Gone South CD (which I would highly recommend tracking down, its got a bunch of great 80s and early 90s ska).

1 Keep it Burning
2 I Heard it Through the Grapevine
3 Stranded in Babylon
4 Forward We Stumble
5 On the Dole
6 A Change in the Weather

"Keep it Burning"


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Inner City Unit - Paradise Beach 7" (1980)

...submitted by Ronan

The A side isn't ska but it's a pretty good version of Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" that I think would be the exact same way the Aquabats would play it.
The B side was on "Ultra Rare Ska". You know, the one that borrows just a little from "Guns of Navarone", just a little.

A - Paradise Beach
B - Amyl Nitrate

"Paradise Beach"


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Tivoli - Hälsobröd 7" (1980)

...submitted by Rikard

A - Hälsobröd
B - E-Vitamin

"Hälsobröd"


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Michael Byrd and the Commercials - Sell Out Before the Fallout EP (1980)

Not straight-forward ska, but has a definite 2Tone sound with a heavy mod influence.
Featuring members of Selecter

A1 - The Girl I Used to Know
A2 - Things are Looking Up
B1 - They Can Never Go Home
B2 - Nightshift

"Things are Looking Up"


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Much thanks to Bruce for this submission!!

Furry Dice - Rudi, Don't Take Your Love to Town 7" (1981)

...another brilliant submission by Bruce

A - Rudi, Don't Take Your Love to Town
B - KGB

"Rudi, Don't Take Your Love to Town"


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Gangsters - Rudi the Red Nosed Reindeer (1980)

...submitted by Bruce

A - Rudi the Red Nosed Reindeer
B - White Christmas

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The date on the record is 1968 but it's actually from 1980.

Die Frolix - Unser Größter Fehler 7" (1986)

...submitted by Bruce

Not ska but good punk with horns. I like this sort of thing when it's done right.

A1 Immer Ich!
A2 Wo ist Unsere Heimet?
B1 Die Wilden Zwanziger
B2 Mein Größter Fehler

"Wo ist Unsere Heimet?"


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The MPs - Housewives Choice 7" (1980)

Much thanks to Rikard for this submission!!

A - Housewives Choice


AA - Life on the Dole


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Reluctant Stereotypes - She Has Changed (Not You) 7"

...submitted by Rikard

A - She Has Changed (Not You)
B - Ben Shirtman

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Laurel Aitken - No More Sorrows 12" (1982)

This was submitted by James who says:

"I don't know much about this one, I picked up a copy without a sleeve, but its amazing. It's like the missing link between his 1980 singles on the I Spy label and the music he started putting out in 86/87 on Unicorn and Gaz's. Sally Brown is almost completely different compared to what it would become on the 12" single he put out in '89."

The internet doesn't have anything to add. Anybody know anything about it?

"Sally Brown"


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The Papers - Who Put the Reggae on the Radio? 7" (1980)

...submitted by Ronan

A - Who Put the Reggae on the Radio?
B - Beat the Beat

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It has been pointed out that this was taken from Short Sharp Kick in the Teeth. Much respect to them!!
(...incidently you may also want to check out the "New Math" 7" posted HERE.

The Larks - Billy Graham's Going to Heaven 12" (1986)

...submitted by Craig

Early third wave sounds from this London band. They have a Myspace

1 Billy Graham's Going to Heaven
2 Maggie Maggie Maggie
3 Pain in the Neck
4 The Boat
5 Whatever You Say
6 All or Nothing Girl

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Janse Bagge Bend - Sollicitere 7" (1982)

...submitted by Bruce

A - Sollicitere
B - 'T Knon Oppe Mert

"'T Knon Oppe Mert"


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The Gangsters - Who's That Man?

Here's a nice little rarity from 1980. These are not the same guys who did "We are The Gangsters". Those guys were from England and these Gangsters are from France. I have to admit that I have never heard of them before yesterday when Bruce sent me this. Does anyone else know anything about them?

A - Who's That Man?
B - Games

"Who's That Man?"


DOWNLOAD

Again thanks to Bruce who also sent a link to where you can buy your own copy of this relic HERE.

Uptown Rulers - Twelve Inches (1982)

Authentic 2 Tone sounds from Bloomington Illinois from 1982.
...submitted by James

1 Tell Me Where You're At
2 Domino
3 Middle Class
4 Being Watched
5 Cardboard Box
6 Exodus

"Tell Me Where You're At"


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Six Pack #2: The Scene / Legal Gender split 7" (1987)

...submitted by Bruce

The Scene - Bruise in Me
Legal Gender - Overcast

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Jamaican Survivors - Dillinger is Back in Town 7" (1980)

...submitted by Ronan

A - Dillinger is Back in Town
B - Chicago Stomp

"Dillinger is Back in Town"


DOWNLOAD

(*there is a skip at the beginning of Chicago Stomp that doesn't interfere too much)

Urbations - The Whip 7" (1982)

...submitted by James

A - The Whip
B - Skaffle

"Skaffle"


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Indicators - Modern Love 7" (1980)

"Modern Love"



A - Modern Love
B - Strange Kind of Lady

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I've been after this one for a long time. Thanks to Bruce for this submission!!

Stay S.H.A.R.P. vol.1 (1993)

1 Mr. Review - One Way Ticket
2 100 Men - Hungry in Dun Loghaire
3 The New Apollo 7 - Mr. Policeman
4 Malarians - The Fugitive
5 Skarface - Blue Mood
6 No Sports - Stay Rude Stay Rebel (live)
7 Verska Vis - Ego te Batisto (live)
8 Special Brew - Nr. 1 Cult
9 Banana Boats - Marihuana
10 Messer Banzani - Zentis
11 Intensified - Dictator
12 Red London - The Harder They Come

DOWNLOAD

includes full booklet.

I know this has been making its rounds on other sites without the booklet. If you have the music already you can download the booklet only HERE.

Thanks to Rikard for this and for taking the time to do all the scans.

Now Playing: Babylon Saints

This is my first post that focuses on bands that are currently playing.
I intend to make this a regular feature.





From their Myspace:

"The name Babylon Saints is both a contradiction in terms as well as an excellent way to disarm the potential listener of their expectations. So to simply say that the four members of Los Angeles-based group play reggae rock, albeit extremely catchy reggae rock, would be rather deceiving. Singer Matt Gerovac, drummer Brandon Petersen, bassist Tyler Drake, and steel drummer Joseph “Panhead” Peck can offer a better set of groovy descriptions for their sound: Authentic. Soulful. Funk. Honest. Caribbean. American. African. Brazilian. Spicy. Danceable. And, as Peterson puts it, “it’s like if Steel Pulse, the guys from Weather Report, and Men At Work were riding a bike down Sunset Boulevard.”

Just like this colorful imagery, the Babylon Saints members themselves are an assortment of backgrounds and musical perspective. Their collective passion for reggae music was formulated within the schools, streets, and music venues of Anaheim and Whittier, CA, Pittsburgh, PA, the Virgin Islands, Cleveland, OH, Boca Raton, FL, Wichita, KS, Trinidad, WI, and local Los Angeles. Whether it was a Blues Brothers movie (Petersen), a set of pots and pans (Panhead), a vacuum created after quitting baseball (Gerovac), or growing up in a musical environment (Drake) that got them to where they are now, what all four Saints have in common now is their dedication to getting their sound heard.

Babylon Saints have swept California with what Gerovac calls the group’s “gushing warm groove.” Their performances draw on the freedom to not only showcase each instrument, but to feed off and accentuate each member’s sounds and rhythms. Babylon Saints are building a robust live performance schedule with plans for expanded U.S. and international tour stops in support of the upcoming record. Their debut album on Citation Records, due in 2009, will include songs that, Panhead would like you to know, might possibly ravish your face off. In a good way."

They have allowed Tone and Wave to post one of their songs for you to download:
"Day to Day (Radio edit.)"

The Good Guys - A System of Grooves

Ska and reggae from Virginia from 1984. This may be their only recording. Anyone know if they had anything else?

1 Fun Lover
2 Democracy (Or Else)
3 Now that the Feel's Changed
4 Feel's Changed version
5 Beeline
6 Big Guy Town
7 Still a Mistake

DOWNLOAD

"Fun Lover"


Much thanks to James for this submission!!

Shake Spears - Summertime 7" (1978)

...now here's something I've never seen addressed in any ska article. I can't find any info anywhere mainly because I don't know what to search for.

What is the origin of the ska chick-i-chick scatting? Is there a name for this sound?
What's the earliest use of it?

My guess is that it stemmed from Billy Stewart's version of the Gershwin song "Summertime". He recorded it in '65 and it was released in '66.

Prince Buster recorded "Don't Throw Stones" in '66.

Is there a link here? I'm just speculating without any foundation. If you know please set me straight.

Here's Billy Stewart.The sound in question is at :41 and again at 4:20


Here's The Prince making the sound his own


...anyway, here's a mod/ska single for you.

A - Summertime
B - What Happened

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HERE's a Shake Spears bio (in French)
...thanks to Paul for the link

Casino Royale - Skaravanpetrol EP (1989)

A1 - Skaravanpetrol
A2 - Bonnie & Clyde (live)
B1 - Casino Royale
B2 - Available Swing (live)


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...yet another brilliant post submitted by Rikard

...on a personal note...

It's been about a month since I moved and I'm still not unpacked yet. I do check T&W regularly and I see your requests and it might take some time for me to find everything but I will post it when I can. If I remember. I'm really good at forgetting things so if it seems like I'm ignoring you just keep bugging me. I won't think you're being rude.
I had some money saved up for the move but it was more expensive than I thought. I was hoping to have some cash left over to buy some more music. In the end I did have some and I was intending to buy the Double Barrel comp that's always on ebay for $60 but then my transmission went out on my car. If it's just a solenoid or even something in the valve body then I'm okay. If the whole thing needs replacing then Tone and Wave will be a bit inactive for some time. I do have lots of things that I haven't posted yet so I can keep it going for a little while.

Several people have asked me about what I'm looking for that they may have so I'm starting a second Tone and Wave blog featuring all the things I don't have. Hopefully those of you who have those things will share.

It's a work in progress but it's HERE.

I will also be focusing a bit more on newer bands. I found myself recently becoming a grumpy old man grumbling about the "kids these days". I love Skankin Pickle but if I never heard of them until now would I still love them? Probably not because I wouldn't give them a chance. I need to get out of that mindset that there aren't any good bands anymore. I know there are and I will begin featuring them from time to time. This won't interfere with my regular posts.

Thanks for reading all this crap. I know most people who come to this blog won't read this at all. I will not do this again. Instead I will be more active with Myspace. Most people left Myspace in favor of Facebook but I hate Facebook and I gave up on Myspace because it seemed like nobody was ever on there.
It doesn't matter that nobody's on there anymore. I will be.
I will post personal ramblings like this one as well as links to all the other cool stuff that I find on my internet excursions. No friend request needed. It will be open to all.

TONE AND WAVE MYSPACE

Perfect Stranger - S/T 12'' (1982?)

Here's a very rare 12" clear picture disc from this mod/ska band from Pasadena California. I've found little info on this one. One source said this was from 1982, another source said 1985. Who knows?

"Stop This Ride"


1 Fall Down
2 Stop This Ride
3 The Bridge
4 Satellite
5 411

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Jack Kevorkian and the Suicide Machines - Green World (1994)

REPOST

1 Skachoo!
2 Everyday Life
3 Prefab People
4 Green World
5 With Sunshine
6 Inside / Outside
7 The Golfing Song
8 The Vans Song
9 Drunken Jocks
10 Ugly Place
11 Snot Rag
12 Post Office Death Squad
13 Friends are Hard to Find

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Downtowners - Yes I Do!

From Unicorn Records 1990.

1 Why the Violence?
2 Freedom Song
3 Downtown Boys
4 Mandy
5 Yes I Do!


"Mandy"


DOWNLOAD

Thanks to Andreu for this contribution!!

The Cosmics

Traditional ska from early 90s UK. They never released a full album but here is everything they did release. Compiled and contributed by Rikard.


S/T EP
















Flexi from Skactualities fanzine.



"Come Together"


11 tracks

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Bad Manners 12"s

Bang the Drum All Day
A1 - Bang the Drum All Day (extended)
A2 - Bang the Drum All Day
B1 - Bang the Drum All Day (dub)
B2 - Saturday Night

Sally Brown
A - Sally Brown (extended)
B1 - Buffalo Ska
B2 - Sally Brown

Skaville UK
A - Skaville UK (extended)
B1 - Skaville UK
B2 - Rocksteady Breakfast

Walking in the Sunshine
A - Walking in the Sunshine (extended)
B1 - End of the World
B2 - Night Bus to Dalston (vocal version)

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Angry Young Bees 7" (1981)

Here's just a quick one for tonight...

Angry Young Bees from Boston Mass.

"You're Not Talking to Me"



A - You're Not Talking to Me
B - Square One

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The Frits - Die Erste

1 I Remember
2 Streetfighter
3 Why do You Change It?
4 The Reason Why
5 Brother L.
6 Keep Your Love Away
7 Jumpin' Boots
8
9 I Want You

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A huge THANKS to Rikard for ripping the record and sharing it with us and to Martin who lent it to him.

Just Kidding - Live in the Studio (1990)

1 Wagon Train
2 Sunshine
3 Tell Me Baby
4 Please Tell Me
5 Ska'd for Life
6 Toast of the Town
7 Politician
8 Something's Going Down Tonight
9 Give a Little
10 Danger
11 Lipstick Traces
12 Strike it Rich






DOWNLOAD MP3s

DOWNLOAD M4As

Furious Turtles - Antiturtalitarianism

Brisbane Australia's first ska band's 2nd release from 2004



1 Old Jack Rusty
2 Hard World / Mad World
3 Parks & Benches
4 Gamera
5 King of the Ska
6 Can't Keep Running

DOWNLOAD

Their first 12" "Endangered Species" is available at Life in Monochrome

South Coast Ska Stars - Head On 7'' (1980)

A - Head On
B - South Coast Rumble

DOWNLOAD


If you haven't gotten around to getting it yet everything else that South Coast Ska Stars has recorded is found on the Mod City compilation which can be found HERE.

Untouchables

Agent Double-O-Soul

Wild Child

Free Yourself

Ghetto Stout

Cool Beginnings - Rare and Unreleased 1981-1983

Decade of Dance - Live


(Thanks to Ruder Than Rude for Cool Beginnings and Decade of Dance)

27 Red

1 Johnny Otherway
2 No Time
3 Secret Agent Man
4 Better Watch
5 Never Forget
6 Go Crazy
7 Rude Boy
8 Tomorrow
9 Friends
10 Autumn Ska
11 Girls
12 Leavin'



1 Man on the Moon
2 Best Day
3 Angry Man
4 Leavin'

Germany's 27 Red recently broke up at the end of '09. They left behind these two offerings and an official site and their Facebook.
They played well-composed straight forward Two Tone style.





DOWNLOAD BOTH

Six Pack #1: Beat Brigade / Toasters split 7" (1987)

This is the first of the Six Pack series that only made it as far as two releases. The second featured the band Legal Gender with the song "Overcast" and the band The Scene with "Bruise in Me" and - like this one - was limited to 1000 copies. (I'm still looking for that one).
Much thanks to Ben for this submission!!

A - Beat Brigade - Try and Try Again
B - Toasters - Talk is Cheap

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