BREAKS & BITS 17
SKA & ROCKSTEADY SOUNDS
PRINCE BUSTER - One Step Beyond/The Scorcher >< MADNESS - One Step Beyond
1964 / 1968
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One Step Beyond was released in 1964 by Jamaican singer/songwriter and producer Prince Buster as the B-side to the single Al Capone. In 1979 the song was covered by British ska band Madness on their debut album One Step Beyond. The Madness cover takes the spoken intro from another Price Buster song from 1968 - The Scorcher. Because of the popularity of the Madness cover version, the spoken intro - "Don't watch that, watch this" - was heavily used by MTV in its early promos. To fully capitalize on the success of the song, Madness released versions in Spanish and in French.
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1979
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PRINCE BUSTER - Judge Dread >< THE SPECIALS - Stupid Marriage
1967
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In 1979 The Specials released their self-titled debut album featuring the song Stupid Marriage, which was inspired by Prince Buster's 1967 hit Judge Dread - also known as Judge 400 Years. The Prince Buster song also influenced the chosen name of British reggae and ska musician Judge Dread. The singer was the first white recording artist to have a reggae hit in Jamaica, when he traveled there to perform people were shocked to discover his complexion.
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1979
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PRINCE BUSTER - Madness >< MADNESS - Madness
1963
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In 1963 Prince Buster released his first studio album I Feel The Spirit. The album features the song Madness, which was covered in 1979 by the British ska band Madness on their debut album One Step Beyond. Before the album was released the song Madness was featured on the B-side of the band's first single - The Prince. In their early years Madness was associated with skinheads, a subculture they were very popular with. Although the skinheads were usually characterized as racist, most were actually anti-racist. Nonetheless Madness eventually denied having any skinhead roots.
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1979
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LLOYD PARKS - Mafia >< BAD MANNERS - Mafia
1975
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Bad Manners is an British ska band that formed in London in 1976. The band was most popular in the 1980's. In 1987 the band reformed, and frontman Buster Bloodvessel started the label Blue Beat Records - which later shut down in 1990. The first of two albums on that label, Eat The Beat, featured a cover of Lloyd Parks 1975 rocksteady song Mafia. The outlandish band lived up to their name, their many exploits had them banned for BBC TV's Top Of The Pops. They were also banned from Italian TV after mooning the audience after being told the Pope was watching on TV.
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1988
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DANDY LIVINGSTON - Rudy... >< THE SPECIALS - A Message To You Rudy
1967
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At age 15 Jamaican musician and producer Dandy Livingston moved to the United Kingdom. In 1967 he wrote and recorded Rudy, A Message To You, which was covered in 1979 by The Specials. The song was the opening track on the bands debut album produced by Elvis Costello. Trombone player Rico Rodriguez played on the original version by Livingston, and also played on the cover by The Specials. The song has been covered many times by bands including Barenaked Ladies and the Dead Milkmen.
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1979
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DESMOND DEKKER - 007 (Shanty Town) >< SHAGGY ft RIK ROK - --
1967
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In 1961 young vocalist Desmond Dekker auditioned for Studio One in Jamaica, after being turned down he signed with Leslie Kong's Beverly's label. After two years the song he auditioned was released, this first single of his was a big hit in Jamaica. By his fourth release he was one of Jamaica's biggest stars. In 1967, with his band The Aces, Dekker released his international hit 007 (Shanty Town). The song was the first record out of Jamaica to chart on the UK Top 20. In 2007 Jamaican American singer Shaggy sampled the song on Bonifide Girl.
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2007
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TOMMY McCOOK & THE SUPERSONICS - Reggae Merengue >< LILY ALLEN - LDN
1970
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In 2006 British singer Lily Allen released the single LDN with a very limited pressing of 500. The single was actually her first record, released before her first official and mainstream single Smile. The title of the song spells London in mobile phone text language. The song samples the 1970 single Reggae Merengue by Tommy McCook & The Supersonics. McCook was one of the founders of The Skatalites, and this song of his is based on the Columbian porro song Cogeme La Cana from Nestor Montes.
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2006
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THE SPECIALS - Nite Club >< SUBLIME - Badfish
1979 / 1991
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In 1992 ska-punk band Sublime released their debut album 40 Oz To Freedom. The album features one of the band's most popular songs - Badfish. That song samples The Specials 1979 song Nite Klub on the intro, and the song 's melody was inspired by the 1991 song All The Fun That We Missed from the cowpunksurfabilly band The Ziggen's. The Ziggen's were signed to Sublime's label Skunk Records. On their song Outside they sampled Smoke Two Joints by Sublime. The Ziggen's also recoded a song for the Sublime tribute album - Look At All The Love We Found.
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1992
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LYNN TAITT & THE BOYS - Storm Warning >< LILY ALLEN - Friday Night
1975
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Lynn Taitt was a reggae guitarist that was born in Trinad & Tobago. After he formed his band he was booked by Byron Lee in 1962 to play in Jamaica. In 1995 Taitt's 1975 song Storm Warnings was sampled by Lily Allen for her song Friday Night off her debut album. The album sold more than three million copies, and Storm Warning was nominated for Best Alternative Music Video that year.
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1995
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PRINCE BUSTER - Al Capone >< THE SPECIALS - Gangters
1964
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In 1964 Prince Buster released his mostly instrumental single Al Capone. In 1967 the song charted in the UK and became a big crossover hit. When the song was released there was a booming popularity of gangster and western films in Jamaica. The rude boy movement was born in 1960's Jamaica out of this fascination, and the fashions and styles were heavily influenced by the films of the period. In 1979 Al Capone was sampled by The Specials for their song Gangsters.
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1992
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