Sound System: A Rough Introduction to Ska & Rocksteady
It all begins with Rancid, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and No Doubt. Or rather, it did for me as a suburban white boy growing up in the 90s. The pop punk scene headed by Green Day was just going mainstream. Following closely behind, Rancid had their moment. The Clash-influenced band from Berkeley who featured a pair of ex-Operation Ivy members had only a hint of ska in their sound, but soon a wave a ska-punk bands would be everywhere. And I loved them. From the elder statesmen Bosstones and Toasters to the rising upstarts Less Than Jake, Buck-o-Nine and the Voodoo Glow Skulls, ska was experiencing what was being called it’s third wave.
As the third wave had its moment in the sun during the mid 90s, right before nu metal came along to shit upon everything, the 2 Tone bands of the late-70s/early-80s second wave got some attention as well. So, I became familiar with The Specials, Madness, The Selecter and The Beat. Unfortunately, the third wave did little to shed light on the vastly superior original ska/rocksteady scene or the history of the genre. A couple compilations would help bring that to my attention in my college years, but it wasn’t until the 2010s that I began to really appreciate artists like Prince Buster, Delroy Wilson, The Heptones and Desmond Dekker.
While it’s impossible to pinpoint the moment of origin for any genre, Ska’s roots were obviously formed in Jamaica in the late 1950s. Musicians were emulating the early American R&B sounds of Louis Jordan and Fats Domino, while adding in bits of their Caribbean mento and calypso roots. The Jamaican sound system culture would play a huge role in the early days of ska. Much like the Bronx DJ scene that would give way to hip hop, the sound system scene was centered around a handful of DJs putting on what were more or less block parties. Stranger Cole, Prince Buster, Clement “Coxsone” Dodd, and Duke Reid were the big names of the scene, often participating in sound clash battles to show each other up. Often, sound systems included MCs known as “toasters” who would speak, boast, and rhyme over the music. The idea was conceived by Count Matchuki, and later perfected by U-Roy, setting the precedent for hip hop.
Two of the favorite songs to play in that era were Fats Domino’s “Be My Guest” and Barbie Gaye’s “My Boy Lollypop”. In those 2 songs, you can clearly hear the foundation of what would become the sound of ska. A cover of “My Boy Lollipop” by Millie Small in 1964 would even go on to be the first true international ska hit.
As time passed, the progenitors of the Sound System scene transitioned from playing hits from America to making and producing their own new sounds. Clement “Coxsone” Dodd started Studio One and Duke Reid founded Treasure Isle, two essential recording studios at the heart of Jamaican music. In the early 60s, artists such as Prince Buster, Derrick Morgan, Laurel Aitken, and Byron Lee & The Dragonaires began releasing singles that would establish the ska sound. Toots & The Maytals, The Skatalites, and Desmond Dekker weren’t far behind. Meanwhile Lee “Scratch” Perry was working for Dodd at Studio One.
As ska evolved through the 60s, the slower, more soulful style of rocksteady developed. Alton Ellis, Phyllis Dillon, The Paragons and Heptones were among the pioneering stars of rocksteady. Rocksteady’s prevalence in Jamaican culture was relatively short-lived. Just as the more politically-conscious genres of funk and psychedelic soul overtook black music culture in America in the early ’70s, reggae and dub became the dominant sounds of Jamaica.
Founded in 1968 by Lee Gopthal and Island Records’ Christopher Blackwell, Trojan Records would play an instrumental role in bringing ska, rocksteady and reggae to Britain. Trojan’s compilations remain an essential starting point for anyone seeking to delve into the classic Jamaican sounds. A handful of young English musicians who grew up listening to that music would be responsible for ska’s second wave, commonly referred to as 2-Tone, beginning in the late 1970s. Coinciding with the emerging punk movement, 2-Tone acts such as The Specials and Bad Manners updated the Jamaican sound into something new, while not straying too far. Jamaican music would also be a major influence on punk bands like The Clash and The Slits.
The second wave of ska didn’t really impact the United States. Blondie covered The Paragons’ “The Tide Is High”, Bad Brains inventively found a way to combine dub reggae and hardcore, and NYC band The Toasters provided their own take of 2-Tone ska. As the 1980s progressed Boston’s Mighty Mighty Bosstones and west coast acts Fishbone and Operation Ivy further developed the punkified template from which third wave ska emerged.
Spotify Playlist
Essential Ska & Rocksteady Albums
Ska’s heyday mostly occurred during a singles era, so many of the greatest songs only ever found their way onto 7 inch singles and compilations, but there’s still more than a handful of classic albums to seek out.
Derrick Morgan
Forward March!
1963
Recording with both Duke Reid and Coxsone Dodd in the early 1960s, Derrick Morgan was one of the earliest stars of ska. His debut LP Forward March! contains his biggest hit, the title track, which celebrates Jamaica’s Independence from the UK.
Prince Buster
I Feel The Spirit
1963
The first ska album to be released outside of Jamaica (UK), I Feel The Spirit‘s impact is immeasurable. The song “Madness” would go on to be covered by the band of the same name.
The Maytals
The Sensational Maytals
1965
One of the most enduring acts to ever come out of Jamaica, The Maytals began as a vocal trio. Their early songs fused ska with energetic doo-wop influences. The second album in their long discography, The Sensational Maytals highlights their early sound at its best.
The Wailers
The Wailing Wailers
1965
The earliest recordings by Bunny Livingston, Bob Marley, and Peter Tosh are nearly unrecognizable in sound from the version The Wailers that everyone knows. Much like The Maytals, The Wailers’ early sound draws heavily from American doo-wop. “Simmer Down” and “One Love” are the big highlights.
Laurel Aitken
Ska With Laurel
1966
Getting his start working for the Jamaican Tourist Board, singing mento songs for arriving tourists, Laurel Aitken is one of the pioneers of ska. Though his singles date back to 1960, Aitken didn’t release his debut album until 1966. Ska with Laurel is one of the templates from which the UK 2-tone movement significantly draws from.
The Paragons
On the Beach
1967
Best known for the hit “The Tide Is High,” famously covered by Blondie, the debut album by the vocal trio of John Holt, Tyrone Evans and Howard Barrett is loaded with catchy pop soul magic.
Alton Ellis
Sings Rock and Soul
1967
Like a Jamaican Sam Cooke, Alton Ellis’ voice is silky smooth, so it’s no surprise how he became one of the most acclaimed artists of the short-lived rocksteady movement. The mix of originals and covers on his debut are timeless.
Desmond Dekker & The Aces
007 Shanty Town
1967
Probably the biggest star to emerge out of Jamaica in the 1960s, Desmond Dekker pretty much embodied everything great about ska and rocksteady. He shifted between catchy upbeat ska and chill soulful rocksteady seamlessly, even on his debut.
Brother Dan All Stars
Let‘s Catch The Beat
1968
If you’re vaguely familiar with ska, you’ve likely heard Dandy Livingstone’s “Rudy, A Message to You” as covered by The Specials. Equally as significant is Let’s Catch The Beat, his second album as Brother Dan All Stars. The rocksteady record by the UK based act represented a breakthrough for the legendary Trojan Records.
The Heptones
On Top
1968
On their self-titled 1967 debut, the vocal trio of Leroy Sibbles, Earl Morgan and Barry Llewellyn took the doo-wop influenced ska of The Maytals and The Wailers and slowed it down to their own brand of rocksteady. On the follow up, On Top, they perfected it. The combination of tight vocal harmonies with the bass rhythms of Leroy Sibbles, and Jackie Mittoo’s organs are as good as it gets.
Delroy Wilson
Good All Over
1968
Regarded as Jamaica’s first child star, Delroy Wilson recorded his earliest singles for Coxsone Dodd when he was only 13. Several of those early ska singles were diss tracks about Dodd’s rival Prince Buster. By the time he was 20, his voice had matured significantly from those early recordings and rocksteady was becoming the popular sound. On Good All Over, he proved to be one of the finest voices of his generation.
Ken Boothe
Mr. Rock Steady
1968
Along with Delroy Wilson and Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe had one of the most soulful voices of rocksteady, shining on tracks such as “I Don’t Want to See You Cry” and “Home Home Home”. It’s a voice so good
Desmond Dekker & The Aces
Intensified
1968
As wonderful as their debut was, Desmond Dekker & The Aces saved their best for their 3rd album, Intensified. If any song can convince someone that ska is worth exploring, it’s the perfect “(Poor Mi) Israelites”.
Toots and the Maytals
Sweet and Dandy
1969
Few albums are as significant as Sweet and Dandy. Over the course of the 60s, Jamaican music was constantly evolving. A consistent part of the evolution, The Maytals helped usher in the next era of Jamaican music with Sweet and Dandy. The band’s legendary third album combined the best elements of ska and rocksteady, while also incorporating the reggae sound that would dominate the ’70s in Jamaica.
Pat Kelly
Pat Kelley Sings
1969
Following a stint in popular vocal group The Techniques, Pat Kelly went solo. His debut album Pat Kelley Sings, engineered by Lee “Scratch” Perry, is another memorable rocksteady album that draws heavily from the soul music of late-’50s/ early-’60s America.Kelly’s voice can melt a glacier.
Alton Ellis
Sunday Coming
1970
I’m of the opinion that this is the peak of rocksteady. The vocal melodies of Alton Ellis on Sunday Coming are as good as it gets, and I’m not sure the Studio One band ever sounded tighter. Ellis and Coxsone Dodd wrote the bulk of the songs, including standouts “Hurting Me” and “Gonna Take A Miracle”. The few covers are well curated, including the perfectly executed version of Motown classic “You Make Me So Happy.”
Bob Andy
Bob Andy’s Song Book
1970
An original member of The Paragons, Bob Andy left before they recorded their debut album, replaced by the equally talented John Holt. Compiled of his Studio One singles through the late 60s, Bob Andy’s debut LP, proves that he’s one of the finest songwriters of his era.
The Pioneers
Long Shot
1970
Formed in 1962, The Pioneers went through several lineup changes before settling on Jackie Robinson, Sydney Crooks and George Agard. Following up a wonderful debut which was produced by Joe Gibbs and featured contributions from “Scratch” Perry, the solidified vocal trio kicked it up a notch with the even better Long Shot. Lead single “Long Shot Kick De Bucket”, a song about a dead racehorse, remains their biggest hit, or for good reason.
U-Roy
Version Galore
1970
Sound system culture was a vital part of the golden era of ska and rocksteady, and “toasting” was a vital part of sound system culture. No one as better at it than U-Roy. Acting as the toaster/deejay for Duke Reid’s sound system, U-Roy’s impact is immeasurable. Version Galore isn’t just the lofty standard set for all future Jamaican deejay records, but also a key ingredient to what would eventually become hip hop. Version Galore also plays like a masterful mix tape of the best sounds coming out of Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle Studio.
Horace Andy
Skylarking
1972
The 1972 debut by young singer Horace Hinds would mark the of one of the most interesting careers to develop out of the rocksteady era. Recording under the name Horace Andy at the behest of Coxsone Dodd to capitalize on the success of Bob Andy, his distinctive voice set him apart from his peers. Later in the decade, he’d help bring the rise of the dancehall scene. And in the 90s, Horace Andy became a regular collaborator with trip hop giants Massive Attack.
Phyllis Dillon
One Life To Live
1972
Ska and rocksteady were undoubtedly boys clubs. Although Millie Small’s rendition of “My Boy Lollipop” was one of the most consequential tracks to ever come out of Jamaica, it appears that it was rare for women to find their way into the studios that dominated 1960s Jamaica. Phyllis Dillon is one of the few exceptions. The Queen of rocksteady, Dillon split her time between New York and Jamaica. She had a family and career in banking in New York, but still managed to put in enough time at Treasure Isle studio to result in a load of standout singles and this album. As good as album tracks like “Picture On The Wall” and “Livin’ In Love” are, her singles with Alton Ellis may be the music made in Jamaica in the 1960s.
Judge Dread
Dreadmania – It’s All in the Mind
1972
Thanks in part to Trojan Records, Jamaican ska and rocksteady found its way to making an impact in the U.K.. Dandy Livingstone was living there, and the Pioneers would eventually make it their home as well. Alexander Minto Hughes, better known by his stage name Judge Dread (named after a Prince Buster song), was a fat man who worked as a wrestler and a debt collector for Trojan Records. Heavily influenced by Buster, Dread had his first big hit with “Big Six”, a cheeky play off of Buster’s own “Big Five.” That song would set the template for Judge Dread’s career, full of songs with sexual innuendo. He was the successful white ska artist, paving the way for the future 2-Tone movement.
Jennifer Lara
Studio One Presents
1981
By 1981, reggae was the sound of Jamaica but Jennifer Lara’s debut (recorded in 1974) is every bit the kind of soulful rocksteady magic you’d expect out of Studio One. It may not have been released during rocksteady’s golden era, but it’s just as essential.