Marco On The Bass Takes A Look Back At The Year In Ska 2011

Happy New Year to all readers of the Marco On The Bass blog!  While 2011 was a stressful year for most people (continued job losses, mounting unemployment rates, continued home foreclosures) it's going to be very hard to top when it comes to ska. There was an unbelievable cornucopia of 2-Tone era band tours, shows, books, media coverage and new albums and music to enjoy. In fact, the amount of ska related developments came so fast and furious at times, it was hard to keep up because there was so much to write about. So in that time honored tradition of looking back at the year that was, here is my totally subjective, top 11 Marco On The Bass ska highlights countdown of 2011.

11. King Hammond visits New York City!
Ska renaissance man Nick Welsh revived his King Hammond moniker in 2010 and since that time has been prolific releasing three albums (The King and I, Jacuzzi, and Showbiz) and two vinyl EPs ("Riot in London Town" and "Hey, Mr. DJ") of some of the best skinhead and dirty reggae around. Welsh made a quick trip over to New York in early December to show us Yanks what we have been missing.



10. The Toasters celebrate their 30th Anniversary
The Toasters celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2011 with a tour of the U.S. While the band are known around the world for carrying the ska torch and Bucket long ago moved his home base to Spain in order to tour Europe more easily, New York still remains the band's spiritual home and its where Bucket often honors the band's legacy. To mark the occasion, the band played a show in Brooklyn earlier this year and was was joined by its former toaster/vocalist Coolie Ranx (who appeared on the Dub 56 and Hard Band Fe Dead albums) for an extended version of one of their most popular and iconic tracks 'Run Rudy Run' taken from their first 'Recriminations' EP (which was produced by Joe Jackson). The band is about to embark on another U.S. tour.



9. Books, books and more books about ska!
Was it me or were there more and more books about ska and ska bands available to read in 2011? Pauline Black of The Selecter set the bar high with her no holds barred autobiography 'Black By Design' which recounts her experiences growing up as a bi-racial child adopted by a white family in 60's era Britain. It also takes an unflinching look at her life and times in the early days of the birth of 2-Tone and The Selecter. I was also a fan and regular reader of Horace Panter's blog on The Specials website titled 'Specials U.K. Tour By Sir Horace Gentleman'. The posts are detailed updates -- part travelogue and part tour diary -- of The Specials experiences on their very last U.K. tour (at least until 2013) and picked up where Panter's excellent read 'Ska'd For Life' left off.

Fans of 2-Tone can look forward to two more books in 2012.  Lynval Golding, the guitarist and prime mover behind The Specials successful 3 year reunion is collaborating with Paul 'Willo' Williams author of the definitive history of the band 'You're Wondering Now -- The Specials from Conception to Reunion'. The two have been meeting together for several months and are in the early stages of mapping out Lynval's story and perspective on the band and his life changing experiences playing music. The current working title of the book is 'Back In Time'.

Madness fans can look forward to a tome from lead vocalist Graham McPherson (A.K.A Suggs). The book is due out in the Fall of 2012. U.K. publishing house Quercus announced that they had purchased the world wide rights to Suggs' autobiography. This will not be Suggs first book writing adventure. He previously authored 'Suggs And The City: My Journey's Through Disappearing London' in 2009. The book was billed as the Madness frontman's personal guided tour of the unseen nooks and crannies of his London hometown.

8. Hollie Cook the new face of U.K. reggae?
After playing her eponymous album over and over this summer, I can say without hesitation that Hollie Cook (daughter of Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook) could be the new face of reggae! Her album, produced by none other than Price Fatty, was the soundtrack to my summer and is without a doubt the finest UK reggae set of 2011.



7. Meet America's Finest 2-Tone Band -- The Crombies!
Combining their love of ska, reggae, punk, and rock, The Crombies may be the finest American 2-Tone All-Star tribute band I've ever seen or heard! Founded by vocalist Mike Park (ex-Deal’s Gone Bad, Lord Mike’s Dirty Calypsonians) and Deal’s Gone Bad guitarist Dave Simon, the six-piece band perform fantastic, pitch perfect versions of songs by The Specials, Madness, Bad Manners, The Beat and more.

The Crombies have made such an impression on crowds around Chicago, that none other than super ska label Jump Up Records released a 7" single by the band featuring a fantastic 2-Tone inspired cover version of Niney The Observer's reggae classic 'Blood & Fire' backed with 'Mad At The World'. The song is a revelation taking the best of The Specials and The Selecter and mixing it with a hint of punk and reggae.



6. Stranger Cole & Patsy reunite for first show in 40 years!
Stranger Cole and Patsy! The names are synonymous with the founding of ska and rocksteady in Jamaica in the early 1960's. Some of my earliest memories of discovering original 60's ska are of hearing Cole belt out the lilting and anthemic 'We Are Rolling' and Patsy duet with Derrick Morgan on 'Housewifes Choice' from the raw and always sensational 'Intensified: Original Ska 1962-66' album that rarely left my turntable in college.  So I was beyond excited to be part of the crowd that packed the Bell House in Brooklyn in October to witness ska history. Nearly 40 years in the making (and nearly four years of persuading, pleading, and negotiating to set this show up) it finally came to pass -- Stranger Cole and Patsy reunited! Read a great review of the show over at the Duff Guide To Ska and watch footage of the show below.





5. The Saga Of The Selecter continues
While 2010 marked the 30th anniversary of the release of The Selecter's iconic 'Too Much Pressure' album, it also saw the emergence of two competing versions of the band led separately by vocalist Black on one side and lead guitarist Neol Davies on the other. In 2011 Black moved to take ownership of the band name ahead of the release of a new album 'Made In Britain'.

Though the reality of two version of The Selecter has always been intriguing on a certain level, its also been a shame that the original members have been unable to patch up whatever differences existed between them and come together to properly honor their legacy. With this decision, Davies, who has also been playing and performing under The Selecter band name will be known as Neol Davies AKA The Selecter for any of his future musical projects. Davies has been invited to perform at the 2012 London International Ska Festival.

4.  London International Ska Festival 2011
Featuring a who's who of notable ska legends and current up and comers, the second edition of the London International Ska Festival was so much of a success that the 2012 version was announced days after the 4 day festival ended.

The 2011 version was much more ambitious and broader in scope that the 2010 kick-off including a diverse mix of original artists from the 60's and 70's (Ken Boothe, Dave & Ansel Collins) as well as bands from the original festival in 1988 (The Loafers, Napoleon Solo, Bim Skala Bim) and ska mainstays like The English Beat, Dub Pistols, The Trojans and last minute addition The Lee Thompson All-Star Ska Orchestra. Special guests included Lynval Golding of The Specials, Rico Rodrigues, Rhoda Dakkar of The Bodysnatchers/The Special AKA and Buster Bloodvessel of Bad Manners and Jerry Dammers (who were both spied dancing in the audience).

The 2012 edition is shaping up quite nicely and will include The Dualers, Neol Davies AKA The Selecter and The Hot Knives.

3. New Madness album confirmed for release in 2012
Madness frontman Suggs has confirmed the U.K. ska/pop institution plan to release a new studio album in 2012! The new record will be the band’s first since 2009′s ‘The Liberty of Norton Folgate‘, which broke into the UK Top 5. The band showcased songs from their brand new, as yet untitled, tenth studio album, in all its glory during their 'rehearsal set' as part of the House of Fun Weekender in the U.K. this past fall. As with ‘The Liberty of Norton Folgate’ which the band performed live a full year before its release, Madness gave the new album tracks an early airing in their embryonic state for their most hardcore fans who attended the show. Quite a few of the songs have been played live during the band's summer tour, but it was the live debut for more than half the songs on the set list.



2. Jimmy Cliff collaborates with Tim Armstrong of Rancid on release of 'Sacred Fire' EP
In a musical collaboration that makes perfects sense, Jimmy Cliff teamed up with ska/reggae aficionado Tim Armstrong of Rancid (who cites Cliff as a major influence and inspiration) to release a 4-song EP of ska and reggae songs in November including a memorable and haunting version of The Clash's 'Guns Of Brixton'. A full length album is due out in 2012.

Its fitting that Cliff covered the song that Clash bassist Paul Simonon penned with a knowing nod to the classic reggae gangster film The Harder They Come that made Cliff an international star. Its also telling that the song, which depicts feelings of discontent that were building in the U.K. in the early 80's due to heavy-handedness of the police (leading to the Brixton riots in 1981) was released the week riots once again exploded across London and other cities in the U.K. in 2011.

Guns Of Brixton by JimmyCliffMusic

1. The Specials to soldier on!
The good news is that The Specials have decided not to call it quits after all following what was to be the very last show of their three year reunion in London in early November. The news represents a complete about face for the band, who announced the tour would be their very last. In fact, only recently, front man Terry Hall had announced that after this tour they’d call it a day. The decision to continue on was confirmed by Lynval Golding and the band are now hinting that new material may be on the way.

So what does this news mean for fans of the band? First and foremost it would suggest more touring, particularly in the U.S. and Japan which are markets where the band remains incredibly popular. It also means the band may have finally committed to writing new material as they have now taken the live show of the their two albums as far as they can. It also begs the question: What role will or won't Jerry Dammers play in the future? Stay tuned!

Below are my favorite songs of 2011

1. Jimmy Cliff - Guns Of Brixton
2. Little Roy - Lithium
3. Madness - You Can't Keep A Good Thing Down (Unreleased)
4. Blue Riddim Band & Big Youth - Nancy Reagan Remix 2011 Voice Of The People
5. Hollie Cook - Walking In The Sand
6. King Hammond - Rocking On Ridley Road
7. The Rudie Crew - Newscarrier
8. The Selecter - Back To Black
9. The Forthrights - Camp Birdman 7"
10.  The Crombies - Blood & Fire

An Ode To 'Cod Reggae': A Look Back At Some Of The Worst Reggae Inspired Music Ever Recorded

I strive to celebrate and venerate the best of ska and reggae music on this blog.  The many artists who made the music a cultural phenomena are all heroes to me and many others.  However, as ska and reggae music made its way into the charts of the U.K. (and the U.S, to a lesser extent) and its influence and popularity spread, many mainstream singers, bands and musical artists began including the rhythms and sound in their own songs. Some of these efforts were magnificent and some less so. Others were just plain terrible.

I've previously highlighted some of the better attempts at this (see Paul Simon, Blondie and Johnny Nash), However, I felt it was high time I trained the spotlight on some of the more dreadful attempts of what the Brits call 'Cod Reggae' (which is a term I have always loved). This list is neither exhaustive or complete and focuses on the late 60's and 70's. (I'll look to do a similar post for the 80's and 90's in the new year). With reggae making real inroads in the U.K. and the U.S. musically in the late 60's to mid 70's I looked for reggae and Caribbean music from the era that actually did the genre no favors artistically.  So without further ado I present a selection of some of the worst attempts to play this beautiful music.  Consider yourself warned!

But first, let me say I am an open minded fan of calypso, ska, reggae and all other forms of Caribbean music. While there are certainly social, political cultural reasons why 'cod reggae' tracks may be more popular with mainstream audiences then than tracks recorded by the original artists (e.g. racism), what I will say is that I have a real soft spot for certain musicians' attempts to 'go reggae'. They never get it quite right, but it can often result in something really interesting and different. This post is about those attempts that don't get it right!

The grandfather of 'cod reggae' music has to be Bernard Cribbins and his 1962 track ‘Gossip Calypso'. The song was inspired by Lord Kitchener's wonderful ‘London is the Place for Me’ which is a gorgeous ballad that extols the beauty and splendor of London from a recent Jamaican immigrant's perspective. I can't say the same for Mr Cribbins' attempt which sounds like an outtake from a bad Saturday night variety show as sung by a comic.



A few years later saw Millie Small's joyful ‘My Boy Lollipop’ hitting the charts, riding a wave that included Prince Buster, John Holt, Ken Boothe, Desmond Dekker and Jimmy Cliff. From these great moments, one of the most awful sub-genres, loomed. Calypso required huge bands and great skill, but reggae was much easier to recreate to the ears of the uneducated. Reggae sounded like two chords, a jaunty bass line and required a singer to pipe “dat” instead of “that”. While The Beatles's 'Ob la di, Ob la da' is likely the first massive 'cod reggae' hit, it inspired Marmalade's cover version which was likely totally unnecessary (though it may be better than Sir Paul's version and hit #1 in the U.K. pop charts in 1969!).



But I've saved the worst for last. My all time favorite worst 'cod reggae' song has to be Paul Nicholas and his song 'Reggae Like It Used To Be'. Nicholas was better known on this side of the pond for his hit 'Heaven On The Seventh Floor' which I distinctly remember dancing to at a 6th or 7th grade dance in the late 70's. It wasn't until very recently that I was introduced to his left turn into reggae. Here it is as performed on Top Of The Pops in May 1976. The song actually reached #17 in the charts which doesn't speak kindly to the taste of the British listening public! Luckily, punk and 2-Tone were just months away from washing this type of clap trap off the charts.



And before I go, here is truly awful piece of 'cod reggae as performed by 60's pop icon Sandie Shaw on a popular British TV show called '2 G's and The Pop People' in 1972. In a word this is 'horrendous'! Sadly the song borders on the worst aspects of minstrel. And while Shaw was no racist, this was the era of television when Black and White artists sadly remained mostly separate. You may want to clean your ears out with soap after listening to this one!

Blue Riddim Band Release Remastered 30th Anniversary Version of Classic 'Nancy Reagan' Track

Today marks the 30 year anniversary of the release of the Blue Riddim Band classic reggae track 'Nancy Reagan'! To honor the original, Rougher Records have re-released a special 30th anniversary, remastered edition of the track. The song has the distinction of being one of the best and most overlooked American reggae songs ever recorded and released.  The timing of this release couldn't be better as the Republican Party is weeks away from beginning the process of selecting a Presidential nominee who will seek to claim the mantle of conservative Republican values and economic policies espoused by Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy Reagan.  These policies have continued to make the 1% very wealthy and the 99% struggle to make a living.   The track is available for download from iTunes.  Below is a short video teaser:



During the 1980's in the U.S., alternative music continued to be a strong voice of protest against President Reagan and his policies. Perhaps the catchiest song to poke fun of the Reagan's came from the Blue Riddim Band, an American reggae band, who wrote and recorded the satirical track 'Nancy Reagan' about the President's wife. With brilliant lyrics including, "All my clothes are from the best designers/All my china is a perfect match', the song is a fantastic piece of Studio One inspired bass, drums and brass that may be one of the most overlooked reggae rhythms ever recorded. It used humor to make a cutting political statement about where the First Lady's (and our country's) misguided priorities lay during the 1980's. It couldn't be more relevant today in this era of Occupy Wall Street protests around the U.S.

More significantly, this all-white band hailing from Kansas City, Missouri have the distinction of being the very first American reggae band to be invited to play at Reggae Sunsplash. Their blazing set of ska and reggae covers and originals as dawn was rising over Jarrett Park on August 15, 1982 is legendary. They earned two encores from the crowd of 20,000 Jamaicans who were mesmerized by their 'blue eyed reggae.' Their Sunsplash performance was recorded for the LP 'Alive In Jamaica' released in 1984 which was nominated for a Grammy for best reggae album in 1985. The record's highlight is a blistering live version of 'Nancy Reagan'(see video below).



According to noted Reggae music author, historian, DJ and commentator Carter Van Pelt, few groups have played reggae outside Jamaica as convincingly as the Blue Riddim Band. The group coalesced as Rhythm Function in the mid-70s under the guidance of multi-instrumentalist and composer Bob Zohn and percussionist Steve "Duck" McLane. The group earned a reputation skillfully playing soul and R&B at clubs in the South and Northeast of the U.S. The original line-up included McLane (drums, bass, percussion & vocals), Zohn (guitar, drums & lead vocals), Andy Myers (bass & trombone), Scott Korchak (trumpet & lead vocals), Pat Pearce (keyboards, percussion & vocals), Jack Blackett (saxophone), and Howard Yukon (guitar, percussion & vocals.


So what was the band like live? According to Gavin B. who was at the 1982 Sunsplash performance, "I was operating the video camera that was doing the pan shots of the crowd in this video and I was stunned at the enthusiastic reaction of the mostly all Jamaican crowd. Look closely at the crowd shots and you'll see an ecstatic Winston Rodney (aka Burning Spear) skanking away to the music. He was good friends with the band and was largely responsible for getting BRB as performers at Sunsplash." The band were voted co-'Best Band' of the entire Sunsplash festival. According to McLane, they were surprised by the reaction they received, "It blew me away that we blew them away. I was expecting pineapples and cantaloupes thrown at us. We're playing these old songs, and we're also from America, and we're also white. It's five o'clock in the morning, and they're going, 'What in the ... ?'"

The 'Nancy Reagan' track soon became the band's calling card and it inspired a young fan of the band living in California to showcase the track and Blue Riddim Band further. Roberto was known to Southern California reggae fans as host of a weekly reggae radio program. He envisioned creating a protest song that would be critical of the ongoing Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union and his view that it was being perpetuated by Reagan. Calling in a few favors, he was able to land the help of reggae enthusiast David Lindley, who mixed the "Nancy Reagan Re-Election Remix" side, and of Ranking Roger, who featured on "America & Russia/Selective Service System" and a free-style toast over the basic 'Nancy Reagan' track.



According to an interview he conducted with the Los Angeles Times when the record was released in early 1985, Roberto explained that the record's packaging was designed to reflect his anti-Reagan message: the record sleeve features a newspaper-style layout with the headline 'Special $18 Million Inaugural Edition' over a striking Paul Bedard painting of Nancy Reagan holding a bowl of jelly beans while five starving black children stand at her feet. The $18-million figure, Roberto said, represented the amount spent on the 1985 inaugural celebration. "I can't see how they can spend $18 million on a four-day gala when there are people dying of starvation in this world," he said. "There is a time and a place to party, but that is just too much."

According to the Los Angeles Times story, Roberto first met Ranking Roger in 1981, when Roger and fellow General Public founder Dave Wakeling were still members of The Beat. "Roger did not have to do this (record)," Roberto said, "but he was sympathetic with my concerns and my concept that came from being fed up with the current administration." While recording one of the songs in New York, Roberto tracked down veteran Jamaican producer-engineer "Maxi" McKenzie, who mixed the two tracks with Ranking Roger.

Operating as a one-man record label and basing himself in Orange County, California, one of the most pro-Reagan parts of the U.S.. Roberto set out to get his message and record out. According to the interview with the Los Angeles Times, Roberto said, "It might be an impossible task," he admitted, "but you've got to start somewhere. Those who are offended will be offended anyway. But if I can open some eyes, raise some people's consciousness, then I'll be satisfied."

So what did the band think of the final product? I had always assumed that the band had collaborated directly with Ranking Roger. Apparently that was not the case. I interviewed Todd "Bebop" Burd who joined Blue Riddim on bass in 1983, about the collaboration with Ranking Roger on the remix of 'Nancy Reagan'. According to Burd, "'Nancy Reagan' was originally recorded at Channel One in Jamaica in 1982 while the band was on the island to perform at Reggae Sunsplash and was released on our label as an EP along with five other songs."

"The remix of Nancy Reagan was produced in 1985 by this guy named Roberto in California. He knew Ranking Roger; he knew us; he borrows the master tape; flies to LA; records Roger; flies back to Kansas City; flew in Maxie from Channel One in Jamaica to mix the whole thing in New York. We never saw each other during the recording process. Ranking Roger joined us briefly on stage on Catalina Island a few years later."

What was Blue Riddim Band's reaction to the finished tracks? According to Burd they weren't completely happy. "So one day , we show up at the band house to discover several boxes of the new remix . The response to the cover varied from shock to hysteria. The song 'Nancy Reagan' was never really a political statement , it was more of a well natured poke. Roberto never checked with us on the art work , and next thing we know is we've got this LP with Nancy Reagan handing out jelly beans to starving Ethiopians . To say he took liberties is an understatement. According to Burd, the remix played well in California on College radio , but it didn`t help that the " Alive at Sunsplash" record came out at the same time and was receiving more press because of the Grammy Nomination."

I interviewed Carter Van Pelt to get his take on Blue Riddim Band and their legacy in Reggae history and why they never seemed to get the credit they deserved as one of the greatest Reggae bands of all time.

Put Blue Riddim Band into context for me. In particular around the song 'Nancy Reagan'. Was 'Nancy Reagan' a protest song or a good natured poke?
It was a strange diversion for the band to record a novelty song considering how serious they were about their music overall. I can't imagine anyone in the group was really good natured about the Reagan's, but humor is the greatest way lampoon the powerful.

The song seemed to be very popular with people in the know about reggae in the 80's but did it get airplay beyond college radio reggae shows?
Probably not, but I'm not sure. They had a big ally in Ken Williams here in New York, who played their music. They were respected by all who heard them, especially the Jamaican musicians. Tommy McCook was one of their biggest advocates.

Why did the band record so little during their years together? I'm only aware of 'Alive In Jamaica' and 'Restless Spirit'
Duck has said their biggest mistake was being the 'ultimate road warriors,' because they didn't leave enough of a recorded legacy. They have an unreleased album recorded at Channel One in Kingston in 1982. Chris Blackwell had Jack Nuber (engineer for Bob Marley, et al) record
a session in Kansas City circa 1980. Blackwell opted not to do anything with them because he said he'd have to spend too much money to market them while eager Jamaican acts were a dime a dozen.



What is the band's legacy?
Their legacy is hampered by the fact that the recorded work has never been officially released on cd and there isn't much of it to begin with. It really hurt them when Bob Zohn died, because he was the main songwriter.

Anyone who ever saw them live will attest that they were one of the greatest live reggae groups, and they couldn't have impressed the Jamaicans at Sunsplash if that weren't the case. Ask Sly Dunbar about them, and he'll remember Duck as a wicked drummer. Also check out on the youtube videos from San Francisco, and how they would switch instruments -- Bob Zohn playing drums and singing, Drew switching between bass and trombone, etc. They did have a strange way of going through keyboardists, faster than Spinal Tap went through drummers, but I digress.

One of my favorite quotes about them is from Roger Steffens, who said, and I paraphrase, "All the attention that UB40 ever got, it should have been lavished on Blue Riddim." The problem that ultimately hampered them is that they were victims of white audiences' perceptions of 'authenticity,' which is sometimes a bullshit concept but it something that white musicians who perform in black idioms have to deal with. While they should have to deal with it to an extent, frankly, it says more to me that Tommy McCook, Lloyd Parks, Mikey Dread, and Sly Dunbar loved them than the fact that no major record deal ever materialized and they are relatively unknown. If there is any such standard to be met, they exceeded it in my opinion.

This Is England '88 To Air In The U.K. On December 13-15th

Next week sees the airing in the U.K. of the next instalment in the This Is England series. This Is England '88, a three-part TV series will be screened on consecutive nights on December 13-15th on Channel 4. Billed by series creator Shane Meadows as a "sort of broken nativity play", fans of the series will have a chance to catch up with Shaun, Woody, Lol, Milky and the gang. This Is England '88 picks up 18 months on from where its predecessor left off, with Woody and Lol struggling to cope with the emotional fallout following her killing of her rapist dad. Shaun, meanwhile, is learning all about the ups and downs or romance with Smell. It will be followed in 2012 by 'This Is England '90', which will focus on the ecstasy-fuelled rave scene of the era.

Meadows has described the three-parter as 'kind of like a very brutal Nativity play… I just remember Christmas being shit… I wanted to make a sort of broken Nativity play, but there’s a real positive outcome, I hope.'

I'm a huge fan of the series, having first been introduced to the story and characters via the movie 'This Is England.' I loved its take on a mostly affable group of ska loving skinheads living in the north of England in 1983. I was impressed with how 'This Is England '86' showed the group moving on and growing up and was struck by the depth of character development. Indeed, Vicky McClure who plays Lol won a BAFTA in May for her performance in 'This Is England '86'. As a Yank, I'm hoping to find a way to view the series.  Hopefully some of my friends in the U.K. will share a link!

The trailer, with a soundtrack of 'What Difference Does It Make' by The Smiths, gives glimpses of most of the main characters familiar to fans, including Gadget, Milky, Kelly, Trev, Harvey and of course the jailed Combo.

2-Tone Sound Alive And Kicking In 2012!: Madness, The Specials and The Selecter Get Ready For The New Year

As we get ready to bring 2011 to a close, I'm happy to report that it looks like 2012 will be another exciting year for fans of 2-Tone ska and its many musical purveyors who are still keeping the flame of the sound alive.

Madness to play in Mexico City in 2012!:
As the band readies its new batch of songs (which were previewed at the House Of Fun Weekender), Madness is also gearing up to finally cross the big pond to play a show on the North American content! Thanks to a tip from one of The Duff Guide to Ska's readers in Mexico, the news is out that Madness will be playing the Vive Latino Festival in Mexico City from March 25, 2012. With the band in Mexico in March, it begs the question: Will Madness finally play shows in the U.S.? The last time the band performed in the U.S. was during a very short 2005 tour as The Dangermen.

The Specials to tour in 2012!:
True to their word, The Specials will be back on the road in 2012.  The band is scheduled to play 4 dates in Australia from April 3-7, 2012 and a show at the Live At The Marquee in Cork in Cork, Ireland on June 11, 2012.  Fans of the band living in the U.S. are still keeping their fingers crossed that the band will finally return to play and rumors I've heard from sources inside the band suggest this is a distinct possibility!  Stay tuned.

The Selecter release Christmas single:
The Selecter have just released a double 'A' side digital Christmas single.  According to the band, the single represents the 'yin and yang' of the holiday season, including including the light side 'Skank Til Christmas' and the dark side 'A Christmas Fable'. The single is available as a download from iTunes, Amazon and other online music retailers. Check out the video for 'Skank 'til Christmas' which includes video clips submitted by fans showing off their best 2-Tone style skank dances.

King Hammond To Play Two Shows In New York City!

All hail the King!  King Hammond (the alter ego of Nick Welsh) will be gracing New York City with two shows this weekend -- backed by NYC dirty reggae band The Hard Times--on Thursday, December 1, 2011 at The Shrine in Harlem and Saturday, December 3, 2011 at The Lake in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

Welsh remains one of the busiest and most prolific ska musicians on either side of the Atlantic and his resume is a mile long. He has worked with and produced A-list artists like Prince Buster, Laurel Aitken, Dave Barker, Rico Rodrigues, and Judge Dread as well as Lee 'Scratch' Perry with whom he worked on the Grammy Award winning album 'Jamaican ET'. Welsh has also been the bassist and song writer in Bad Manners and The Selecter (helping to shepard both band's post 2-Tone careers - he wrote 'Skaville UK). If that wasn't enough, he also writes music for U.K. and U.S. television shows and video games. Welsh revived King Hammond in 2010 and since that time has released three albums (“The King and I,” “Jacuzzi,” and “Showbiz”) and a slew of vinyl EPs on his own N.1 Records imprint. In June 2011, King Hammond was a featured performer at the Ink ʼn ʼIron Festival in Long Beach, California.

I had the pleasure to meet Welsh in 1991 when my band Bigger Thomas was the support act for The Selecter's first tour of the U.S. since the band had broken up in the early 80's. Welsh, Pauline Black and Neol Davies were all very kind to us (it was our first proper tour) and they always made sure we got a sound check and a dressing room (which is more unusual than you might expect in the cut throat music biz). As a fellow bass player I was also always impressed that Welsh played a Steinberger bass (which is a very sleek guitar that has no tuning pegs.)

To get you in a royal mood, here's a little taste of The King. Give a listen to 'Rockin' On Ridley Road' from King Hammond's latest LP 'Showbiz' and 'Tatoo Girls' (there should be plenty of them at The Lake on Saturday night!). I'll be at The Lake on Saturday night, so if you make it out be sure to say hello!

Jimmy Cliff Releases 'Sacred Fire' EP: Comeback Produced By Tim Armstrong Of Rancid

The first step in Jimmy Cliff's musical comeback is out today. While the four song, Tim Armstrong-produced EP 'Sacred Fire' includes three covers, its the throwback energy and choice of covers which should resonate with ska and reggae fans of multiple generations. A full length album is due out in 2012.

Notable tracks include Cliff's sublime cover of The Clash's 'Guns Of Brixton' which reveals the melancholy sadness that lies underneath the anger of the original and Rancid's 'Ruby Soho' which now sounds like it was recorded in Kingston circa 1971. The EP is available on iTunes and Amazon and a special 'Deluxe Pack' including vinyl, t-shirt and poster is available from Cliff's own website.

Cliff started recording as a child in the early 1960s with producer Leslie Kong. In the late 1960s, he moved to Britain where he enjoyed considerable success with the song 'Wonderful World, Beautiful People'. He became a massive star after starring in 'The Harder They Come', the 1972 low-budget movie based on the exploits of Ivanhoe 'Ryghin' Martin, a gunman who terrorized sections of west Kingston in 1948. The film's soundtrack contains songs that are Cliff standards, including the title track, 'Sitting In Limbo' and 'You Can Get It If You Really Want'.

Cliff appeared on Jimmy Fallon last night where backed by The Roots he performed his classic cut 'The Harder They Come' and 'World Upside Down'.