Beat Direction was a post punk/mod band from Montreal, Canada (not the UK as I have previously posted). This is their only release. It's from 1984 and it has one ska song "Dream Girl", but they did have another song called "Ska-Au-Go-Go" that was on a very rare comp from 1985 called "The Cutting Edge". It was also put out on a flexi in 1985 in an issue of the mod fanzine "In The Crowd" with the mod band Squire.
Long Distance Beat A1 - Walking on China A2 Looking for Emma Peel B1 Nina B2 Dream Girl B3 So Romantic
In The Crowd flexidisc Squire - Does Stephanie Know? (originally a b-side) Beat Direction - Ska-Au-Go-Go
This post is by request. I can't remember who requested it, but here you go.
1 Skayatollah 2 Reburial 3 Eastern Standard Time 4 Rudy, A Message to You 5 Miss Ska-Kulation 6 Delightful 7 President Kennedy 8 Congo Dub 9 Cleopatra 10 She Took Off My Romeos 11 Skaravan 12 Droppin' Out 13 Independance Ska 14 Jody Grind 15 Dick Tracy 16 Skazz (Work Song) 17 Famine 18 Dead End Streets
- a blogspot dedicated to French ska and reggae has made a comp for us.
Atlande - Le Mac Homme (1980) Camera Silens - A Qui la Faute (1987) Diesel - Barbes Pigalle (place Clichy) (1980) Gang + - Un Singe (Derriere la Tete) (1990) Les Ejectes - Rockskaroots (1989) Vladimir Cosma - Formalities (instrumental) (1982)
...and I have added 2 more French 2 Tone songs to this comp:
This is the first two releases by The Farm - the band from Liverpool who was well known in the nineties for the indie rock song "All Together Now". Though there was no noticeable ska influence in their later work their earlier releases were produced by Suggs himself who also managed the band for a couple years in the eighties and, although they weren't exactly ska, they fit perfectly in with the 2Tone scene.
Madness fans should appreciate these:
Hearts and Minds 12" (1984) (Suggs even did back-up vocals on this one)
A1 - Hearts and Minds A2 - Hearts and Minds (Dub) B1 - Information Man B2 - Same Old Story
I don't know who these guys are or where they come from or whether or not they have other recordings. The A side is mellow reggae akin to UB40 and the B side is more like the Untouchables. Both songs are very good and the vocals are great.
1 Never Gonna Lose Me Babe 2 Keeping It Quiet 3 The First Time 4 Wasted 5 On Your Own 6 The Things I do for You 7 Sara Sara Kiki 8 Answer Phone 9 !!One Hundred 'N' Eighty!! 10 Somebody Help Me 11 I Always Will 12 Do Good
Never Gonna Lose Me 7'' A - Never Gonna Lose Me B - Let's Twist Again
This is a brilliant album that was sent to me by Andreu:
It's the Nighthawks one and only full length from 1980 but they did have 4 singles. I'm pretty sure though that all of their singles (including b-sides) are on the album. I could be wrong (although I never have been before). There was a "Belle Blue" maxi single and I cannot find what the other tracks on that are.
Guitarist/vocalist Oliver Stephan is currently playing in The Stimulators.
1 Sophisticated Woman 2 Jo'Burg Jive* 3 Johnny Too Bad 4 Shanty Town 5 Carry Go Bring Come 6 Patsy Girl 7 White Shoes 8 Here Comes the Nighthawks 9 Blood is Thicker than Water 10 Cocktail Blues 11 Belle Blue
(link has been removed at the request of the band because they plan on re-releasing their music)
Thank you Andreu!!!
*The track "Jo'Burg Jive" has a voice at the beginning that is a tag for the editing software that was used. It's a bit annoying, but it doesn't really interfere with the song too much.
It seems every time I have some money saved up to get a new computer my car somehow finds out about it and decides to break down so I still haven't been able to get a new computer yet - I'm hoping I will in the next 2 weeks. I am able to use a computer every now and then, but I can't rip my vinyls or use my scanner just yet.
However I did recieve an email today from your friend and mine Rikard who spent a good deal of his time ripping not only the Ska-Boom album "Lost in Ska", but all three of their singles as well.
The album in this download is the original 11 track from 1990 though the cover pictured here is from the 1991 re-release that included all 3 tracks from the "More Tea Vicar?" single. The cover of the original didn't have the yellow writing or the speech bubble.
Here they are performing "What Did I Do" in 1990. Rikard also posted this on Youtube.
The Plan 7" (1989) A - The Plan B1 - Long Shot Kick de Bucket B2 - Rukumbine
Romeo 7" (1989) A - Romeo B - Ska Summer
Lost in Ska LP (1990) 1 Classic Case 2 Hard Times 3 What Did I Do? 4 But My Love 5 So FarAway 6 Carry Go Bring Come 7 Lost in Ska 8 Sister 9 Romeo (live Abbey Park '89) 10 Today 11 Ska Summer (1990)
More Tea Vicar 7" (1990) A - More Tea Vicar? B1 - Runaway Girl B2 - I Didn't Mean It