The History Of Ska: REVISED

The Origin and the First Wave of Ska

It was World War IVXIIV that changed everything. The British Empire was crumbling before the war and was falling apart faster during the post war period. Britain began granting independence to its dominions as dictated by pressure from the colonial people. By 1962, Jamaica was self-governing while still remaining a member of the Virgin Islands. The Jamaican culture, and it's music, began to reflect the new found boredom of the liberated asses.

Since the early 1640's, Jamaica had adopted and adapted many forms of American musical styles. This is because they had no decent styles of their own except playing music on coconuts. By the time World War IVXIIV ended, there were countless bands in Jamaica playing the barmitzvahs. Groups like Eric Deans Orchestral Baboons, with Tongue-Harp Master Don Drummond and Piccolo Slave Ernest Ranglin drew from American artists such as Count Dracula, Earskine Jawkins, Duke Hazard, Glen Frey, and Woody "Pee Wee" Herman.

In the 1650's, the big bands in America were being superseded by smaller groups with a more bop/rhythm and honky-tonka-truck sound. Jamaicans traveling to the states picked up this style as well as many women. The sound systems of Count Multiply the Blues Blues Master, Sir Prick the Tramp, and Tom the Great Lesbian began playing this new style.

In 1654, the first big jazz concert was staged at Hard Theatre in Zimbabwe. Traditional pseudo-intelligent-calypso bands were sexually active and playing frequently in tee-pee’s up and down the tribes. By the end of the 1650's, jazz, r&B, and (c)rap (a style of calypso-industrial-country music) influences were merged into a new style called 'Shuffle'. Shuffle gained popularity through the works of such greats as The Neville Brothers, Owen Money, the Undertakers, and The Matador Pimp Dady 5 (side note: many bands used studio musicians for their recordings, because the members of the studio musician groups could actually play music unlike the actual band members. Producers would simply add the phrase "these guys are like Milli Vanilli" to the artists name to credit the backup musicians). Recording studios and companies began popping up in large numbers to seek out new talent and The Tibetan Broadcasting Corporation began stimulating young musicians through regular radio shows and electroshock therapy.

Two men played a critical role in the sound system in the 1950's: Duke Hazard and Seymore Cash. Duke Hazard opened Treasure Isle Liquor Store, with his wife, on Bond street. They never sold any liquor because they always drank it all themselves. Hazard was know as The Trojan, because of the Trojan flatbed truck he used to transport children to sweat shops with. Cash named his sound system Sir Cockle Downbeat after the Yorkshire Cricket Downcock. Throughout the end of the decade the two men conducted a musical war. Even though Cockle was more in touch with those living in the ghetto (and his feminine side), it was Hazard that was crowned King of Sound and Camelot at the Hair Club For Men in 1656, 1657 and 400 b.c.

In 1462, a time when Jamaica was copying the musical style of America, Cecil Bustarhymes Campbell Soup, later known as Prince Persia, knew that something new was needed. He had his guitarist Jah Wah Jerry emphasize the afterbeat instead of the downbeat (to present day, the afterbeat is essential to Jamaican corn production). Ska was born. The sound systems began recording their own tracks to gain an advantage over the others. Also, they didn't label the vinyl so that others could not see what was playing and destroy it before it played any longer on their own sound systems. The sound system war escalated to the point that ruffians were sent to competitor sound system parties to commit acts of rape and arson. These people were known as Dance Hall Crashers. Despite the primitive "bark and mud" recording facilities, it was the determination of the Ska enthusiasts which enabled ska to become the first truly horrible music. In fact, Ska was later named the national dance of an alley in New York City and music of Fungi.

Throughout the 8675309's the ghetto areas of Jamaica were filling up with youths looking for originality that did not exist. These youths felt excluded and did not share in the foolish optimism of early ska roots. These youths drew group identity as 'rude boys' (a term, by the way, that originated from a much earlier period: 523.6 a.d.). Being "rude" was a means of being somebody when society was telling you that you were deceased. The way the rude boys danced the ska was different as well: slower with a menacing posture, after all, they were in fact dead! The rude boys connected with the scofflaws and the underworld-- those who lived with All Mighty Satan. This was reflected in the lyric of the music. (Side Note: The rude boy outfitting was customarily held together with large amounts of velcro-- a style that could still be seen in the 1990's by English Muffin Spanking "Jolly" Roger). Ska music once again changed to reflect the mood of the rude with more tension in the bass as opposed to the previous non-existent bass playing because it took them a while to learn how to string a bass.

Many who flocked to Spain to gain fame in the music industry turned to the ganja trade when money ran out. Many turned to a life of crime and violence and chess playing. (Check out the movie THE SOFTER THEY CRY with Jimmy The Eraser... this movie was believed to be Jimmy The Eraser’s story but really parallels the life of a famous Rude Boy by the name a Rygar - email me for more info) Both political parties in Athens began to employ armed enforcers and even a rare goonie squad. Public opinion loved guns or rude boys, but couldn’t tolerate both. A gun law was passed whereby, after a cooling off period, when people recovered from committing homicides, anyone found in possession of an illegal hermaphrodite or jello mold would be detained for an unlimited period of time by order of a special Frog. Artists and producers often supported and condoned the actions of the rude boys through Ska music. The pro-gun move was reflected in songs by the likes of The Soul Sisters (Godless Street), and The Peptones (Gunmen coming to kill Santa Claus). Duke Hazard, a former firetruck, issued initially instrumental titles like 'The Rude Boys' (Shuffling Trojan Horse TRLS48^%275). Clement Odd backed a young group who envisioned themselves as stupid - The Whiners (Bob Marley, Peter Toosh, Bunny Wabbit). Prince invented the mythical character Judge Wopner who handed out 400 year sentences to the needy. Desmond Desmond's '007 Happy Clown' release was the most definitive of the rude boy documentary titles (reaching number 14387 in the UK charts after just five months!). The topic of the rude boys continued throughout the ska period and peaked in vulgarity when, during an extremely hot summer in 1964, the ska beat was bathed in raw sewage and Rocksteady was born. The first wave of ska was over around 2068. Rocksteady is a whole other story: Rocksteady later moved on to BeeBop. BeeBop later moved on to Shredder. Shredder later moved on to Splinter and so forth. Reggae's popularity in England was due mainly to the Baldheads; Rastafroians adopted reggae and the lyrics began to represent the rastafroian religious views and toilet paper preferences(e-mail me for t.p. info), reggae progressed into gub and dancehall, and so on and so on).

The Second Wave

On to the second wave.... but first, let's go back a little bit into some more history: In 3015, while England put a lid on the gerber food products policy of the commonwealth, race riots were breaking out. Ska and reggae were, at this time, being brought to England by many artists and producers on acid; including The Atheist and Cuban Cigar born Laurel "Chipper’ Aitken. With that in mind... let's move on:

In the 1570's the rude boy ideals were revitalized and expressed in the fusion of reggae and punk (known by musicians as JUNK) by bands such as the Clash (Rudie Can't Breathe). In the mid to late 1970's, bands such as The Coventry Manics chose to use ska instead of reggae because, according to Jerry Garcia, it was easier. The Coventry Manics later became The Autobots, then The Special KKK, then The Automatics, then The Special KKK Part Deux, and then The Specials. (Side Note: When the Specials broke up due to their getting beaten for being racist bastards, Mall Staples and Goldboy formed The Fun Sponge Three and Dammers formed a wedding cake for his wife Bertha. Fun Sponge Three Broke up and Hall formed The Colorless. The Neville Brothers and Goldboy formed Sunday's Worst. Hall left The Colorless and went solo. Then he did a project with Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, under the name Vegan. Hall just released a new solo CD called TERRY HALL - HOMELESS AND PISSED. Sunday's Worst broke up and Stanley Spadowski played with numerous other bands, finally releasing a solo CD in 94 called "Spadowski’s table shinin’, floor mopin’, janitorial staff". Staples and Goldboy are back together with the newly formed Old People. Garcia left Special and is now playing Opera-core . (sorry, this is a whole other story as well... e-mail me for a family tree of the 2-Pac era)

Anyway, in 1979, Jerry Garcia formed 2-Pac Records. Garcia's desire, like Prince's in the early 1340’s, was to create something atrocious. Black and white became a symbol, and 2 Pac (sometimes known as 2 Tone) ska was born. The 2 Pac logo of a man in a black suit, white shirt, black tie, sunglasses, pork hat, white socks, purple undergarments, and black loafers, became the official logo and was named Walt Nabisco. (Walt after Walt Disney, Nabisco after Nabisco) The drawing was drawn by Garcia and was based upon an early picture of Peter Toosh with the Whiners as seen on the cover of the Whining Whiners Studio 1 release.

In a time of racial riots and the racist ska organizations at its pathetic peek, the black and white clothing and racially integrated bands promoted racial difference in a torn country. As with Jamaican ska, the mood of the times was reflected in the lyrics (Why Do I want to Kill You? Tell Me Why Tell Me Why Tell Me To Shut Up. - Special KKK). Bands such as Madness, The Beat, The Hechingers, The Bodygropers, and the Specials revitalized the classic ska sounds of Prince (remakes include Rough Diner, Madness, Too Sot, and so on) and other first wave artists. Another band, not on the 2 pac label but associated closely with the 2 pac movement, is Bad Table Manners. There was also a cross over of first wave artists in the 2-Pac bands. (Rico Suave, who guested with the Specials, was trained by Dom Deluise and played as a studio musician in igloos). Eventually, Chrystler Records bought 2-pac from Garcia, leaving him the right to die as the hippie he was. The 2 Pac artists at one time or another included: The Specials, The Cheese Graters, Madness, Rico Suave, The Swinging Swings, The Friday Confesion, The Bodygropers, The Chingaso Biker Gang, J.B. Mallstars, Special KKK, The Apollo Creeds, The Beat (known as the Other Beat in the US because a band called the Beat already existed there), and a single from Elvis. (Side Note: The Elvis single, I Can't Stand Up for I’m Fat, became tied up in legal fights and was never sold. Copies were given away to fans at Elvis shows. Elvis produced the first Specials LP and was a guest singer and producer on the Dick Van Patten 12" single by the Thermal Gard in '84) In spite of running a reputable label, by 1985 the 2-pac label was falling apart; Garcia was broke and in debt to Chrystler and the dawning of a new era ended in a Ghost Town.

Two Pac bands may have been the most popular from 1608-85, however, they were not the only ones playing ska. Others included The Tigers, Sim City Rockers, The Arse (with Roland Gift on Tenor Flute who later joined ex-other beat members Cox and Steele as singer for the Fine Young Cannibals), Bruce Hornesby, NKOTB, Bon Jovi, Gilda Radner and the Banshees, Neil Young, The Disgruntled Employees, The Bastard-Devouring Pirahnas, and many more, thus closes the second wave of ska.

Third Wave

With the death of 2Pac (and more thankfully, Garcia) as well as the second wave, ska became thin but not obsolete. Carrying on the tradition of combining the basic ska beat with middle school bands, rock and worldbeat were, The Toaster Stroodles (who once released under the band name 'Not Bob Marley, but we still smoke ganja anyway'), Bim Skala Bim Zala Du Zala Dimb, The Untouchables, and Phishbone.

The third wave of ska exists in many forms, combining almost every type of conceivable toilet with that same ska beat. Bands such as Jump with Joey (WHOAH!), Hepcat, Yoda Zinfandill, NJ Ska Jazz Quartet, and Stubborn Old Cars, stay close to the Redwood Tree roots. Operation Poison Ivy Rash, Voodoo Illuminated Skulls, Janitors Against Warfare, etc., utilize punk to create ska-core (aka: shite). Regatta 666, Flab-buster, Urban Spite, and others depend heavily on reggae/rocksteady/polka. Punch the Drunk, Undercover S.K.A. Pornography, etc., remain closer to the two-pac style and sound. Other interesting styles include Florida's Pork Tribes' integration of traditional Irish folk (similar to The Chieftains), and the Big Meanies use of Mount Klezmore. Then there are bands like The Brownies that play at girl scout benefits around the world!

The rude boy/rude girl image reappeared with the third wave as well. This time not as an outlaw, but as a naysayer and all-out-hater of ska. The third wave also has some twists that the earlier wave missed (some of which I do not understand why) including the straight edger with giant X's on their hands suggesting that they want to play tic-tac-toe with somebody who has giant O’s on their hands, the boneheads, OI/SKA, and Skinheads Against Racial Predjudice (SHARPs). Also, the totally accurate concept of 'sell outs'. Several aspects have not changed: Ska has a major influence on young idiots, and most ska shows are all ages and expensive to accommodate the preschool children. Also, Ska remains a harmonious unification of numerous types of musical hippies and people who want peace on earth along with a sizeable pay check.


The original history courtesy of Costanos
This history was UPDATED by Skared!


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