Trackback | 2 Tone and Ska’s Second Wave

Above pic via evavu

I’ve been on a reggae and ska kick ever since watching This Is England a few weeks ago due to it’s kick-ass soundtrack. I figured since new releases around this time of year are usually slow (and a lot of other sites and mags are either getting their “end of year” lists together or have already posted them) I’d take some time and put up a little mixtape of some of my favorite ska revival bands. Let me preface this by saying that I’m no expert in the genre, so if you feel like ripping me a new asshole in the comments feel free to do so.

The first wave of ska, which reached its peak in the mid-60s was born and flourished in Jamaica with artists like The Skatalites, Prince Buster, Derrick Morgan, Laurel Aitken, Desmond Dekker, and Toots & the Maytals. Early ska combined jazz, calypso, R&B, and African beats, which later influenced artists like Bob Marley and Pete Tosh who transformed the sound by slowing down the tempo and adding more guitar into the mix which resulted rocksteady and eventually reggae. Reggae exploded onto the scene in 1966 making ska’s first wave short-lived.

Around the time that reggae was making a huge splash in Jamaica, the root sounds of ska made their way to shores of Britian and in the late 70s exploded onto the scene in it’s second wave also referred to as the “2 Tone” revolution. The 2 Tone era gets its name from the cultural movement’s most popular label, 2 Tone.

The label was founded in 1979 by Jerry Dammers of Coventry’s (a lot UK ska bands were based in West Midlands) ska revivalist The Specials, and included acts like The Beat (aka The English Beat in the U.S.), Madness, Selecter, Bad Manners, among others. The sound of the second wave was different from the traditional ska sound. When the first wave Jamaican sounds reached the British Isles they merged with the punk scene which added fast paced electric guitars to the traditional beat structure, while the horn section was pushed to the back of the mix. The music was popular among skinheads, rude boys/girls, and mod revivalists and many of the acts enjoyed UK chart success in the late 70s and early 80s. Like its predecessor, the revolution was short lived and in 1985 2 Tone ceased operation when The Specials broke up.

Below is a small mixtape highlighting some of the era’s best acts; The Clash’s “Rudie Can’t Fail” (a nod to rude boys/girls) from London Calling is likely the movement’s biggest triumph.

[MP3]: Madness  ”Nightboat To Cairo”
One Step Beyond…, Virgin; 1979
[MP3]: The Specials  ”A Message To You Rudy”
The Specials, 2 Tone; 1979
[MP3]: The Beat  ”Tears Of A Clown”
I Just Can’t Stop, Go Feet; 1980
[MP3]: The Selecter  ”Too Much Pressure”
Too Much Pressure, 2 Tone; 1980
[MP3]: The Clash  ”Rudie Can’t Fail”
London Calling, Epic; 1979