Too Much Pressure: A Short Guide To Ska

a k S o T e id u G t r o h S A ^ a n d k in da in t e r a c t iv e !

Drew SculL

Copyright © 2022 Drew Scull.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Printed by Blurb Inc., in the United States of America.

First printing, 2022.

All illustrations by Drew Does Design. unless otherwise noted. drewscull@gmail.com www.drewscull.com

An absolutely HUUUUUUGE thank you to my family, friends, and my awesomely supportive girlfriend, who have all helped me get to this point. There’s just too many to name. This project also goes out to my favorite ska bands from all over... you know who you are! Cheers!

THE INTRO

7

THE FIRST WAVE

11

THE TWO TONE YEARS

21

THE THIRD WAVE

35

THE OUTRO

54

I

can remember it like it happened yesterday— the first moment when I heard ska music. I was around fourteen years old, hanging out with my older brother, in his bedroom,

and at one point he pulls out this CD (remember those?) from his collection. He places the disc into his giant boom box (remember those also?). It was one of those units that were the size of a kitchen cabinet that our dads had all owned before, and somehow, at seventeen years of age, my brother was the now the proud keeper of. This thing seriously could’ve eventually blown the roof off the house if it ever was turned all the way up to full volume! The disc begins to play (not quite at full volume this time), and I just smiled from ear to ear. It was the coolest sound I think

I had heard. I was instantly hooked!

As a younger child, I was raised on the music of the once-great

my life. It pretty much began my love affair with all that is ska music. If you’re curious, I would definitely recommend checking this band out.

They’re still going as strong as ever today.

During the same time I’m in my brother’s bedroom, a change is happening to the musical landscape in the mainstream popular culture. Ska music was being embraced by the public. Months before this moment in the room, I had heard songs on the radio that I had liked in part because they sounded like, and reminded me of, Green Day’s big hit song, but they also had that “strange” beat that ska had as well.

I just didn’t know it

“it was probably the goofiest, catchiest song ever”

at the time what it was. But now I could identify ska more clearly. It was helpful, because shortly after my own first exposure to ska, it began to break through on the radio and MTV. Popular culture was beginning to embrace ska music, and it would soon be all over the place. Good timing! (This is will be covered in a more detailed section a little bit later on in this book.)

The purpose of this book is to have fun. I think it’s very important to realize just how much this music means to so many people. I cannot tell you how many ska shows I’ve seen, or how many

different bands I’ve listened to, or albums that I’ve bought (pretty sure it numbers in the hundreds at least), as I’ve been supporting this music for over twenty-five years now. I just wanted to make something—a passion project, if you will—to show my appreciation. Ska music is still going with a devout following of younger kids who are listening to a newer breed of groups playing their own style of ska.

My hope is that this book, and the information within, can open the ears (and eyes) to just one person and show how great the ska music community is, then I feel that this book has done its job. I hope that it is easy to follow, and not so much a scholarly writing, but filled with more fun experiences than a usual music history book. This is a book that I know I would want to read. Thanks so much for picking it up!

-Drew Scull

O

ne thing that shocked me, upon first learning more about ska, was just how deep and rich the history of the music was. In my teenage naiveté, since I had only

just heard of it, I figured then that it must be pretty new, and it must’ve just been invented! Oh, how wrong I was. In fact, as of this writing, ska music has been around for more than seventy years.

It is interesting to note, that the exact date when ska was first played has been left up to some debate, due in part to its earliest possible recordings being lost or damaged over time. What we can gather from previous research done is that ska came into existence sometime in the late 1950s, and no, it didn’t start in America like I thought as a teenager. It originated in Jamaica. Some may even find it surprising that ska predates reggae music, which was made

popular by the likes of Bob Marley and many other Jamaican-born artists in the seventies. Here is something that’s even more interesting, and surprising to some, is that Bob Marley actually started his musical career in Jamaica by playing ska!

So we know roughly when it began, but how did ska come to be?

Originally, ska was conceived by combining the island’s culture with their appreciation of American music genres. Specifically rhythm and blues from the southern parts of the country. Combined with Jamaica’s love of Latin music like mambo, calypso, and mento, stir in a little New Orleans-style jazz, and viola! Ska music was born!

During the first years of ska’s earliest inception, Jamaica was still considered to be under British rule. However, ska’s popularity throughout Jamaica may have come in the year 1962, when the country gained independence from Britain. From the offset, ska was originally played with more of a somber tone, and it mainly started out as a purely instrumental style of music Over time, the styles changed into a more celebratory tone, and became the music of parties all over Jamaica.

There was dancing and jubilation all over the country once it finally gained its independence and freedom. Ska music has always had a bit of underlying political undertones to it. These celebrations were probably the first indication of just how impactful ska music could be when it helps fight the good fight. Even today, some of ska’s biggest

names have politically charged songs. But these social and political commentaries didn’t really hit full-steam-ahead until the Two Tone era in the United Kingdom, which will definitely be talked about a little later on in this book.

Prince Buster and friends.

Photo Courtesy of Steady Rock Productions

s

eemingly, by the time the sixties had come around, every musician in Jamaica was caught up in the new trend of playing ska music. Derrick Morgan and Laurel Aitken

both proclaimed themselves to be the godfathers of ska. Morgan, now in his eighties, still sporadically plays live shows. Most recently he performed a rousing set, never missing a beat, at the Supernova International Ska Festival in Virginia. Unfortunately, Aitken passed away in 2005.

In 1963, a gathering of eight to ten musicians assembled, forming ska’s first super-group of sorts. The names of these performers would be cemented in the history of ska music forever. Led by Don Drummond, and featuring well-known studio musicians Tommy McCook, Roland Alphonso, Lloyd Knibbs, Dizzy Moore, Lester Sterling

Don Drummond

of

and several others, established themselves as the first ska “band”.

They called themselves Ska-talites (later re-branded as The Skatalites), recorded at the landmark Studio One, and released several seminal albums and singles on the flagship Jamaican music record label, Trojan Records. While most of the original core lineup has since passed away, some of the original members’ families carry on the musical legacy, joined by touring musicians from all over the world. Now known as The Skatalites Band still frequently plays today in some form or another, sometimes with original vocalist Doreen Shaffer in tow to sing some songs during the set.

A few other notable artists that came out of the early ska movement in Jamaica were Prince Buster, Toots & The Maytals, Desmond Dekker and the Israelites, and Ken Booth, just to name a few. I highly encourage you to check them out at some point. However, perhaps the biggest success story from this era has to come from one particular ska song that made a big splash not only in Jamaica, but also in the United States, as well as the UK and even Australia. Her name was Millie Small. The impact she had on ska music was anything but.

In 1964, she released a singled called “My Boy Lollipop”, a song originally released by another artist in the 50’s, but then re-recorded

by Small in the new ska style. It smashed records, and became a certified chart-topping hit in multiple countries around the word.

To date, it has sold more than 700,000 units in just the UK alone, and over several million units worldwide. Small would go on to be the second highestselling Jamaican artist of all time, behind only (yup, you guessed it) Bob Marley!

Without her massive hit single, Millie Smalls in 1964

ska would probably not have

had the exposure it did in its earlier stages. Unfortunately though, Small died in 2020 at the age of 72. After news hit the presses at the time of her passing, interest in her hit single once again reignited the popularity of her hit single, and the fan base made new ska music lovers all over the world.

W

ith many different trends of popular music, the ones that really seem to blow up more than others are the ones that have a way to get the crowd really into it with

a new kind of dance . Whether it was the Two-Step, the Macarena, or disco dancing, these were all cultural milestones within their time. For ska music, it was no different. Some music historians claim that the term “ska” also may refer to the style of dance, as well. With song titles such as “Do The Ska”, it can certainly be plain to see why.

As ska evolved and became more bouncy and high-energy, the dance changed as well. What started out as a swing/jazz inspired dance, with arms swaying in a similar way to the Charleston, combined with a move much like the “Running Man”, the dance evolved to a more pogo-style punk rock dance in the late seventies, eighties,

and changed to an even faster, more aggressive style in the nineties and today. The dance, which the foundations of have stayed the same throughout the history of ska music, is known as “skanking” Originating in the dance halls in Jamaica, even before the creation of ska music itself. Folks would gather in these particular halls on a weekend night to listen to DJs spin records; different types of Latin music, and some American rock ‘n’ roll, and the dances people would do incorporate a set of new moves as different genres were played.

Then, once ska was created, the groundwork was laid for the “official dance” of ska. Now, the two go hand-in-hand—you will undoubtedly see many variations of skanking at a ska show of any kind. It is an easy dance to follow, though some may be more graceful at it than others (as I write this, I’m pointing to myself).

Today, other genres of music have adopted aspects of the “skank”, and made it their own. Hardcore punk and heavy metal concerts incorporate it into their “slam-dancing” or “moshing” pits.

Once again, this proves to the world that ska music was far more influential than what many might think, and why skanking is a timeless part of the ska scene.

B

y the mid-seventies, the popularity of ska music began to wane in its own homeland of Jamaica. However, mainly due in part to the major success of Millie Small

and her single, “My Boy Lollipop”, the impact of ska music was still far-reaching across the globe. The song was a huge hit in the United Kingdom, and was receiving airplay on radios over there constantly, even some time after its original release. The kids were the ones who became especially fond of the song this goaround, it seemed.

During the seventies, throughout the United Kingdom, Britain as a whole was experiencing an economic downturn, to put it simply.

In the early parts of the decade, Britain was often a landing pad for immigrants that were coming from Africa and Jamaica—as part of the

British Nationality Act, which was originally founded in the year 1948.

Many immigrants were coming from the land of Jamaica due in part to their then-recent separation from British rule. This included many burgeoning artists and musicians, seeking new opportunities in a new land, since the Jamaican people already essentially had a free pass into the U.K. as part of the British Nationality Act. But the rough state that the country was going through had its population in a bit of an uproar. The people were upset at leadership.

There was an air of negativity in the population, and morale was at a low point. The musical landscape also reflected that, as rock ‘n’ roll music was also taking over the airwaves and becoming increasingly aggressive. The kids that were dancing to “My Boy Lollipop” at the beginning of the seventies, were becoming rebellious teenagers by the middle of the decade.

Bands like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin were leading the charge of this new musical movement (even though they weren’t ska, certain Led Zep songs have a smidgen of ska influence). Some of these bands helped to pave the way for a far more rebellious, aggressive style of music. In the year 1976, punk rock exploded into the underground music scenes all over the U.K., with bands like the Clash, Sex Pistols, and the Damned all becoming popular bands that cemented punk rock’s legacy in rock history.

However, beneath the rumblings of the quake that was the punk rock movement, a quieter rebellion was taking place. While punk was taking aim at overthrowing “the man”, and authority as a whole, a more integrated musical movement was formed as a way to promote racial unity and an end to classism.

The music that accompanied this particular movement integrated several different styles as a way to compliment its deep messages of unity an anti-racism, including influences of punk rock, early versions of new wave, and yes, Jamaican ska and reggae. This musical creation and the subsequent movement that followed was called Two-Tone; or also known as the second wave of ska.

The Beatles formed in Liverpool, the Rolling Stones had originated in London. But for ska fans, what was to come out of the town of Coventry would be one of the most important bands in the history of ska music...

T

he Two-Tone name itself encapsulates the idea of unity, whereas other parts of the world were still recovering from certain civil rights issues from the previous decades.

This idea of equality even became part of the visual aesthetics for many bands during this rough time, seemingly all over the world.

Formed in 1977, the band originally called themselves The Coventry Automatics, but after a year or so, would change their name to something more familiar to ska fans: The Specials. The black and white checkered pattern that is so widely recognized and associated with ska music got its start in this era, and The Specials were the first to use this imagery in much of their publicity materials. The people latched on, and the band took off pretty quick. Within two years of forming, the band had released several popular singles on vinyl, and were already

gearing up to put out their debut full-length album. To release these albums, members of the band started their own record label, Two-Tone Records, and this would go on to release several prominent albums from the Two-Tone eras brightest ska groups.

The album, aptly titled The Specials, dropped in the U.K. on October 19, 1979, and made a huge splash. Filled to the brim with danceable ska classics like “Gangsters”, “Nite Klub”, and “A Message To You, Rudie”, and other memorable songs, the album has gone on to become a highly influential benchmark in the long history of ska. Upon this release, ska music exploded out of London in the late seventies and early eighties.

Though primarily brought on by waning interest in ska music within the members of the band, The Specials only lasted for two more years, and released one more album, More Specials, in 1980. The music on this album differed to show a more wide range of artistic influence, including 1950’s pop music, and new wave. The Specials would go on hiatus for more than a decade, but would reunite for one-off shows with different members and release different projects, many of which were poorly received, under altered names, Like Specials AKA, or The Special Beat.

B

ut this isn’t to say that the two-tone movement itself was in any trouble of declining popularity. Oh no, quite the contrary. Bands all over England and surrounding

countries were still going strong. One such band would also experience crossover success overseas in the States as well. That band was Madness. They actually formed a year or two prior to The Specials, just that it took them a couple years longer to really build up momentum. Once word got out about their zany live shows, however, things spread quickly.

They had massive success in the U.K., and in the eighties, had a chart-topping hit in the U.S. as well, with the new-wave pop single, “Our House”. Less serious than their cohorts in The Specials, Madness was all about having fun with their music.

photo by Michael Staunton

They released their debut One Step Beyond on the same Two-Tone Records. The lead single of the same name has also become a staple in the ska scene, with the song garnering one of the most instantly recognizable horn lines in history, that has been used in movies, commercials, etc. You’ll know it when you hear it! They did outlast the Specials, in that they broke up in 1986. Then in the early nineties reformed with most of the original members intact.

They have gone on to release twelve albums, and show no signs of slowing down. Today Madness still plays shows on the regular, but mainly in the U.K. They even had plans to play around the U.S. for the first time in decades in the year 2022, but have had to reschedule several times due to the global pandemic.

K

eeping with the ongoing pattern of light-hearted, silly bands, another London-based band that reached levels of popularity, went by the name Bad Manners. While other

ska bands were preaching for unity and togetherness, Bad Manners were just nutty. They dressed in costumes, sang about drinking, girls, and partying and generally used their music as a form to tell stories, rather than spread positive messages. They performed on TV on several different shows, and were a regular staple on Britain’s Top Of The Pops late night music show.

Bad Manners formed around the same time as many other twotone era bands, in the year 1976. Another thing that set them apart is that they were not actually a part of the Two-Tone Records roster with The Specials and Madness. They had songs that were hits such as

“Lip Up Fatty”, “Special Brew”, “Lorraine”, and “Just A Feeling”, to name a few. Their big draw, according to their fan base, would be their hyper energetic frontman, Buster Bloodvessel, whose cartoonish on-stage persona included showing of his enormous tongue, serenading women from the audience and dancing around wearing only a hula skirt and other outlandish costumes. If he wasn’t already stripped down to just his skivvies. Sometimes though, his antics had gotten Bad Manners banned from several clubs around the U.K. early on in their career.

For more than ten years they played all over the country, amassing a loyal fan base, until their eventual breakup of the original Bad Manners in 1987. That original lineup reunited in the early nineties.

Only sporadically though, as members would come and go throughout the decade, playing select shows. But unfortunately Bad Manners would never reunite as a full-time touring band ever again.

Buster Bloodvessel, the sole remaining original member of Bad

Manners, who is now in his sixties, still plays with a rotating lineup of touring musicians under the Bad Manners name. They still know how to pack the house in the U.K., and on occasion still make it across

AUTHOR’S NOTE:

the pond to play a few select dates

As ska fans, we learn to get used

in the States. But currently they mostly perform on the festival circuit these days. During their prime years, Bad Manners put out a total of nine studio albums,

to seeing band members change all the time. To this day, it’s hard to find a ska band who still plays with their same lineup that they did at the time they started. I’m pretty sure that I can probably count the number on one hand.

including six with the original lineup. Many of the third wave ska bands that come from the nineties ska explosion owe a lot to Bad Manners and how they shied away from the conventional two-tone ethos and relied on comedy and wit as their biggest influence to their sound. They also covered songs like Millie Small’s “My Boy Lollipop”, as well as the “Can-Can” song (you would definitely know it if you heard it!)

T

he Two-Tone movement predominantly lasted until the early eighties, just like the first wave, mainly due in part to waning interest in the music. During its short time, and throughtout

the U.K., ska was everywhere. The bands spotlighted within this book are just a taste. It would be remiss for this author to forget the contributions of other important two-tone bands, such as The English Beat, The Hotknives, or even The Bodysnatchers: Two-Tone’s first and only all-female ska band.

At the turn of the decade, the sound of two-tone ska was

beginning to make its way across the Atlantic and some musicians on both coasts were beginning to take notice of the catchy tunes and wanted to cash in, and slowly, it began to make waves all over the country. It was called...

THE THIRD WAVE

Image courtesy of Less Than Jake

A

lot happened during the Third Wave of ska, and this is where a lot of my influence comes from. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to get to everything. Now, during these early parts of the

eighties, rumblings of this “new” music style from the U.K. hit the ears of a few musicians in parts of California and in New York City. Once again, it seemed like ska music took hold on musicians all over, and like many of its fans, just never let go. History seems to tell us that ska first hit the coastal cities of Los Angeles and New York, seemingly at the same time,and then from there it spread to the rest of the country.

Most would say that L.A. was the first to discover and explore the new sounds of ska. By first few years of the early eighties, new wave was just beginning to take off in popularity. MTV had just launched the first twenty-four hour music video network on cable television.

B

ut it would be nearly two decades before they would even acknowledge ska as a moment in popular culture. That’s okay though. Turns out, we didn’t ever really want “Empty-V” to

have anything to do with our beloved music at all anyway.

In the suburbs of L.A., the two-tone style and fashion was becoming popular with some of the youth in the area. The idea of wearing nice clothes and suits while going out to meet friends, like what the youngsters did in the U.K., was something that the kids latched onto and it caught on. This particular sense of fashion was labeled as Mod style. It came with riding scooters and wearing designer fashions, not too different from the Hollywood style that L.A. is usually known for, eh? Don’t worry, there were still plenty of punk rockers and miscreants in the city. This wasn’t about being wealthy, it was just about looking and feeling good.

So, in 1981, the mods and punks wanted to play music together, inspired by some of the music they heard growing up—sixties and seventies soul and rock-n-roll. Eventually, as the sounds of bands like The Specials from the U.K. started to perk up their ears as well, the style of music evolved towards being influenced by the British style of ska and reggae.

A group of these integrated individuals, both black and white friends, ended up getting together to form one of the most notable

bands of the early third wave era. They were called The Untouchables.

And throughout the Southern California region, they definitely were that: untouchable.

They formed in 1981, and right around the same time (unbeknownst to them) The Specials were calling it quits in Britain.

Were they poised to be the next big thing in ska? Well, it sure seemed like it. The original lineup were not so musically inclined, so a few members learned their instruments starting from square one. But after a couple of years and a lot of practice, The Untouchables were making a name for themselves. Their dynamic hybrid sounds of R&B and reggae garnered them a captive audience, and not to mention their energetic live show got them many spots on shows all around California. Not bad for starting off knowing next to nothing about music, and then becoming something important in ska music: America’s First Ska Band.

What an honor it must be!

The Untouchables had released five studio albums, all throughout the eighties and nineties. Bands such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and No Doubt opened for them. Much like many other fellow ska bands before and after it, The Untouchables had many members in its history. Lead vocalist Jerry Miller is the remaining original member of the band, which still plays sporadically in the L.A. area.

Throughout their career, they were offered major label record

deals, they got heavy air play on local radio and yes, even got a video aired on MTV for a spell. Things were definitely looking up for The Untouchables, and levels of success for a little ska band from the ‘burbs, were in sight for the band. Ska had finally arrived in America.

It spread like wildfires too. Throughout the eighties and early nineties, bands like Gangster Fun from Detroit, and The Uptones, also from California, were also notable for being some of the first American ska bands, however, their popularity was surpassed by one band that came out of New York City.

Photo Courtesy of The Untouchables

M

eanwhile, on the east coast. yet another “ska boom” was taking place. The two-tone sound had reached the shores of Manhattan. In 1980, a young gentleman

immigrated from London to New York City to persue his dream of owning a comic book store. An opportunity arose for him to take over one of New York’s oldest and best comic book stores, Forbidden Planet. So, naturally he picked up everything he owned, and moved to the States to follow his dream. This story sounds like a stereotypical modern-day ska fan’s dream come true!

That gentleman’s name was Rob “Bucket” Buckley, and a year later after moving to New York City, he saw Two-Tone ska band The English Beat perform at the historic Roseland Ballroom (RIP).

This led him to be inspired to start his own band. Little did

Photo Courtesy of The Toasters

he really know how important that band would become, and just how impactful their music would shape what would come to be known as the “third wave” of ska.

The Toasters became huge. Not Madonna or Michael Jackson huge, but in the ska world, they raised the bar. Actually, they took over the bar and ended up buying the entire place bottles of top shelf liquor.

But it wasn’t just The Toasters that got huge. Bucket became a bit of an entrepeneur during his stint as a comic book shop owner. He wanted to have a way to get his music out there, so he took the next logical step— he started his own record company. Moon Records would release almost all of The Toasters ten full-length albums. The label would also go on to be a cornerstone for many (and I do mean many) of the third wave’s best bands during the ska explosion in the nineties.

The Toasters would go on to be one of the longest-tenured ska bands, having rarely taken a break in their forty year existence. While Bucket is (no surprise here) the only remaining original member, over 100 musicians have played as part of The Toasters, and have all been recognized as being members, no matter how short or long they have played in the band.

Moon Records operated from 1983 to the year 2000, and was home to some of the most influential albums in third wave ska history.

Business boomed especially during the nineties. The label was really good to ska bands based out of New York and the tri-state areas, and in the third wave, there were a lot of them. But it wasn’t until the midnineties that the third wave came crashing into the rest of the country and washed all over popular culture.

S

ka did sort of lay dormant for a few years in the eighties and early nineties. But a couple of important things of note actually happned in this time. Out west, in the town

of Berkeley, California, a short-lived band would create a new sound to ska, by merging the ferocity of L.A.-style hardcore punk with an energetic faster style guitar upstroke of ska music to make a new subgenre, called simply “ska-punk”. Operation Ivy, as they were the first ones to combine these styles into one unified sound.

They were another band that was poised for success, with a huge following up and down the California coast. Their unique (at the time) sound caught the ears of radios and major labels all over. They initially were signed to an independent record label, Lookout Records, and put out a seven-inch record that was played on local radio stations

all the time. They released their one and only full-length album, Energy in 1989. Then unfortunately, just a few months later, they broke up. They were also on the verge of greatness, as yet another major label was knocking on their doors, just after the release of the album. But, due in part to inner turmoil between band members on the direction they wanted to go, among other things, like drug and alcohol abuse, caused the band to unfortunately implode just as things were looking up.

However, their legacy would live on. The sound that they helped create would cement a signature style for other third wave ska bands.

Op Ivy’s message was also carried from the two-tone era; a message ripe with songs about unity and coming together to fight for the oppressed.

Their lone album is cited as one of the greatest ska-punk records of all time, and would go on to influence an entire generation of bands to come. Two members of Operation Ivy went on to form the highly successful and legendary punk band Rancid, which would carry some of that ska influence throughout their song catalog.

B

ack on the east coast, another pioneering sound was being discovered, perhaps even beating Operation Ivy by a few years. This time, it would come from within the city of

Boston, Massachussetts. The band that would play this sound, which would come to be affectionately known as “ska-core”, would call themselves The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (which can also be shortened to just The Bosstones). They formed in the year 1984.

The ska-core sound would be a little more rough around the edges than some of it’s other peers, with almost a kind of heavy metal music type feel to it. Dicky Barrett, lead singer for The Bosstones, has a very distinct, gravely voice. He alternates from singing to screaming quite frequently in their songs. Their influence in this style stems from their musical upbringing, as Boston has been known to have

quite an underground hardcore and punk scene. Many members of the Bosstones spent their youths in these scenes, and it definitely shows in much of their music. The Bosstones gained quite a folllowing in their native Boston, and soon would travel the country as a successful touring band. Their intensity on record would translate well to thousands of misspent youth across the U.S. It wasn’t until 1997 that The Bosstones finally struck gold. After signing to a major label, they released four albums from 1989 to 1994 before they skyrocketed to fame with the release of Let’s Face It in 1997, and its massive hit single “The Impression That I Get”. The song climbed up the charts, and was played on alternative rock radio and MTV constantly. The song was on many a summer movie soundtrack, and it even got them to appear on the big screen in the classic comedy “Clueless”. They also played on just about every major festival that

summer, and appeared on every late night talk show. The world could not escape the Bosstones, and to many, this heralded the beginning of the nineties ska invasion.

The Bosstones would go on to leave the major labels, and return to their independent roots. After Let’s Face It, they released six more albums under various smaller labels. They could never quite reach the level of success they had in the late nineties. However, they were going fairly strong for nearly forty years until they called it quits in early 2022.

Ska fans the world over owe a mountain of debt to the Bosstones for helping ska sneak its way into the mainstream. I know personally, if it weren’t for them, this book would never have been made.

W

ashington D.C. is home to many historic sites and is the center of our countrie’s government, which means there was a lot to be upset about that happened right outside

people’s front door. As we remember, ska music was designed as a way to fight against injustices of any kind (in the late nineties, there was even a nationwide ska tour called “Ska Against Racism”), so it felt only natural that D.C. was positvely seeping with ska bands during this time.

Many of which also came from the surrounding areas of Maryland and Virginia.

The Skunks, The Checkered Cabs, The Decepticonz, Eastern Standard Time, and The Shenanigans were all major players in the scene. They all played shows together on any given weekend. If you can find them, I recommend listening to them. They’re all top choice,

but only a few of them still remain to this day. Perhaps no bigger band came out of D.C. during the third wave than the legendary Pietasters.

While the band formed while attending Viriginia Tech, it wasn’t until they relocated to the D.C. area that they became popular, not only in the D.C. region but also all over the world, thanks to their exposure while playing shows with the likes of the Bosstones or The Toasters during the height of their popularity.

They were definitely more on the debaucherous side of things. They had songs about drinking, girls, and partying.

You know, typical college stuff.

But they helped put D.C.’s ska scene on the map, so if you were in a ska band, D.C. was a destination that you had to play, and chances were that you had The Pietasters also on the bill.

Over their twenty-plus years of existence, they have put out six albums and one live record. They’ve toured the world throughout the nineties, and early 2000s, and they even got a gig as the backing band

for James Brown once. Some might say they were one of the best bands to ever do it during the third wave, with their mix of ska, reggae, soul and R&B being a highlight in the mix of different sounds these guys play. In the nineties they managed to find moderate success with a radio single and video for “Out All Night” from their third album, Willis.

The Pietasters are still playing today. They’re a little older and have calmed down (if only just a bit), as many members now have families and full-time jobs of their own, so the partying has slowed some as well.

But their shows can just be as raucous as they were back in their college days, and especially after a few beers.

Of all the many D.C. bands that came out of the nineties ska explosion, only Eastern Standard Time is still active, besides The Pietasters. However, a new crop of D.C-area bands have come up over the years. If you like the Pietasters or EST, check out bands like The Fuss, The Players, The Scotch Bonnets, and Thirteen Towers, just to name a few. There is even a local monthly ska night in the city, hosted by one of the many watering holes located throughout, which spotlights not only the local bands, but lesser-known bands, or bands just starting to take off, that may be touring up and down the East Coast, as well.

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nother band was also making waves on the radio and MTV at the same time. Hailing from Orange County, California, Reel Big Fish were also one of the more successful third wave

ska bands to come out during the nineties ska invasion. Their persona as a band also gave way to a lot of the stylistic implications of third wave ska. The high energy songs of Reel Big Fish were very reminiscient of being on a beach, and it sure helped that their frontman, Aaron Barrett (no relation to Dicky from The Bosstones), would constantly wear the loudest, brightest, most colorful Hawaiian shirts on the planet.

Reel Big Fish (RBF for short) were far more comical than many of thei predecessors in ska. Their songs were full of self-deprecating humor, and their live shows were almost like some kind of stand-up comedy routine, full of toilet humor, and dirty jokes—the type of

jokes you could get away with in the nineties. Their one big hit, “Sellout” sold hundreds of thousands of copies all over the world. Their debut full-length, Turn The Radio Off! was yet another high seller for ska music. Much like their pals in the Bosstones, they also played sold out shows, and festivals all over the world. It seemed like Orange County was a definitely a hotbed for ska music.

Other groups that came out from that area were No Doubt was originally a ska band, Save Ferris, who also had a solid radio and video hit with their cover of “Come On Eileen”; Goldfinger, who originally started out as a hair-metal band; The Aquabats, who are ska’s first band of superheroes, and are probably the zaniest of any ska band you’ll ever hear. Any of these bands are extremely talented, had a good run and warrant at least a listen on YouTube or other music streaming service.

Reel Big Fish has still been going pretty strong, releasing new music and constantly touring, where they might play over 200 shows over a year’s time. If it’s a surprise to anyone, singer Aaron Barrett is the last original member. Over their long career so far, RBF has released ten albums, a live album, and two “greatest hits” albums (one of which was done as a way to get out of a record contract that they didn’t like. But that’s a story for a different book altogether).

Unfortunately, the band could never replicate the success of their one hit single from the nineties. Though that didn’t seem to slow things down, and they continued to churn out music and gain a loyal fanbase, playing sold out shows in large clubs and festivals to their adoring crowds for the last nearly three decades.

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here is a debate, as to whether the third wave has moved on. There has been a surge of new bands, dubbed the fourth wave, or “New Tone”, as a way to differentiate

their identity from their forefathers, what feels like a generation ago. In my opinion, the third wave is still going strong with great bands like Catbite, Kill Lincoln, The Dendrites, Stop The Presses, Hub City Stompers, Rude Girl Revue, Matamoska, We Are The Union, The Pandemics, The Crombies, and not to mention, The Interrupters, who are carrying the torch right now, with a couple of hits on the radio over the last couple of years. It’s a nice feeling to hear a ska song on commercial radio every now and then.

Thank you again, so much, for reading this book. As I stated before, way back in the beginning, if I can get just one new ska fan interested after reading this, then I’ve done my job!

The End.

About The Author Drew Scull is a graphic designer and ska music fan for life.

Based in the Washington, D.C. area, he studied graphic design at George Mason University, where he received his BFA. His favorite band is The Pietasters. When he’s not designing or writing ska books, he likes to watch hockey (see if you can guess his favorite team), play video games, and read Stephen King.

Bibliography Augustyn, Heather. Ska: An Oral History. McFarland, 2010.

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Augustyn, Heather. Ska: The Rhythm of Liberation.

The Scarecrow Press, INC, 2013.

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Carnes, Aaron. In Defense of Ska. CLASH Books, 2021.

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Wasserman, Marc. Ska Boom!: An American Ska & Reggae Oral History. DiWulf Publishing, 2021.

“Ska defines who I am As a person, and I wilL never tuRn my back on ska!”

Ska music has a long and loyal following. The music, which has survived for seventy years, is not very well known still to this day.

What many don’t know is just how rich the history of Ska is, and how important it was to shape more popular forms of music, such as reggae.

Author Drew Scull, authentic ska fan for more than twenty years, briefly documents the rise and fall of Ska in popular and underground culture over the last several decades. In this interactive guide, there are even special QR codes for the reader to scan with their phone or other smart device, and can experience for themselves first-hand Ska music throughout the years.

See if you can find them all!