| Ska evolved in the early '60s, when Jamaicans tried
to replicate the sound of the New Orleans R&B they heard over their
radios. Instead of mimicking the sound of the R&B, the first ska
artists developed a distinctive rhythmic and melodic sensibility,
which eventually turned into reggae music. In the late '70s, a number
of young British bands began reviving the sound of original ska,
adding a nervous punk edge to the skittish rhythms. Furthermore,
the ska revivalists were among the only bands of the era to feature
racially integrated lineups, which was a bold political statement
for the time. Indeed, ska revival was more implicitly political
than any of their British punk and new wave contemporaries |
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The leading ska revivalist band was the Specials,
who formed their own independent label, 2-Tone. Led by Jerry Dammers
and fronted by Terry Hall, the Specials established the sound and
approach for all of the bands that followed, and were an immediate
hit in England. Through 2-Tone and a variety of tours, the Specials
helped cultivate an active ska revival scene -- the group offered
support for all of the major ska revivalists that followed, including
Madness, the (English) Beat, and Selecter. Throughout the early
'80s, ska revival bands, particularly Madness, were very popular
in the U.K. The groups didn't make much headway in the States until
1982 and 1983, when MTV aired videos by all of the important (and
many of the lesser) bands. By that time, most of the bands had run
their peak and it was just a matter of months before the Specials,
Madness, the (English) Beat, and Selecter all broke up. |
| Although the ska revival bands never became stars
outside of the U.K., they did become major cult figures in the U.S.
and inspired several generations of musicians to form similar bands.
This wave of ska revivalists was equally inspired by hardcore punk
and heavy metal, thereby stripping out much of the R&B groove that
informed the original ska and 2-Tone artists. Nevertheless, these
bands -- including Rancid, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and No Doubt
-- became quite popular in America during the mid-'90s. In the U.K.,
ska revivalists influenced both Britpop bands like Blur and trip-hop
artists like Tricky. |
Dance Craze Album Cover
Featuring various ska Bands |
