Ska Vinyl 125 Items

Jump UP's Xmas tradition continues with Florida ska/reggae/soul champs THE Freecoasters putting a delightful Jamaican spin on Donny Hathaway's "this Christmas" & Stevie Wonder "what Christmas Means TO ME". Claire LIPARULO's powerful voice invokes Stax/motown emotions beautifully. Green & red wax

First two cassette tape releases now on heavyweight metallic copper vinyl limited to 250 copies. A loving tribute to dank 70s dub reggae, deeply in debt to the original Jamaican engineers who turned their mixing consoles into the lead instrument a la LEE Perry and King Tubby.

Debut vinyl album from Boston's top roots dub reggae band, whose sound is truly of another time and place. Deeply in debt to the original Jamaican engineers of the 70s who turned mixing consoles into the lead instrument, the Vipers drop steady drum & bass rhythms w/ post punk attitude.

Washington DC's messengers of ska-jazz are back with their first new studio album since 2010. Their signature sound of bop jazz, Jamaican ska, blended with soul and reggae is intact - and has made them a perennial touring act all across Europe. Includes their cover version of SAM COOKE's "CHANGE IS GONNA COME".

The A side is an unreleased Uptempo Ska Vocal cut with a fire instrumental on the flip.

A premium series of limited edition Japanese pressed 7"s - featuring unreleased and impossibly hard to find gems from the Duke Reid archives.

As many artists before them (Gainsbourg, Snoop Dogg, Lavilliers, Sinead O'Connor…), DA Break embarques us to revisit their best tracks “Inna Reggae Vibe”, and invites us listeners to rediscover their repertoire with a more than ever “Roots” sound. An enchanted break that will seduce the early fans as well as reggae connoisseurs; A suspended moment with a band on their new musical quest, assuming a different side of their DNA. The idea of an “old school reggae auto remix” had bloomed for quite a long time, with the will to dive into the 60s & 70s sound esthetics and to pay tribute to this reggae culture - this unique cultural temple they love and respect so much. DA Break concerts are always rich and intense musical moments, thanks to a crew of solid musicians, so the choice to record Live, all in the same room, was quite obvious; with “vintage” instruments and microphones, to enjoy this warm and authentic sonic texture. The result is a “Roots & Rock Steady” album without electronics, leaning towards sweaty and rough Jazz, tropical Soul or even Gospel with sand between the toes… definitely Reggae! DA Break remains DA Break, with its inner light, this time looking towards the Caribbean musical culture. Given the historical influence of Jamaican Sound Systems on the American Block Parties, it seemed logical for DA Break to pay tribute to the artists that influenced them since day one, and still do today: Bob Marley & the Wailers, Jimmy Cliff. Culture, Toots & the Maytals, Burning Spears, The Gladiators, YellowMan, Israel Vibrations, LKJ & Mad Professor, Ub40, Shaka Demus, Peter Tosh... Just to name a few.

Debut vinyl release from Indonesia's punky reggae band, an expanded edition of their latest full length - now 14 tracks strong. A must for fans of THE Clash, THE Aggrolites, THE Skints - aggressive guitar, high-octane tempos and a chant vocal style. Pressed on red vinyl limited to 400.

Debut single from ska infused swingy rhythm & blues all star band with lead vocalist John Bunkley of Gangster FUN and Atomic Fireballs fame. Two jams pleasing the jump blues crowd, big horns call-and-response lyrics and some innuendo! "jumpin AT THE RED Door" b/c "fifth OF You". Big hole white wax.

Debut album from Indiana ska band formed by the members of 90's legends Johnny Socko. Anthemic rock infused ska & reggae that harkens back to the heyday of the American third wave, with catchy lyrics and big horns. Limited edition clear blue vinyl limited to 250 copies.

About Carl Dawkins

Carl ‘Ras’ Dawkins was born on 1st August 1948 in Spanish Town, Jamaica, the son of a Jazz drummer… After moving to Kinston, young Carl attended Kingston Senior School where his classmates included the great Slim Smith and Jimmy Riley, two of the former “Techniques”. In 1967, at the tender age of 19, Carl recorded for Karl ‘J.J.’ Johnson some of his original compositions including ‘cBaby I Love You’, ‘Running Shoes’ and ‘Hard Time’ with the Carib Beats as a musical backing band. ‘Baby I Love You’ with ‘Hard Time’ on the flip were subsequently issued on two Johnson’s labels (JJ Records, Sir J.J.) in 1967 in Jamaica and on the Rio label (a Doctor Bird subsidiary) in UK the same year. While ‘Baby I Love You’ was popular, it was the great ‘Hard Time’ that propelled the single to the top of the Jamaican charts. After a spell in prison for possession of marijuana, Carl recorded a collection of singles for producers such as Clancy Eccles, Lee Perry and Leslie Kong. He returned to JJ and found success again in 1970, when he recorded one of that year’s best-selling singles, the superb ‘Satisfaction’, swiftly followed by two other major hits the same year, ‘Get Together’ and ‘This Land’ which sold heavily despite being banned by the government for its hard-hitting lyrics on the state of Jamaica at the time. During the 70s he recorded one album for Harry J - “Bumpity Road” - and many great singles for a variety of record labels and producers before gradually withdrawing from the scene during the 80s. Many years later, Carl is still very much loved by its many fans around the world. He is rightly considered being one of Reggae's all-time greatest vocalists…

About This Release

This killer double sider is the first reissue of two super rare and outstanding tracks by the great Carl Dawkins. Both tracks have never been reissued until now.

The very much in demand “I’ll Make It Up” was previously released as B side to One Dollar Of Music on Duke Du-3 in 1968. On the B side, the brilliant “Hot And Sticky” was previously released on Rio R138 in 1967.

Both tracks were produced by the Jamaican reggae producer, J.J. Johnson who ran two record labels Sir J. J. and JJ Records from his Kingston shop on Orange Street, next door to Beverley's Records, where he was shot dead in 1972.

Aggressively Catchy SKA Punk With Proggressive Metal Influences, Uk’s Call ME Malcolm Provides A Stellar 3RD LP Available ON Electric Blue Vinyl Razor-toothed, harmony infused, delicately ferocious ska. British 5-piece Call Me Malcolm exploded onto the Ska Punk scene in 2018 with a record described by ska legends Less Than Jake as "a saving grace of the genre." Malcolm's genre blending mastery and intricate songwriting has since crafted “some of the most special, unique, ambitious music in the punk underground.” (BrooklynVegan) landing them at #8 in Ska Punk Daily’s “Albums of the Decade” and #15 in Brooklyn Vegan’s “Best Punk Albums of 2020” with consecutive releases. 2024 sees the release of Echoes and Ghosts, a 10-track, melodic powerhouse about identity, self, and suicide. Songwriter-in-chief Lucias describes it as “a eulogy for the parts of myself I killed with medication, and a love letter to the silhouette I became.” Call Me Malcolm are the first UK band to sign with Bad Time Records (We Are The Union, Kill Lincoln, JER/Skatune Network) and fit right in with the diverse family of ska-adjacent “New Tone” bands pumping fresh energy into the genre.

Debut album from St. Louis's premier ska collective, a powerful 8 piece delivering horn driven harmony-laced 2-Tone style songs. As featured on the Check One-2 and Drink THE SKA collections. For fans of THE Specials, THE Crombies, THE Hotknives, Buster Shuffle or THE Skapones.

Emmanuel Rodriguez (Rico), was born in La Habana, Cuba, on October 17th 1934. He was one of the most important trombone players from Jamaica. He learned to play trombone at Alpha Boys School, the music school from where most of the best Jamaican musicians has come from, such as Johnny Moore, Yellowman, Lester Sterling or Roland Alphonso. His tutor was another pupil, Don Drummond, who later was one of the biggest Ska musicians. Rico continued his musical training at Stoney Hill Music school and joined the Rastafari culture of Wareika Hills along with drummer Count Ossie. Jazz influence was decisive his style, as well as the Cuban music from the 50’s. On 1961 he moved to the UK where he joined some reggae bands. On 1976 he recorded with Island Records his most important album: Man From Wareika. During the 70’s he joined the 2 Tone movement, being part of The Specials. From 1996, besides of other projects, was a member of Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. On August 2015, being 80 years old, Rico Rodriguez entered in the hospital in London, after some time of convalescence, he passed away on Friday September 4th 2015 at, nearly, 81 years old. Andrés ‘Ska Beat’ Cotter is a well known bass player and producer, born in Buenos Aires in 1971. From 17th years old has been been playing Ska and Reggae, being founder of bands such as Riddim, Satélite Kingston and Ska Beat City. In this record Andrés Cotter, along with the prestigious Argentinian trombone player Bebe Ferreyra, decides to pay tribute to the great Rico Rodriguez in a Big Band format. They have selected four tunes from Rico’s repertoire, with some of the best local musicians, having as result 15 minutes of the highest musical level.

AKATZ are not Jamaicans, nor are they British, nor do they need to. They have been at the crossroads between Kingston and Bilbao chatting with the mocking spirit of the New Orleans Mardi Gras, who has shown them new directions to continue their creative path. The uninitiated will receive this album like headless chickens, as a fierce revelation, and longtime adepts will celebrate the event with offerings of smoke, brandy, and endless dancing.In a journey of almost 30 years, Akatz have developed their own personality that makes them easily recognizable, genuine and unique. Hardened in a thousand battles, they have always paid as much attention to creating quality music as to turning each concert into an unrepeatable party.YUYU was registered in November 2019 in the studios of Kaki Arkarazo (Kortatu, Negu Gorriak) and, pending publication, the curse of the pandemic ensued. Therefore, the band's first self-imposed mission has been to cast these 12 spells to the four winds. There are twelve songs of classic ska, reggae and Jamaican jazz with a R&B dressing, and essences of danceable swing and punk attitude. Lifelong melodies, with rhythm, swing, beat and flow, and a compositional solidness that would admit multiple readings of each song by musicians of different origins and backgrounds.YUYU presents a universe populated by creatures that seem fantastic but that - in reality - live among us, and that the band unmasks with fine clairvoyance. An album that can be enjoyed from the first taste. With fun, uncomplicated and well-crafted songs all sprinkled with a good dose of rhythm and blues.It is clear that AKATZ has been at the crossroads between Kingston and Bilbao, chatting with the mocking spirit of New Orleans Mardi Gras, who has shown them new directions to continue their creative path. The uninitiated will receive this album like headless chickens, as a fierce revelation, and longtime adepts will celebrate the event with offerings of smoke, brandy, and endless dancing.

Emotional Rescue presents the music of Haile Maskel in the first in a reissue series working with Patrick Billard aka DJ Duckcomb, sourcing and licensing from this digger's vaults and out to the wider world. Heralding from the furtive 60's Trenchtown, Jamaica, young Michael Ashley aka Haile Maskel grew up singing, learning guitar and bass. His first recording session was produced by friend Bob Marley, with Peter Tosh on keys, Robbie Shakespeare on bass and Carlton Barrett on drums. The list of sessions is long, working with Lee Perry, Light Of Saba, Dennis Brown and Sugar Minott. Touring took him overseas where he settled in Los Angeles in 1983, soon launching his Opulence Sound) label. Maskel's band, the 101's featured members of The Twinkle Brothers, including cousins Asher and Debo Brown on drum and bass, and augmented by local players. Mixing conscious messages in love songs, Maskel crafts a boogie discodub on which to exalt an uplifting summer jam. With the highly prized original the tapes unearthed unreleased dubs - "Take 1" providing a wonderful version. LA native Duckcomb found a trove of tapes of unheard material, still for discovery. For now, his longform Discomix, cutting and editing Maskel's vocal along with the dubs, completes a first archival splendor.