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At first, records were pressed up in strictly limited numbers and used specifically for sound system dances, but as demand to make them widely available grew, producers began running off larger quantities of the discs and started selling them directly to the Jamaican public. By the early sixties, operators such as Arthur 'Duke' Reid, Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd and Cecil 'Prince Buster' Campbell had become established as major producers on the island, earning substantial sums of money from the rapidly developing record industry. Early Jamaican releases had little to distinguish them from the aforementioned style of American R&B, but by the late fifties, there were signs of a new musical style beginning to develop. The off-beat became increasingly accentuated by the rhythm section, eventually creating a shuffle style known as 'Jamaican Boogie' or 'Blues Beat'. Over the ensuing months, the trend continued, until the music was almost unrecognisable from American R&B - Ska had been created and for the next few years, it was to dominate the island's music scene. By this time, the Jamaican music industry had developed at an incredible pace. Increasingly, producers not only made their own records, but owned their own studios, while the number of recording artistes had risen from a mere handful to hundreds. In addition, a number of entrepreneurs invested in new pressing plants - suddenly, releasing a record became a tangible proposition to anyone of reasonable means. And with British-based record companies spending relatively large sums of money to secure rights for the international release of Jamaican recordings, there seemed no end to the commercial possibilities. Many on the island took note and jumped on the bandwagon, with estimates for the number of singles released in Jamaica during this boom period ranging from hundreds to thousands. But all good things must come to an end and following the blistering spring of 1966, Ska was finally supplanted by the slower, more lilting style of Rocksteady. For the next decade, Ska remained only in the memories of those who had lived through the era, but in the late seventies, it's slumbering spirit was reawakened by a new generation of musicians across the Atlantic. British bands such as The Specials, Madness, Bad Manners, The Selecter and The Beat successfully breathed new life into the genre, introducing it's infectious rhythms to a global audience. In the years since, Ska has continued to attract new followers and today, every continent has it's own contingent of protagonists. This second set of original Ska classics picks up where the previous volume left off, featuring fifty vintage recordings from the late fifties and early sixties, performed by an array of vocal and instrumental talent. The material includes some of the best known recordings of the era, along with a number of lesser known sides, which appear for the first time on CD. But regardless of whether or not these tracks were hits first time around, you can be assured that each and every one of these classic recordings is of the highest quality. This is the original Ska sound at it's very best - accept no imitations! |
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DISC 1 |
DISC 2 |
DISC 3 |
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The Hop |
Mattie Rag (Aka Ol' Matilda) |
If You Were Mine |
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Time - 43:22 |
Time - 41:28 |
Time - 48:47 |
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All material © Copyright Trojan Records |
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TROJAN
SKA BOX SET VOLUME 2 (TRBCD014) - In the late fifties, the
Jamaican music industry underwent a revolution. The raw, New Orleans
style of American Rhythm and Blues so favoured by Jamaican audiences
had been in decline for some years and as a result, the island's
sound system operators began producing their own music using local
singers and musicians. Initially, producers relied upon the limited
facilities available at the handful of small, basic recording
studios scattered around Kingston, but in response to the increase
in demand, more sophisticated set-ups such as those at Federal and
later W.I.R.L. (West Indies Record Limited) were soon created.