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Spizzenergi formed in the late 1970s, an English punk/new wave band led by vocalist / guitarist Spizz. The band changed its name every year, subsequent names including Athletico Spizz 80, Spizzoil and The Spizzles.
They are notable as the first band to top the newly created UK Indie Chart early in 1980 with their single "Where's Captain Kirk?" More than two decades after its release, it was included in Mojo magazine's list of the best punk rock singles of all time.
They are notable as the first band to top the newly created UK Indie Chart early in 1980 with their single "Where's Captain Kirk?" More than two decades after its release, it was included in Mojo magazine's list of the best punk rock singles of all time.
Basement 5 were a reggae punk fusion band from London founded in 1978. Their first vocalist was Winston Fergus, then Don Letts. One of their early performances was a support for Public Image Ltd.'s London debut at the Rainbow on Christmas Day 1978. Finally in 1979 Dennis Morris - legendary photographer of Bob Marley and the Sex Pistols, took over as creative force, lead vocalist and lyricist. He also designed the Basement 5 logo and created their image. The drums were played by Richard Dudanski, who had played in the bands 101ers, The Raincoats and Public Image Ltd. Their songs reflected the political situation of the time in Great Britain in the era of Margaret Thatcher: youth unemployment, strikes, racism and the poverty of the working class.
In 1980 they got signed to Island Records with vocalist Dennis Morris.
In 1980 they got signed to Island Records with vocalist Dennis Morris.
On an island overflowing with exceptional talent on both sides of the mixing board, to suggest that just one man was the most influential is perhaps absurd, but if you took a poll, Prince
Buster would inevitably win by a wide margin. He remains synonymous with ska, while being equally important to rocksteady. From Judge Dread to rude reggae, Prince Buster has left his imprint across Jamaica's musical landscape, both as a singer and a producer. 2-Tone wouldn't have existed without him, and by extension, neither would the third wave. And over 45 years after he first appeared on the music scene, Prince Buster was still making an impact.
Cecil Bustamante Campbell was born on the island of Jamaica on May 28, 1938, the son of a railway worker. While still in his teens, Campbell simultaneously pursued two quite separate careers -- boxing and singing. Eventually, he'd give up the former, a talent he honed as a child leading in one of Kingston's toughest neighborhoods; although it would hold him in good stead once he opened his sound system. He made his singing debut at the Glass Bucket club in the mid-'50s and fronted a number of now long-forgotten groups. Several of them included drummer Arkland "Drumbago" Parkes in their line-ups and the two became friends. The drummer provided the introduction to Coxsone Dodd, not yet a producer, but at the time running a hot sound system in competition to another businessman soon to turn producer, Duke Reid. Dodd employed the young singer not for his vocals, but for his fists, as a security guard cum Guy Friday. By 1959, the young Buster understood the sound system business inside and out and set off on his own. He began by opening a record store, Buster's Record Shack, and then set up the Voice of the People sound system.
The next year, the young entrepreneur took the next logical step and produced his debut single, the instrumental "Little Honey," credited to Buster's Group (a trio of Jah Jerry, Rico Rodriguez, and Parkes). It immediately created a sensation, with a sound far removed from the American R&B swamping the sound systems. Prince Buster had basically introduced the classic syncopated rhythm of ska to a voracious Jamaican nation. A second recording session was arranged, this time including vocalists Derrick Morgan, Owen Gray and the Folkes Brothers, while nyabinghi drummers Count Ossie & His Wareikas were brought in from the hills to create a rhythm never experienced before by most Jamaican audiences. A baker's dozen of songs were recorded and amazingly, everyone became a hit, kicking off with the Folkes Brothers' seminal hit "Oh Carolina." And the smashes just kept on coming, with these artists and more, including Basil Gabbidon, the boogie "War Paint Baby";Eric Morris, "Humpty Dumpty"; and Chuck & Dobby. All were backed by Buster's Group an aggregation of excellent musicians that included various Skatalites-to-be. Particularly revolutionary was Bunny & Skitter's "Chubby," a startling single that featured the duo Acappella, accompanied by Count Ossie & His Wareikas tribal beats. Not surprisingly, the single wasn't a success as audiences preferred the more commercial sound of "Oh Carolina." But both songs were breaking new ground and kicked off a wave of releases employing nyabingi-style rhythms.
Prince Buster himself made his recording debut in 1962, releasing a clutch of hits over the year. Amongst these was "They Got to Go," whose lyrics pointedly sum up Prince Buster's feelings toward his rival producers. This business feud, which the elder men were still winning thanks to their better financial resources, became personal in 1963 when Derrick Morgan deserted Buster for producer Leslie Kong. In truth, it wasn't quite that simple as the young singer had made his debut with "Lover Boy" for Reid and had remained loyal to him until the producer took a brief hiatus from the music business. Reid had burned him, however, by recording but often not releasing the teen's songs. Needless to say, the youngster was now determined to record for whomever offered him the most work and money. And at the moment, that was Kong. However, adding insult to perceived injury was Morgan's second cut for his new master, "Housewife's Choice," which apparently featured an instrumental break stolen from one of his former employer's own songs. Prince Buster's
fury could barely be contained. It all seems a tempest in a teapot today, but the upshot was serious, even though it did create a host of seminal singles. Prince Buster fired the first salvo with "Blackhead Chinaman," a stinging riposte aimed directly at Kong. Of course, the producer had to retaliate, shooting back with Morgan's "Blazing Fire," which ripped off the melody to Buster's own smash hit "Madness." Weeks turned to months, and the feud showed no signs of ebbing as the two men took aim and fired off song after insulting song at each other, each one a classic of wit and music. Unfortunately, the fight was not contained to the studio, but soon spilled over into the sound system parties and streets, as each side's supporters slugged it out on the dance floors and the streets. The situation had become so serious that the government finally stepped in and a public reconciliation finally put and end to this musical melee. By this time, Prince Buster, as artist and producer, was already releasing so many singles that he set up two new imprints (Islam and Buster Wild Bells) to help with the overflow from his original Voice of the People label. Blue Beat, his U.K. distributor, could barely keep up with the output and over an eight year period, he released over 600 Prince Buster productions. This works out to approximately two new singles a week produced by Buster, with two new singles of the artist's own hitting the British streets every month. A superstar in Jamaica, he was almost as big in the U.K. Hit after classic hit, a flood of seminal singles was fed into the market, many of which were rounded up on Blue Beat's I Feel the Spirit in 1963.
1964 was just as prolific, as was the following year, and included such classics as "One Step Beyond," "Al Capone" (which broke the Top 20 in the U.K. two years later), "Burke's Law (arguably the blueprint for Eek-A-Mouse's distinctive vocal style), and many, many more. Blue Beat released three compilation albums of Prince Buster productions across 1964 -1965. This trio of Fly Flying Ska, Pain in My Belly (the title-track is a Maytals' classic), and It's Burke's Law remain the definitive collection of Buster's work during this period. Amongst the classic included are Don Drummond's "Ska Town,"Owen Gray's "River Jordan," the Maytals' smoking "Dog War," and of course, "Al Capone."
1966 was the year when ska slowed into rocksteady and Jamaica was abuzz about the rise of the rude boys. This was the era of the classic vocal groups, but Prince Buster, always a man of the people, had his finger on the rudies' pulse. The tough "Hard Man Fe Dead," the classic "Rude Rude Rudie," and the ferocious "Shanty-Town" were just some of the masterpieces he released during this period. "Judge Dread," in a total and absolutely unexpected turn-about, sentenced the rudies appearing before him to centuries in jail. Uproar followed, not on record but in real life, as the entire nation was caught up by the trial. Other artists now jumped on the Judge's bandwagon, and a slew of singles featuring singing magistrates and defendants followed.
Eventually, Buster was ready to step back into the courtroom fray and the island avidly awaited the result of "The Barrister," a single cleverly credited to the Appeal. The verdict actually made the Jamaican national news and no wonder, Judge Dread had jailed the appealing barrister. More outrage, more singles, and Prince Buster finally gave in and released his final word on the subject, "Judge Dread Dance (The Pardon).All of these songs appeared on Blue Beat's Judge Dread Rock Steady, which included other Buster singles from this time, including the moody hit "Ghost Dance." This judicial soap opera may seem ludicrous today, but at the time it addressed the serious problem of youth violence that threatened the island, albeit with dollops of humor. However Buster's draconian Judge Dread opened the door for serious discussion
on the island's rising tide of young, violent offenders. Lee Perry's barrister on "Set Them Free," for example, poignantly explains the societal causes that led his defendants to court.
Meanwhile, the U.K. was in the grips of gangster fever as the two-year-old Jamaican hit "Al Capone" was now shooting its way up the U.K. chart, prompting a U.K. tour. This was captured on the On Tour album, where Buster performs a fabulous hits-laden set before an exuberant audience. Back in Jamaica, rocksteady was drawing to a close, reggae was on the rise, and Prince Buster had a new furore to invoke. Across 1968, he released a clutch of seminal singles ensured to raise blushes from all but the least bashful. These rude classics include the likes of "Wreck a Pum Pum," "Big Five," "Rough Rider" , and "Wine & Grind" (the last two both later covered by Two Tone heroes the Beat). The Fab label features a clutch of Buster's rude offerings on 1968's Wreck a Pum Pum and the following year's She Was a Rough Rider, while Melodisc managed to fill an entire album with them for 1972's Big Five. "Big Five," itself, was responsible for the launch of English DJ Alex Hughes to superstardom. Renaming himself Judge Dread, he carried on the "Big" saga into the realms of improbability that finally ended with "Big Twelve." The Judge was the first British reggae artist to score in Jamaica, where his fans were quite astonished and bemused to discover that their hero was actually an overweight white man.
While Judge Dread was notching up the hits, Prince Buster was already turning his attention elsewhere. Of course, rude reggae was only a fraction of what he released during the late '60s and early '70s, there was also a clutch of Beatles covers, numerous songs dealing with other subjects entirely, and he even addressed Rastafarianism by the turn of the decade. But it was this latter area that was about to turn into a minefield. Dodd and Reid were in a similar boat, but Prince Buster was even less-equipped to cope with the rise of roots than his competitors. They were merely businessmen, while Buster had converted to Islam in 1961 and thus could not credibly sing about Rastafarianism; this religious movement was at the heart and soul of roots.Cassius Clay and Prince Buster, who by this time was known as Muhammad Ali (Clay changed his name on February 26, 1964), is evident in the comparisons between the two fighters and likely because Prince Buster had begun a relationship with Muhammad Ali and due to his influence converted to Islam himself. Prince Buster changed his name Muhammad Yusef Ali although he still went by the stage name Prince Buster. The two fighters met during a trip to London where Prince Buster was transformed by Ali’s faith in the Nation of Islam. During Prince Buster’s trip to the 1964 World’s Fair with Bryon Lee & the Dragonaires, Ronnie Nasrala, and entourage, Prince Buster took Jimmy Cliff and his friends to a nightclub in Harlem to meet his comrade Muhammad Ali. Prince Buster had also been with Muhammad Ali in Miami when Ali invited him to attend a Nation of Islam talk at Mosque 29. So the two were connected by a friendship and faith.
Prince Buster tried his hand at DJ productions instead, finding success with both Dennis Al Capone and Big Youth. But the genre didn't seem to really suit him.
He continued to work with such established artists as Alton Ellis, John Holt, the Heptones, and Dennis Brown (all of whom cut hits with him), but times were changing swiftly.
In 1973, . Over the next 15 years, Buster allowed his legacy to speak for him. Across the '70s, he stocked the shelves with reissues, most featuring self-composed liner notes railing at the current state of music, and holding up his past work as proof. Even with the rise of 2-Tone, so indebted to him, the artist remained mute. Another decade passed before he would again stand before a mic. With little warning, Prince Buster suddenly began to appear on-stage in the late '80s, and as a new decade began, toured Japan with the Skatalites as his backing group. He started recording again in 1992, and two years later also guessed on the Skatalites' Hi Bop Ska album. Buster's own records were usually made in collaboration with Gaz Mayall, leader of the U.K. ska band the Trojans. The next year, Prince Buster re-entered the British charts for the first time in 31 years with a scintillating new version of "Whine and Grind." In 2006 Prince Buster reunites with Sir Elton John at Mojo awards ceremony.
Buster would inevitably win by a wide margin. He remains synonymous with ska, while being equally important to rocksteady. From Judge Dread to rude reggae, Prince Buster has left his imprint across Jamaica's musical landscape, both as a singer and a producer. 2-Tone wouldn't have existed without him, and by extension, neither would the third wave. And over 45 years after he first appeared on the music scene, Prince Buster was still making an impact.
Cecil Bustamante Campbell was born on the island of Jamaica on May 28, 1938, the son of a railway worker. While still in his teens, Campbell simultaneously pursued two quite separate careers -- boxing and singing. Eventually, he'd give up the former, a talent he honed as a child leading in one of Kingston's toughest neighborhoods; although it would hold him in good stead once he opened his sound system. He made his singing debut at the Glass Bucket club in the mid-'50s and fronted a number of now long-forgotten groups. Several of them included drummer Arkland "Drumbago" Parkes in their line-ups and the two became friends. The drummer provided the introduction to Coxsone Dodd, not yet a producer, but at the time running a hot sound system in competition to another businessman soon to turn producer, Duke Reid. Dodd employed the young singer not for his vocals, but for his fists, as a security guard cum Guy Friday. By 1959, the young Buster understood the sound system business inside and out and set off on his own. He began by opening a record store, Buster's Record Shack, and then set up the Voice of the People sound system.
The next year, the young entrepreneur took the next logical step and produced his debut single, the instrumental "Little Honey," credited to Buster's Group (a trio of Jah Jerry, Rico Rodriguez, and Parkes). It immediately created a sensation, with a sound far removed from the American R&B swamping the sound systems. Prince Buster had basically introduced the classic syncopated rhythm of ska to a voracious Jamaican nation. A second recording session was arranged, this time including vocalists Derrick Morgan, Owen Gray and the Folkes Brothers, while nyabinghi drummers Count Ossie & His Wareikas were brought in from the hills to create a rhythm never experienced before by most Jamaican audiences. A baker's dozen of songs were recorded and amazingly, everyone became a hit, kicking off with the Folkes Brothers' seminal hit "Oh Carolina." And the smashes just kept on coming, with these artists and more, including Basil Gabbidon, the boogie "War Paint Baby";Eric Morris, "Humpty Dumpty"; and Chuck & Dobby. All were backed by Buster's Group an aggregation of excellent musicians that included various Skatalites-to-be. Particularly revolutionary was Bunny & Skitter's "Chubby," a startling single that featured the duo Acappella, accompanied by Count Ossie & His Wareikas tribal beats. Not surprisingly, the single wasn't a success as audiences preferred the more commercial sound of "Oh Carolina." But both songs were breaking new ground and kicked off a wave of releases employing nyabingi-style rhythms.
Prince Buster himself made his recording debut in 1962, releasing a clutch of hits over the year. Amongst these was "They Got to Go," whose lyrics pointedly sum up Prince Buster's feelings toward his rival producers. This business feud, which the elder men were still winning thanks to their better financial resources, became personal in 1963 when Derrick Morgan deserted Buster for producer Leslie Kong. In truth, it wasn't quite that simple as the young singer had made his debut with "Lover Boy" for Reid and had remained loyal to him until the producer took a brief hiatus from the music business. Reid had burned him, however, by recording but often not releasing the teen's songs. Needless to say, the youngster was now determined to record for whomever offered him the most work and money. And at the moment, that was Kong. However, adding insult to perceived injury was Morgan's second cut for his new master, "Housewife's Choice," which apparently featured an instrumental break stolen from one of his former employer's own songs. Prince Buster's
fury could barely be contained. It all seems a tempest in a teapot today, but the upshot was serious, even though it did create a host of seminal singles. Prince Buster fired the first salvo with "Blackhead Chinaman," a stinging riposte aimed directly at Kong. Of course, the producer had to retaliate, shooting back with Morgan's "Blazing Fire," which ripped off the melody to Buster's own smash hit "Madness." Weeks turned to months, and the feud showed no signs of ebbing as the two men took aim and fired off song after insulting song at each other, each one a classic of wit and music. Unfortunately, the fight was not contained to the studio, but soon spilled over into the sound system parties and streets, as each side's supporters slugged it out on the dance floors and the streets. The situation had become so serious that the government finally stepped in and a public reconciliation finally put and end to this musical melee. By this time, Prince Buster, as artist and producer, was already releasing so many singles that he set up two new imprints (Islam and Buster Wild Bells) to help with the overflow from his original Voice of the People label. Blue Beat, his U.K. distributor, could barely keep up with the output and over an eight year period, he released over 600 Prince Buster productions. This works out to approximately two new singles a week produced by Buster, with two new singles of the artist's own hitting the British streets every month. A superstar in Jamaica, he was almost as big in the U.K. Hit after classic hit, a flood of seminal singles was fed into the market, many of which were rounded up on Blue Beat's I Feel the Spirit in 1963.
1964 was just as prolific, as was the following year, and included such classics as "One Step Beyond," "Al Capone" (which broke the Top 20 in the U.K. two years later), "Burke's Law (arguably the blueprint for Eek-A-Mouse's distinctive vocal style), and many, many more. Blue Beat released three compilation albums of Prince Buster productions across 1964 -1965. This trio of Fly Flying Ska, Pain in My Belly (the title-track is a Maytals' classic), and It's Burke's Law remain the definitive collection of Buster's work during this period. Amongst the classic included are Don Drummond's "Ska Town,"Owen Gray's "River Jordan," the Maytals' smoking "Dog War," and of course, "Al Capone."
1966 was the year when ska slowed into rocksteady and Jamaica was abuzz about the rise of the rude boys. This was the era of the classic vocal groups, but Prince Buster, always a man of the people, had his finger on the rudies' pulse. The tough "Hard Man Fe Dead," the classic "Rude Rude Rudie," and the ferocious "Shanty-Town" were just some of the masterpieces he released during this period. "Judge Dread," in a total and absolutely unexpected turn-about, sentenced the rudies appearing before him to centuries in jail. Uproar followed, not on record but in real life, as the entire nation was caught up by the trial. Other artists now jumped on the Judge's bandwagon, and a slew of singles featuring singing magistrates and defendants followed.
Eventually, Buster was ready to step back into the courtroom fray and the island avidly awaited the result of "The Barrister," a single cleverly credited to the Appeal. The verdict actually made the Jamaican national news and no wonder, Judge Dread had jailed the appealing barrister. More outrage, more singles, and Prince Buster finally gave in and released his final word on the subject, "Judge Dread Dance (The Pardon).All of these songs appeared on Blue Beat's Judge Dread Rock Steady, which included other Buster singles from this time, including the moody hit "Ghost Dance." This judicial soap opera may seem ludicrous today, but at the time it addressed the serious problem of youth violence that threatened the island, albeit with dollops of humor. However Buster's draconian Judge Dread opened the door for serious discussion
on the island's rising tide of young, violent offenders. Lee Perry's barrister on "Set Them Free," for example, poignantly explains the societal causes that led his defendants to court.
Meanwhile, the U.K. was in the grips of gangster fever as the two-year-old Jamaican hit "Al Capone" was now shooting its way up the U.K. chart, prompting a U.K. tour. This was captured on the On Tour album, where Buster performs a fabulous hits-laden set before an exuberant audience. Back in Jamaica, rocksteady was drawing to a close, reggae was on the rise, and Prince Buster had a new furore to invoke. Across 1968, he released a clutch of seminal singles ensured to raise blushes from all but the least bashful. These rude classics include the likes of "Wreck a Pum Pum," "Big Five," "Rough Rider" , and "Wine & Grind" (the last two both later covered by Two Tone heroes the Beat). The Fab label features a clutch of Buster's rude offerings on 1968's Wreck a Pum Pum and the following year's She Was a Rough Rider, while Melodisc managed to fill an entire album with them for 1972's Big Five. "Big Five," itself, was responsible for the launch of English DJ Alex Hughes to superstardom. Renaming himself Judge Dread, he carried on the "Big" saga into the realms of improbability that finally ended with "Big Twelve." The Judge was the first British reggae artist to score in Jamaica, where his fans were quite astonished and bemused to discover that their hero was actually an overweight white man.
While Judge Dread was notching up the hits, Prince Buster was already turning his attention elsewhere. Of course, rude reggae was only a fraction of what he released during the late '60s and early '70s, there was also a clutch of Beatles covers, numerous songs dealing with other subjects entirely, and he even addressed Rastafarianism by the turn of the decade. But it was this latter area that was about to turn into a minefield. Dodd and Reid were in a similar boat, but Prince Buster was even less-equipped to cope with the rise of roots than his competitors. They were merely businessmen, while Buster had converted to Islam in 1961 and thus could not credibly sing about Rastafarianism; this religious movement was at the heart and soul of roots.Cassius Clay and Prince Buster, who by this time was known as Muhammad Ali (Clay changed his name on February 26, 1964), is evident in the comparisons between the two fighters and likely because Prince Buster had begun a relationship with Muhammad Ali and due to his influence converted to Islam himself. Prince Buster changed his name Muhammad Yusef Ali although he still went by the stage name Prince Buster. The two fighters met during a trip to London where Prince Buster was transformed by Ali’s faith in the Nation of Islam. During Prince Buster’s trip to the 1964 World’s Fair with Bryon Lee & the Dragonaires, Ronnie Nasrala, and entourage, Prince Buster took Jimmy Cliff and his friends to a nightclub in Harlem to meet his comrade Muhammad Ali. Prince Buster had also been with Muhammad Ali in Miami when Ali invited him to attend a Nation of Islam talk at Mosque 29. So the two were connected by a friendship and faith.
Prince Buster tried his hand at DJ productions instead, finding success with both Dennis Al Capone and Big Youth. But the genre didn't seem to really suit him.
He continued to work with such established artists as Alton Ellis, John Holt, the Heptones, and Dennis Brown (all of whom cut hits with him), but times were changing swiftly.
In 1973, . Over the next 15 years, Buster allowed his legacy to speak for him. Across the '70s, he stocked the shelves with reissues, most featuring self-composed liner notes railing at the current state of music, and holding up his past work as proof. Even with the rise of 2-Tone, so indebted to him, the artist remained mute. Another decade passed before he would again stand before a mic. With little warning, Prince Buster suddenly began to appear on-stage in the late '80s, and as a new decade began, toured Japan with the Skatalites as his backing group. He started recording again in 1992, and two years later also guessed on the Skatalites' Hi Bop Ska album. Buster's own records were usually made in collaboration with Gaz Mayall, leader of the U.K. ska band the Trojans. The next year, Prince Buster re-entered the British charts for the first time in 31 years with a scintillating new version of "Whine and Grind." In 2006 Prince Buster reunites with Sir Elton John at Mojo awards ceremony.
The Selecter are a 2 Tone ska revival band from Coventry, England, formed in mid-1979.
The Selecter featured a racially diverse line-up. Their lyrics featured themes connected to politics. Reinforcing the songs of Neol Davies were the voice and rude girl style of Pauline Black and the rhythms of Desmond Brown on the Hammond organ. The band's name is based on the term "selector", which is a Jamaican word for disc jockey. The band were one of the most successful ska bands of the 2 Tone era, notching up several top forty singles in the British charts.
The Selecter reformed in 1991 and vocalist Black continued to perform and release music under The Selecter name until 2006. Some confusion emerged over two competing lineups for the Selecter in 2011, between that featuring Davies and that featuring Black and Arthur 'Gaps' Hendrickson, In June 2011 Black applied for, and won, The Selecter trademark and the right to use the name herself.
The Selecter featured a racially diverse line-up. Their lyrics featured themes connected to politics. Reinforcing the songs of Neol Davies were the voice and rude girl style of Pauline Black and the rhythms of Desmond Brown on the Hammond organ. The band's name is based on the term "selector", which is a Jamaican word for disc jockey. The band were one of the most successful ska bands of the 2 Tone era, notching up several top forty singles in the British charts.
The Selecter reformed in 1991 and vocalist Black continued to perform and release music under The Selecter name until 2006. Some confusion emerged over two competing lineups for the Selecter in 2011, between that featuring Davies and that featuring Black and Arthur 'Gaps' Hendrickson, In June 2011 Black applied for, and won, The Selecter trademark and the right to use the name herself.
Blaggers ITA were a British punk rock band founded in 1988. Main vocalist Matty 'Blagg' Roberts had previously fronted Oi! band Complete Control, who released an LP on Oi! Records in 1985 while original second vocalist Tim 'Bilko' Wells had previously been in the band Anti Social Workers, who released an album on Mad Professor's Ariwa label in 1983. Blaggers ITA were noted for their strong anti-fascist and left wing lyrics and activism.
Although the band initially played in a generic Oi! style, they later added a trumpet player and incorporated influences from hip hop and electronic dance music, including sampling, and added the letters ITA to their name, inspired by Adrian Sherwood's On-U Sound Records.
The band had close links with Anti Fascist Action, donating money to the organisation and promoting its ideology. The band's support for revolutionary politics and AFA, along with their earlier association with the Oi! scene and support for Irish republicanism, meant that in the early 1990s they became a target of Neo-Nazi groups such as Blood & Honour and C18.
In 1993 they signed a record deal with EMI and enjoyed some commercial success with three minor hit singles.
Although the band initially played in a generic Oi! style, they later added a trumpet player and incorporated influences from hip hop and electronic dance music, including sampling, and added the letters ITA to their name, inspired by Adrian Sherwood's On-U Sound Records.
The band had close links with Anti Fascist Action, donating money to the organisation and promoting its ideology. The band's support for revolutionary politics and AFA, along with their earlier association with the Oi! scene and support for Irish republicanism, meant that in the early 1990s they became a target of Neo-Nazi groups such as Blood & Honour and C18.
In 1993 they signed a record deal with EMI and enjoyed some commercial success with three minor hit singles.
Symarip were a ska and reggae band from the United Kingdom, originating in the late 1960s, when Frank Pitter and Michael Thomas founded the band as The Bees. The band's name was originally spelled Simaryp, which is an approximate reversal of the word pyramids. Consisting of members of West Indian descent, Simaryp is widely marked as one of the first skinhead reggae bands, being one of the first to target skinheads as an audience. Their hits included "Skinhead Girl", "Skinhead Jamboree" and "Skinhead Moonstomp", the latter of which was based on the Derrick Morgan song, "Moon Hop".
They moved to Germany in 1971, performing reggae and Afro-rock in Germany under the name Zubaba. In 1980, the single "Skinhead Moonstomp" was re-issued in the wake of the 2 Tone craze, hitting #54 on the UK Singles Chart. The band officially split in 1985 after releasing the album Drunk & Disorderly as The Pyramids. The album was released by Ariola Records and was produced by Stevie B.
Pitter and Ellis eventually moved back to England, where Ellis continued performing as a solo artist, sometimes using the stage name Mr. Symarip.
They moved to Germany in 1971, performing reggae and Afro-rock in Germany under the name Zubaba. In 1980, the single "Skinhead Moonstomp" was re-issued in the wake of the 2 Tone craze, hitting #54 on the UK Singles Chart. The band officially split in 1985 after releasing the album Drunk & Disorderly as The Pyramids. The album was released by Ariola Records and was produced by Stevie B.
Pitter and Ellis eventually moved back to England, where Ellis continued performing as a solo artist, sometimes using the stage name Mr. Symarip.
