As my friends at Stateside Madness recently pointed out, even though there have been loads of Madnesscompilations released in the UK over the years, only four have been issued in the USA--and none of them have included tracks past 1986! So, the release of the twelve song Our House: The Very Best of Madness (CD/LP, Union Square Music, 2021) is more than overdue and will help the casual Yankee Madness fan catch up on what they've been missing as of late. There are cuts from 2009's outstanding The Liberty of Norton Folgate (read my review of the album and film) and 2016's Can't Touch Us Now (read my review of it here)--wot, nothing from 2012's Oui Oui, Si Si, Ja Ja, Da Da?--plus the 2019 digital single "Bullingdon Boys" (read my review here), which has never previously received a physical release! Even though I have all of their albums, I'll sheepishly admit that I picked up this comp just to have "Bullingdon Boys." Such is the life of an obsessive vinyl collector. (Also make sure to check out Stateside Madness' brilliant interview with Madness guitarist Chris Foreman!)
I'm not exactly sure why Germans have such a knack for making really great ska. But if you like The Busters, No Sports, The Frits, The Butlers, El Bosso und Die Ping Pongs, Bleichreiz, Skaos, The Braces, Dr. Ring Ding, The Senior Allstars, Bluekilla, Masons Arms, Yellow Cap, etc. as much as I do, make sure to add T-Killas to the list. Their incredible new album Awareness (CD/LP, Fire and Flames Music/Grover Records, 2020; and available in the USA through Jump Up Records) is a mash up of melodic 2 Tone/early '90s Krautska (particularly The Busters/No Sports/The Frits), and The Clash, The Jam, and The Adjusters (and note that those last three bands were fiercely leftist). In the midst of seemingly everyday songs about going out and having fun, pursing women or men, and just trying to earn enough to get by in life, T-Killas pointedly include messages that are anti-fascist, and pro-socialist and gender equity. Ska fans longing for new protest songs to address some of the many injustices and evils out there have another album for their arsenal!
In what is clearly the single of the album (that I first heard through the Do the Dog Ska-A-Go-Go, Volume 3 comp), the irresistible knees-up singalong "Dandy and Rude" gleefully trades in bad-ass myth-making while celebrating rudies/workers' unity and purpose:
'Cause tonight I'm out with the most special one When he's out he spills entire bars and more He burns whole blocks dancing to the rebel sound He roars like a lion until he sleeps on the ground
He's so dandy and rude--you will never get this fool!
'Cause tonight I'm out with the most special one When she starts to rumble, the jungle is gone She drinks the enemy's blood out of her red bowl Who says you got to be tall to kick the shit out of an asshole?
Fight, drinking all night long Chanting beloved workers' songs Crew love, AFA skinheads Nothing to prove--black and red
"Rudie's Struggle" challenges gender stereotypes--particularly rude boy/skinhead machismo: "'She's so soft and she's so sweet'/You think she's not a street warrior, oh please...He or she/Poor categories/Do you want to preserve the classic roles?/Or a counterculture without sexual harm for all?" Maybe a little is lost in translation, but you get the gist. "Gonna Go" is a sweet reggae love song about that special someone you can always rely on. "Riot Ground" sounds like a Billy Bragg/Joe Strummer punk rock collaboration sending up a flare to the powers that be to take note that not all is hunky dory with the masses: "You give 'em hope, you give 'em peace, education and disease/But is going on--if there's a fucking wake up call?" And perhaps the most powerful track on the album is the anti-capitalist/pro-socialist and shout out of solidarity with the workers of the world mod cut "Calling for Stars":
I don't get no money for my rent I just keep on slaving till the end
This is another good goodbye To our empty life It's another calling for the black, black star And it's another calling for the red shine It's another calling for the red, red star And it's another calling for the black light
As someone living in a country plagued by white supremacy and enormous income inequality--and where far too many people fear and don't understand--and don't care to understand--what socialism and antifa actually mean, it's both striking and heartening to hear catchy, positive songs about both. We really need them, so keep 'em coming!
Given Dr. Ring Ding's considerable talents and history of releasing consistently great albums, a review of his latest, The Remedy (LP, Jump Up Records, 2020), could probably be summed up in just a few words: You know it's incredible, so go buy it! But since my humble lot in life is to write about ska music--even if I'm usually too verbose in doing so--I've going to delve a bit into why The Remedy is one of the best ska, reggae, and dancehall albums you'll find this year.
According to Dr. Ring Ding's brief liner notes, the music on The Remedy is intended as an antidote of sorts to the awful plague year we've all endured--to both lift our spirits, as well as acknowledge all of the suffering and loss we've experienced. So, the album is split between a Sunny Side and Cloudy Side, no doubt inspired by the completely unexpected (and great!) cover of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" (key lyric: "I've looked at clouds from both sides now"). Just as Stranger Cole preaches "more life!" as the answer to all our ills, Dr. Ring Ding plugs "More Reggae" to inject some joy into your world ("More reggae, loving the community/More reggae, celebrate life/More reggae, together in the unity/And bring on the positive vibes"). Title track "The Remedy" is a terrific '80s computer game dancehall cut with some really charming interplay between the good Doctor and Sista Gracy: "Dr. Ring Ding, how are ya?/Mi terrible, the pain in my limbs is unbearable/Dr. Ring Ding, how are ya?/Distressed, and that is why I've come to your address/Dr. Ring Ding, how are ya?/Mi horrible, want some advice, my sweet, mi adorable/Dr. Ring Ding, how are ya?/Mi bad, I wonder what kind of remedy you have"; at the end of this consult, Sista Gracy prescribes "a quart of rum" to dull the pain (personally, I recommend Tito's and soda with a twist of lime). On the minor-key, Busters-sounding ska song "Fun," Dr. Ring Ding is simply out for a good time, but stymied in his endeavor by the overly woke: "Cracked a joke the other night/Almost got me in a fight/Stuck up buzzkill got uptight/Told me my style ain't right." The showpiece "Unity" sports a serious and driving bass-heavy groove for Dr. Ring Ding and Tippa Irie to toast over ("One love, one blood, one life, one unity/Peace and understanding inna fi we community"). If you don't dance to this...
The darkest bit on The Remedy's Cloudy Side is another surprising cover--a slightly off-kilter reggae version of Radiohead's "Creep," where Dr. Ring Ding really leans into its stalker-y and narcissistic lyrics. Benny Bell's 1946 novelty song "Shaving Cream" (popularized by Dr. Demento in the 1970s)--where every vignette in each verse ends badly (literally going to shit)--feels appropriate for 2020 (and the lyrics are so calypso-like in their suggestiveness/naughtiness): "I have a sad story to tell you/It may hurt your feelings a bit/Last night when I walked into my bathroom/I stepped in a big pile of...Shaving cream/Be nice and clean/Shave everyday and you'll always look keen"). The instrumental "Toochie" sounds like a classic Skatalites cut given a brisk reading by The Scofflaws, and "Oldschool Rock" seems like it could be a long-lost Studio One Sound Dimension riddim just recovered from Coxsone's vaults. The final track on the album "Dancing in the Rain" is a beautiful, if melancholy duet with jazz singer Stephanie K that seems to be a tribute to someone who has died: "You gave us all a smile/If only for a while/We know you didn't want to stop the fun...Without your happy face/There's only empty space/It's seems the world's not round without you dear/You brightened up the day/Then you went away/We hope you know that you're forever here...Dancing in the rain/We'll never be the same/As we throw confetti/Fare thee well." So say we all. Dr. Ring Ding's The Remedy is incredible, so go buy it!
Happy People Records continues their streak of issuing choice singles from top ska and reggae acts from all over the world. The latest is Dub Fader Cuts (7" vinyl single/digital, Happy People Records, 2020) from Boston-area reggae masters Flying Vipers. Both tracks are versions of instrumentals from their stellar debut LP Cuttings (which I reviewed earlier this year) that were remixed by Dub Fader (aka Craig Welsch of 10 Ft. Ganja Plant). "The Gorgon Strikes Back" is a brighter and more deconstructed version of Cuttings'Bunny "Striker" Lee tribute "Flight of the Gorgon"; while "Fermented Herbs" is a sparser and dubbier take on "Gesho," the latter of which sports all sorts of fantastic keyboard bits and sound effects (gesho is a plant native to Ethiopia that is used to make a type of mead). Needless to say, both tracks are essential if you love dub and the Vipers. And to top it off, the band is donating their proceeds to the Alpha Boys School.
Catbite"Amphetamine Delight"(7" square yellow flexi disc, Bad Time Records, 2019):While awaiting delivery of my mail-ordered copy of their debut album, I received a free copy of Catbite's sweet flexi disc single with another LP I bought (the ACLU-benefit Bad Time Records compilation album The Shape of Ska Punk to Come, to be reviewed soon). Ostensibly about the joys of doing speed (though maybe obliquely it's about the high that comes from being with that special someone?), this wonderfully catchy jolt of ska, pop-punk, power-pop, and rockabilly is completely winning (among their influences they list The Specials, The Exploding Hearts, The Undertones, and Chuck Berry--all of whom you can hear in this track). Props to the label for this cool old-school promo item and to Philly's Catbite for knocking it out of the park with this song.
King ZephaKing Zepha's Northern Sound (CD/digital/LP, Happy People Records, 2019): As the title of this album infers, King Zepha's Northern Sound is vintage ska imbued with 1960s American rhythm and blues (see their fantastic cover of Doris Troy's "Just One Look"--which is instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up in the '70s, as this was all over AM radio, in TV ads, and featured on multiple K-Tel comps), along with hearty helpings of '50s rock, big band, Henry Mancini or Neal Hefti-like movie music, and dashes of reggae and dub (fans of Laurel Aitken, The Trojans, Jump with Joey, and Dr. Ring Ding will love this record). All of the tracks are brilliantly heavy on stick-in-your-head melodies and the band (King Zepha on lead vocals, bass guitar, guitar, organ, percussion, tenor and baritone saxes, Joe Love on drums, Adam Richards on double bass, Chris Lloyd on piano, Ric Colley on backing vocals and lead vocals on "Just One Look," Sonny Thornton on backing vocals, Stuart MacDonald on alto sax, Jack Davis on trumpet, Stuart Garside on trombone, Jon Burr on harmonica solos, Al MacSween on organ solos, and George Birkett on guitar solos) is incredibly versatile within this compelling mix of musical genres.
While their music mines retro sounds from yesteryear, the topics of King Zepha's songs address some of today's madness. "Bottom of the Pile" is an anthem of solidarity among the working class, as well as a critique of free market capitalism ("We welcome one and all/Together in this hall/There's room for everyone/Together we are strong/Stick together, all the rank and file/It's fine at the bottom of the pile/It's lonely at the top/But there's a bigger drop/To get there one must climb/On those they've left behind"). In what is clearly pointed commentary on Rupert Murdoch-like right-wing tabloids and their slimy ilk and how they've been weaponized (and not aimed at papers striving to sort out and convey the truth), "Shoot the Messenger" advocates the boycott of the conservative echo-chamber media: "They pit the labourer against the foreigner/They call a traveller a lazy scavenger/They use the newspaper to stir up hate in you/We need a takeover, let's shoot the messenger/Propaganda, fabricated facts/Leading weapons of the ruling class/Just as deadly as a poison gas/So, shoot the messenger."
The completely epic "Mother of All Hangovers" should be your go-to song whenever you find yourself in this inevitably regretful/hellish state. "Let Your Hair Down" is a lovely plea for a good deal more more than the proverbial lowering of one's locks, while "You Let Yourself Go" admonishes the aging rude boy for going to seed, both physically and fashion-wise ("You used to be lean, mean and very, very clean/Now you're chubbier and grubbier than others on the scene"). King Zepha offer their own (not John Holt's) Middle Eastern-tinged ska take on the Ali Baba/"Arabian Nights" myth (which is accompanied by its dub version "Dubfart"). And there are also instrumentals on hand: the swinging jazz of "Tin Man" and the contemplative "Catalunya" (dedicated to that breakaway province from Spain). The album closes with "Grass is Greener," a sweet fantasy (?) about shedding one's dreary, soul-deadening, day-to-day life and going on holiday for good ("Days are longer and the beer is stronger/And the locals are a scream/By the sea, as he escapes reality/Our boy's the cat that finally got the cream"). All in all, this is a tremendously good record that is destined to become a classic of whatever we're labeling this current era of ska.
The Mad Geezers "The Donkey" b/w "The Snake Charmer" (7" vinyl single/digital, Swing-A-Ling/Names You Can Trust, 2019): At first glance, this band of insanely good Los Angeles-based musicians (Oliver Charles on drums, Jason Yates on organ, Dan Ubick on guitar and percussion, and Dave Wilder on bass) have seemingly come out of nowhere to deliver this incredible single. But when you find out that they've worked with De La Soul, Hollie Cook, The Heptones, and The Lions in particular, you realize why they're so far ahead of the pack from the get-go. While The Mad Geezers are heavily influenced by Jackie Mittoo in his brilliant prime--you'd swear that the Geezers' funky reggae cut "The Donkey" was off Showcase--the Lions connection is what makes complete sense (read The Duff Guide to Ska review of their extraordinary 2015 LP Soul Riot). There's a mastery of, and reverence for, reggae and all of the black American music that helped create and shape it over the years--all of which is so clearly evident in The Lions' music. While "The Donkey" is keyboard-centric, "The Snake Charmer" is an hypnotic and loping bass-driven reggae skank, perfect for dancing in the wee hours after partaking in whatever makes your cares temporarily slip away--but beware, the low-end on this track is so heart-thuddingly deep that it just might blow out your speakers if played at top volume.
Ska Revolution Records
CD (Available in the US through Jump Up Records.)
2017
(Review by Steve Shafer)
Germany's Busters (whom I once described as The Specials crossed with The Skatalites on speed) have been chugging along in various permutations since their fantastic debut album Ruder Than Rudeway backin 1988 (when they were one of the leaders of the late '80s/early '90s Germany ska scene that included El Bosso und die Ping Pongs, No Sports, The Frits, Skaos, The Braces, The Butlers, Blechreiz, and more). In addition to a slew of live recordings over the years, Straight Ahead is their 15th studio album and features the great Dr. Ring Ding, AKA Richie Alexander, as a full member of the band (he was also in El Bosso und die Ping Pongs back in the day). This development is sort of a mixed blessing for the band--Dr. Ring Ding's songwriting and performing skills significantly enhance the quality of the album, but several of these tracks end up sounding less like Busters songs and more like unadulterated Dr. Ring Ding cuts ("Hunky Dory" in particular), which certainly isn't a bad thing (and in all fairness, some of his tunes are bona fide Busters songs, like "Straight Ahead"). Perhaps this album should have been conceived and presented as Dr. Ring Ding Meets The Busters?
Apart from the split-personality of this album, The Busters' Straight Ahead is another excellent release in a long string of them from this unstoppable band. Amongst these 17 tracks, there is a lot to like here. Some of the top tunes composed by Dr. Ring Ding include the nostalgia for the 2 Tone era in "The Best of Times" ("I was a three minute hero/On a night boat to Cairo/I went one step beyond/with Pauline and James Bond"); the fiercely anti-racist/pro-immigrant "Chase Them Away" ("Some people walk around the streets of Germany/Mess up everybody's mind with their imbecility/With nothing to to be proud of but their nationality/And denying needy folks help and hospitality"); the fantastically funky, trying to change my bad ways "Ain't Gonna Do It Again" ("Used to do my dance and fake romance/Ain't gonna do it again..."); and "The Devil Made Me Do It" (a blistering track condemning priests who molest underage boys--and the first time I've heard a reference to St. Pancras in a ska song!). Other terrific songs by other members of The Busters are the pro-science "Love and Prayer Mania" ("Worship is their cure to save the earth/I'd feel much safer with some good engineers/To turn down the heating right now, right here/And some psychiatrists to soothe everybody's nerves"); the encouraging, roll with the punches of life "Rope-a-Dope"; the Ayn Randian, dog-eat-dog lusting for the good life of "Famine or Feast"; the creepy stalker of a celebrity in "No. 1 Fan" ("When you act like you don't know me/I still know that we are homies"); and the absurdly hilarious Chuck Berry-ish "T.I.N.A. to Ska" ("Some choices are quite awful/The devil or the deep blue sea/But then again in a deli/You will pick quite happily/It's clear from here to Srinagar/There's no alternative to ska!").
If you don't already know The Busters or lost their thread over the years, Straight Ahead is a great (re)entry point--and up-to-date fans will, of course, need this record in their collection.
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[Ich spreche/schreibe kein Deutsch, also hoffe ich, dass Google Übersetzer gut funktioniert!]
Deutschlands Busters (die ich einmal als die Specials bezeichnet habe, die sich mit den Skatalites auf Speed kreuzten) tuckern seit ihrem fantastischen Debütalbum Ruder Than Rude im Jahr 1988 in verschiedenen Permutationen mit (als sie eine der führenden Bands der späten 80er/Anfang der 90er Jahre Deutschland Ska-Szene, die El Bosso und sterben Ping Pongs, No Sports, Die Frits, Skaos, The Braces, The Butlers, Blechreiz, und mehr). Neben zahlreichen Live-Aufnahmen ist Straight Ahead im Laufe der Jahre ihr 15. Studioalbum mit dem großen Dr. Ring Ding, AKA Richie Alexander, als Vollmitglied der Band (er war auch in El Bosso und die Ping Pong Zurück in den Tag). Diese Entwicklung ist für die Band ein zweischneidiges Glück - Dr. Ring Ding's Songwriting und Performing Fähigkeiten verbessern die Qualität des Albums erheblich, aber einige dieser Tracks klingen weniger nach Busters Songs und eher nach unverfälschten Dr. Ring Ding Kürzungen ("Hunky Dory" im Besonderen), was sicherlich kein schlechte Sache (und in aller Fairness, einige seiner Songs sind echte Busters Songs, wie "Straight Ahead"). Vielleicht sollte dieses Album als Dr. Ring Ding Meets The Busters konzipiert und präsentiert worden sein?
Abgesehen von der Split-Persönlichkeit dieses Albums ist The Busters' Straight Ahead eine weitere exzellente Veröffentlichung in einer langen Reihe von ihnen aus dieser unaufhaltsamen Band. Unter diesen 17 Tracks gibt es hier viel zu sehen. Einige der Top-Tunes von Dr. Ring Ding enthalten die Nostalgie für die 2-Ton-Ära in "The Best of Times" ("Ich war ein Drei-Minuten-Held/Auf einem Nachtboot nach Kairo/Ich ging einen Schritt weiter/mit Pauline und James Bond"); der heftig anti-rassistische/pro-immigrant "Chase Them Away" ("Manche Menschen laufen durch die Straßen Deutschlands/Versammeln jeden mit seiner Schwachsinnigkeit/Mit nichts, worauf man stolz sein kann, aber ihre Nationalität/Und bedürftigen Menschen zu helfen und zu helfen Gastfreundschaft"); der fantastisch funky, versuchend, meine schlechten Weisen zu ändern "wird nicht es wieder tun" ("verwendete, um meinen Tanz zu tun und gefälschte Romanze/wird es nicht wieder tun..."); und "Der Teufel ließ mich es tun" (ein glühender Track, der Priester verurteilte, die minderjährige Jungs belästigten - und das erste Mal, dass ich in einem Ska-Lied einen Hinweis auf St. Pancras hörte!). Andere großartige Songs von anderen Mitgliedern von The Busters sind die pro-Wissenschaft "Love and Prayer Mania" ("Anbetung ist ihre Heilung, um die Erde zu retten/Ich würde mich mit einigen guten Ingenieuren viel sicherer fühlen/Um die Heizung jetzt abzulehnen, genau hier/Und einige Psychiater, die alle nerven sollen"); das Aufmuntern, Rollen mit den Schlägen des Lebens "Rope-a-Dope"; der Ayn Randian, Hund, der nach dem guten Leben von "Hungersnot oder Schmaus" lechzt; der gruselige Stalker einer Berühmtheit in "No. 1 Fan" ("Wenn du dich benimmst wie du, kennst du mich nicht/ich weiß immer noch, dass wir Homies sind"); und die absurd urkomische Chuck Berry-ish "T.I.N.A to Ska" ("Einige Entscheidungen sind ziemlich schrecklich/Der Teufel oder das tiefblaue Meer/Aber dann wieder in einem Deli/Sie werden ganz glücklich/Es ist klar von hier nach Srinagar /There's keine Alternative zu Ska!").
Wenn du The Busters noch nicht kennst oder im Laufe der Jahre den Faden verloren hast, ist Straight Ahead ein großartiger (Re-) Einstiegspunkt - und aktuelle Fans werden diese Platte natürlich in ihrer Sammlung brauchen.
Desorden PublicoBailando Sobre Las Ruinas (pink, red, yellow, olive green, sea green vinyl LP with artwork by CHema Skandal, Jump Up Records, 2017): This limited-edition record (200 copies) was released in the USA to coincide with Desorden Publico's tour of the States last fall, though the album actually came out in Venezuela during the summer of 2016. While my high school Spanish is crude at best, the title of the album translates into English as Dancing on the Ruins--and many of the absolutely amazing songs on this album (a blend of 2 Tone ska, reggae, and various forms of Latin music) are joyous and full of life (in the face of ever-present mortality), but also display a keen awareness of the importance of speaking truth to power--see the title track: "Become the change you aspire/And I will see you dancing on the ruins"; the tightly-wound "Everything is Very Normal" ("Todo Esta Muy Normal"): "Walk to the corner, nothing happens here!/Check your pockets, you have plenty of money!/Go anywhere, everything works!"; or the longing for positive and profound change in "I'm Looking for Something in the Caribbean" ("Estoy Buscando Algo En El Caribe"): "I am not looking for similarities/Although I know we are all the same/What matters the political regime?/Democracy, dictatorship or socialism/We are still Latin American/Although they keep putting barriers/Because many things unite us/The crisis has no borders." Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra joins Desorden Publico on "Ska World Ska" ("Ska Mundo Ska") and Dr. Ring Ding toasts about the weather on "It is Cold in Berlin" ("Es Ist Kalt In Berlin"), and the band soars on tracks like the extraordinary "Cemetery of My Loves" ("Cementerio E Mis Amores"), sung from the point of view of a "Seventh Seal"-like figure of Death, and "Those Who Stay, Those Who Leave" ("Los Que Se Quedan, Los Que Se Van"), a mournful song about the exodus of Venezuelan youth from their troubled home country. I'm sure I'm missing a lot of the context and commentary on Bailando Sobre Las Ruinas, political and otherwise, but what's not in doubt is that this a tremendously good album.
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Desorden PublicoBailando Sobre Las Ruinas (vinilo LP verde mar, rojo, amarillo, verde oliva, verde mar con obras de CHema Skandal, Jump Up Records, 2017): Este álbum de edición limitada (200 copias) fue lanzado en los Estados Unidos para coincidir con Desorden Publico recorrió Estados Unidos el otoño pasado, aunque el álbum realmente salió en Venezuela durante el verano de 2016. Si bien el español de mi escuela secundaria es crudo en el mejor de los casos, el título del álbum se traduce al inglés como Dancing on the Ruins, y muchos de las canciones absolutamente increíbles en este álbum (una mezcla de 2 Tone ska, reggae y varias formas de música latina) son alegres y llenas de vida (frente a la mortalidad omnipresente), pero también muestran una aguda conciencia de la importancia de decir la verdad al poder: ver la canción que da título al álbum: "Conviértete en el cambio que deseas/Y te veré bailar sobre las ruinas"; el muy cerrado "Todo es muy normal": "¡Camina hacia la esquina, no pasa nada aquí!/¡Mira tus bolsillos, tienes mucho dinero!/¡Ve a cualquier parte, todo funciona!"; o el anhelo de un cambio positivo y profundo en "Estoy buscando algo en el Caribe": "No estoy buscando similitudes/Aunque sé que todos somos iguales/Lo que importa ¿el régimen político?/Democracia, dictadura o socialismo/Seguimos siendo latinoamericanos/Aunque siguen poniendo barreras/Porque muchas cosas nos unen/La crisis no tiene fronteras." La Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra se une a Desorden Publico en "Ska Mundo Ska" y el Dr. Ring Ding brinda por el clima en "Es frío en Berlín" ("Es Ist Kalt In Berlin"), y la banda se eleva en pistas como el extraordinario "Cementerio de mis amores," cantada desde el punto de vista de una figura de "Muerte" y "Aquellos que se quedan, los que se van," una triste canción sobre el éxodo de jóvenes venezolanos de su país de origen en problemas. Estoy seguro de que me falta mucho del contexto y los comentarios sobre Bailando Sobre Las Ruinas, políticos y de otro tipo, pero lo que no cabe duda es que este es un álbum tremendamente bueno.
We offer our deepest condolences to Lord Tanamo's family, friends, and colleagues.
+ + + + Lord Tanamo with Dr. Ring Ding and The Senior Allstars Best Place in the World Grover Records (Germany)
2000
(Review by Steve Shafer)
It is fitting that Lord Tanamo, the first singer to front the brilliant Skatalites in the early 60s (he is said to have dubbed them the “Satellites”--this was the era of Sputnik and the space race, after all--and that quickly evolved into The Skatalites), should make an album with Dr. Ring Ding and The Senior Allstars, who are arguably one of the best ska/rocksteady/reggae acts currently on the planet. Lord Tanamo knows a top-notch band when he hears it, and he’s always backed by the best.
Lord Tanamo (AKA Joseph Gordon) launched his musical career in the early 1950s (when he was singing mento, R and B, jazz and calypso tunes, and by the middle of that decade was working with pre-Skatalite members Lloyd Brevette and Lester Sterling); half a century later, his gruff, yet wonderfully versatile voice is still in amazing shape. It almost goes without saying that Dr. Ring Ding and The Senior Allstars are in top form here (and yet their style of playing is so understated and confidently relaxed--the best always make it seem so easy!).
Best Place in the World kicks off with Tanamo’s signature tune with The Skatalites, his cover of Jimmy McHugh's and Dorothy Fields' 1935 song “In the Mood for Love” (AKA “In the Mood for Ska”), and several of his best-known songs recording with them are represented in fine form here, such as “Come Dung” and the Don Drummond tribute “Big Trombone.” Tanamo scored a big hit in the 70s with a reggae cover of “Rainy Night in Georgia” (which Prince Buster also transformed into the semi-naughty “Big 5”), and this version is truly sublime. The stripped-down cover of Prince Buster’s “Hard Man Fe Dead” is a revelation, with its acoustic guitar, congas, and spiritual-like backing vocals (and dare I say that it is almost better than the original?).
Yet the real gems of this album are Tanamo’s lesser-known songs, as well as several brand new tunes. From Lord Tanamo’s back catalogue comes the surprisingly smooth ‘n’ sexy “Keep Moving”; the admonishing and upbeat treat-your-mother-right “Mother’s Love” (“A mother’s love is from creation/it is truly the greatest association”); and the sing-along rude boy tale of crime in “Iron Bar,” among others. Tanamo’s new tunes easily measure up to the caliber of his previous work: the unabashedly romantic “Best Place in the World” (“…is the place that you were born”), the wonderful old-school calypso “Musso,” and the rhythmic love song “Out of this Big World.”
After listening to Best Place in the World, it strikes me that Dr. Ring Ding and The Senior Allstars’ style of composing and arranging ska and rocksteady songs is very much in the same vein as Lord Tanamo’s (listen to their stunning debut album “Dandimite” after Best Place in the World and you’d never know that there had been almost 40 years between the time each set of songs was written). Dr. Ring Ding and The Senior Allstars don’t imitate the old time ska sound, they inhabit it--and that’s what makes this album (and the band in general) work so well. (Having said all that, it is eerie how much Dr. Ring Ding sounds like Lord Tanamo.) The Best Place in the World is wherever you are when you listen to this album, because the music that will be pumping out of your speakers is awesome. Get it!
(Originally reviewed in October 2000 and published in Read Magazine.)
Judging by the extraordinary number of Christmas-themed recordings floating around out there, it seems like we just can't get enough music celebrating this religious/secular season (for my money, the best pop Xmas recordings are The Pogues' "A Fairytale of New York" and the Vince Guaraldi Trio's A Charlie Brown Christmas, while my all time fave choral holiday music is Benjamin Britten's A Ceremony of Carols; I happen to be on this recording of it back in 1980).
Ska fans--who love this season like everyone else--have the chance to pick up three, great new Christmas releases to help you celebrate the holiday in a ska and reggae style or as a gift for that special someone...
The Toasters and Friends Christma-ska
Jump Up Records has just re-issued the rare (at least in any physical format) Toasters and Friends Christma-ska album on limited-edition red or green vinyl. This compilation of holiday tracks was recorded in 1997 for the Moon Ska Tokyo/Tachyon label and released on CD in Japan. (We had about 15 or so copies for sale at the East 10th Street Moon store--but, other than these imports--you really couldn't find this anywhere outside of Japan.) At the time, Tachyon International had licensed a good portion of Moon Ska's catalogue for release on their Moon Ska Tokyo imprint--but they also wanted an exclusive album of tracks to help promote Moon's sister label in Japan.
1) The Toasters: "Happy Christmas"
2) The Toasters: "Sleigh Ride" 3) The Toasters: "Winter Wonderland"
4) The Toasters: "Little Drummer Boy"
5) The Toasters "Rudy Christmas A Jail"
6) The Toasters: "War Is Over"
7) Buford O’Sullivan Experience: "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer"
Peppermint Platter
1) The Toasters: "Blue Christmas"
2) The Toasters: "Feliz Navidad"
3) Buford O’Sullivan Experience: "Did You Buy What I Bought?"
4) The Toasters: "We Three Kings"
5) The Toasters: "Christmas Time Again"
6) The Toasters: "God Rock You Steady Gentlemen"
7) New York Ska Jazz Ensemble: "Joy To The World"
I've played this album at almost every Christmas party/get-together I've had since it's release--and it's always a crowd-pleaser!
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Roger Rivas and the Brothers of Reggae "Deck the Halls" b/w "Jingle Bells"
While I'm still waiting for it to arrive in the mail, I'm positive that Dr. Ring Ding's Once a Year (Pork Pie Records) is going to be pretty fantastic (as is everything he produces!). The album is billed as a mix of original material and covers of traditional Christmas songs:
1. "Once A Year"
2. "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"
3. "Dumpa Ska"
4. "Petit Papa Noël"
5. "Rub-A-Dub Santa"
6. "Lulajże Jezuniu"
7. "Twelve Elves"
8. "All I Wanna Do (On Christmas Day)"
9. "I Believe"
10. "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"
11. "Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes"
12. "The Christmas Song"
13. "Christmas Again"
In keeping with the holiday spirit of giving to those in need, for every CD sold through Pork Pie, 1 € of it will be donated to a residential group for underprivileged kids in Germany (more info here: www.kinder-jugendhilfe.de).
Here's Dr. Ring Ding's video trailer for Once a Year...
So when Dr. Ring Ding's Ska-Vaganza was scheduled to appear alongside Kingston Rudieska at the 2013 Jisan World Rock Festival in South Korea, he and Kingston Rudieska--both great admirers of each other's music and musicianship--took advantage of this opportunity to enter the studio to record an EP's worth of material. This brilliant collaboration yielded the cheekily-titled, five-track Ska'n Seoul, which is mostly likely one of the finest traditional ska releases of 2014.
Ska'n Seoul is bookended by the terrifically smooth--but no less desperate, urgent, and tragic--ska-jazz version of Fine Young Cannibals' (ex-Beat members Andy Cox and David Steele with ex-Akrylykz Roland Gift) dark family drama "Johnny Come Home" (originally released in 1985) and its slick deconstruction in "Johnny Come Home (Worried Dub)." Kingston Rudieska shows the love to the good Doctor with a half-English, half-Korean cover of Dr. Ring Ding and the Senior Allstars' "Bad Company" (off the essential Ram di Dance), retitled here as "Discovery of Life," which Kingston Rudieska has included in their live set for for some time now. The traditional African-American spiritual "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" (which is not just about being shepherded into heaven, but escaping slavery through the Underground Railroad to free states or Canada) is presented as if the musicians were part of a revved-up, ecstatic ska tent revival and Dr. Ring Ding as an Elmer Gantry-like charismatic preacher. The one new tune here, written especially for this occasion, is Dr. Ring Ding's delightful "Your Sweet Kiss" (about how the only thing the singer would miss when he's dead and buried), which is reminiscent of an ace Lord Tanamo or Laurel Aitken collaboration with The Skatalites from back in the day.
If you can get your hands on this CD, do it now (a digital version is available through iTunes and you can mail order the CD through Dr. Ring Ding's website)! You'll want it and even more from this ska supergroup. May we be lucky enough for their paths cross again very soon in the future.
Editor's note: In an attempt to catch up on the huge backlog of releases that are awaiting my review--and to counter my obsession with solely composing long, in-depth write-ups (something that I just don't have time to do as much as I'd like to, sadly)--I'm launching this new series of brief, paragraph-length reviews. Titled "Over the Transom," my inside joke with Marc Wasserman about sneaking in ska releases and merchandise to our homes without attracting the attention of our respective wives, these batches of reviews are intended to give props to the many bands still recording and issuing great ska music, as well as alert ska fans as to which releases are worth their hard-earned cash. + + + +
(Reviews by Steve Shafer)
While there have been several vinyl LP re-issues of Toasters material on Megalith/Jump Up over the past few years (and the band practically has been on a non-stop tour of the globe), there hasn't been a Toasters release of new material since 2007's One More Bullet (kind of a shock, since I remember the brighter days when each year brought a new Toasters album). This is, no doubt, a reflection of the deleterious impact of illegal file sharing on sales of recorded music rather than an omen of the creative well running dry. To dispel any worries about that, all one has to do is place the needle on The Toasters' "House of Soul" single, a superb new tribute of sorts to Motown, which will sate the cravings of both newbie and long-time fans for Bucket's patented and beloved NYC ska sound. For a musician now based in (and frequently touring) Europe, it's fascinating to note how these songs are (still) so strongly influenced by 60s black American music (and express deep nostalgia for "old time music," "beat up 45s," and music delivered via mono transistor radios and hi fi sets--all of which are okay by me). "House of Soul" ("Take a boat ride down the delta/and a train right down to Atlanta, too/Take a quick trip up to Chicago, Illinois/To find the home of the rhythm and blues") is another of Bucket's ska history tracks--acknowledging the vital roots of Jamaican ska--that could be the companion track to "Chuck Berry" off Hard Band for Dead. "Going Home" is a ska-via-New Orleans musician's road warrior song ("I've met a lot of people/Ugly, good, and bad....I've broken a lot of hearts/but none of them was mine/Now I'm standing at the crossroads/In the middle of the square/I don't know where I'm going/but it feels like I'm almost there/I'm going home to the one who is waiting for me there"). Good stuff. Bucket says that "House of Soul" marks the first of many new singles from The Toasters--here's hoping that in the near future the band takes more breaks from touring to hit the studio to lay down the next batch of killer tunes!
Packed with more slack double entendres that you could shake a...um...stick at, comes Dr. Ring Ding's Kalipso Times EP (which I was able to mail order through Interpunk in the USA). Anyone paying attention to the ska scene over the past two decades will know that the good Doktor is an extraordinary master of vintage Jamaican ska, but his forays into Trinidadian calypso are equally as magnificent. Side A of this EP features an excellent original tune done inna Mighty Sparrow style called "The Cat and the Rooster" (I'll let you work out what we're really referring to here) concerning the struggle for dominance between men and women. More reggae than calypso, "All Because I Love You" is a rather sweet and straight-forward declaration of love and devotion that was also featured on the recent Dr. Ring Ding Ska-Vaganza CD Piping Hot. Side B contains a cover of Might Sparrow's deserved 1966 hit "Obeah Wedding" and “The Needle,"a reggae take on Lord Kitchener's “Dr. Kitch" (also a favorite song to cover by the great and late Judge Dread), which is not exactly about syringes and medicinal injections (both of these tracks have previously been available on a Grover single and Jump Up's release of Dr. Ring Ding's Back and Forth CD). It's all pretty hilarious, in good fun, and very well done.
Though known more for his Christian reggae, Solomon Jabby showcases his early reggae instrumental work on these two fine keyboard-centric tracks. "Showdown at the Altarsound" (Altarsound is the name of Jabby's backyard studio, a la Lee Perry's Black Ark) is an energetic organ workout, while "Tone Wheel Express" is a proud, almost strutting track. Fans of The Aggrolites, The Caroloregians, and 2000 Tons of TNT will be more than pleased to have this single in their collection.
Editor's Note: As the end of the calendar year sneaks up on me--as it always does, since the fall is always so damn busy!--I always scramble around to put together my "best of" lists of the ska singles, albums, reissues, books, etc. that I really enjoyed over the past year and want to highlight for all the ska fans out there. But I also thought it might be interesting to feature some other opinions, so I approached a diverse group of ska musicians, bloggers, DJs, and label heads to find out what their favorite ska things were in 2012. And thus the "2012: The Year in Ska" series was born! Thanks to everyone who is taking the time to participate--I really appreciate it! The amazing Dr. Ring Ding (AKA Richie Jung) has graciously participated in this episode of our year end survey of all things ska. For those of you who don't know him (and you know you should!), Dr. Ring Ding was first in Germany's excellent post-2 Tone ska act El Bosso und die Ping Pongs in the late 80s and early 90s. After that band dissolved, the good Doctor formed Dr. Ring Ding and the Senior Allstars, which was one of the very finest modern traditional bands in the 90s and early 2000s. Now solo (but working with the Freedom Street band and other guest musicians as the Dr. Ring Ding Ska-Vaganza), Dr. Ring Ding has a brand new album out--"Piping Hot" (which you can read about in our recent interview with him here), as well as two new vinyl singles on Jump Up Records (reviewed by The Duff Guide to Ska here). 2012: The Year in Ska - Dr. Ring Ding
Top 5 Favorite Ska Releases
1) Dr. Ring Ding Ska-Vaganza – Piping Hot
2) Mr. T-Bone and The Young Lions – Nothing To Lose
5) El Bosso and die Ping Pongs, The Butlers etc. (in Berlin, Germany) Top 5 Favorite Ska Merch
The two most recent albums of the Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra and their t-shirt. Other than that, I am not much of a merchandise-buying person.
Top 5 Ska Regrets
I wish I would have been around at and had more time to check out more shows of the touring bands--The Slackers, Hepcat, etc. Other than that, too few regrets to mention. Overall, it was a good year for ska!
Top 5 Ska Wishes for 2013
1) That the fans keep the fire burning.
2) Seeing more good bands emerge.
3) Seeing my favorite bands going strong (long live The Skatalites!).
4) Success for the Dr. Ring Ding Ska-Vaganza tour(s).
Our friends at Stubborn Records have some highly anticipated releases coming out in the near future (they're being pressed right now) that we thought we should point out to you:
- King Django's star-studded full-length CD Anywhere I Roam
- The Dr. Ring Ding "Dibby Sound Boy" b/w Dave Hillyard "Dragon Fiyah" 45rpm 7" single (this is actually on the Version City imprint)
(Of note: the classic Stubborn Records release Get On High by the Cold Spot 8 - can now be heard on Pandora!)
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Also, The Duff Guide to Ska is a proud sponsor of the Version City Tour--with King Django, The Snails, and Matt MacLeod--hitting points all along the East Coast this December and January:
2012 DEC 15 SAT: New London, CT - El'n'Gee
2012 DEC 16 SUN: Providence, RI - Firehouse 13
2012 DEC 20 THU: Washington, DC - BlueBeat DC @ Solly's Tavern
2012 DEC 22 SAT: Rehoboth Beach, DE - Dogfish Head Brewing
2012 DEC 27 THU: Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
2012 DEC 29 SAT: Durham, NC - The Casbah
2012 DEC 30 SUN: Columbia, SC - New Brookland Tavern
2013 JAN 1 TUE: Jacksonville, FL - Burro Bar
2013 JAN 2 WED: Sanford, FL - The West End Trading Co.
2013 JAN 3 THU: Orlando, FL - The Social
2013 JAN 4 FRI: Jupiter, FL - Guanabana's
2013 JAN 5 SAT: Lake Worth, FL - Propaganda
2013 JAN 6 SUN: Coral Gables, FL - Books and Books
2013 JAN 7 MON: Pompano Beach, FL - Mickey's Bar
2013 JAN 8 TUE: Miami, FL - Churchill's
2013 JAN 9 WED: Cape Coral, FL - Rack'Em Billiards
2013 JAN 10 THU: Sarasota, FL - The Blue Rooster
2013 JAN 11 FRI: St. Petersburg, FL - Local 662
2013 JAN 12 SAT: Gainesville, FL - The Atlantic
2013 JAN 14 MON: Pensacola, FL - The Handle Bar
2013 JAN 16 WED: Atlanta, GA - Asylum
2013 JAN 20 SUN: Harrisburg, PA - Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center
These two phenomenal singles from the immensely gifted Dr. Ring Ding are the first vintage ska musical biscuits from his brand new album Piping Hot (Pork Pie is releasing the CD/Buenritmo is issuing the LP)--recorded with the Freedom Street Band (who serve as the rhythm section; they, along with other guest artists from the ska world, comprise the Dr. Ring Ding Ska-Vaganza). Both singles' A sides feature Dr. Ring Ding compositions from Piping Hot, while the Bs contain songs exclusive to these singles (one cover; one original). All in all, a great bang for the ska consumer's buck.
If you were tuned into the more traditional frequencies of the 90s ska scene, you know that Dr. Ring Ding and the Allstars' Dandimite (1995) and Ram Di Dance (1997) were two of the finest modern old school ska albums ever recorded--in a style similar to that of The Skatalites paired with some of the greatest singers of that era, like Laurel Aitken, Lord Tanamo, Stranger Cole, and a million other incredible JA vocalists (the Mango Intensified, Original Ska 1962-1966 and More Intensified, Original Ska 1963-1967, Vol. 2 comps were like blueprints used to build this band and construct its sound).
Longtime fans will be psyched to find that the new Dr. Ring Ding Ska-Vaganza material picks right up where Dandimite and Ram Di Dance (and Lord Tanamo with Dr. Ring Ding and the Senior Allstars' Best Place in the World) left off, with The Freedom Street Band providing an equally excellent--yet more organic sounding--backing to the good Doctor's colorful vocals.
Side A: "Sammy Don't Go Out No More" is a ska stomper of a tribute/lament to those who retire from or age/drop out of a scene (I, for one, even as I hit true middle age, refuse to consider this possibility): "Sammy don't go out no more/You won't see him walk through that door...No more weekend specials at the bars downtown/No more ladies nights/and no more two for one/These days are long time gone!"
Side B: "Crazy" is a swinging ska cover of the Willie Nelson country ballad immortalized by Patsy Cline. You know a song is expertly crafted if it can be versioned in a completely different genre and sound just as good as the original (of course, it helps to be in the hands of someone of the calibre of the good Doctor!). This is a rare Dr. Ring Ding track that fans will want in their collection.
Side A: "Dancing with the Fat Man's Lady" may remind you of one of Laurel Aitken's more upbeat rhythm and blues/ska tracks mixed with the knowing naughtiness of a song like "Shame and Scandal." Everyone is gleefully indulging in their own vices/transgressions (and getting over/off on others while doing it): "While we were almost mating/the guy was masticating/Having the time of his life..." But the singer is (kind of) redeemed, since the Fat Man is the stereotypical bad guy in JA musical shorthand, so score one for the good guys (or more like, the good guy scored!).
Side B: "It Don't Mean It's Over" is a terrific rocksteady track about not being able to let go of a relationship when the other person's finished with you (but not in a stalker-y way--the singer's forgiving, still deeply in love, and holding out hope for a second chance): "It don't mean it's over/just because you said goodbye/It don't mean it's over/just because you made me cry/It don't mean it's over/just because you made me blue/I'll be standing at your door waiting for you/with flowers in my hand!" Rejection rarely sounds this good.
These two singles--and I imagine the accompanying Piping Hot album--represent some of the best ska music you can expect to hear this year. They're highly recommended.
Dr. Ring Ding Ska-Vaganza's Piping Hot will be released this November. The CD will be out on Pork Pie Records, the vinyl on Buenritmo, and Jump Up will release two vinyl singles with exclusive tracks from the same sessions.
Check out our recent interview with Dr. Ring Ding here.
Editor's Note: I first encountered Dr. Ring Ding's music when I was working for Moon Records and Bucket passed along Dr. Ring Ding and the Senior Allstars' "Dandimite" album and told me that it was going to be one of the label's releases that year (Moon had licensed it from Grover Records, as we would with their follow-up record, "Ram Di Dance"). When I popped it in the CD player, I was immediately blown away by the super-charged, yet authentically vintage sounding ska coming out of the speakers--and this band was from Germany? It was some of the best traditional ska I had ever heard (and their first two albums remain amongst the finest produced during the Third Wave of ska). While I was never fortunate enough to catch Dr. Ring Ding and the Senior Allstars performing live, I did have the pleasure of meeting and seeing Dr. Ring Ding on stage when he toured and played t-bone with The Toasters in the late 90s (Bob Timm of The Hard Times still has a picture somewhere of Richie and me in the Moon offices...). The good Doctor has a new traditional ska album titled "Piping Hot" coming out this fall and Richie was kind enough to take the time to reply to our questions. The Duff Guide to Ska:It seems like a lot of your recent work has focused on dancehall instead of ska. Why did you decide to bring Dr. Ring Ding back into the ska fold at this point in time?
Dr. Ring Ding: I am pretty aware that it looks that way. As a matter of fact, I do not really focus on musical styles. I focus, of course, on the individual projects I am working on, but that is regardless of style.
I have done a lot of reggae and dancehall recordings and shows in the past, but also many other types of music, many of them not under the name of Dr. Ring Ding. If people hear more from me in dancehall, it is possibly due to the fact that it spreads faster, as the community is possibly bigger than, let’s say, the ska community.
There have been some ska recordings over the last few years. One album with Kingston Kitchen, comprising members of the Rotterdam Ska Jazz Foundation and myself. Then more recently a new album of El Bosso and die Ping Pongs (the ska band in which I first started playing), as well as some guest appearances on other bands’ albums and singles. Apart from that, I have also worked as a producer for several ska bands.
Then, it is always cheaper to record some rhythm tracks (with a satisfying sound) for a dancehall tune on your computer instead of having to book a studio and record a whole band, especially in a time when neither a music consumer nor a record label is willing to put out money for a recording. Therefore, it is true that a bigger part of the Dr. Ring Ding productions of the past few years are within the dancehall genre, as I would not like to compromise sound quality and musicianship too much. I have done a large number of ska shows though, with Kingston Kitchen, El Bosso, and also a project called “The Rock Steady Revue.”
Anyway, I really felt the urge to record a new ska album (under the name of Dr. Ring Ding) after I had played a bunch of shows last December with the Bartenders from Warsaw and Shots in the Dark from Rome. I have asked a few of my favorite fellow musicians if they would like to participate in the project, and luckily, all of them said yes. I am grateful.
DGTS:What should your ska fans expect on the new album? Can you tell us about the bands backing you--and are there any special guests?
DRD: The new album is entitled Piping Hot and the name of my ska outfit is Dr. Ring Ding Ska-Vaganza. I am really continuing what we started with the Dandimite album in 1995 (with Dr. Ring Ding and the Senior Allstars). It is traditional ska, most of it original compositions--the few covers are instrumental versions of two folk songs (one German, one Catalan)--and a pop song from the 80s.
The wonderful musicians playing are the Freedom Street Band, who provide the basic tracks (drums, bass, piano, guitar). They are a reggae backing band from Barcelona and usually accompany me on my dancehall shows in Catalonia, Spain, Southern France, etc., as they do for the likes of Tippa Irie, Chucky Star, and a number of Spanish artists. But they also can play ska and have backed people like Derrick Morgan, Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe, etc.
Then there are some German friends on there, Markus Dassmann on guitar and organ--he played in the Senior Allstars and we share the stage in many different projects. Mathias Demmer from The Busters plays a multitude of wind instruments--saxophones, clarinet, flutes, etc. More horns come from Genís Bou (from the fantastic Gramophone Allstars) and Bruno Calvo, a young, exceptionally talented trumpet player. Some more extra people on backing vocals: Stephanie K. (an American jazz singer), Congalero Marcus Passlick (was also on Dandimite, etc.), and I am happy to have Doreen Shaffer sing a duet with me.
DGTS: When will Piping Hot be released and who is releasing it?
DRD: I guess it will be out in October. The CD will be on Pork Pie Records, the vinyl on Buenritmo, and Jump Up will release two vinyl singles with exclusive tracks from the same sessions.
DGTS:Are there any plans for some live Dr. Ring Ding dates in the USA at any point soon?
DRD: Plans no, but it’s been already been four years since I last played in the USA, and I get pretty itchy feet, to be honest. Any promoter reading this interested in bringing me over?
DGTS:What's the German ska scene like right now? Who are some of the better bands that US fans should track down?
DRD: Funny how I always get asked this question. I believe the answer has been the same over the last 20 years… There are some of the old veterans still doing it, and they are definitely worth to be listened to – bands like The Busters for instance. And I am happy to see that there are young and new bands coming out of the woodwork continuously, too. One of my favorites are The Magic Touch (although they are more rocksteady/dirty reggae than ska).
DGTS:El Bosso und die Ping Pongs just released a new album this year--how did you first become involved with El Bosso und die Ping Pongs and what led to the new record? (And while so many other German ska bands at the time--The Busters, No Sports, etc.--were singing in English, why did the band stick with your native language?) DRD: The band was made up from pupils of my school (but for one). They had played a show at some school festival there. I saw it, I loved it, and asked if I could join. I could, and this is how I started to learn about this music. That was in 1987, when I was 16 or 17…
We split somewhere in the early 90s, but had a few revival shows every four years or such, and then we decided at some point to loosely play together again every now and then. That made the bandleader/songwriter/guitarist Skacus eager enough to compose and record an album’s worth of material – hey presto!
We kind of always kept faithful to the concept of using German in our songs. On one hand, due to the main songwriter’s bad English (and good German), on the other hand, it made us stick out from the rest – so why change a winning concept?
DGTS: The early 90s ska scene in Germany was pretty hot (Busters, No Sports, Skaos, Butlers, Bleichreiz)--what are some of your fondest memories from those days?
DRD: First of all, these were my first years on the road – that is always something special and the music will always remain in my memory as the soundtrack of my Sturm-und-Drang period. The many festivals we played, sharing the bill with the above mentioned, were like big family meetings. And also getting to know some of the bands we had on record, listening to them play live, was great. The Toasters, The Trojans, Desmond Dekker…
DGTS:What are some of your proudest moments/accomplishments with Dr. Ring Ding and the Senior Allstars?
I am really happy that playing this music actively got me deeper into the matter. Getting to know the veterans of ska, playing with them live, recording with them (such as Doreen Shaffer, Lord Tanamo, Judge Dread, etc). Playing in a country for the first time, releasing albums, having them released in different countries, getting people to sing your songs – all that is really satisfying for a musician.
DGTS:What record or experience was your first introduction to ska/reggae music?
DRD: Some of the music I had heard without knowing what it was. I knew Madness’ version of “One Step Beyond” and “Night Boat To Cairo” from the radio, but had no idea what the genre was called. I enjoyed listening, though. I had also heard some reggae, but didn’t quite like it at that time. Everything started when I joined El Bosso and die Ping Pongs. The bassist gave me some music to listen to: The Specials, The Selecter, The Beat, more Madness, and some old stuff, like The Skatalites and some compilations on Trojan Records. I found a few reggae albums in some boxes left over from the last bazaar in the basement of our church, one of which (Burning Spear’s Social Living) is still my favorite to date. I started buying ska and reggae records myself, Desmond Dekker, Toots and the Maytals, The Ethiopians… and when I finally went to see a show of Desmond Dekker in my home town, it was clear that I would from now on be a diehard reggae and ska fan. I also started listening to Mutabaruka and LKJ at that time and learned a lot about the language.
DGTS:Which ska/reggae musicians and releases are your favorites (and why)?
DRD: Anything from Toots and the Maytals – one of my first and still one of my favorites.
Anything from Desmond Dekker. A fan since I saw him live.
Burning Spear: Social Living. Roots reggae at its best. Great production.
I am fascinated by Ken Boothe – after a dozen of albums, many hours in the car together, and having him seen live numerous times, I still can’t put my finger on it.
Winston Francis – a wonderful singer and a wonderful person. And totally underrated.
The Skatalites – how can you not love them? I was lucky and privileged enough to join them for two weeks as a trombonist a few years back.
DGTS:What else is in store for Dr. Ring Ding this year (plug away, baby)?
DRD: There are a few releases coming up. Besides the ska album, the will be one in computerized dancehall style of the late 80s, produced by Dreadsquad from Poland, whom with I have already worked on a bunch of singles. Then a reggae album with the Sharp Axe Band (and guests), my backing band in Germany. Then there is still one album in the pipeline for Stubborn Records, produced by King Django, and I am also working on a French project… and all this is only Dr. Ring Ding, mind you.
Other than that, more shows hopefully – I love to explore new countries and come back to see old friends in the ones I have already been to.
What They're Saying About My Book "The Duff Guide to 2 Tone"
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“Written with a personal touch and with great passion about the bands and releases while giving a lot of emphasis to the lyrics, Stephen’s book is a great guiding hand to navigating your way to some great new music.” — Peter Walsh, 2-Tone.info
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“Steve's own story would make a great book, but instead he's written The Duff Guide to 2 Tone, a 250+ page collection of 2 Tone-related pieces from his blog. There are reviews of original pieces, but the book's real purpose is to show how the 2 Tone sound and—more importantly its ideals—carry on today...Get this book right away!" — Charles Benoit, Reggae Steady Ska
"...Shafer has definitely not forgotten how socially conscious issues were at the root of Ska even from the beginning. He makes certain to thread the political issues that motivated the development of Ska throughout his narrative; painting a picture that took both the oppressive political environments and the often ecstatic musical content into account. And in that, he nails down for me what the enduring pull of Ska was to its many fans. Was there ever a more upbeat dance music that combined its boundless energy with a push for progressive social values and calling truth to power?" —Post-Punk Monk
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In the mail today, I received the first copy of my new paperback book The Duff Guide to 2 Tone --and am thrilled to announce that it is now...
About Your Duff Guide
Steve Shafer/The Duff Guide to Ska For most of the 1990s, I was the promotions, marketing, production guy for Moon Records (RIP). It was one of the best jobs I ever had. Seriously, I miss it badly. During 1999/2000, I ran 7 Wonders of the World Music, the first digital download-only ska label that was too ahead of the curve for its own good (RIP).
I filmed and edited this Toasters video for $2,500, which made its debut on MTV's 120 Minutes. I also put together these compilations for Moon: the first three Skarmageddons; Ska United: A Global Ska Sampler; Skank Down Under; This Are Moon Ska I, II, and III; and Moonshot!
Here's an old interview with Adam Monkey from Read Magazine that covers my days at Moon and 7 Wonders. I also did a somewhat more recent interview with Read Junk.
I've been interviewed about ska music and Moon Records for The New York Times, Heather Augustyn's "Ska: The Rhythm of Liberation," Aaron Carnes' "In Defense of Ska," Kenneth Partridge's "Hell of a Hat: The Rise of '90s Ska and Swing," and Marc Wasserman's "Ska Boom: An American Ska & Reggae Oral History" (I also wrote the introductory chapter "1985: The Year American Ska Broke" for Wasserman's book).
And I'm the author of "The Duff Guide to 2 Tone," which can be ordered from Amazon--and is available in the US from Jump Up Records, and in Europe from the 2 Tone Village Shop (Coventry, UK), Champion Sound Records (Hull, UK), Aggroshop (Nijmegen, Netherlands), and Copasetic Mailorder (Hamburg, Germany). Plus, my book was on sale in the museum shop for the "2 Tone: Lives & Legacies" exhibition (May 28 - September 12, 2021), curated by Simon Reynolds, Cory Barrett, Pete Chambers, Jennifer Otter Bickerdike and Daniel Rachel, at the Herbert Art Gallery Museum in Coventry, UK.
I'm now working on my next book, "Calling All the Rude Boys: The Duff Guide to The Toasters, 1981-1992," to be published in 2023.
If you have a ska or reggae release that you'd like me to consider reviewing, please send an e-mail to Steve at duffguidetoska@gmail.com. You should know that I am old school and prefer music in tangible formats (plus I might use your music when I DJ ska events). I'd also appreciate any news or tips you may have about bands.
All reviews and interviews posted on The Duff Guide to Ska are copyrighted and are the sole property of Steve Shafer. Please contact me for permission to reproduce anything on this blog.
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See Live Ska Bands in NYC!
Check out the NYC ska shows I co-host and co-DJ with Ryan Midnight!
The Untouchables "Free Yourself" picture disc featuring Clyde Grimes, Jr. from my record collection. I'm very sad to repo...
Visit The Duff Guide to Ska Video Channel!
Check out The Duff Guide to Ska Video Channel for footage of ska bands in action in clubs around NYC, as well as unusual and rare ska videos from the 90s! Bands featured include The Toasters, The Bluebeats, The Forthrights, Across the Aisle, The Caroloregians, The Moon Invaders, The Rudie Crew, Tip the Van, Hey Stranger, Beat Brigade, Bigger Thomas, King Chango, The Scofflaws, UB40, The Hard Times, Jah Love and the Valentinians, The Shifters, Rudies Don't Care, Big Audio Dynamite, Stranger Cole and Patsy with Crazy Baldhead, Queen P of Ocean 11, King Hammond, The Snails, King Django, Doomsday! The Ultimate Tribute to Mephiskapheles Consisting of Former Members of Mephiskapheles, Destroy Babylon, The Frightnrs, The Pandemics, Los Skarroneros, The Bullbuckers, The Scofflaws, The Reggay Lords, The Copacetics, Rude Boy George, Dave Hillyard and the Rocksteady 7, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, The Specials, Roddy Radiation and Lynval Golding, The Ladrones, Chris Murray, Radio Riddler, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, Astro, and Mickey Virtue, Barbicide, The Twilights, Bim Skala Bim featuring John Bunkley (Gangster Fun), The Pomps, and more!
(Reviews by Steve Shafer)
