The Gaylads

One last ska single for 2012 this time from 1967 on the Rio label. Nice ska instrumental on the "B" side by the Soul Brothers...................................................................................................................................................................... Wikipedia says - "The Gaylads are a Jamaican vocal group. They were one of the top rocksteady vocal groups active in Jamaica between 1963 and 1973. The group, formed in Kingston, originally consisted of singers Harris "B.B." Seaton, Winston Delano Stewart and Maurice Roberts; Seaton and Stewart had previously been successful as the duo Winston & Bibby. There would be several line-up changes throughout The Gaylads' ten year history, with Maurice Roberts remaining the only constant member. Besides recording several hit records, The Gaylads also backed many influential musicians (including Ken Boothe) on recordings. Roberts, the lone remaining original member, selected brothers Randell and Hopeton Thaxter to carry on the Gaylads name; the new lineup never matched the success of its predecessor, however, and after releasing the album, Love and Understanding, as the Gayladds, Roberts dropped any reference to the moniker and rechristened the trio the Psalms, landing as backing vocalists for Bunny Wailer. The founding duo of Seaton and Stewart reformed for the first time in over two decades for an appearance at the 1991 Studio One concert, and two years later Roberts joined them for a performance at the Rocksteady Reunion in Kingston. Seaton, who began his solo career in 1973 with the album Thin Line Between Love and Hate and enjoyed success throughout the years to follow—subsequently relocated to London to helm his revived Soul Beat imprint. Some of their hits included one of the first singles encouraging repatriation - "Africa (We Want To Go)," "Joy In The Morning"; "Red Rose," (for Coxsone Dodd at Studio One), "It's Hard To Confess," "Over the Rainbow's End"(for Sonia Pottinger) and "My Jamaican Girl" (for Leslie Kong / Beverley's). The current line-up of the Gaylads comprises Seaton, Roberts, and Randall Thaxter."................................................................................................................................................................. Soul |Bothers - Soul Serenade......................................................................... The Gaylads - Put On Your Style.

Bill Black's Combo

Groovy blues instrumentals by Bill Black's Combo on the Hi label from the 60's................................................................................... Wikipedia says - "Black was born in Memphis, Tennessee, to a motorman for the Memphis Street Railway. He was the oldest of nine children. His father played popular songs on the banjo and fiddle to entertain the family. Black learned to play music at the age of 14 on an instrument made by his father—a cigar box with a board nailed to it and strings attached. At the age of sixteen, Black was performing "honky-tonk" music on acoustic guitar in local bars. During World War II, Black was stationed with the U.S. Army at Fort Lee in Virginia. While in the Army, he met Evelyn, who played guitar as the member of a musical family. They married in 1946 and returned to Memphis. Black worked at the Firestone plant. Black began playing the upright bass fiddle. He modeled his "slap bass" technique after one of his idols, Fred Maddox of Maddox Brothers and Rose. Black also developed a "stage clown" persona in the same way that Maddox entertained audiences. Black performed as an exaggerated hillbilly with blacked-out teeth, straw hat and overalls. According to his son, Black said his goal was always to give his audience "a few moments of entertainment and maybe a little bit of humor that'll tickle 'em for a while." In 1952, Black began playing club and radio shows with guitarist Scotty Moore. Along with two other guitarists and a fiddler, they performed country music tunes by Hank Williams and Red Foley in Doug Poindexter's band, the Starlight Wranglers.[3] Black and Moore also played in a band with Paul Burlison, Johnny Burnette, Dorsey Burnette on steel guitar, and a drummer. In 1954, Black and Moore were formed into a trio with Elvis Presley."............................................................................ Bill Black's Combo - Blues For The Red Boy.................................................................. Bill Black's Combo - So What.

Lightin' Slim

A blues single with three tracks on the Blue Horizon label from 1972. Produced arranged and directed by Mike Vernon.......................................................................................................................................................................Wikipedia says - "Lightnin' Slim was born Otis V. Hicks in St. Louis, Missouri. moving to Baton Rouge, Louisiana at the age of thirteen. Taught guitar by his older brother Layfield, Slim was playing in bars in Baton Rouge by the late 1940s. He debuted on J. D. "Jay" Miller's Feature Records label in 1954 with "Bad Luck Blues" ("If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all"). Slim then recorded for Excello Records for twelve years, starting in the mid 1950s, often collaborating with his brother-in-law, Slim Harpo and with harmonica player Lazy Lester. Slim took time off from the blues for a period of time and ended up working in a foundry in Pontiac, Michigan,[citation needed] which resulted in him suffering from constantly having his hands exposed to high temperatures. He was re-discovered by Fred Reif in 1970, in Pontiac, where he was living in a rented room at Slim Harpo's sister's house. Reif soon got him back performing again and a new recording contract with Excello, this time through Bud Howell, the present President of the company. His first gig was a reunion concert at the 1971 University of Chicago Folk Festival with Lazy Lester, whom Reif had brought from Baton Rouge in January 1971. In the 1970s, Slim performed on tours in Europe, both in the United Kingdom and at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland where he was often accompanied by Moses "Whispering" Smith on harmonica. He last toured the UK in 1973, with the American Blues Legends package. In July 1974, Slim died of stomach cancer in Detroit, Michigan, aged 61."...................................................................................Lightnin' Slim - Just A Little Bit................................................................................................................................................................... Lightin' Slim - Your'e Old Enough Mind Your Own Business

Roland Alphonso/ Little Luman

Another R. Alphonse (sic) track with the even more obscure Little Luman on the "A" side from 1964. A great instrumental version of The Hucklebuck which Alphonse claims to have written but pretty sure he didn't!....................................................................................................................................................................... Wikipedia says - "When the Skatalites disbanded by August 1965, Alphonso formed the Soul Brothers (with Johnny "Dizzy" Moore, and Jackie Mittoo) to become The Soul Vendors in 1967. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Alphonso led the Ruinaires, the resident band at the Ruins restaurant/nightclub, this coming to an end when he suffered a stroke at the age of 41. He recovered quickly from this setback, and relocated to the United States in late 1972, soon returning to performing and recording. He released the first album under his name in 1973 on the Studio One record label. During the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, he kept on playing on numerous records coming out from Jamaican studios, especially for Bunny Lee, and he toured with many bands. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he played with the band Jah Malla, performing regularly on the live circuit around New York. He was awarded Officer of the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican government in 1977, and started to tour more often in the U.S. He took part in the reformation of the Skatalites in 1983, with whom he toured and recorded constantly until he suffered a burst blood vessel in his head during a show at the Key Club in Hollywood on 2 November 1998. He died on 20 November 1998 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, after suffering a second burst blood vessel, and spending four days in a coma.".................................................................................................................................................................... Little Luman - Hurry Hurry................................................................................................................................................................. Roland Alphonso - The Hucklebuck.

The Creation

The Creation sounded more like The Who than the Who did! This single is from the mid 60's on the Planet label.....................................................................................Wikipedia says - "Most of the members of what would eventually become Creation were initially members of The Mark Four, a British beat group based in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. By late 1963 The Mark Four was a quintet consisting of Kenny Pickett (vocals), Eddie Phillips (guitars), Mick "Spud" Thompson (rhythm guitars), John Dalton (bass), and Jack Jones (drums). This line-up played regularly in the UK and in Germany before issuing two non-charting singles for Mercury Records in 1964. Dalton then left the band, later joining The Kinks as a replacement for Pete Quaife, and was replaced by new bassist Tony Cooke. Around the same time, Thompson left the band and was not replaced. This Mark Four line-up issued two further non-charting singles: "Hurt Me (If You Will)" (Decca, August 1965) and "Work All Day (Sleep All Night)" (Fontana, February 1966). In April 1966, the group signed a management deal with Tony Stratton-Smith. He promptly suggested replacing Cooke with new bassist Bob Garner (previously of the Tony Sheridan Band), and a name change. The band took him up on both suggestions: it was Pickett who came up with the name The Creation, based on a reference he found in a book of Russian poetry. The band's style, produced by Shel Talmy, was, at this point, loud pop art, similar to early records by The Who.. Their first single, "Making Time", was a Pickett/Phillips original. Released in June 1966 on Talmy's own label, Planet (distributed in the UK by Polydor and in the US by Jay-Gee), it reached #49 on the UK chart. Almost immediately thereafter, The Creation suffered another line-up change when Jack Jones was fired and replaced by new drummer Dave Preston. However, the band was unsatisfied with Preston's live work,[citation needed] and in less than three weeks Jones was asked back and rejoined the group. Their next single, October 1966's "Painter Man", became their biggest hit, reaching #36 UK and the top 10 in Germany. The track featured Phillips playing his electric guitar with a violin bow. He was reputedly the first guitarist to use this technique, although Jimmy Page later did it to greater acclaim. The Creation took their pop art experimentation slightly further when, during live performances of "Painter Man" Pickett would spraypaint a canvas during their concerts, before a member of the road crew set light to artwork on stage."................................................................................................................................................................... Creation - Making Time.................................................................................................................................................................. Creation - Try And Stop Me.

Roland Alphonso

Forget the squeaky voiced Hyacynth on the "A" side the flip is the best- excellent jazz ska with Roland Alphonso - on the Rio label from 1965....................................................................................Wikipedia says - "Roland Alphonso O.D. or Rolando Alphonso aka The Chief Musician (January 12, 1931, Havana, Cuba - November 20, 1998, Los Angeles, California, United States)[1] was a Jamaican tenor saxophonist, and one of the founding members of The Skatalites. Alphonso came to Jamaica at the age of two with his Jamaican mother, and started to learn saxophone at the Stony Hill Industrial School. In 1948 he left school to join Eric Deans' orchestra and soon passed through other bands in the hotel circuit and first recorded as a member of Stanley Motta's group in 1952, going on to record frequently as a session musician. In 1956 he first recorded for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, although these early recordings were lost before they were mastered. In 1959 he joined the band of Cluett Johnson named Clue J & His Blues Blasters and backed many of Dodd's recording sessions in a typical Jamaican R&B style. He also acted as arranger at many of Dodd's recording sessions. By 1960, he was recording for many other producers such as Duke Reid, Lloyd "The Matador" Daley and King Edwards, as well as continuing to work for Dodd, contributing alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones, and flute to recordings. During this period he played in many different bands, such as The Alley Cats, The City Slickers, and Aubrey Adams & The Dew Droppers. In 1963, after few months spent in Nassau, Bahamas, he took part in the creation of The Studio One Orchestra, the first session band at Dodd's newly-opened recording studio. This band soon adopted the name of The Skatalites.".............................................................................................................................................................. Roland Alphonso - Jazz Ska...............................................................................Hyacynth - Oh Gee.

The Les Dawson Syndicate

Not THE Les Dawson but an obscure Les Dawson who only made this one single for the Melodisc label it seems back in 1962. A bit of a rarity I imagine. Not sure where I found it - maybe in that box of ska singles from the scout hut in Basildon back in the 70's. Anyway, this is a great song - mostly instrumental with shout outs from the band.On the other side they are joined by Johnny Stevens - who is another I could find no mention of on the internet search. If you know anything please do tell!..........................................................................................................................................................................Les Dawson Syndicate - Last Chicken In The Shop...................................................................................................................................................................... Les Dawson/Johnny Stevens - Oh Yeah