ska
Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a w ...
band from
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispanio ...
. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including " Guns of Navarone." They also played on records by
Prince Buster
Cecil Bustamente Campbell (24 May 1938 – 8 September 2016), known professionally as Prince Buster, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer. The records he released in the 1960s influenced and shaped the course of Jamaican contemporary ...
and backed many other Jamaican artists who recorded during that period, including
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Bob Marley and the Wailers (previously known as The Wailers, and prior to that The Wailing Rudeboys, The Wailing Wailers and The Teenagers) were a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae band. The founding members, in 1963, were Bob Marley (Rober ...
, on their first single "
Simmer Down
"Simmer Down" was the first single released by The Wailers, accompanied by the ska supergroup, The Skatalites, and produced by Clement "Coxsone" Dodd in 1963. It was the number one hit in Jamaica in February, 1964.
The song was directed to the ...
." They reformed in 1983 and have played together ever since.
History
Before the Skatalites: 1954–1964
The founders of the Skatalites were musicians
Doreen Shaffer
Monica Johnson, better known by her stage name Doreen Shaffer (sometimes spelled Schaffer or Schaeffer), is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, and reggae singer. Known as the "Queen of Ska", she was a founding member in 1964 of the Skatalites.Campbell, ...
,
Tommy McCook
Tommy McCook (3 March 1927 – 5 May 1998) was a Jamaican saxophonist. A founding member of The Skatalites, he also directed The Supersonics for Duke Reid, and backed many sessions for Bunny Lee or with The Revolutionaries at Channel One S ...
(died 1998),
Rolando Alphonso
Roland Alphonso OD or Rolando Alphonso "The Chief Musician" (12 January 1931 – 20 November 1998)Thompson, p. 262 was a Jamaican tenor saxophonist, and one of the founding members of the Skatalites.
Biography
Born in Havana, Cuba, Alphonso c ...
(died 1998),
Lester Sterling
Lester Sterling OD (born 31 January 1936),Musicians Bio ", Alpha Old Boys Association, retrie ...
,
Lloyd Brevett
Lloyd Brevett OD (1 August 1931 – 3 May 2012) was a Jamaican double bassist, songwriter, and a founding member of The Skatalites. He was a Rastafarian, and the uncle of The Melodians member, Tony Brevett.Lloyd Knibb
Lloyd Knibb OD (8 March 1931 – 12 May 2011) was a Jamaican drummer who is considered Jamaica's most important and influential modern drummer. A master percussionist, he contributed to every style of this nation's popular and not so popular mus ...
(died 2011),
Don Drummond
Don Drummond (12 March 1932Cane-Honeysett, L: ''Don Drummond Memorial Album'', liner notes. Trojan 2009. – 6 May 1969) was a Jamaican ska trombonist and composer. He was one of the original members of The Skatalites, and composed many ...
(died 1969),
Jah Jerry Haynes
Jerome "Jah Jerry" Haynes OD (11 August 1921 – 13 August 2007) was a Jamaican guitarist and former member of The Skatalites.
Haynes was born in Trench Pen, presently known as Trench Town, the cultural capital of Jamaica, in 1921. He learned ...
(died 2007),
Jackie Mittoo
Donat Roy Mittoo (3 March 1948 – 16 December 1990), better known as Jackie Mittoo, was a Jamaican-Canadian keyboardist, songwriter and musical director. He was a member of The Skatalites and musical director of the Studio One record label.
...
(died 1990), and Johnny Moore (died 2008). These musicians started to play together from 1955, when Kingston's recording studios started to develop. Tommy McCook was the first member of the band to record, though not for commercial release: he played with Don Hitchman's Group in 1953.
Archie Lindo Archie Lindo (20 January 1908 – 2 April 1990) was a Jamaican photographer, actor, author, playwright, and radio show broadcaster.Stanley Motta
Stanley Motta was an electronics store proprietor who established a record label in Kingston, Jamaica and opened the first privately owned recording studio in Jamaica in 1951, jump starting Jamaica's music industry.
Career
Motta recorded cal ...
began to operate his studio, where he recorded calypso and
mento
Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced ska and reggae music. It is a fusion of African rhythmic elements and European elements, which reached peak popularity in the 1940s and 1950s. Mento typically ...
that were released on 78s.
Rolando Alphonso
Roland Alphonso OD or Rolando Alphonso "The Chief Musician" (12 January 1931 – 20 November 1998)Thompson, p. 262 was a Jamaican tenor saxophonist, and one of the founding members of the Skatalites.
Biography
Born in Havana, Cuba, Alphonso c ...
was one of the first to record with him, probably in 1954.
Though McCook was the first in the band to record, he did not participate in the recording sessions with the other nine musicians. He left Jamaica in 1954 for a jazz gig at the Zanzibar Club in
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau ( ) is the capital and largest city of the Bahamas. With a population of 274,400 as of 2016, or just over 70% of the entire population of the Bahamas, Nassau is commonly defined as a primate city, dwarfing all other towns in the country. ...
. He returned to Jamaica in June 1962, and began playing regular jazz sessions around Kingston.
Record producer
Coxsone Dodd
Clement Seymour "Coxsone" Dodd (26 January 1932 – 4 May 2004) was a Jamaican record producer who was influential in the development of ska and reggae in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond.
He was nicknamed "Coxsone" at school due to his talent a ...
searched for jazz players around Kingston and was impressed by McCook's playing. Tommy McCook heard some ska, but initially resisted Dodd's offers to record and to lead a studio group, because he was a committed jazzman. In 1962, Dodd released ''I Cover The Waterfront'' (Port-O-Jam) with Roland Alphonso and Don Drummond, who did the solo and brass sections. In 1963, he released ''Jazz Jamaica From the Workshop'' (Port-O-Jam/Studio One), on which McCook played for the first time since returning to Jamaica. Don Drummond has two tunes on ''Jazz Jamaica'' and McCook has one, "The Answer".
Early years: 1964–1965
In early 1964, a meeting was held with all the would-be Skatalites at The Odeon Theatre. It was owned by The Tawari family who owned many theatres and were offering shows to the band if they formed a band. Lord Tanamo was liked by the Tawaris and they had encouraged him to help unite the musicians that had been playing on all these hits. By this time the various members had played on so many hit songs in so many different studios by so many singers, but few people knew who was playing the instruments because no producers were putting credits on the records. At that time most of the DJs who were spinning records in public, scratched off the titles or the entire label so nobody could spy on them, and know which recording they were even playing. The musicians were tired of working so hard for so little money and so little recognition. This story, and the story of many other groups and bands in Jamaica, is the theme of the film, ''
The Harder They Come
''The Harder They Come'' is a 1972 Jamaican crime film directed by Perry Henzell and co-written by Trevor D. Rhone, and starring Jimmy Cliff. The film is most famous for its reggae soundtrack that is said to have "brought reggae to the world". ...
Coxsone Dodd
Clement Seymour "Coxsone" Dodd (26 January 1932 – 4 May 2004) was a Jamaican record producer who was influential in the development of ska and reggae in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond.
He was nicknamed "Coxsone" at school due to his talent a ...
,
Duke Reid
Arthur "Duke" Reid CD (21 July 1915 – 1 January 1975) was a Jamaican record producer, DJ and label owner.
He ran one of the most popular sound systems of the 1950s called Reid's Sound System, whilst Duke himself was known as The Troj ...
,
Prince Buster
Cecil Bustamente Campbell (24 May 1938 – 8 September 2016), known professionally as Prince Buster, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer. The records he released in the 1960s influenced and shaped the course of Jamaican contemporary ...
, Vincent "King" Edwards, Justin "Phillip" Yap,
Leslie Kong
Leslie Kong (20 December 1933 – 9 August 1971) was an influential Chinese-Jamaican reggae producer.
Career
Leslie and his two older brothers Cecil and Lloyd ran a restaurant, ice cream parlour and record shop called Beverley's in Orange Str ...
, Lindon Pottinger,
Sonia Pottinger
Sonia Eloise Pottinger OD ( Durrant; 21 June 1931 – 3 November 2010)Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, , p. 316Vincent "Randy" Chin. The Skatalites led sessions with top artists and worked with young talents such as
Delroy Wilson
Delroy George Wilson CD (5 October 1948 – 6 March 1995)
Greene, Jo-Ann, " Delroy Wilson Biography, allmusic.com, Macrovision Corporation
was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer. Wilson is often regarded as Jamaica's first child s ...
,
Desmond Dekker
Desmond Dekker (16 July 1941 – 25 May 2006) was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer-songwriter and musician. Together with his backing group The Aces (consisting of Wilson James and Easton Barrington Howard), he had one of the earlie ...
,
The Wailers
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
, and Lee Perry.
They played their first show in May 1964 at the Hi-Hat club, on Water Lane in Rae Town, which was owned and operated by Orville "Billy" Farnum. It was supposed to be a rehearsal but so many people gathered around the place they decided to just charge admission and let people enjoy themselves. After that word spread like wildfire that the musicians who had been playing all the hit records for so many years had formed a band named The Skatalites. Coxsone Dodd helped initially: "At the formation of the band, I supplied the PA system, microphones and what ever it is. Also the guitar amplifier and other amplifier. I helped with transportation and I supplied storage for equipment and instruments. I was a part of promoting the first gigs and other gigs to get it off the ground, because I figured more or less, if I am recording the Skatalites, its good to get them popular out in the streets, yunno?"
Trombonist
Don Drummond
Don Drummond (12 March 1932Cane-Honeysett, L: ''Don Drummond Memorial Album'', liner notes. Trojan 2009. – 6 May 1969) was a Jamaican ska trombonist and composer. He was one of the original members of The Skatalites, and composed many ...
had at least 200 tunes to his name by 1965. On 1 January 1965, Drummond was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend, Anita "Marguerita" Mahfood. He was later convicted and remanded to the Bellevue Asylum.
In August 1965, The Skatalites played their last show. They broke up into two
supergroup Supergroup or super group may refer to:
* Supergroup (music), a music group formed by artists who are already notable or respected in their fields
* Supergroup (physics), a generalization of groups, used in the study of supersymmetry
* Supergroup ...
s, Rolando Alphonso and the Soul Vendors and Tommy McCook and the Supersonics. In April 1967, The Skatalites' ska adaptation of the theme to the film '' The Guns of Navarone'' entered the Top 40 of the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top ...
. Don Drummond died on 6 May 1969, in the Bellevue Asylum.
Early reunions: 1974–1988
The Skatalites first reunion happened in the studio, during 1974 sessions for bass player Lloyd Brevett's solo album. After laying down hand percussion tracks at Lee Perry's studio, Brevett was joined by McCook, Alphonso, Sterling, Knibb and Mittoo.
Ernest Ranglin
Ernest Ranglin (born 19 June 1932) is a Jamaican guitarist and composer who established his career while working as a session guitarist and music director for various Jamaican record labels including Studio One and Island Records. Ranglin pla ...
played guitar, with Oswald Brooks on trumpet.African Roots 1997 Moon Ska records edition liner notes The album was eventually released as ''African Roots'', a collection of mostly Brevett compositions, and has been variously released both as a Lloyd Brevett and as a Skatalies album, with most editions crediting "Lloyd Brevett and The Skatalites".
In 1979, The Skatalites again joined in the studio, this time to record an album for
Chris Blackwell
Christopher Percy Gordon Blackwell (born 22 June 1937) is an English businessman and former record producer, and the founder of Island Records, which has been called "one of Britain's great independent labels". According to the Rock and Roll H ...
. The album, tentatively entitled ''The Big Guns'', was not released at the time, due to a disagreement between McCook and Blackwell, and remains unreleased.
In June 1983, The Skatalites reformed and played the
Reggae Sunsplash
Reggae Sunsplash is a reggae music festival first staged in 1978 in the northern part of Jamaica. In 1985 it expanded with the addition of an international touring festival. The festival ran annually until 1996, with a final event in 1998, bef ...
festival in
Montego Bay
Montego Bay is the capital of the parish of St. James in Jamaica. The city is the fourth-largest urban area in the country by population, after Kingston, Spanish Town, and Portmore, all of which form the Greater Kingston Metropolitan Area, h ...
in July, after festival director Ronnie Burke persuaded them to appear at the fifth anniversary of the festival, despite Moore and McCook having not spoken since the band split.Campbell, Charles (2012) The Skatalites musical journey , ''
Jamaica Observer
''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica. The publication is owned by Butch Stewart, who chartered the paper in January 1993 as a competitor to Jamaica's oldest daily paper, ''The Gleaner''. Its founding editor is ...
Jamaica Observer
''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica. The publication is owned by Butch Stewart, who chartered the paper in January 1993 as a competitor to Jamaica's oldest daily paper, ''The Gleaner''. Its founding editor is ...
'', 15 June 2012, retrieved 17 June 2012. Their show was very successful, and the band played more concerts in Jamaica, while taking offers to tour abroad. The line-up at this time reflected the original line-up of the band, with the exception of Drummond, joined by guests, Arnold Breckenridge, and Bubbles Cameron. Recordings from 27 June and 17 July 1983 were released on the live album ''Stretching Out'', although the band later claimed on their website that they received no payment for this recording and discouraged fans from buying it.
During their 1983 rehearsals for Sunsplash, the band recorded eleven tracks at the newly opened Music Mountain studio, lead this time by
Jackie Mittoo
Donat Roy Mittoo (3 March 1948 – 16 December 1990), better known as Jackie Mittoo, was a Jamaican-Canadian keyboardist, songwriter and musical director. He was a member of The Skatalites and musical director of the Studio One record label.
...
and under the guidance of producer/promoter Tony Owens. After five days of recording, the sessions were abandoned after the members apparently fell out with one another. Nine completed tracks were eventually released in 2007 on Motion Records as ''Rolling Steady: The 1983 Music Mountain Sessions''. The album included their tribute to Don Drummond, "Big Trombone", with
Lord Tanamo
Joseph Abraham Gordon (2 October 1934 – 15 April 2016), better known as Lord Tanamo, was a Jamaican-Canadian singer and songwriter best known for his mento and ska work.
Career
Born in Kingston and raised in Denham Town in the West of ...
on vocals.
In April 1984, the same lineup, but without Mittoo - recorded ''The Return of The Big Guns'', released on
Mango Records
Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anothe ...
in the UK, with several tracks based on charts written by Drummond and arranged by McCook. On 7 July 1984, The Skatalites played to thousands at
Selhurst Park
Selhurst Park is a football stadium in Selhurst in the London Borough of Croydon which is the home ground of Premier League side Crystal Palace. The stadium was designed by Archibald Leitch and opened in 1924. It has hosted international foo ...
during the London Sunsplash. The Skatalites played seven tunes and also backed Prince Buster on three before closing with a reprise of their theme song, "Freedom Sounds". This performance was later released as a live album called "Live at Sunplash" but is very rare.
Between 1985 and 1988, the core members of the Skatalites emigrated and united in the northeast of the United States. They played their first US concert at
The Village Gate
The Village Gate was a nightclub at the corner of Thompson and Bleecker Streets in Greenwich Village, New York. Art D'Lugoff opened the club in 1958, on the ground floor and basement of 160 Bleecker Street. The large 1896 Chicago School structu ...
and began to play spotted dates in Northeast US.
1986–present
The Skatalites began emigrating to the US since the 1970s Eventually enough members had arrived that enabled them to book a few shows beginning with shows in 1986 in New York City. It took a few years before they actually started touring the US in 1989 as support act for their old friend Bunny Wailer's Liberation Tour from coast to coast including Radio City Music Hall, Irvine Meadows, The Music Hall in Boston and many other prestigious venues. In early 1990 the band emerged on the market officially on the first headline tour from NYC to California and back. They were always working on new music but the first official record deal in US was with Shanachie and they released "Skavoovee", Grammy nominated "Hi-Bop Ska", and Grammy nominated "Greetings from Skamania". The next release was ''
Ball of Fire
''Ball of Fire'' is a 1941 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks and starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. This Samuel Goldwyn Productions film (originally distributed by RKO) concerns a group of professors laboring to w ...
'' in 1997 on Island Records. A "Best of The Skatalites" type release was done by Heartbeat Records the same year, entitled "Foundation Ska". In 2000 they recorded an album with all newly composed material by each member entitled "Bashaka". In 2001 they recorded "From Paris With Love". In 2004 The Skatalites were featured on the album ''True Love'' by
Toots and the Maytals
The Maytals, known from 1972 to 2020 as Toots and the Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group, one of the best known ska and rocksteady vocal groups. The Maytals were formed in the early 1960s and were key figures in popularizing reggae music.
...
, which won the
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
in 2004 for Best Reggae Album, and showcased many notable musicians including
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album '' Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He rose to prominence with the Yardbirds and after fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, he switched to a mainly instrumental style, with a focus ...
,
Trey Anastasio
Ernest Joseph "Trey" Anastasio III (born September 30, 1964) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Phish, which he co-founded in 1983. He is credited by name as composer of 152 Phish o ...
,
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", " Spiderwebs ...
/
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, formed in 1986. For most of their career, the band has consisted of vocalist Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young. Since the mid-1990s, th ...
,
Ben Harper
Benjamin Chase Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live perfo ...
,
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...
,
Manu Chao
Manu Chao (; born José-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao on 21 June 1961) is a French-Spanish singer. He sings in French, Spanish, English, Italian, Arabic, Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, Greek, and occasionally in other languages. Chao began his m ...
,
The Roots
The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy ...
,
Ryan Adams
David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, artist, and poet. He has released 23 albums, as well as three studio albums as a former member of alt-country band Whiskeytown.
In 2000, Adams left ...
,
Keith Richards
Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...
,
Toots Hibbert
Frederick Nathaniel Hibbert, (8 December 1942 – 11 September 2020), better known as Toots Hibbert, was a Jamaican singer and songwriter who was the lead vocalist for the reggae and ska band Toots and the Maytals. A reggae pioneer, he perfo ...
,
Paul Douglas
Paul Howard Douglas (March 26, 1892 – September 24, 1976) was an American politician and Georgist economist. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a U.S. Senator from Illinois for eighteen years, from 1949 to 1967. During his Senate ...
, Jackie Jackson, and
Ken Boothe
Kenneth George Boothe OD (born 22 March 1948) is a Jamaican vocalist known for his distinctive vibrato and timbre. Boothe achieved an international reputation as one of Jamaica's finest vocalists through a series of crossover hits that appeal ...
. Later that year, original member Lloyd Brevett left the band. In April that year, the Skatalites started a new world tour with their new bass player Val Douglas, whose A-Team band was the primary backing band for Reggae Sunsplash Tours through the 1980s and 1990s. In October 2005, The Skatalites released ''The Skatalites in Orbit, Vol.1'' recorded live in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South Am ...
, recorded during concerts on 23 and 24 September 2005. In March 2006, The Skatalites played at La Bal De La Rose for
Caroline, Princess of Hanover
Princess Caroline of Monaco (Caroline Louise Marguerite; born 23 January 1957) is, by her marriage to Prince Ernst August, the Princess of Hanover. As the eldest child of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and Grace Kelly, she is the elder sister ...
, along with
Jimmy Cliff
James Chambers OM (born 30 July 1944), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only living reggae musician to hold the Order of Merit, th ...
,
The Wailers
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
and
Alpha Blondy
Seydou Koné (; born January 1, 1953 in Dimbokro), better known by his stage name Alpha Blondy, is an Ivorian reggae singer and international recording artist. Many of his songs are politically and socially motivated, and are mainly sung in ...
. This show started the 2006 Global Orbit Tour reaching Australia,
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island country ...
,
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
and
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
. In April 2006, Skatalites recorded 11 new tunes and one cover in Byron Bay, Australia, at the 301 Studios, released the following year as the album ''On The Right Track'' by AIM International, Australia. In September 2007, The Skatalites contributed the track "Be My Guest", with
Ben Harper
Benjamin Chase Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live perfo ...
on vocals, to the
Fats Domino
Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cos ...
.
On 12 May 2011, founding member and drummer
Lloyd Knibb
Lloyd Knibb OD (8 March 1931 – 12 May 2011) was a Jamaican drummer who is considered Jamaica's most important and influential modern drummer. A master percussionist, he contributed to every style of this nation's popular and not so popular mus ...
died at the age of 80. Bass player and fellow founding member
Lloyd Brevett
Lloyd Brevett OD (1 August 1931 – 3 May 2012) was a Jamaican double bassist, songwriter, and a founding member of The Skatalites. He was a Rastafarian, and the uncle of The Melodians member, Tony Brevett.Doreen Shaffer
Monica Johnson, better known by her stage name Doreen Shaffer (sometimes spelled Schaffer or Schaeffer), is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, and reggae singer. Known as the "Queen of Ska", she was a founding member in 1964 of the Skatalites.Campbell, ...
– vocals
* Val Douglas - bass
* Trevor "Sparrow" Thompson - drums
* Ken Stewart – keyboards
* Aurelien Metsch aka Natty Frenchy – guitar
* Anant Pradhan - saxophone
* Vin "Don Drummond Junior" Gordon – trombone
* James Smith - trumpet
* Larry McDonald - percussion and vocals
Former members
*
Lester Sterling
Lester Sterling OD (born 31 January 1936),Musicians Bio ", Alpha Old Boys Association, retrie ...
– alto saxophone (founding member;1964-2014,still plays occasionally)
*
Tommy McCook
Tommy McCook (3 March 1927 – 5 May 1998) was a Jamaican saxophonist. A founding member of The Skatalites, he also directed The Supersonics for Duke Reid, and backed many sessions for Bunny Lee or with The Revolutionaries at Channel One S ...
– tenor saxophone, flute (founding member; died 1998)
*
Roland Alphonso
Roland Alphonso OD or Rolando Alphonso "The Chief Musician" (12 January 1931 – 20 November 1998)Thompson, p. 262 was a Jamaican tenor saxophonist, and one of the founding members of the Skatalites.
Biography
Born in Havana, Cuba, Alphonso ...
– tenor saxophone (founding member; died 1998)
*
Don Drummond
Don Drummond (12 March 1932Cane-Honeysett, L: ''Don Drummond Memorial Album'', liner notes. Trojan 2009. – 6 May 1969) was a Jamaican ska trombonist and composer. He was one of the original members of The Skatalites, and composed many ...
– trombone (founding member; died 1969)
* Johnny "Dizzy" Moore – trumpet (founding member; died 2008)
*
Lloyd Brevett
Lloyd Brevett OD (1 August 1931 – 3 May 2012) was a Jamaican double bassist, songwriter, and a founding member of The Skatalites. He was a Rastafarian, and the uncle of The Melodians member, Tony Brevett.Lloyd Knibb
Lloyd Knibb OD (8 March 1931 – 12 May 2011) was a Jamaican drummer who is considered Jamaica's most important and influential modern drummer. A master percussionist, he contributed to every style of this nation's popular and not so popular mus ...
– drums (founding member; died 2011)
* Jerome "Jah Jerry" Haynes – guitar (founding member; died 2007)
*
Jackie Mittoo
Donat Roy Mittoo (3 March 1948 – 16 December 1990), better known as Jackie Mittoo, was a Jamaican-Canadian keyboardist, songwriter and musical director. He was a member of The Skatalites and musical director of the Studio One record label.
...
– piano (founding member; died 1990)
* Greg Glassman – trumpet
* Mark Berney – trumpet
* Nathan Breedlove III – trumpet (1990–98)
* Cedric "Im" Brooks – tenor saxophone (2000–03,2008–10; died 2013)
* Karl "Cannonball" Bryan – saxophone (2003–08)
* Calvin "Bubbles" Cameron – trombone (1983–84,89,04)
* Welford "Will" Clark – trombone (1994–2003)
* Buford O'Sullivan - trombone
* Devon James – guitar (1987–2009)
* Bill Smith – keyboards (1993–98)
* Cary Brown – keyboards (1990–93)
* Ken Stewart – keyboards (1988–90,1998-2009,2013-present; also serves as the band's manager)
*
Clark Gayton
Clark Gayton is an American multi-instrumentalist, musician, composer and musicians' rights advocate.
Biography
Born as Carver Clark Gayton Jr. to Carver Clark Gayton and Mona Marie Lombard, Clark Gayton is a professional musician (trombone, ...
– Trombone (1989–94)
* Cary Brown – keyboards (1990–95)
* Luis Bonilla – trombone
* Arnold "Willie" Brackenridge - Trumpet (1983–84)
* Kevin Batchelor - Trumpet (2002–2012)
* Azemobo "Zem" Audu – tenor saxophone (2010-2020)
* Andre Murchison – trombone (2006-2019)
* Travis Antoine – trumpet (2012-2018)
* James Smith - trumpet (2018-present)
Additional personnel
Though not official band members, these musicians worked with the Skatalites extensively during the 1964-65 period in the recording studio, or in the case of the vocalists, at live shows. Lord Tanamo, Doreen Shaffer, Baba Brooks, and Ernest Ranglin have all worked with the reunited Skatalites at different times, both live and in the studio.
*
Jackie Opel
Dalton Sinclair Bishop (27 August 1937 – 9 March 1970), better known as Jackie Opel, was a Barbadian singer who possessed a rich, powerful voice with a high octave range. He was known as the "Jackie Wilson of Barbadian culture" and was als ...
– vocals
*
Doreen Shaffer
Monica Johnson, better known by her stage name Doreen Shaffer (sometimes spelled Schaffer or Schaeffer), is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, and reggae singer. Known as the "Queen of Ska", she was a founding member in 1964 of the Skatalites.Campbell, ...
Jamaica Observer
''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica. The publication is owned by Butch Stewart, who chartered the paper in January 1993 as a competitor to Jamaica's oldest daily paper, ''The Gleaner''. Its founding editor is ...
'', 13 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018
* Tony DaCosta - vocals
* Tony Gregory – vocals
*
Lord Tanamo
Joseph Abraham Gordon (2 October 1934 – 15 April 2016), better known as Lord Tanamo, was a Jamaican-Canadian singer and songwriter best known for his mento and ska work.
Career
Born in Kingston and raised in Denham Town in the West of ...
– vocals
* Dennis "Ska" Campbell – tenor saxophone
* Oswald "Baba" Brooks – trumpet
* Frank Anderson – trumpet
*
Ernest Ranglin
Ernest Ranglin (born 19 June 1932) is a Jamaican guitarist and composer who established his career while working as a session guitarist and music director for various Jamaican record labels including Studio One and Island Records. Ranglin pla ...
lead guitar
*
Lyn Taitt
Lynn Taitt (22 June 1934 – 20 January 2010) was a guitarist born in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, who later moved to Jamaica and became a pioneer of rocksteady music.
Biography
Born Nerlynn Taitt, in San Fernando, Trinidad, he got his s ...
Ball of Fire
''Ball of Fire'' is a 1941 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks and starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. This Samuel Goldwyn Productions film (originally distributed by RKO) concerns a group of professors laboring to w ...
'' (Island, 1998)
* '' Bashaka'' with Ken Boothe (Marston Recording Corporation, 2000)
* '' From Paris with Love'' (World Village, 2002/Wrasse, 2009)
* ''
On the Right Track
''On the Right Track'' is a 1981 American romantic comedy film with the feature film debut of Gary Coleman.Blowen, Michael (21 April 1981)Review - Movie - Right Track, Wrong Direction - On the Right Track ''The Boston Globe'' ("On the Right Track ...
* ''Live at Sunsplash'' (1984)
* ''Stretching Out'' (
ROIR
ROIR (pronounced "roar"), or Reachout International Records, is a New York City-based independent record label founded in 1979 by Neil Cooper.
Background
ROIR was founded the same year that the Sony Walkman launched, and initially, the label ex ...
, recorded 1983, released 1986)
* ''Roots Party'' (FullFill, 2003)
* ''Live at Lokerse Feesten'' 1997 & 2002 CD/DVD (
Charly
''Charly'' (marketed and stylized as ''CHAЯLY'') is a 1968 American drama film directed and produced by Ralph Nelson and written by Stirling Silliphant. It is based on ''Flowers for Algernon'', a science-fiction short story (1958) and subseque ...
, 2006)
* ''In Orbit Vol. 1 – Live from Argentina'' (Phantom Sound & Vision, 2006)
* ''Skatalites in Orbit, Vol. 1 & 2'' (Sony, 2010)
* ''Ska-talites – History of Ska, Rocksteady & Reggae'' (United Sound Records, 2015)
* ''Live at the Belly Up'' (Belly Up Live, 2020)
Collaboration albums
* ''1963 – The Long Hot Summer'' with Laurel Aitken (1963)
* ''In the Mood for Ska'' with Lord Tanamo (Trojan 1967)
* ''With Sly & Robbie & Taxi Gang'' (Vista, 1984)
* ''Ska Titans: Laurel Aitken & The Skatalites'' (1999)
* ''Ska Splash'' with Laurel Aitken and House of Rhythm (Moonska, 2002)
* ''Long Hot Summer 1963 Volume 2'' with Laurel Aitken (Grover, 2006)
Anthologies and reissues
* ''Scattered Lights'' (Alligator, 1984)
* ''Hog in a Cocoa'' Skatalites & Friends (Culture Press/Orange Street, 1993)
* ''Foundation Ska'' (Heartbeat/Pgd, 1997)
* ''Skatalites and Friends at Randy's'' (VP Records, 1998)
* ''Ska Boo-Da-Ba: Top Sounds from Top Deck, Volume 3'' (Westside UK, 1998)
* ''Ska-Ta-Shot: Top Sounds from Top Deck, Volume 4'' (Westside UK, 1998)
* ''Ska-Tola: Top Sounds from Top Deck, Volume 5'' (Westside UK, 1998)
* ''Heroes of Reggae in Dub: The Skatalites Meet King Tubby'' (Guava Jelly, 1999)
* ''Nucleus of Ska'' (Music Club, 2001)
* ''The Legendary Skatalites in Dub'' (Motion, 2001)
* ''Herb Dub, Collie Dub'' (Motion, 2002)
* ''Lucky Seven'' (Proper Pairs, 2002)
* ''Musical Communion'' (Culture Press, 2003)
* ''Guns of Navarone – Best of Skatalites'' (Sanctuary Records, 2003)
* ''Phoenix City: A History of the World's Greatest Ska Band'' (Sanctuary Records, 2004)
* ''In the Mood for Ska – The Moonska Years'' (Recall Records UK, 2004)
* ''Independent Ska'' (Atom Music, 2006)
* ''Anthology'' (Primo, 2007)
* ''The Skatalites Play Ska'' (Kingston Sounds, 2007)
* ''Kingston 11'' (King Edwards, 2008)
* ''Occupation Ska! Very Best of Skatalites'' (101 Distribution, 2009)
* ''The Skatalites'' Box Set (Pinnacle/Attack Records, 2009)
* ''Rollin' On'' (King Edwards, 2010)
Compilations
* ''R.O.R.X. – The Tenth Annual Reggae On The Rocks – August 10, 1996'' (1996), performing "Guns Of Navarone" (live).
* ''
The Rough Guide to Reggae
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' (
World Music Network
World Music Network is a UK-based record label specializing in world music.
The World Music Network website features news, reviews, live music listings, and guide sections on world music. It also features an online "Battle of the Bands" compet ...
, 1997); a vintage recording of "Chinatown" credited to Don Drummond & The Skatalites.
* ''Ska Island'' (
Island Records
Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anothe ...
, 1997), performing their own "Magic Star", as well as "Can't You See" with
Doreen Shaffer
Monica Johnson, better known by her stage name Doreen Shaffer (sometimes spelled Schaffer or Schaeffer), is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, and reggae singer. Known as the "Queen of Ska", she was a founding member in 1964 of the Skatalites.Campbell, ...
, and "King of Kings" with
Prince Buster
Cecil Bustamente Campbell (24 May 1938 – 8 September 2016), known professionally as Prince Buster, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer. The records he released in the 1960s influenced and shaped the course of Jamaican contemporary ...
Hellcat Records
Hellcat Records is an independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. The label, an offshoot of Epitaph Records, was started as a partnership between Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion, the owner of Epitaph, and Tim Armstrong of Rancid, ...
Toots and the Maytals
The Maytals, known from 1972 to 2020 as Toots and the Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group, one of the best known ska and rocksteady vocal groups. The Maytals were formed in the early 1960s and were key figures in popularizing reggae music.
...
U-Roy
Ewart Beckford OD (21 September 1942 – 17 February 2021), known by the stage name U-Roy, was a Jamaican vocalist and pioneer of toasting.Jo-Ann GreeneU-Roy Biography, AllMusic. Retrieved 11 April 2013. U-Roy was known for a melodic style ...
* ''Another World Is Possible'' (Uncivilized World Records, 2005), performing "Freedom Sounds" (live)
* '' Music From Glastonbury The Film'' (The Glastonbury Phonographic Society, 2006), performing "Phoenix City" (live at the 2003
Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contempo ...
Vanguard Records
Vanguard Recording Society is an American record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York City. It was a primarily classical label at its peak in the 1950s and 1960s, but also has a catalogue of recordings by a nu ...
Ben Harper
Benjamin Chase Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live perfo ...