The exciting music style of Ska would originate on Jamaican soil in the late ’50s and explored more widely in the ’70s after the ascension of bands like Bob Marley & The Wailers, Toots & The Maytalls, and The Skatalites. Ska would gain greater ascension with bands like The Specials. But the pioneers of the hybrid Caribbean calypso sound with an interesting mix of Jazz and R&B would reign as the creators of a style deeply enmeshed within the music of the world and still widely enjoyed today.
On January 20 of 2023, BMG will celebrate two of the pioneers with CD, DD, and limited edition color vinyl collections. One will be for The Maytalls, which will provide a collection of 28 representative tracks that will be released on 2CD and separately available 2LP Transparent Yellow vinyl in gatefold jackets.
The other issue will feature The Skatalites, provided with a combined 28 tracks to best represent them in the BMG Essential Artist Collection. They will also be released on 2CD, DD, and 2LP Transparent Clear vinyl packages.
Essential Artist Collection – The Skatalites
LP1
Side 1
01 (Music Is) My Occupation (Ring of Fire) – Don Drummond, Tommy McCook & The Skatalites
02 Alley Cat Ska – Tommy McCook & The Baba Brooks Band
03 Cool Smoke – Don Drummond & The Skatalites
04 Garden of Love – Don Drummond & The Skatalites
05 Twelve Minutes to Go – Tommy McCook
06 Girls Town Ska – The Baba Brooks Band
07 Vitamin A – The Baba Brooks Band
LP1
Side 2
01 Latin Goes Ska – Lester Sterling & The Skatalites
02 Alipang – Roland Alphonso, Don Drummond & The Skatalites
03 Lucky Seven – Don Drummond & The Tommy McCook Band
04 Musical Store Room – Frank Anderson & Roland Alphonso
05 Musical Communion – The Baba Brooks Orchestra
06 Sandy Gully – Roland Alphonso & The Skatalites
07 Doctor Dekker – Don Drummond & The Baba Brooks Band
LP2
Side 1
01 Nuclear Weapon – Roland Alphonso & The Baba Brooks Band
02 Corner Stone – Roland Alphonso & The Skatalites
03 Knockout Punch (aka Cotton Tree) – Baba Brooks & Don Drummond
04 Don De Lion – Don Drummond & The Skatalites
05 Rocket Ship – Tommy McCook & The Skatalites
06 Feeling Fine – Roland Alphonso & The Skatalites
07 Mesopotamia – Don Drummond & The Skatalites
LP2
Side 2
01 Eastern Standard Time – Don Drummond & The Skatalites
02 Thoroughfare (Treasure Isle) – Don Drummond & The Skatalites
03 Silver Dollar – Don Drummond & Roland Alphonso
04 Street Corner – The Skatalites
05 University Goes Ska – Don Drummond
06 Good News – The Skatalites
07 J.F.K’S Memory – Don Drummond & Tommy McCook
Essential Artist Collection – The Maytalls
LP1
Side1
01 54-46 Was My Number
02 Night and Day
03 One Eye Enos
04 Bim Today – Bam Tomorrow
05 She’s My Scorcher
06 Peeping Tom (2nd Version)
07 Struggle
LP1
Side 2
01 Monkey Man
02 Never You Change
03 Don’t Trouble Trouble
04 School Days
05 Johnny Cool Man
06 Reborn
07 Pressure Drop
LP2
Side 1
01 Sweet and Dandy
02 Walk with Love
03 Water Melon
04 African Doctor (aka Doctor Lester)
05 It Must Be True Love
06 Scare Him
07 We Shall Overcome
LP2
Side 2
01 Do the Reggay
02 It’s You (Reggae Version)
03 Just Tell Me
04 Alidina
05 Monkey Girl
06 Oh Yea
07 Pressure Drop