History of Ska

Another dated piece from The Pit...

The past couple of years have seen a surge in the popularity of ska music. Bands like No Doubt and Dance Hall Crashers have become radio mainstays and the newest MTV minute steaks. This new wave of ska is a manifestation of a musical movement that has been around since the 60’s.

Ska didn’t start in America or England, but has it’s roots in Jamaica. Ska was more or less a 60s’ precursor to the reggae movement. Ska imported itself to England when waves of Jamaican immigrants brought it with them during migrations in the 60’s.
Ska started to gain popularity with white working class youths when first mods and then early skinheads began hanging out in the Jamaican clubs and dancing to the music.

From it’s beginning, ska was a movement that encompassed both blacks and whites. Despite race riots in Britain at the time, ska flourished. Whites and blacks were getting together, putting their differences aside, and allowing the music to unite them.

The 2 Tone movement was the next step for the mods and skins. 2 Tone monopolized on the black and white dichotomy of ska in it’s black and white checkered symbols. The hard core fans of 2 Tone became known as rude boys and rude girls. They became personified in the images of the Specials’ cartoony mascot Walt Jabsco and The Beats’ Margaret.

The 2 Tone label itself was started in 1979 by Jerry Dammers of the Special A.K.A., who would later shorten their moniker to the Specials. The first 2 Tone single was "Gangsters" by Special A.K.A., backed with "Selecter" by the Selecter. "Gangsters" eventually broke the British Top 10 charts, and major label Chrysalis began distributing the 2 Tone releases.

2 Tone became synonymous with ska. Madness debuted on 2 Tone with their first single, "The Prince". Another 2 Tone first was The Beat with "Tears of A Clown". The Beat would be known as The English Beat in the U.S. and would be responsible for introducing many newcomers to ska (After the demise of The Beat, General Public and Fine Young Cannibals were formed by former Beat members).

The Specials released many singles on 2 Tone, including "Ghost Town", and "Nelson Mandela". Elvis Costello also recorded an unreleased single on 2 Tone, "I Can’t Stand Up Falling Down".

2 Tone had a huge influence on many of the new wave ska bands. The new wave of ska was more or less spearheaded by Fishbone and became a virtual melting pot of musical diversity (as if ska isn’t diverse enough). New wave ska is generally a blend of ska and reggae with punk, funk, and so on, with the usual crisp, tight horn sections accompanying.

The ska of today is energetic if it is anything. The bands go crazy on stage, jumping, pogoing, skanking and inciting the crowds into frenzies. Moshing and stage diving are commonplace at ska shows, as is the skank, that cute little ska dance.
The ska uniform is varied. It can include sweaters, suits, Doc Marten boots, ties and suspenders, fedoras and pork pie hats. Ska dress is generally as distinctive as the music itself.

There are many talented bands playing ska these days. Orange County’s No Doubt has a charismatic female singer, Gwen Stefani. Dance Hall Crashers have harmonizing rude girls, one doing cool tricks with her pony tails. Ska is not just a men’s club.
The Untouchables and Skeletones play more traditional 2 Toneish ska. Operation Ivy added a hard-core punk edge to ska, and Voodoo Glow Skulls continue along these lines. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Buck O Nine are energetic, crazy purveyors of pseudo frat boy ska, constantly touring and gaining new fans.

Ska’s been around for a long time. The torch is carried by the new wave of ska. Occasionally some of the originals get back together and do a tour. It just goes to show that there’s a whole new generation of rude boys and rude girls, skanking and fighting on the dance floor.