Ska

Ska on vinyl: the offbeat from Jamaica

In short: Ska emerged in Jamaica in the early sixties, around independence in 1962: American rhythm & blues and Jamaican mento, with the guitar on the offbeat and punchy horns. The Skatalites, Prince Buster and Derrick Morgan shaped the sound – which later grew into rocksteady and reggae. The Vinyl Room currently has 25 ska records.

What is ska?

A fast beat with the guitar playing between the beats, and horn sections that sound like jazz: The Skatalites are represented with “Guns Of Navarone”, their trombonist Don Drummond with “Scandal”.

Plus Prince Buster with his “Fabulous Greatest Hits”, Derrick Morgan with “Blazing Fire”, organist Jackie Mittoo and Theo Beckford.

What to look for

Many ska tracks came out on singles in Jamaica and in Britain, for example on Blue Beat; label and country of release help you tell which edition you have – it’s noted with each copy.

From our stock

First pressings

New in

→ Rocksteady · Roots reggae · Trojan · Reggae on vinyl · How to spot a first pressing · Grading explained

FAQ

What is ska? Jamaican music of the early sixties with offbeat guitar and horns, a forerunner of rocksteady and reggae.

Who shaped ska? Among others The Skatalites, Prince Buster and Derrick Morgan.

Who was Don Drummond? The trombonist of The Skatalites.

What is 2-Tone? The British ska wave of the late seventies, with bands such as The Specials.