Jack's Reference Band - We're Troppo 7" (1986)

 This is a British mod band that I can't find any information about. This might be their only release. The B-side is a sax-laden mod tune that they say is a tribute to Booker T. and the MGs. I don't know too much about Booker T. (nor the MGs for that matter) so it's possible this is a cover song. If so, I have never heard the original version and I don't want to. I like this version just fine. 

The A-side is a ska song that will have you singing along "We are trouble" if you're not paying attention. 

A - We're Troppo

B - The Face

toneandwave · Jack's Reference Band - We're Troppo (1986)

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

 

DOWNLOAD from Zippyshare 

Spike - Can't You Hear My Heart Beat 7" (1981)

A couple of covers on this one from this British band. The b-side is a nearly-straightforward cover of the Dave Clark Five's "Glad All Over" but it's the a-side that's the winner here. A cover of Herman's Hermit's "Can't You Hear My Heart Beat?" sung in a Cockney accent with a reggae beat.

"Baby baby can't ye 'ear me 'eart beat?"  Brilliant.

DOWNLOAD from Zippyshare

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

Belly Button and the Knockwells - demo tape (1988)

Just like the last post, this is strictly mod music. Not a second of ska anywhere on this tape. But don't worry - I am not moving in that direction. I am running out of quality ska music but there is still lots that I haven't posted yet. I have posted some mod stuff in the past. It's allowed.

As I'm sure you know Belly Button and the Knockwells' first actual release was for their ska song "I Left the Army". The B-side of that single is "When She's Around" which appears on this tape but it's a much different version. There are six songs on this demo and "When She's Around" is the only one that was released later.

1 You're a Liar
2 When She's Around
3 Fresh
4 I Want Up
5 How Much I Love You
6 My Babe

"My Babe" is, of course, a cover of the Little Walter classic.

DOWNLOAD from Zippyshare

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

Surprise Surprise - Anguished Heart 7" (1984)

Surprise Surprise was a mod band from Australia that released three  singles that I know of. This is not ska but I am posting it because I used to have the other two which also were not ska but, for some reason, any time I saw this one for sale anywhere it always labeled it as ska. It was (and still is) relatively common for a mod/power pop band to do an occasional ska song so I was intrigued. Even though I no longer have the other two I broke down and bought this one expecting a ska song. Half of me was disappointed because there is no ska to be found from this band, but the other half of me was okay with it because the A-side is a good mod song.

A - Anguished Heart
B - Walking with a Zombie

DOWNLOAD from Zippyshare

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

Little Murders - Four Songs from Little Murders (cassette 1982)

 1 She's the One
2 After the Fire
3 She Said
4 One Hundred Drugs

Little Murders is a prolific mod/power pop band from Australia. They put out lots of albums but I think this is the song "She Said" from this EP is their only true ska song. They dabbled with the ska sound in a couple other songs and I included the "Take Me, I'm Yours" single in this download because the b-side has a very prominent ska sound even though it's not really a ska song.

...and, no, the a-side is NOT a cover of the Squeeze song that was covered by Tim Curry.

A - Take Me, I'm Yours
B - Things Will be Different

Listen to "She Said".


DOWNLOAD the tape and the 7" from MEGA

DOWNLOAD the tape and the 7" from Zippyshare

N - E - 1 - So We Go (1984) [REPOST]

1 So We Go
2 Get Serious
3 Colleen
4 She Don't Like Me
5 Face Without a Mirror
6 Carol Ann
7 That's What You Do
8 Long Lonely Tomorrow
9 1 - 2 - 3
10 Cat's Pajamas
11 So We Go (Reprise)

DOWNLOAD

R.F. and the Radar Angels - Double Shot 7" (1981)

R.F. and the Radar Angels was a mod-rock band from Atlanta, Georgia. This is their first release. The classic rock-n-roll styled b-side was included on their only album "Picture of Linda" but, for some reason, their only ska-inspired song, a cover of the Dick Holler & the Holidays song "Double Shot of My Baby's Love" that was made famous by The Swinging Medallions was not included on the album.

A - Double Shot (of My Baby's Love)

B - Chi Chi

This DOWNLOAD includes the very rare single and the cd version of "Picture of Linda".

Modsters - Happy Hour 12" (1987)

This is a band from (I'm guessing) Southern California's Inland Empire. This is, most likely, the only thing they ever released as a band. This record has some ska-inspired new wave/mod/power pop with a couple of straight forward ska songs. I'm slightly convinced that their song "Put Your Hands Down There" was the inspiration for Reel Big Fish's "She Has a Girlfriend Now". Don't quote me on that.
Unless it's true.

1 Everyone
2 Happy Hour
3 Daddy's Little...
4 Sam I Am
5 Put Your Hands Down There
6 I've Been Hurt
(A great, accurate rendition of the Bill Deal and the Rhondells hit:)


DOWNLOAD

......................................................................................................

I was wrong (and that's a good thing.) The Modsters did have at least one other record which I knew nothing about. Thanks to Bruce who provided this incredible find:

Modsters - Looking Through You 7" (1984)

A1 - Why aren't You Dreaming?
A2 - Someday
B1 - Daddy's Little Girl
B2 - The Kids

DOWNLOAD



 

The Odds - Dread in My Bed 7" (1980)

A - Dread in My Bed
B - Spare Rib

DOWNLOAD

The Zero Heroes

The Zero Heroes were a Swiss mod-ska band from Geneva, Switzerland that released a couple of albums and a couple of singles. The two albums included all of their songs with the exception of the b-side from the No Illusions single. All of their releases were on a French label and, so, there is a lot of conjecture that they are a French band but they are, in fact, Swiss.

The band formed out of the ashes of two Swiss punk bands The Bastards and Jack & the Rippers.
Jack & the Rippers experimented with the ska/reggae sound with the song "Endless Peace" but the Zero Heroes were a new direction for both bands. They played very well written power-pop (mod)-ska songs. (with less ska on the second album.)

Crash Boom Bang (1982)
1 Crash Boom Bang
2 Movie Star
3 Straighten Up Your Image
4 Trip Across the Ocean
5 Rebel
6 Little Girl Lost
7 Zero Hero Man
8 Walk, Don't Run
9 Deep in the Jungle
10 Running Dog
11 No Illusion
12 Music Fashion Magic



"Walk, Don't Run"


DOWNLOAD "CRASH BOOM BANG"


Radio Free Europe (1983)

 1 Freedom Fighters
2 Playboy Prince
3 Am I Gonna Leave
4 Moonlight
5 Cadillac, Pontiac, Zodiac
6 Love Power
7 Radio Free Europe
8 Tears of Joy
9 No Candy Store
10 Relationships
11 They Lost it All

"Playboy Prince"

DOWNLOAD "RADIO FREE EUROPE"

N - E - 1 - So We Go (1984)

...by request

N - E - 1 was a well known ska band from the San Diego area even though they weren't really a ska band. The were more mod/rock-n-roll but they did incorporate the ska sound on occasion. You know how people are...even one ska song (or even one art-punk song with a sax) makes them a ska band, right?

This album does have some high points but I never felt a need to post it previously until it was requested. Extremely rare as it is...

1 So We Go
2 Get Serious
3 Colleen
4 She Don't Like Me
5 Face Without a Mirror
6 Carol Ann
7 That's What You Do
8 Long Lonely Tomorrow
9 1 - 2 - 3
10 Cat's Pajamas
11 So We Go (Reprise)

"That's What You Do"
"1 - 2 - 3"

DOWNLOAD

The Clues - Mini LP (1981)

No ska on this one, nice mod revival. This was originally posted on Always Searching for Music. Thank you Gary for this one!
A1 - No Vacancies
A2 - Footsteps
A3 - Girl of My Dreams
B1 - Night Shift
B2 - Masked Emotions
B3 - Almost Framed

"Masked Emotions"

ZIPPY -or- BEAST

Untouchables - Dance Party EP (1986)

A1 - Freak in the Street (Freak Out Mix) Remixed by Don and David Was (these guys)
A2 - (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone
A3 - Hey UT's live at Spring Break Daytona Beach Florida 1985
B1 - Free Yourself (Special London Mix)
B2 - I Spy (For the FBI) (National Security Mix Up) produced by Jerry Dammers
B3 - What's Gone Wrong (Lovers Rock Mix)

http://www.mediafire.com/?e9kt8dlb8d4ltmk

Steppin Lazer - Plain Wrap (1983)

Thanks to Mike for informing me of this band!!

This is a California band that was part of the mod/ska ON Klub scene in the 80s.
(apparently they have a 7"??)

A1 - Follow the Leader
A2 - All I do is Ska
B1 - Tired of Your Love
B2 - Seein' What I ain't Got
B3 - The Game



DOWNLOAD

Kyber Rifles - 100 Problems EP (1984)

Before there was Let's Go Bowling there was The Kyber Rifles. From 1981 to 1985 they were California's premiere ska band and this is their only release. It's a 7" record in a 7"x9" sleeve.
There is talk that they will be releasing these songs on cd someday. I will remove this post if I find out they are going through with it. They did record other songs (as you can see on their Myspace) so I know I'll be buying the cd. I recommend you do the same.

Maybe they recorded a studio version of their rendition of Gangsters which was great live:


A1 - 100 Problems
A2 - Rock Head
B1 - Generation Gap
B2 - I'll Never Forget

http://www.mediafire.com/?hwoow64n9b9e1x6

Mustard Club singles

Here's another installment in a series of records that Bruce has sent me in response to the Shake and Shout compilation

DANCE 7" (1984)
A - Dance
B - Soul Vision

THE REST OF MY LIFE 7" (1985)
A - The Rest of My Life Begins Today
B - Jump Up

LEAVE BEFORE SHE WAKES 7" (1986)
A - Leave Before She Wakes
B - Once Too Many Ain't Too Much Once in a While

STEELTOWN MAN 7" (1986)
A - Steeltown Man
B - Sugar Beet, Rhythm Sweet

"Steeltown Man"


"Dance"


THERE IS NO SKA IN THESE RECORDINGS

http://www.mediafire.com/?91cxzccgczct3cm

Fear of Flying - Tired 7" (1981)

I have been looking for this record for years. There were only 500 copies made.
I just discovered that these songs are available on their Myspace (but the songs from their 1982 7" "Balancing Act / Tears Fall" aren't.

A - Tired
B - This Thing

http://www.mediafire.com/?exfduhe9xdw1bz2

The Upset - Hurt 7" (1980)

A - Hurt
B - (10-9-8) Lift Off

"(10-9-8) Lift Off"


DOWNLOAD

Spy Vs Spy - Six Fresh Lemons (1982)

Before they had to change their name to V Spy V Spy because of a lawsuit by Mad Magazine Australia's Spy Vs. Spy released this 7" and an EP entitled "Four Fresh Lemons" in limited numbers. They later released all six songs together under the name "Six Fresh Lemons".
Regardless of how they're packaged they were all pretty good songs and over the last few years I have seen the single and either of the EPs come up for sale several times each and they were all under the banner of "ska".
Sorry to disappoint you but none of them are ska songs but there are a couple of tracks with a slightly noticeable ska influence.
Call it pub rock, mod, post punk, powerpop, or ska. The category doesn't matter. It's just good music.

If you like this and aren't already aware V Spy V Spy has made all of their music available for free download HERE.

Do What You Say 7"
A - Do What You Say
B - Table Tea Mix

Four Fresh Lemons EP
1 Marlowe
2 Sofa
3 That (Dead) Girl
4 Brightside

"Marlowe"

"Do What You Say"


DOWNLOAD

Thanks to Craig for inspiring this post!!

More Gents

...submitted by Bruce

A - Revenge
B - Girl



A - Schooldays
B - True Stories




A - The Faker
B - The Pink Panther


A - The Gent
B1 - Over Me
B2 - Revenge

"Revenge"

"True Stories"


DOWNLOAD

(If you missed the first Gents post it's HERE)