Finishing up the week of Ska as promised with Bad Manners. No live sessions unfortunately (since they were banned from the BBC for a time), but three cuts from their debut album Ska n' B, which was released in 1980.

Not from the Two-Tone stable of acts, but contenders nonetheless in the Ska Revival sweepstakes in the early 1980's. Forming in 1976 and calling it a day in 1987, they managed to keep a loyal following and issue a string of albums to their credit. Fronted by the ever-popular and somewhat gargantuan Buster Bloodvessel, Bad Manners were one of the more outrageous bands to take part in the Ska genre.

Tonight the tracks are:

1. Ni Ni Na Na Na Na Nu Nu
2. Here Comes The Major
3. Fatty Fatty

Here comes the weekend. Enjoy.

Jumping back into our Ska Revival this week with another of the Two-Tone Immortals, Madness.

You probably could have labeled this band Ska-lite, as they shied away from the heavier social/racial aspects of the Reggae/Ska movement in favor of more upbeat off-the-wall humor with their songs and performances.

Still, a great band who won enormous popularity over here as well as the rest of the world in the late 1970's through early 80's.

Tonight it's a session they recorded at The BBC for The John Peel Program(me) on August 14, 1979.

Here's what they do:

1. The Prince
2. Bed & Breakfast Man
3. Stepping Into Line

In answer to your requests. BTW - working on some live Bad Manners for tomorrow, but may have to just rely on an lp instead.

Stay tuned.

Somebody asked about The (English) Beat last night when I ran The Specials. Just so happens, I have this little session the band did on November 5, 1979 for the John Peel Show at The BBC.

Here's what's happening:

1. Tears of A Clown
2. Ranking Full Stop
3. Click-Click
4. Mirror In The Bathroom
5. Big Shot

Another blast of high-energy from the 70's tonight.

Turn it up.

Since I ran some Selecter sessions a few days ago, I thought I would also include that other landmark band from the Two-Tone arsenal, The Specials. This batch of sessions from the BBC were recorded on May 29, 1979 and feature the band hitting their stride. They had already made a huge splash in the UK and were getting a wave of popularity going in the States, through a number of tours and club dates (including a rather memorable stint at The Whiskey A-go-go in Hollywood).

Here are three of their trademark songs from that period:

1. Gangsters
2. Too Much, Too Young
3. Concrete Jungle
4. Monkey Man

They recently (as of 2009) reformed and have been touring and recording.

Just goes to show you, you can't keep a good thing down.

Enjoy, and . . .play loud (obviously).

Ska revival band The Selecter tonight on the Roundtable. From a session recorded for the John Peel Program at The BBC on September 10, 1979 - a high-voltage set which includes:

1. They Make Me Mad
2. Danger
3. Street Feeling
4. Carry Go Bring Come

Don't play this if you're having trouble getting to sleep tonight. . . or operating heavy machinery either, for that matter.

Just turn it up and forget about it.

Most everyone who is familiar with the 60's Spanish Beat group Los Bravos recalls their top-10 worldwide hit "Black Is Black". And that's pretty much it. Truths to tell, they only had one other hit before packing it in and going off in other directions. They were only together for a two year period, from 1966 to 1968, but they were an interesting band who recorded a lot more in their native Spain than was generally heard in the rest of the world. I couldn't tell you why, especially with tonight's track, the Ska drenched Rudy's In Love.

As far as I've able to research, this track doesn't show up on either of their two "official" albums released through Decca in the UK and Parrot in the States between 1966 and 1968, but it did show up on a Spanish Soul compilation album that came out around 2003 and was issued briefly as a single only in Spain.

In any case it's an unfamiliar track by a short-lived band and that's always of interest.

Besides, when's the last time you heard Spanish Ska? Me either.

Heading to 1979 tonight with a concert by The Specials, recorded live at the Paris Theater in London by the BBC.

One of the great turbo-charged bands of the 70's, The Specials were fantastic to see live, because you just couldn't catch the sheer energy on disc. The band broke up in 1981, but got back together in 2008 for a 30 year reunion tour and have been touring again this year. Although I would imagine not as frantic as they once were (aren't we all?). Here they are in their heyday with a great sounding concert.

Enjoy.

(The Selecter - Pauline Black and crew riding a big wave of Ska)

The UK called it a "resurgence in Ska", but we never got it the first time around, so it was all new to us. The closest the U.S. ever got to Ska was Millie Small's My Boy Lollipop in 1964 and "Israelites" by Desmond Dekker in 1968. We all knew about Bob Marley, but that was Reggae and, according to aficionados, different than Ska.

So in 1979 Ska burst back (or burst on in our case) the scene, bringing us the likes of The Specials, Madness, The Bodysnatchers, The Selecter and many others. The fast-paced music and high energy performance were a shoe-in with Punk audiences and Ska appreciated a huge popularity all over the world in a very short period of time.

Tonight's track is by The Selecter, fronted by singer Pauline Black. On My Radio was a huge hit in the UK and Europe and did quite well over here. It was one the first of several hit singles the band would have between 1979 and 1981. The Selecter would go through a series of personnel changes and reformations, disbanding and reforming between 1982 and 2005. Black would go on to a successful acting career between leaving the band and getting back together with them.

The Selecter were a landmark band during a pioneering time. And for some reason, the music just doesn't seem old. That's a good thing.

(Madness - words can't really describe)

I am having a very hard time wrapping my head around the fact that this track, Michael Caine, is 26 years old and that Madness have been more or less together over 34 years. No, that can't be. No, I'm doing the math.

Yes, it can.