We profiled ten British 60's ska cash in's back in 2018 which you can view here. I decided to broaden the category for ten more from the United States. Most of these date from 1964. There's a reason for this dear reader if you will allow me to explain. In the 90's I was at an Inspector 7 gig in New Brunswick and I met an older Jamaican lady who's son was in a reggae band on the bill. She told me that in 1964 she was brought over from Jamaica to "dance the ska" at the Jamaica pavilion at the 1964 World's Fair and that the music industry in the United States was certain that ska (which was on occasion also referred to as "blue beat" or "Jamaica ska") was going to be "the next big thing" like Bossa Nova had been. Unfortunately it didn't happen and as a result there was a host of American releases of Jamaican ska 45's and LP's released here. More unfortunate was that it created a brief dash of cheezy cash ins, often by Calypso or mambo artists. In researching for this piece I discovered that most, if not all of these were firmly in two camps, one was rooted in the previously mentioned genres while the other in an almost polar opposite "white" pop field (I resisted adding Annette Funicello's dreadful "Jamaica Ska" to the list). Most of them are rubbish and this list is for completists only but I'll let you be the judge:
1. MARK THATCHER-"The Blue Beat" U.S. United Artists UA 734 1964
This one is pure pap. A white guy affecting that awful banana boat accent ("come on and do de blue beat") that has me absolutely gasping in horror because to me it's a few steps away from "black face". The music backing is incredibly antiseptic and completely devoid of any signs of mambo or Latin rhythms like many others on this list and ranks as one of the more deplorable entries.
https://youtu.be/8p9h-icvuyg?si=y8zd0szUA9TIP6z_
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2. JERRY JACKSON-"Shrimp Boats (Jamaican Ska)" U.S. Columbia 4-43056 1964
This one is more like a New Orleans r&b ballad with a ska rhythm in the background then a straight up ska cash in like most of this piece's entries. It reminds me of Brook Brenton being backed by Byron Lee and The Dragonaires! Not bad actually,
https://youtu.be/c9mwPhsfxKw?si=aRSSexA8rhGkV_QC
3. DEAN JONES-"Women (Ska-Da-La-De-Da)" U.S. valiant 6055 1964
Though I might be pushing it by sticking this in a "ska" list this Dean Jones (yes THAT Dean Jones of Disney film fame) number is a killer. Over the top of a "Watermelon Man" melody Dean belts out this jazzy/blues stormer that kicks into a ska rhythm during the main chorus. Pure gold!
https://youtu.be/6RtggE3DS7c?si=lBRCta00h1yvG1jR
4. SHAWN ELLIOTT-"Shame And Scandal" U.S. Roulette R-4586 1964
Originally recorded by Sir Lancelot and the Caribbean Serenaders this cover was released a whole year before The Wailers and though it's still delivered in the mock West Indian accents Puerto Rican vocalist Shawn Elliott sounds more sincere in his delivery. The musical backing is tight and the lyrics are a gas ("your Daddy ain't your Daddy but your Daddy don't know").
https://youtu.be/5rIKIvZVj7M?si=VJzKyoP-Vr8lFODF
5. MANGO JONES AND HIS ORCHESTRA-"Coffee Street Ska" U.S. Vee Jay VJ-603 1964
Back in the 90's I stumbled upon the entire LP by Mango Jones & His Orchestra with The Harry Ballu Singers. What immediately struck me was how cheezy it was. It was as if Ricky Ricardo suddenly came home one day and bellowed "Luuuuuucy we've gone ska" and immediately the mambo had a few ska rhythms thrown in and "ska ska ska" (or possibly "ska ska ska Jamaica ska") being shouted at every opportunity. Then add these Swingle Singers style vocals on it and you can't get anymore white middle class lounge music than this. Ska? Barely.
https://youtu.be/JNr-uepBPVw?si=ZR_JyiA-x4iN16gq
6. "BABY" EARL AND THE TRINI-DADS-"Everybody Do The Ska" U.S, S.P.Q.R. 45-3317 1964
Despite the name this group was American and was a ska alter ego of the S.P.Q.R. records house act The Church Street Five and ranks as the most expensive of all of today's records in this list with copies fetching anywhere from $100 on up! It sounds a bit like a Fishbone or The Untouchables (the 80's L.A sort) record cut for a John Water's 60's film! It's extremely uptempo and catchy (the sax is positively wild) with it's twangy guitars, frat boy chorus vocals and squawking sax making for a totally infectious groove!
https://youtu.be/Cd18vfqSy-8?si=aIHjwEIM_2Kf443z
7. BOBBY JAY AND THE HAWKS-"Come See Come Ska" U.S. LP track Warner Brothers W 1563 1964
There is some speculation that The Hawks on this are The Hawks of Levon and The Hawks (pre-Band) fame but I can find no info to support this. Taken from an entire LP of ska themed instrumentals this isn't half bad sounding like proto-Sunset Strip pre-garage rock a go-go doing ska: very slick production, sax, combo organ and twangy surf guitars. Interesting but probably tedious for an entire LP (which interestingly does not come cheap).
https://youtu.be/HNLtodTRiJg?si=3hkZk8aFQxHSttcm
8. THE BAJA MARIMBA BAND-"Baja Ska" U.S. Almo International 211 1964
The Baja Marimba band were one of those bands always pictured on the dust jackets of my parent's Herb Alpert LP's. This is by far the weirdest of all of today's selections. The cheezy organ is really nifty and the brass is slick and punchy but the marimbas ruin it for me. In retrospect it sounds like Acker Bilk jamming elevator music with Ernest Wranglin and Baba Brooks! Best of all there's no white people singing in mock Caribbean accents, phew!
https://youtu.be/MFMzxl2fVO4?si=8pz1vvhsC-xORoMS
9. THE FLEETWOODS-"Ska Light, Ska Bright (Jamaica Ska)" U.S. Dolton 97 1964
Even the hoary old Fleetwoods from my Dad's teenage years got in on the craze! This is not as terrible as I expected musically anyway as the backing track is slick and reminds me a lot of Millie's "My Boy Lollipop" it's the fake Jamaican accent on the lead vocals that's got my toes curling up in my Solovairs! I never imagined a ska version of "Star Light Star Bright" so here it is!
https://youtu.be/boKaCp45h2g?si=xEm4X0fsLs7gp4x3
10. RAY RIVERA-"Do The Blue Beat (Jamaica Ska)" U.S. RCA Victor 47-8372 1964
Jokingly referred to on 45cat by "Ray Rivera the Godfather of skinhead reggae" this number was copied note for note by Kiwi singer Dinah Lee and also released by Mark Thatcher (see #1 above) . As mentioned previously lots of Latin music artists moved seamlessly through Bossa Nova and briefly into ska (albeit plastic ska in most cases) and Latin bandleader Ray Rivera is no exception. However this number seems to shed any Latin/mambo sounds and is musically more akin to a British cash in from the period and the lead singer almost sounds British as well making it the least cringy of all of these.....
https://youtu.be/Y6PXJKFNB2c?si=mBIk9_zbOwz_8TlF
All scans courtesy of 45cat.com
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