Have been downloading some music/videos etc for the 1st time to put on mp3 players/pc etc and have found some classics. I think it shows a lot of my misspent youth, but still I love the tunes.
But 1st my tribute to the Soul Man Dave and Oi I hope you enjoy this one. It is my favourite Northern Soul Tune and also a classic.
My 5 Ska favorites.
Skinhead Moonstomp
The Liquidator (Not the original)
Anyone Spot Greenaway
Pioners Long Shot Kick the Bucket
Bad Manners (9% Proof Special Brew)
Bad Manners SkaVille Uk
Saw Buster in Melbourne in the early 80t's supporting Madness both were brilliant
Have been out of UK for 27 years but when back in the 2 Years ago still the No1 song in the pubs in Parsons Green (Bar opp station).
Always Borrow Money from a Pesimist. "They Never Expect it Back"
The Liquidator (Not the original) Anyone Spot Greenaway
On the mike next to some daft looking ginger bloke
1) Special Brew definately.
2) Israelites- Desmond D
3) The Prince - Madness
4) Gangsters - Specials
5) Moonstomp - Specials version
Saw Madness' first ever gig in London at Hammersmith Odeon, afternoon do. Think that's where I saw Bad Manners too, talc'ed himself up and jumped into crowd.
Memories hey, thanks Chels.
Next to park bench, just had another look. He was Mr Zig Zag most of my mates are Chelsea fans.
JG was a handsome devil hey, missed him first time round.
Make sure you throw plenty of celery in the dish you're cooking
Skinhead moonstomp or an earlier version was the 1st reggae/ska I heard.
The school in SW London I attended had a very famous choir at the time and Benjamin Britten wrote at least one piece for them (a cousin who sang with them toured America). Now, I was tone deaf, but being in the 'top' class of the so called grammar stream, when having so called music lessons, those not involved in the choir were left to our own devices (and no doubt, with what is now known, avoided some kiddy fiddling), I recall one guy could play the theme from Bonnie & Clyde on the piano right through. That impressed for a while, but then we bought our own music in for the record player. The jamaican kids, brought reggae. I recall hearing Dave & Ansell(?) Collins long before they had a hit and more importantly, a younger Bob Marley and skinhead moonstomp.
The paradox being the seeming racism attached to skinheads and their love of ska and the like. I was too young at the time to understand and hey, half the class were Jamaican (when they got to about 14 no-one could understand a word they talked about) and I was more of a 'suede head' and I never owned a pair of Doc Martins, but instead was allowed Monkey boots - anyone remember them?
When asked to be a prefect a few years later, I declined, too much racial tension and a kid did get stabbed to death in the playground (I think about that from time to time), possibly, indirectly, a victim of apartheid.
So a tough upbringing at a secondry school I hated, but where a lot of my learning curve took place, and that love of reggae/ska has stayed with me - as has Chelsea FC, but that came from family.
The Specials were excellent, but the spin off, Fun Boy Three, were better. I have one of the albums somewhere, I just tried to find it. It's a great album and protest album to boot and one of the best I have heard, both lyrically and musically, maybe because it was mainly aimed at the UK and not global type issues.
Caller/SJ some great memories there. Caller I was much like you in a secondary school in the top class, but not much interest in most things that we were taught.
We had a National Children's home in our town where a lot of kids from London from broken homes (a lot of them West Indian./African) got placed and we used to have loads at our school. So we really did not have the racist problem as most that were there were really good friends of mine.
They came to my house, my parents accepted them into my home as they would any of my other friends.
From there we got introduced to their music and really that is where my love for Ska, Reggae, Motown & Soul music came from.
We were lucky in the fact that in our area where I lived we had one of the best live venues for music in the UK. The Legendary California Ballroom in Dunstable.
Sadly now I think it has been converted into a housing estate, but have some great memories from the times we spent there. All the top Motown. Soul, Ska, Reggae bands all played there, I do not know what it was about the place but there was just a special atmosphere when the top bands played there.
Also we had a Ceasers Palace close by to the Cali (as it was known) with a great bar and club called the Beachcomber there. Some great nights also spent there. That is where most of my reggae love was founded.
Another favorite of ours was the Mecca Ballroom in Stevenage. Place of many a wild Saturday Night.
Sometimes ventured to Watford to the Top Rank or Baileys as it was later known, sometimes a place there called the New Penny. But only when we had nothing better to do.
Went to my 1st Chelsea game with my old man in 1965 and have been hooked ever since. We used to go and watch Luton a bit when I was at school with all my mates, but as soon as I was working I was at the Bridge as much as I could.
Was at Wembley in 1970 for the Leeds final and then watched the magnificent replay on the TV.
Heard Ron Harris and Ozzie interviewed a few years ago now and Chopper reckoned that had the replay been played now, that there would have only been about 5 players a side left on the pitch. I watched the game on a show here a couple of years ago, and some of the tackles that went on would now have seen players banned for half a season.
In the 70's Chelsea had one of the best away supports I have ever seen (even when they were banned)
I remember 76/77 season in particular going to Wolves nearly one of the last games of the season, needing a point to go back up to Div1.
All the hype in the paper about Chelsea being banned, how they would have no support for such an important game. We all sat at home laughing our balls of as we all had tickets, and were ready for a great day.
Stopped in a pub about 20 miles from the ground in the middle of nowhere, walked in and the pub was packed with Chelsea. had a few beers and onto the ground.
Got in the Southbank in Wolves, looked around and saw one hell of a lot of familiar faces.
As the teams come out, we hear Greenaway start the Ziggar Zagger and then about half the ground went up, it was the time to start the party.
I would estimate that there was about 8 to 10,000 Chelsea there that day, and what a day it was (So much for the ticket bans). We got the point that we wanted and got promotion back to Div 1.
I remember going to Oxford a couple of years before the Wolves game, having to win to be able to not get relegated to the 3rd Div, but gladly that did not happen.
Have been in Oz now for the last 27 years and went back to the Uk for the 1st time 2 years ago.
Only game I got to see was Chelsea v Wigan and won 4-0. Sadly a lot of the atmosphere has been taken away with the all seater stadiums, but much to my delight the crack in the pub before, after and way after the game was still the same.
We drank in a wine bar that is opposite to Parsons Green Station, which was excellent, and then down Fulham Road later in the evening.
All in all it was great to go back and see some of the traditions are still in place.
Here is a few more classics I found.
Dave & Ansell Collins (Double Barrel)
Prince Buster (Al Capone)
Max Romeo (Wet Dream)
Soul Sisters- Wreck A Buddy
Prince Buster-Big 5
Zigger Zagger
Zigger Zagger Zigger Zagger
Always Borrow Money from a Pesimist. "They Never Expect it Back"
Chelsea, that Wolves game was magical for anyone who was there! We bought our tickets outside the Bridge a week earlier. We knew 1000's would be doing the same. Me and four mates hired a car to drive up. We filled it with booze and food - party time!
We set off really early and halfway there, I remember the windscreen shattered on the motorway and we were all worried about the cost and checking how much money we had - we were all about 20, I was just under. It was with great relief that we learnt it was covered by the insurance, which we didn't know.
So many cars on the way up had blue scarves or flags hanging out of them and everyone was tooting each other. Like you, we found a pub outside of town and was amazed it was full of Chelsea fans. It really was a party.
I remember joining the crowd that was being marched through town by the Police and recollect we took the lead through Tommy Langley but Wolves equalised and they won the division, but we were promoted in 2nd place.
The way back was a riot. I felt sorry for my mate driving, as he couldn't drink, although he had the odd swig. The rest of us made up for him. The motorway was a sea of blue and white and we let everyone know who we were when travelling back through London.
We fell out of the car straight into our local pub and that night partied at Cheeky Pete's/Brollies in Richmond. The DJ was getting the hump as all everyone wanted to hear was 'Blue is the Colour' which everyone sang along with at the top of their voices, lot's of knee's up Mother Brown's as well.
I still recall walking home - about 3 miles - at God knows what time with another guy who I had never met before or since. He was at the game as well and we just talked about the day. We shook hands as we finally went our seperate ways.
I always think that 'ban' just made everyone go the extra hurdle to show their support. I don't think I ever witnessed another away game with the same atmosphere, even the game at Bolton when Clive Walker scored to avoid the drop into the old division three a few years later (I was working as a steward for the club on the away trains then).
Great memories and I still see two of the guys in that car - I was best man at both their weddings and I was at Fulham/Chelsea last week with one of them.
It was amazing how if the atmosphere was quiet, or the guy's weren't doing so well, how everyone could hear his cry of 'Zigger-Zagger', especially at the old ground, that was so vast and open.
A while ago a play was written for schools about football - it's called Zigger-Zagger.
