The Skatalites - Best Of The Skatalites (Vinyl LP)

The Skatalites – Best Of The Skatalites is a compilation of instrumentals by Jamaican ska band The Skatalites on Clement “Coxsone” Dodd's Studio One label (cat. no. SOLPO 01102). In 1964 and 1965 the band was the studio band in Kingston, backing many ska singers of the time; the recordings were made at Jamaica Recording Studio (Studio One) and produced by C.S. Dodd. Tracks include “Phoenix City”, “Fidel Castro” and “Air Raid Shelter”. This copy is a Jamaican repress, dated 1980 in our stock description.

Pressing details

• Label / Cat. no.: Studio One SOLPO 01102
• Format: Vinyl LP, Compilation, Repress
• Pressing: JA repress
• Country: Jamaica
• Year of this pressing: 1980 (per stock data)
• Genre: Reggae, Ska

Condition

• Condition: Second hand
• Media: Close to NM-
• Cover: VG+

Graded to Goldmine standard (see Vinyl Grading). The images are our own scans of the actual copy for sale.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Air Raid Shelter
2. Below Zero
3. Road Block
4. Black Sunday
5. Don't Slam The Door
6. Rascal Boy
7. Spread Satin

Side B

1. Fidel Castro
2. Jr. Jive
3. Always On Sunday
4. Phoenix City
5. Scrambalena
6. Beard Man Ska
7. Mill Man

Personnel

The Skatalites, including Tommy McCook, Roland Alphonso (tenor saxophone), Lester Sterling (alto saxophone), Don Drummond (trombone), Johnny “Dizzy” Moore (trumpet), Jackie Mittoo (piano), Jah Jerry Haynes (guitar), Lloyd Brevett (bass), Lloyd Knibb (drums). Produced by C.S. Dodd. Per-track line-ups are not given on the record.

FAQ

Is this the original pressing?
No. The record is marked as a Jamaican repress on Studio One. The compilation itself appeared earlier; the exact year of the first edition is not reliably documented.

Who were The Skatalites?
A group of Jamaican jazz and session musicians formed in 1964 who shaped ska more than anyone. They played for Studio One and other producers and backed artists such as the early Wailers.

What does Media “Close to NM-” / Cover VG+ mean?
“Close to NM-” means the record is just below NM- (Near Mint minus), with very few light signs of play. VG+ (Very Good Plus) means the sleeve shows light wear. All grades are explained on our Vinyl Grading page.

Do you have more records by The Skatalites?
This is currently our only Skatalites record. For later ska, try Madness – Absolutely. More titles are in our Reggae, Ska & Dub collection.