Following Scott’s lead I opened up my music folder (I’m too old and too PC oriented to get an i-pod) And searched for everything I used to listen to in the late seventies (excluding classical, for a change, though I did listen to it from a very early age). I also ignored stuff I was hearing on Radio two, so Mungo Jerry, The Beatles and Dusty Springfield were also out. I didn’t listen to Jaz until my twenties, so that was out. I assembled a largish collection to whittle from (Kate Bush, Sex Pistols, Bow Wow Wow, The Police, Lena Lovich, The Stranglers, The Jam,) but found a goodly proportion was ska. I took out the non-ska, searched YouTube for a couple of missing essentials and here you are.

01 Madness – Baggy Trousers

A must for all Ska compilations and one that fit the ‘Back to School’ theme very well.

02 The Specials – Too Much, Too Young

I was sixteen. The fun thing about Ska was that I could dress like the lads and nobody cared. I’m so tempted to go out and buy a white blazer again.

03 The Beat – Mirror in the Bathroom

This was the number one underground song in my very Catholic school.

04 Bad Manners – Just a Feeling

A crossover from my taste in punk, Bad Manners were a symbite of the two. Also, one of the ugliest men in the world.

05 The Selecter – On My Radio

A classic.

06 The Skatalites – Guns of navarone

Yeah. My Dad loved the film. There was a new war film out every week, it felt like. Were were kids. We didn’t care.

07 The Lambrettas – Poison Ivy

A cover. The origininal was on the radio all the time. My dad hated this version..

08 Punk Covers – Pink Panther

Another cover. PP was so popular then.

09 Various – SKA top ten

I pulled this from YouTube. Hope that’s allowed. It’s a good mix.

10 The Bodysnatchers – Do Rock Steady

Fond memories of snogging in a club in Redditch. I forget the name. It was over a newsagents shop by the market and they used to do a twenty minute Ska section.

11 The Selecter – Too Much Pressure

I used to play this while revising for my O levels.

12 – Bad Manners – Lorraine

Remember Lorraine Chase. “Nah, Luton Airport”? Nuff said.

13 – The Beat – Tears of a Clown

One of the more mainstream Ska tracks. I think it was an anti-Bee Gees song.

14 The Specials – Ghost Town

Yeah. This was Redditch on a Saturday night.

15 Madness – (Waiting for the) Ghost Train

This was going home from Redditch on a Saturday night.

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