Ska music got its start in Jamaicain the early 1960s, the precursor to reggae. But unlike reggae, ska never grew much of a following in the U.S.
Ska’s biggest spotlight came February 23, 1993, when the New Ritz in Manhattan sold out for the Skalapalooza concert. The sellout was enough to convince promoters to sponsor the first ska festival later that year. But ska has all but disappeared from the radio.
Ska is a combination of Caribbean music and American jazz and rhythm and blues. Music historians divide ska’s history into three periods. The first was the original Jamaican sound of the 1960s; the second came in the late 1970s in England where ska collided with punk rock. The third wave was a mix of the 1960s sounds, some punk and other world influences.
Our Song of the Day, “A Message to You Rudy,” is an example of early ska meeting the second wave. Dandy Livingstone recorded the song in 1967. He wrote it in ten minutes and took twenty minutes to record it. It sold Ok, but it was the English group the Specials who had a bigger hit in 1979 when it reached number 10 in Great Britain.
Rudy in Jamaica is a term for a juvenile delinquent. The song’s message is don’t go bad, do something positive with your life. The song fit the hard times young adults were going through in Britain in the late 1970s and early ‘80s because of the troubled economy.
The Specials were nothing special in the U.S., where they toured in 1979. They didn’t even get much of a response after being the musical guests on “Saturday Night Live.” They never returned to play in the U.S.
Song of the Day is created by Sheldon Zoldan, and produced by Pam James for WGCU. Audio production is by Simon Dunham, WGCU. To receive the Song of the Day in your inbox every day, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.
