English-born Mark Foggo began his music career in Amsterdam in 1979, he had discovered ska music through the popularity of 2-Tone bands such as The Specials and The Beat, inspiring him to start his own punk/ska band, The Secret Meeting. After independently releasing a single entitled “New Shoes”, the band was promptly signed to Polydor Records in 1980 for the full length “Speeding My Life Away.” Foggo’s passion for ska eventually grew larger until he omitted the punk / new wave songs entirely, focusing exclusively on ska for his first solo album, 1983’s “A State of Mind”. He formed his most notable band, Mark Foggo’s Skasters, in 1987, and their 1989 debut, “Ska Pig”, was a huge international success, often cited as a classic of the ska genre. Foggo founded his own label Skanky’ Lil in 1990 to release his own music, which he describes as “modern, bizarre, non-influenced, up tempo ska”, and is characterized by his observational and darkly comic lyricism, as well as his manic and boisterous stage personality. In 2010, Foggo’s band signed to V2 Records to release the album “Mad”, but after nearly a decade Mark Foggo is back with “SKA PIG RETURNS!” on Jump Up Records. Initial batch of records is on heavyweight 180g vinyl! This new album is truly a return to form, ten tracks of uptempo 2-Tone influenced bouncy ska with clever and whimsical lyrics that made you think, laugh…but mostly SKANK! RED VINYL limited to 100 copies!
Tag: 2 tone
BOSS – Tribute To Original Sounds 7″ vinyl EP {OUT OF PRINT}
The wait is over! The SPECIALIZED Teenage Cancer Trust folks in the UK just released their BOSS 4xCD – a tribute to the original 60’s ska & reggae sounds. The Jump Up vinyl 7″ singles have JUST arrived – and we think this 4 song EP is absolutely brilliant!! One side is on a roots reggae Jamaican tip, while the other has a 2-TONE ska 80’s flair! Limited edition of 400 each and will go fast! FYI: these will be shooting across the pond and will arrive in the UK next week where they will be available on the Specialized website!
BOSS – Tribute to the Original Sounds 7″ vinyl EP (JUMPTCT11) : Kingston All Stars f/ Stranger Cole “Step Up / Keith & Tex w/ Akasha “Stop That Train” / The Crombies “Rough & Tough” / Arthur Kay & The Clerks “Sea Cruise” Continue reading BOSS – Tribute To Original Sounds 7″ vinyl EP {OUT OF PRINT}
HEAVY MANNERS “Get Me Outta Debt” 12″ EP (JUMP086) feat PETER TOSH + “Ska Jam” b/w “Blue Beat” 7″ vinyl (SOLD OUT)
In 2011 Chicago ska/reggae legends HEAVY MANNERS recorded their first new music since the early 80s: “Get Me Out Of Debt” is a fun, whimsical and witty 2 TONE ska dancer with great keyboards and sax! “Fight The Good Fight” is a darker, political conscious reggae tune ripe for fans of original Island Records sounds. The B side is a musicologist treat – an original 80’s tune recorded back in the day and finally unearthed! “Could Not Get Enuff” is nearly 6 minutes of PETER TOSH at the tail end of disco, wonderfully mixing Heavy Manners’ Jamaican riddims into dance styled 2-TONE meets Chicago grooves. PETER TOSH also provides backing vocals!!! Not to be missed! A sound that also was utilized by THE ENGLISH BEAT on later 12″ singles! Comes in CLEAR or WHITE vinyl!
SOLD OUT: Two nuggets from the early 80s on vinyl for the first time! In the fall we were saddened to hear about the passing of founding member and original bass man Jim Robinson – we were already working on a Thanksgiving weekend Heavy Manners show ad quickly decided to turn the evening into a tribute to Jim. With help from new Chicago pressing plant Smashed Plastic and a fun 2-Tone inspired design by Destroy Brand graphics, we cranked out a limited edition one time press of 200 7″ singles to benefit Jim’s family. If you can’t pick one up at the show, get it here. If you never got around to picking up our last Heavy Manners reissue project then here’s another chance as we have a couple boxes left on clear/white vinyl.
Jump Up Limited Edition: THE CROMBIES “Wee Beasties” Rarities 3 inch Mini-CD + PATCH
THE CROMBIES are an American 2-TONE band! They’ve now been around long enough to have rarities in the vaults, this collection delivers some of those rarities to you! Back in the late 80’s many bands issued singles with cool b-sides on 3″ mini-CD format – we return to that tradition today! This mini-CD is 24 minutes long and features 7 tracks – plus it comes with a limited edition patch! We’re only making 200 of these and they are sure to go FAST! Shipped ANYWHERE in the world for only $10 postage paid!
Tracklisting: 1) Blood and Fire (Original Recipe 7″ version) 2) Gangsters (Live at Reggie’s Music Joint) 3) Hooligans (Studio Version) 4) English Civil War (Original Recipe 7″ version)
5) Hey Little Rich Girl (Live at Reggie’s Music Joint) 6) Blood and Fire (Original Rehearsal Version) 7) The Prince (Live from Cobra Lounge)
NAPOLEON SOLO “Open Channel D” LP vinyl – Danish 80’s SKA/SOUL legends!
JUMP UP is so proud to be working with one of our favorite bands of all time, an act that was a missing link connecting 2-TONE with the first European ska explosion at the end of the 80’s – Denmark’s smart-dressed Nutty Boys NAPOLEON SOLO! Their first new studio album since 1989 – “OPEN CHANNEL D” – has arrived! NAPOLEON SOLO’s unique blend of British 2 Tone, Jamaican ska, and rhythm & blues mixed with sixites-style soul has attracted legions of fans worldwide since their formation in 1984. In fact, as early as 1988 BUSTER BLOODVESSEL of BAD MANNERS championed the band and produced their first mini-album “How To Steal The World” for Unicorn Records. He also presented them to UK fans on the legendary Blue Beat Explosion Tour, which featured BAD MANNERS (UK), BIM SKALA BIM (USA), and future PORK PIE acts SKAOS and THE BRACES. After that tour New Music Express proclaimed NAPOLEON SOLO as one of the top 10 ska bands in the entire world! Continue reading NAPOLEON SOLO “Open Channel D” LP vinyl – Danish 80’s SKA/SOUL legends!
NAPOLEON SOLO “Early Recordings 1984/1985” LP vinyl {OUT OFPRINT}
Napoleon Solo formed in the summer of 1984 by eight youngsters living in Copenhagen, their unique blend of sixties-influenced soul, R&B, Jamaican ska and British Two-Tone proved to be a massive success from the get-go. The band’s first big break came when they visited Hamburg in 1985 supporting Stiff Records’ mod-pop band Making Time – this concert was to be the first of many performances in Germany. In 1988 Napoleon Solo went to England to record the first mini-LP ”How To Steal The World”, it was produced by Buster Bloodwessel of Bad Manners and released on Unicorn Records. In support of the album, the band joined the Blue Beat Explosion Tour with Bad Manners, plaing concerts all across the UK. Continue reading NAPOLEON SOLO “Early Recordings 1984/1985” LP vinyl {OUT OFPRINT}
THE TOASTERS “2 TONE ARMY” LP (JUMP099LP) + “DUB 56” LP (JUMP098LP) back on vinyl
Two classic 90’s album from American ska pioneers THE TOASTERS are once again back on vinyl! “DUB 56” from 1994 is a Moon Ska NYC classic, back in print on random color vinyl! A fantastic album, a highlight of the “third wave” – influenced heavily by British 2 Tone yet distinctly American. 14 tracks on vinyl: Direction, Freedom, Mona, Dancin’, Dub 56, Sweet Cherie, Tunisia, Little Hidden Secrets, Marlboro Man, Ain’t Huthin’, Razor Cut, Legal Shot, Midnight Hour, Goody Goody. A couple years ago when we were chatting to Bucket from THE TOASTERS, we realized that there were a handful of albums that NEVER appeared on vinyl including the amazing 2 TONE ARMY collection which included their biggest MTV2 video hits! The artwork is a tribute to iconic NYC SKA artist STEVE HEX who we lost a few years ago, this must have album includes the hits “I WASN’T GOING TO CALL YOU ANYWAY” and the title track “2 TONE ARMY”. 10 tracks, on dark grey marble vinyl. A truly fantastic record, one we are so proud to have our name on!
If you’re a manic collector make sure you pick up these two albums on limited edition cassette tape too!
DANCE CRAZY Specialized Tribute Cassette Tape
Tracklistig:
Rough Rider – Ska Assassins
Concrete Jungle – Almighty Uprisers
One Step Beyond – Skapital
Three Minute Hero – Ruder Than
Easy Life – The Skore
Lip Up Fatty- The Special Brew
Too Much Too Young – Yellow Cap
Missing Words- The Chancers
Too Much Pressure – The Bionic Rats
Man At C & A- The Danse Society
Nite Klub – Special Kinda Madness
Swan lake – The Service
Ranking Full Stop- Skacasm
Inner London Violence – The Special Brew
Do Rocksteady – Dolly Doom and the Toucan Shuffle
Big Shot – The Kingstons
Woolly Bully – Big Fat Panda
Skinhead Symphony – The Skatonics
The Prince – The Crombies
Too much pressure (Reprise) – Malambo Ska
RODDY RADIATION “BLUES ATTACK” LP (JUMP095LP – OUT OF PRINT)
BLUES ATTACK now OUT OF PRINT. Far too often when a band claims to combine two dissimilar styles of music into an all powerful “new” hybrid, fans get a wee bit skeptical. After all, in most cases these creative endeavors fail miserably – and quite often it involves ska music. Simply put, this stereotype does not apply to the SKABILLY REBELS. RODDY RADIATION’s band successfully takes the best parts of rockabilly, minus the cheesiness that all too often is associated with the genre, and then puts it to a laid back traditional ska beat. Should we expect anything less? Of course you already know him as the legendary guitarist of The Specials (who also wrote their classics ‘Rat Race’, ‘Concrete Jungle’ & ‘Hey Little Rich Girl’), who also later formed blues influenced acts The Bonediggers and The Tearjerkers. He’s a veteran and true innovator of both the 2-TONE ska movement and the English rockabilly revival scene. Roddy’s voice is smooth and melodic, yet with pub grit. The fact that his guitar playing is superb goes without saying, but his ability to seamlessly combine both ska and rockabilly without losing the integrity of either genre is downright amazing. Roddy Radiation has proven again that he is a truly innovative musician and may be in the process of once again reinventing the face of ska music. Guess this album forces rude boy mods and skins to mix with rockers and teddy boys. What can’t we all just get along? Continue reading RODDY RADIATION “BLUES ATTACK” LP (JUMP095LP – OUT OF PRINT)
THE CROMBIES “Dance Crazee” CD / Deluxe CD / Tape – 2 TONE SKA from Chicago!
If you don’t dance to THE CROMBIES, you don’t dance! Chicago’s 2-TONE champs have finally gone and done it – recorded their debut album for JUMP UP RECORDS! Formed in 2010 by ex-members of DEAL’S GONE BAD and LORD MIKE’S DIRTY CALYPSONIANS with a very simple idea – start out as a 2-TONE cover band playing the hits of THE SPECIALS, BAD MANNERS, BEAT, MADNESS, etc – the later create 2-TONE versions of songs that have that ska potential! Original DGB singer “Lord” Mike Park once again was on the case and recruited a top notch troop that included ex-DGB keyboard player Karl Gustafson, DGB guitarist Dave Simon, Vee Sonnets on lead guitar, Jason Berry on bass, and Matt Meuzelaar on drums. The band’s first 2-TONE’d studio cut was NINEY THE OBSERVER’s “BLOOD & FIRE” released on a limited edition 7″ single, with a new version of the classic DGB song “MAD AT THE WORLD” on the flip. It was an instant hit, the single got dancefloors moving all across the world! Continue reading THE CROMBIES “Dance Crazee” CD / Deluxe CD / Tape – 2 TONE SKA from Chicago!
