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The Skatalites are a ska band from
Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including " Guns of Navarone." They also played on records by
Prince Buster Cecil Bustamente Campbell (24 May 1938 – 8 September 2016), known professionally as Prince Buster, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer. The records he released in the 1960s influenced and shaped the course of Jamaican contemporary ...
and backed many other Jamaican artists who recorded during that period, including Bob Marley & The Wailers, on their first single " Simmer Down." They reformed in 1983 and have played together ever since.


History


Before the Skatalites: 1954–1964

The founders of the Skatalites were musicians Doreen Shaffer,
Tommy McCook Tommy McCook (4 March 1927 – 5 May 1998) was a Jamaican saxophonist. A founding member of The Skatalites, he also directed The Supersonics for Duke Reid, and backed many sessions for Bunny Lee or with The Revolutionaries at Channel ...
(died 1998), Rolando Alphonso (died 1998),
Lester Sterling Lester "Ska" Sterling OD (31 January 1936 – 16 May 2023), also known as Mr. Versatile, was a Jamaican trumpet and saxophone player. Early life Sterling was born on 31 January 1936.Lloyd Brevett (died 2012), Lloyd Knibb (died 2011), Don Drummond (died 1969),
Jah Jerry Haynes Jerome "Jah Jerry" Haynes OD (11 August 1921 – 13 August 2007) was a Jamaican guitarist and former member of The Skatalites. Haynes was born in Trench Pen, presently known as Trench Town, the cultural capital of Jamaica, in 1921. He learne ...
(died 2007),
Jackie Mittoo Donat Roy Mittoo (3 March 1948 – 16 December 1990), better known as Jackie Mittoo, was a Jamaican-Canadian keyboardist, songwriter and musical director. He was a member of The Skatalites and musical director of the Studio One record label. ...
(died 1990), and Johnny Moore (died 2008). These musicians started to play together from 1955, when Kingston's recording studios started to develop. Tommy McCook was the first member of the band to record, though not for commercial release: he played with Don Hitchman's Group in 1953.
Archie Lindo Archie Lindo OD (20 January 1908 – 2 April 1990) was a Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbe ...
asked Hitchman to play a few tunes for his pioneer radio station, "ZQI", on their new equipment. Soon after that, sound system pioneer
Stanley Motta Stanley Motta was an electronics store proprietor who established a record label in Kingston, Jamaica and opened the first privately owned recording studio in Jamaica in 1951, jump starting Jamaica's music industry. Career Motta recorded cal ...
began to operate his studio, where he recorded calypso and
mento Mento is a style of Music of Jamaica, Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced ska and reggae music. It is a fusion of African rhythmic elements and European elements, which reached peak popularity in the 1940s and 1950s. ...
that were released on 78s. Rolando Alphonso was one of the first to record with him, probably in 1954. Though McCook was the first in the band to record, he did not participate in the recording sessions with the other nine musicians. He left Jamaica in 1954 for a jazz gig at the Zanzibar Club in
Nassau, Bahamas Nassau ( ) is the capital and largest city of The Bahamas. It is on the island of New Providence, which had a population of 246,329 in 2010, or just over 70% of the entire population of The Bahamas. As of April 2023, the preliminary results of ...
. He returned to Jamaica in June 1962, and began playing regular jazz sessions around Kingston. Record producer
Coxsone Dodd Clement Seymour "Coxsone" Dodd (26 January 1932 – 4 May 2004) was a Jamaican record producer who was influential in the development of ska and reggae in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond. He was nicknamed "Coxsone" at school due to his talent ...
searched for jazz players around Kingston and was impressed by McCook's playing. Tommy McCook heard some ska, but initially resisted Dodd's offers to record and to lead a studio group, because he was a committed jazzman. In 1962, Dodd released ''I Cover The Waterfront'' (Port-O-Jam) with Roland Alphonso and Don Drummond, who did the solo and brass sections. In 1963, he released ''Jazz Jamaica From the Workshop'' (Port-O-Jam/Studio One), on which McCook played for the first time since returning to Jamaica. Don Drummond has two tunes on ''Jazz Jamaica'' and McCook has one, "The Answer".


Early years: 1964–1965

In early 1964, a meeting was held with all the would-be Skatalites at The Odeon Theatre. It was owned by The Tawari family who owned many theatres and were offering shows to the band if they formed a band. Lord Tanamo was liked by the Tawaris and they had encouraged him to help unite the musicians that had been playing on all these hits. By this time the various members had played on so many hit songs in so many different studios by so many singers, but few people knew who was playing the instruments because no producers were putting credits on the records. At that time most of the DJs who were spinning records in public, scratched off the titles or the entire label so nobody could spy on them, and know which recording they were even playing. The musicians were tired of working so hard for so little money and so little recognition. This story, and the story of many other groups and bands in Jamaica, is the theme of the film, '' The Harder They Come''. One of their first albums released was LP '' Ska Authentic'' at Studio One in
Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...
. Among their many producers were
Coxsone Dodd Clement Seymour "Coxsone" Dodd (26 January 1932 – 4 May 2004) was a Jamaican record producer who was influential in the development of ska and reggae in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond. He was nicknamed "Coxsone" at school due to his talent ...
,
Duke Reid Arthur "Duke" Reid CD (21 July 1915 – 1 January 1975) was a Jamaican record producer, DJ and record label owner. He ran one of the most popular sound systems of the 1950s called Reid's Sound System, whilst Duke himself was known as The Tr ...
,
Prince Buster Cecil Bustamente Campbell (24 May 1938 – 8 September 2016), known professionally as Prince Buster, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer. The records he released in the 1960s influenced and shaped the course of Jamaican contemporary ...
, Vincent "King" Edwards, Justin "Phillip" Yap,
Leslie Kong Leslie Kong (20 December 1933 – 9 August 1971) was a Jamaican reggae producer. Early life Kong was born into a Chinese-Jamaican family. He had a "relatively comfortable upbringing" and attended St. George's College in Kingston. Career ...
, Lindon Pottinger,
Sonia Pottinger Sonia Eloise Pottinger OD ( Durrant; 21 June 1931 – 3 November 2010)Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, , p. 316Vincent "Randy" Chin. The Skatalites led sessions with top artists and worked with young talents such as Delroy Wilson,
Desmond Dekker Desmond Dekker (born Desmond Adolphus Dacres; 16 July 1941 – 25 May 2006) was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer-songwriter and musician. Together with his backing group the Aces (consisting of Wilson James and Easton Barrington Ho ...
, The Wailers, and Lee Perry. The Skatalites played their first public performance in May 1964 at the Hi-Hat Club on Water Lane in Rae Town, Kingston. The venue was owned and operated by Orville “Billy” Farnum. Initially intended as a rehearsal, the session drew such a large crowd that the band decided to charge admission and proceed with a full performance. News of the event spread quickly, and word soon circulated that the musicians behind many of Jamaica’s hit records had officially formed a band, now known as The Skatalites. Coxsone Dodd helped initially: "At the formation of the band, I supplied the PA system, microphones and what ever it is. Also the guitar amplifier and other amplifier. I helped with transportation and I supplied storage for equipment and instruments. I was a part of promoting the first gigs and other gigs to get it off the ground, because I figured more or less, if I am recording the Skatalites, its good to get them popular out in the streets, yunno?" Trombonist Don Drummond had at least 200 tunes to his name by 1965. On 1 January 1965, Drummond was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend, Anita "Marguerita" Mahfood. He was later convicted and remanded to the Bellevue Asylum. In August 1965, The Skatalites played their last show. They broke up into two supergroups, Rolando Alphonso and the Soul Vendors and Tommy McCook and the Supersonics. In April 1967, The Skatalites' ska adaptation of the theme to the film '' The Guns of Navarone'' entered the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart. Don Drummond died on 6 May 1969, in the Bellevue Asylum.


Early reunions: 1974–1988

The Skatalites' first reunion happened in the studio, during 1974 sessions for bass player Lloyd Brevett's solo album. After laying down hand percussion tracks at Lee Perry's studio, Brevett was joined by McCook, Alphonso, Sterling, Knibb and Mittoo.
Ernest Ranglin Ernest Ranglin (born 19 June 1932) is a Jamaican guitarist and composer who established his career while working as a session guitarist and music director for various Jamaican record labels, including Studio One and Island Records. Ranglin pl ...
played guitar, with Oswald Brooks on trumpet.African Roots 1997 Moon Ska records edition liner notes The album was eventually released as ''African Roots'', a collection of mostly Brevett compositions, and has been variously released both as a Lloyd Brevett and as a Skatalites album, with most editions crediting "Lloyd Brevett and The Skatalites". In 1979, The Skatalites again joined in the studio, this time to record an album for
Chris Blackwell Christopher Percy Gordon Blackwell OJ (born 22 June 1937) is a Jamaican-British former record producer and the founder of Island Records, which has been called "one of Britain's great independent labels". According to the Rock and Roll Hall ...
. The album, tentatively entitled ''The Big Guns'', was not released at the time, due to a disagreement between McCook and Blackwell, and remains unreleased. In June 1983, The Skatalites reformed and played the Reggae Sunsplash festival in
Montego Bay Montego Bay () is the capital of the Parishes of Jamaica, parish of Saint James Parish, Jamaica, St. James in Jamaica. The city is the fourth most populous urban area in the country, after Kingston, Jamaica, Kingston, Spanish Town, and Portmore ...
in July, after festival director Ronnie Burke persuaded them to appear at the fifth anniversary of the festival, despite Moore and McCook having not spoken since the band split.Campbell, Charles (2012)
The Skatalites musical journey
, ''
Jamaica Observer The ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by ...
'', 20 May 2012, retrieved 1 June 2012,Johnson, Richard (2012)
When the Skatalites reunited for Sunsplash
, ''
Jamaica Observer The ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by ...
'', 15 June 2012, retrieved 17 June 2012. Their show was very successful, and the band played more concerts in Jamaica, while taking offers to tour abroad. The line-up at this time reflected the original line-up of the band, with the exception of Drummond, and joined by guests Arnold Breckenridge and Bubbles Cameron. Recordings from 27 June and 17 July 1983 were released on the live album ''Stretching Out'', although the band later claimed on their website that they received no payment for this recording and discouraged fans from buying it. During their 1983 rehearsals for Sunsplash, the band recorded eleven tracks at the newly opened Music Mountain studio, led this time by
Jackie Mittoo Donat Roy Mittoo (3 March 1948 – 16 December 1990), better known as Jackie Mittoo, was a Jamaican-Canadian keyboardist, songwriter and musical director. He was a member of The Skatalites and musical director of the Studio One record label. ...
and under the guidance of producer/promoter Tony Owens. After five days of recording, the sessions were abandoned after the members apparently fell out with one another. Nine completed tracks were eventually released in 2007 on Motion Records as ''Rolling Steady: The 1983 Music Mountain Sessions''. The album included their tribute to Don Drummond, "Big Trombone", with Lord Tanamo on vocals. In April 1984, the same lineup, but without Mittoo, recorded ''The Return of The Big Guns'', released on
Mango Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anoth ...
in the UK, with several tracks based on charts written by Drummond and arranged by McCook. On 7 July 1984, The Skatalites played to thousands at
Selhurst Park Selhurst Park is a football stadium in Selhurst, in the London Borough of Croydon, England, which is the home ground of Premier League club Crystal Palace. The stadium was designed by Archibald Leitch and opened in 1924. It has hosted interna ...
during the London Sunsplash. The Skatalites played seven tunes and also backed Prince Buster on three before closing with a reprise of their theme song, "Freedom Sounds." This performance was later released as a live album called ''Live at Sunsplash'' but is very rare. Between 1985 and 1988, the core members of the Skatalites emigrated and united in the northeast of the United States. They played their first US concert at The Village Gate and began to play spotted dates in Northeast US.


1986–present

The Skatalites began emigrating to the US since the 1970s Eventually enough members had arrived that enabled them to book a few shows beginning with shows in 1986 in New York City. It took a few years before they actually started touring the US in 1989 as support act for their old friend Bunny Wailer's Liberation Tour from coast to coast including Radio City Music Hall, Irvine Meadows, The Music Hall in Boston and many other prestigious venues. In early 1990 the band emerged on the market officially on the first headline tour from NYC to California and back. They were always working on new music but the first official record deal in US was with Shanachie and they released ''Skavoovee'', Grammy nominated ''Hi-Bop Ska'', and Grammy nominated ''Greetings from Skamania''. The next release was '' Ball of Fire'' in 1997 on Island Records. A "Best of The Skatalites" type release was done by Heartbeat Records the same year, entitled ''Foundation Ska''. In 2000 they recorded an album with all newly composed material by each member entitled ''Bashaka''. In 2001 they recorded ''From Paris With Love''. In 2004 The Skatalites were featured on the album ''True Love'' by
Toots and the Maytals The Maytals, known from 1972 to 2020 as Toots and the Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group, one of the best known ska and rocksteady vocal groups. The Maytals were formed in the early 1960s and were key figures in popularizing reggae music. ...
, which won the
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
in 2004 for Best Reggae Album, and showcased many notable musicians including
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...
,
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...
,
Jeff Beck Geoffrey Arnold Beck (24 June 1944 – 10 January 2023) was an English musician. He rose to prominence as the guitarist of the rock band the Yardbirds, and afterwards founded and fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, ...
,
Trey Anastasio Ernest Joseph "Trey" Anastasio III (born September 30, 1964) is an American guitarist, composer, and singer-songwriter best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Phish, which he co-founded in 1983. He is credited by name as composer of 152 ...
,
Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani Shelton ( ; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani rose to fame as a member and lead vocalist of the band No Doubt, whose hit singles include " Just a Girl", " Spiderwebs", an ...
/
No Doubt No Doubt is an American rock band formed in Anaheim, California in 1986. For most of its career, the band has consisted of vocalist and founding member Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal and drummer Adrian Young. Keyboar ...
,
Ben Harper Benjamin Charles Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music, and he is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, liv ...
,
Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In 1971, Raitt released her Bonnie Raitt (album), self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed Americana (mu ...
,
Manu Chao Manu Chao (; born José Manuel Tomás Arturo Chao Ortega on 21 June 1961) is a French-Spanish musician. He sings in French language, French, Spanish language, Spanish, English language, English, Italian language, Italian, Arabic, Catalan language ...
,
The Roots The Roots are an American Hip-hop, hip hop band formed in 1987 by singer Black Thought, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and drummer Questlove, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''T ...
,
Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American Rock music, rock and Country music, country singer-songwriter. He has released 30 studio albums and three as a former member of Whiskeytown. In 2000, Adams left Whiskeytown and released ...
,
Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership wi ...
, Toots Hibbert, Paul Douglas, Jackie Jackson, and
Ken Boothe Kenneth George Boothe OD (born 22 March 1948) is a Jamaican vocalist known for his distinctive vibrato and timbre. Boothe achieved an international reputation as one of Jamaica's finest vocalists through a series of crossover hits that appeal ...
. Later that year, original member Lloyd Brevett left the band. In April that year, the Skatalites started a new world tour with their new bass player Val Douglas, whose A-Team band was the primary backing band for Reggae Sunsplash Tours through the 1980s and 1990s. In October 2005, The Skatalites released ''The Skatalites in Orbit, Vol.1'' recorded live in
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
, recorded during concerts on 23 and 24 September 2005. In March 2006, The Skatalites played at La Bal De La Rose for
Caroline, Princess of Hanover Princess Caroline of Monaco (born 23 January 1957) is Princess of Hanover by marriage to Prince Ernst August. As the eldest child of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and Grace Kelly, she is the elder sister of Albert II, Prince of Monaco, and ...
, along with
Jimmy Cliff James Chambers, Jamaican Order of Merit, OM (born 30 July 1944), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only living reggae musician to hol ...
, The Wailers and
Alpha Blondy Seydou Koné (; born January 1, 1953, in Dimbokro), better known by his stage name Alpha Blondy, is an Ivorian reggae singer and international recording artist. Many of his songs are politically and socially motivated, and are mainly sung i ...
. This show started the 2006 Global Orbit Tour reaching
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
,
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
,
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
and
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
. In April 2006, Skatalites recorded 11 new tunes and one cover in Byron Bay, Australia, at the 301 Studios, released the following year as the album ''On The Right Track'' by AIM International, Australia. In September 2007, The Skatalites contributed the track "Be My Guest," with
Ben Harper Benjamin Charles Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music, and he is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, liv ...
on vocals, to the
Fats Domino Antoine Caliste Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American singer-songwriter and pianist. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New Orl ...
tribute CD '' Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino'' featuring numerous artists. This CD raised funds for all the musicians affected by
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...
. On 12 May 2011, founding member and drummer Lloyd Knibb died at the age of 80. Bass player and fellow founding member Lloyd Brevett died after suffering a stroke on 3 May 2012, aged 80. On 8 February 2012, the band announced a new single and album as well as a US tour starting in Texas and heading to New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Oregon, California, Washington, and then Canada. These dates follow four dates they announced in January for the North East. The album ''All Roads'' featured the last recordings of founding member Lloyd Knibb. On 26 August 2016, the band released the album ''Platinum Ska'', and toured through the United States, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom.


Members


Current members

* Doreen Shaffer – vocals * Val Douglas - bass * Trevor "Sparrow" Thompson - drums * Ken Stewart – keyboards * Aurelien Metsch aka Natty Frenchy – guitar * Anant Pradhan - saxophone * Vin "Don Drummond Junior" Gordon – trombone * James Smith - trumpet * Larry McDonald - percussion and vocals


Former members

*
Lester Sterling Lester "Ska" Sterling OD (31 January 1936 – 16 May 2023), also known as Mr. Versatile, was a Jamaican trumpet and saxophone player. Early life Sterling was born on 31 January 1936.Tommy McCook Tommy McCook (4 March 1927 – 5 May 1998) was a Jamaican saxophonist. A founding member of The Skatalites, he also directed The Supersonics for Duke Reid, and backed many sessions for Bunny Lee or with The Revolutionaries at Channel ...
– tenor saxophone, flute (founding member; died 1998) * Roland Alphonso – tenor saxophone (founding member; died 1998) * Don Drummond – trombone (founding member; died 1969) * Johnny "Dizzy" Moore – trumpet (founding member; died 2008) * Lloyd Brevett – upright bass (founding member; died 2012) * Lloyd Knibb – drums (founding member; died 2011) * Jerome "Jah Jerry" Haynes – guitar (founding member; died 2007) *
Jackie Mittoo Donat Roy Mittoo (3 March 1948 – 16 December 1990), better known as Jackie Mittoo, was a Jamaican-Canadian keyboardist, songwriter and musical director. He was a member of The Skatalites and musical director of the Studio One record label. ...
– piano (founding member; died 1990) * Greg Glassman – trumpet * Mark Berney – trumpet * Nathan Breedlove – trumpet (1990–98) * Cedric "Im" Brooks – tenor saxophone (2000–03, 2008–10; died 2013) * Karl "Cannonball" Bryan – saxophone (2003–08) * Calvin "Bubbles" Cameron – trombone (1983–84,89,04) * Welford "Will" Clark – trombone (1994–2003) * Buford O'Sullivan - trombone * Devon James – guitar (1987–2009) * Bill Smith – keyboards (1993–98) * Cary Brown – keyboards (1990–93) * Ken Stewart – keyboards (1988–90,1998-2009,2013-present; also serves as the band's manager) * Clark Gayton – Trombone (1989–94) * Cary Brown – keyboards (1990–95) * Luis Bonilla – trombone * Arnold "Willie" Brackenridge - Trumpet (1983–84) * Kevin Batchelor - Trumpet (2002–2012) * Azemobo "Zem" Audu – tenor saxophone (2010-2020) * Andre Murchison – trombone (2006-2019) * Travis Antoine – trumpet (2012-2018) * James Smith - trumpet (2018–present)


Additional personnel

Although not official band members, these musicians worked with the Skatalites extensively during the 1964-65 period in the recording studio, or in the case of the vocalists, at live shows. Lord Tanamo, Doreen Shaffer, Baba Brooks, and Ernest Ranglin have all worked with the reunited Skatalites at different times, both live and in the studio. * Jackie Opel – vocals * Doreen Shaffer – vocalsCampbell, Howard (2018)
Doreen Shaffer: Queen of Ska
, ''
Jamaica Observer The ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by ...
'', 13 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018 * Tony DaCosta - vocals * Tony Gregory – vocals * Lord Tanamo – vocals * Dennis "Ska" Campbell – tenor saxophone * Oswald "Baba" Brooks – trumpet * Frank Anderson – trumpet *
Ernest Ranglin Ernest Ranglin (born 19 June 1932) is a Jamaican guitarist and composer who established his career while working as a session guitarist and music director for various Jamaican record labels, including Studio One and Island Records. Ranglin pl ...
lead guitar * Lyn Taitt – rhythm guitar * Winston Grennan – Drums


Discography


Studio albums

* '' Ska Authentic'' (Studio One, 1964) * '' Ska Boo-Da-Ba'' (Top Deck/Doctor Bird, 1966) * '' Ska Authentic Vol. 2'' (Studio One, 1967) * '' Celebration Time'' (Studio One, 1968) * '' The Skatalite!'' (Treasure Isle, 1969) * '' The Legendary Skatalites/ African Roots'' Lloyd Brevett with the Skatalites (Jam Sounds, 1975/United Artists, 1976) * '' Rolling Steady: The 1983 Music Mountain Sessions'' (Motion, recorded 1983, released 2007) * '' Return of the Big Guns'' (Island, 1984) * '' Ska Voovee'' (Shanachie, 1993) * '' Hi-Bop Ska'' (Shanachie, 1994) * '' Greetings from Skamania'' (Shanachie, 1996) * '' Ball of Fire'' (Island, 1998) * '' Bashaka'' with Ken Boothe (Marston Recording Corporation, 2000) * '' From Paris with Love'' (World Village, 2002/Wrasse, 2009) * '' On the Right Track'' ( AIM, 2007) * ''Walk With Me'' (2012) * ''Platinum Ska'' (Island Empire, 2016)


Live albums

* ''Live at Sunsplash'' (Synergy, 1984) * ''Stretching Out'' (
ROIR ROIR (pronounced "roar"), or Reachout International Records, is a New York City-based independent record label founded in 1979 by Neil Cooper. Background ROIR was founded the same year that the Sony Walkman launched, and initially, the label ex ...
, 1986) ''Recorded 1983'' * ''Ska Splash'' ( Moon Ska Europe /
Pressure Drop Pressure drop (often abbreviated as "dP" or "ΔP") is defined as the difference in total pressure between two points of a fluid carrying network. A pressure drop occurs when frictional forces, caused by the resistance to flow, act on a fluid as i ...
, 1999) ''Recorded on the "Ska Splash" European tour of 1996'' * ''Roots Party'' (FullFill, 2003) * ''Live at Lokerse Feesten'' 1997 & 2002 CD/DVD ( Charly, 2006) * ''In Orbit Vol. 1 – Live from Argentina'' (Phantom Sound & Vision, 2006) * ''Skatalites in Orbit, Vol. 1 & 2'' (Sony, 2010) * ''Ska-talites – History of Ska, Rocksteady & Reggae'' (United Sound Records, 2015) * ''Live at the Belly Up'' (Belly Up Live, 2020)


Collaboration albums

* ''1963 – The Long Hot Summer'' with Laurel Aitken (1963) * ''In the Mood for Ska'' with Lord Tanamo (Trojan 1967) * ''With Sly & Robbie & Taxi Gang'' (Vista, 1984) * ''Ska Titans: Laurel Aitken & The Skatalites'' (1999) * ''Ska Splash'' with Laurel Aitken and House of Rhythm (Moonska, 2002) * ''Long Hot Summer 1963 Volume 2'' with Laurel Aitken (Grover, 2006)


Anthologies and reissues

* ''Scattered Lights'' (Alligator, 1984) * ''Hog in a Cocoa'' Skatalites & Friends (Culture Press/Orange Street, 1993) * ''Foundation Ska'' (Heartbeat/Pgd, 1997) * ''Skatalites and Friends at Randy's'' (VP Records, 1998) * ''Ska Boo-Da-Ba: Top Sounds from Top Deck, Volume 3'' (Westside UK, 1998) * ''Ska-Ta-Shot: Top Sounds from Top Deck, Volume 4'' (Westside UK, 1998) * ''Ska-Tola: Top Sounds from Top Deck, Volume 5'' (Westside UK, 1998) * ''Heroes of Reggae in Dub: The Skatalites Meet King Tubby'' (Guava Jelly, 1999) * ''Nucleus of Ska'' (Music Club, 2001) * ''The Legendary Skatalites in Dub'' (Motion, 2001) * ''Herb Dub, Collie Dub'' (Motion, 2002) * ''Lucky Seven'' (Proper Pairs, 2002) * ''Musical Communion'' (Culture Press, 2003) * ''Guns of Navarone – Best of Skatalites'' (Sanctuary Records, 2003) * ''Phoenix City: A History of the World's Greatest Ska Band'' (Sanctuary Records, 2004) * ''In the Mood for Ska – The Moonska Years'' (Recall Records UK, 2004) * ''Independent Ska'' (Atom Music, 2006) * ''Anthology'' (Primo, 2007) * ''The Skatalites Play Ska'' (Kingston Sounds, 2007) * ''Kingston 11'' (King Edwards, 2008) * ''Occupation Ska! Very Best of Skatalites'' (101 Distribution, 2009) * ''The Skatalites'' Box Set (Pinnacle/Attack Records, 2009) * ''Rollin' On'' (King Edwards, 2010)


Compilations

* ''R.O.R.X. – The Tenth Annual Reggae On The Rocks – August 10, 1996'' (1996), performing "Guns Of Navarone" (live). * '' The Rough Guide to Reggae'' ( World Music Network, 1997); a vintage recording of "Chinatown" credited to Don Drummond & The Skatalites. * ''Ska Island'' (
Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...
, 1997), performing their own "Magic Star", as well as "Can't You See" with Doreen Shaffer, and "King of Kings" with
Prince Buster Cecil Bustamente Campbell (24 May 1938 – 8 September 2016), known professionally as Prince Buster, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer. The records he released in the 1960s influenced and shaped the course of Jamaican contemporary ...
. * ''Give 'Em the Boot'' (
Hellcat Records Hellcat Records is an independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. The label, an offshoot of Epitaph Records, was started as a partnership between Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion, the owner of Epitaph, and Tim Armstrong of Rancid ...
, 1997), performing "Latin Goes Ska" * '' True Love'' (V2 Records, 2004), performing "Never Grow Old" with
Toots and the Maytals The Maytals, known from 1972 to 2020 as Toots and the Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group, one of the best known ska and rocksteady vocal groups. The Maytals were formed in the early 1960s and were key figures in popularizing reggae music. ...
, Terry Hall and
U-Roy Ewart Beckford OD (21 September 1942 – 17 February 2021), known by the stage name U-Roy, was a Jamaican vocalist and pioneer of toasting.Jo-Ann GreeneU-Roy Biography, AllMusic. Retrieved 11 April 2013. U-Roy was known for a melodic style ...
* ''Another World Is Possible'' (Uncivilized World Records, 2005), performing "Freedom Sounds" (live) * '' Music From Glastonbury The Film'' (The Glastonbury Phonographic Society, 2006), performing "Phoenix City" (live at the 2003
Glastonbury Festival The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (commonly referred to as simply Glastonbury Festival, known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts held near Pilton, Somerset, England, in most su ...
) * '' Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino'' (
Vanguard Records Vanguard Recording Society is an American record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the so ...
, 2007), performing Domino's " Be My Guest", with
Ben Harper Benjamin Charles Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music, and he is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, liv ...


References


External links

*
The Skatalites(photos) / Live in Moscow (RUS) / 17/06/2011

Discography
at Discogs * {{DEFAULTSORT:Skatalites, The First-wave ska groups Jamaican backing bands Jamaican ska groups Island Records artists