Symarip (also known at various stages of their career as The Bees, The Pyramids, Seven Letters and Zubaba) were a British

ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...

and

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

band Band or BAND may refer to: Places *Bánd, a village in Hungary *Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania *Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...

, originating in the late 1960s, when Frank Pitter and Michael Thomas founded the band as The Bees. The band's name was originally spelled ''Simaryp'', which is an approximate reversal of the word ''pyramids''. Consisting of members of

West Indian A West Indian is a native or inhabitant of the West Indies (the Antilles and the Lucayan Archipelago). For more than 100 years the words ''West Indian'' specifically described natives of the West Indies, but by 1661 Europeans had begun to use it ...

descent, Simaryp is widely marked as one of the first

skinhead A skinhead is a member of a subculture which originated among working class youths in London, England, in the 1960s and soon spread to other parts of the United Kingdom, with a second working class skinhead movement emerging worldwide in th ...

reggae bands, being one of the first to target skinheads as an audience. Their hits included "Skinhead Girl", "Skinhead Jamboree" and "

Skinhead Moonstomp "Moon Hop" is a 1969 single by Derrick Morgan. Backed with the Reggaeites' "Harris Wheel", it reached #49 on the UK Singles Chart. The British Afro-Caribbean ska and reggae band Symarip covered "Moon Hop" as "Skinhead Moonstomp"; whilst unsucc ...

", the latter based on the Derrick Morgan song, " Moon Hop". They moved to Germany in 1971, performing reggae and

Afro-rock Afro rock is a style of rock music with West African influences. Afro rock bands and artists in the late 1960s and early 1970s included Osibisa, Assagai and Lafayette Afro Rock Band. Style The style relies on the use of rock string instruments ...

under the name Zubaba. In 1980, the single "Skinhead Moonstomp" was re-issued in the wake of the

2 Tone Two-tone, two tone, or 2 tone, etc., may refer to: Audio and sound * Two-tone analysis, in nonlinear system measurement * Two-tone attention signal * Two-tone chime, such as the "ding dong" sound of a doorbell * Two-tone sequential paging, sel ...

craze, hitting No. 54 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. The band officially split in 1985 after releasing the album ''Drunk & Disorderly'' as The Pyramids. The album was released by

Ariola Records Ariola (also known as Ariola Records, Ariola-Eurodisc and BMG Ariola) is a German record label. In the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of the Bertelsmann Music Group, which in turn has become a part of the international media conglomerat ...

and was produced by

Stevie B Stevie B (born Steven Bernard Hill, April 19, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer who was influential in the freestyle and Hi-NRG dance music scene of the late 1980s, mostly in Miami. Stevie B had a 1990 number-one hi ...

. Pitter and Ellis moved back to England, where Ellis continued performing as a solo artist, sometimes using the stage name 'Mr. Symarip'. Mike Thomas met a Finnish woman while living in Switzerland and relocated to Finland doing the groundwork for the Finnish reggae culture through his band 'Mike T. Saganor'. Monty Neysmith moved to the United States, where he toured as a solo artist. In 2004,

Trojan Records Trojan Records is a British record label founded in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. The name ''Trojan'' comes from the Croydon-built Trojan truck t ...

released a

best of A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

album including a new single by Neysmith and Ellis, "Back From the Moon". In 2005, Neysmith and Ellis performed together at Club Ska in England, and a recording of the concert was released on

Moon Ska Records Moon Ska Records was one of the most influential ska record labels of the 1980s and 1990s. The label operated from 1983 until 2000, and during those seventeen years, only released ska and ska-influenced music. Originally named ''Moon Records'', as ...

as ''Symarip – Live at Club Ska''. In April 2008, they headlined the Ska Splash Festival in

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...

as Symarip, and later performed at the Endorse-It and Fordham Festivals. Pitter and Thomas now perform in a different band as ''Symarip Pyramid''. Their Back From The Moon Tour 2008–2009 was with The Pioneers. In 2009, to celebrate the rebirth of the band and the reunion of the two original members, Trojan Records released a compilation album, ''Ultimate Collection''. Pitter holds all copyright and trademark rights for the name 'Symarip Pyramid'.

Line-up

*Roy Ellis – singer,

trombone The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the Standing wave, air column ...

(1969–1985) *Josh Roberts – guitar (1969–1985) *Michael "Mik" Thomas – bass guitar (1969 – 1985, 2008 – present) *Frank Pitter – drums (1969 – 1985, 2008 – present) *Monty Neysmith – keyboards, including

Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated s ...

(1969 – 1985, 2010 – present) *Roy Bug Knight – saxophone (2008 – present) *Johney Johnson – trumpet (2008 – present) *Carl Grifith –

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

and

alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in E, smaller than the B tenor ...

(2008 – present)

Partial discography

Albums

*The Pyramids – ''The Pyramids'' – President – PTL-1021 (1968) *Symarip – ''Skinhead Moonstomp'' –

Trojan Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * ''Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 189 ...

– TBL-102 (1970) *Simaryp – ''Skinhead Moonstomp'' – Trojan – TRLS187 (1980) *The Pyramids – ''Drunk and Disorderly'' –

Ariola Ariola (also known as Ariola Records, Ariola-Eurodisc and BMG Ariola) is a German record label. In the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of the Bertelsmann Music Group, which in turn has become a part of the international media conglomerat ...

(1985) *Symarip/The Pyramids/Seven Letters – ''The Best Of'' – Trojan TJACD154 (2004) *Symarip/The Pyramids – ''Ultimate Collection'' – Trojan (2009)

Singles

*Blue Beat BB-386A "Jesse James Rides Again" (as The Bees) 1967 *Blue Beat BB-386B "The Girl in My Dreams" (as The Bees) 1967 *Clmbia Blue Beat DB-101A "Jesse James Rides Again" (as The Bees) 1967 *Clmbia Blue Beat DB-101B "The Girl in My Dreams" (as The Bees) 1967 *Clmbia Blue Beat DB-111A "Prisoner from Alcatraz" (as The Bees) 1967 *Clmbia Blue Beat DB-111B "The Ska's The Limit" (as The Bees) 1967 *President PT-161A "Train Tour To Rainbow City" 1967 *President PT-161B "John Chewey" 1967 *President PT-177A "Wedding in Peyton Place" 1968 *President PT-177B "Girls, Girls, Girls" 1968 *President PT-195A "All Change on the Bakerloo Line" 1968 *President PT-195B "Playing Games" 1968 *President PT-206A "Mexican Moonlight" 1968 *President PT-206B "Mule" 1968 *President PT-225A "Tisko My Darling" 1968 *President PT-225B "Movement All Around" 1968 *President PT-243A "Do Re Mi" 1969 *President PT-243B "I'm Outnumbered" 1969 *President PT-274A "I'm a Man" 1969 *President PT-274B "Dragonfly" 1969 *Attack ATT-8013A "I'm A Puppet" (as Symarip) 1969 *Attack ATT-8013B "Vindication" (as Symarip) 1969 *Doctor Bird DB-1189A "People Get Ready" (as Seven Letters) 1969 *Doctor Bird DB-1189B "The Fit" (as Seven Letters) 1969 *Doctor Bird DB-1194A "Please Stay" (as Seven Letters) 1969 *Doctor Bird DB-1194B "Special Beat" (as Seven Letters) 1969 *Doctor Bird DB-1195A "Flour Dumpling" (as Seven Letters) 1969 *Doctor Bird DB-1195B "Equality" (as Seven Letters) 1969 *Doctor Bird DB-1206A "Mama Me Want Girl" (as Seven Letters) 1969 *Doctor Bird DB-1206B "Sentry" (as Seven Letters) 1969 *Doctor Bird DB-1207A "Soul Crash (Soul Serenade)" (as Seven Letters) 1969 *Doctor Bird DB-1207B "Throw Me Things" (as Seven Letters) 1969 *Doctor Bird DB-1208A "There Goes My Heart" (as Seven Letters) 1969 *Doctor Bird DB-1208B "Wish" (as Seven Letters) 1969 *Doctor Bird DB-1209A "Bam Bam Baji" (as Seven Letters) 1969 *Doctor Bird DB-1209B "Hold Him Joe" (as Seven Letters) 1969 *Doctor Bird DB-1306A "Fung Sure" (as Simaryp) 1969 *Doctor Bird DB-1306B "Tomorrow at Sundown" (as Simaryp) 1969 *Doctor Bird DB-1307A "Stay With Him" 1969 *Doctor Bird DB-1307B "Chicken Mary" 1969 *Treasure Isle TI-7050A "Skinhead Moonstomp" 1969 *Treasure Isle TI-7050B "Must Catch A Train" 1969 *Treasure Isle TI-7054A "Parson's Corner" 1970 *Treasure Isle TI-7054B "Redeem" 1970 *Treasure Isle TI-7055A "La Bella Jig" 1970 *Treasure Isle TI-7055B "Holiday by the Sea" 1970 *Attack ATT-8013A "I'm A Puppet" 1970 *Attack ATT-8013B "Vindication" 1970 *Duke DU-80A "Geronimo" 1970 *Duke DU-80B "Feel Alright" 1970 *Trojan TR-7755A "Feel Alright" 1970 *Trojan TR-7755B "Telstar" 1970 *Trojan TR-7770A "To Sir With Love" 1970 *Trojan TR-7770B "Reggae Shuffle" 1970 *Trojan TR-7803A "All For You" 1971 *Trojan TR-7803B "All For You" (version) 1971 *Trojan TR-7814B (1) "Stingo" 1971 *Trojan TR-7814B (2) "Geronimo" 1971 *Creole CR-1003A "Mosquito Bite" *Creole CR-1003B "Mother's Bath" *Creole CR-1006A "Can't Leave Now" *Creole CR-1006B "Teardrops" *Rhino RNO-129A "Jesse James Rides Again" 1974

References

External links

Biography on Trojan Records siteMr. Symarip – Roy EllisSymarip Pyramids Myspace profileInterview wirh Roy Ellis on Litopia
{{Authority control First-wave ska groups British reggae musical groups British ska musical groups Skinhead Trojan Records artists Blue Beat Records artists