The Skatalites: The Best Of The Skatalites

The Skatalites were an actually quite short-lived (about eighteen months) collective of instrumentalists who recorded seemingly hundreds of ska tunes, full of fantastic trombone breaks and that rock steady/ska beat that inspired so many, notably the UK two tone groups of the late seventies/early eighties. 

The music is upbeat and uplifting. Try keeping still to it. Skinheads loved it in the late sixties too, stomping around with their cherry red boots on. Their influence was far more wide-reaching than their time together would suggest. Their sound is wonderful, every track having that irresistible beat. 

Amazingly, the track that brought them to the attention of many, their version of the theme tune to Guns Of Navarone, is not included on this otherwise excellent collection.

The highlights are many, pretty much every track, but one can make a case for Eastern Standard Time, Music Is My Occupation, Street Corner, Garden Of Love, Silver Dollar, Lucky Seven, Catch A Fire and Stampede finding their way on to a ska playlist, or indeed any reggae one.

Most Skatalites material appears on compilations and below are two more of them which are excellent as well. You can take your pick from any of these and you won't be disappointed. The second one includes Guns Of Navarone, as it should.



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