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Changes to the look of John Peel Wiki will take place in the near future due to a new skin being rolled out over Oct/Nov across Wikia. Please see the Wikia Staff Blog for further details. On this site, the changes will affect the navigation from the left menu, as well as introduce a fixed page width with narrower content space. Please be patient while adjustments are made for the switch to the new system.

UPDATE: As the change is now in force for some users, I have switched the navigation to the simplified one for the new system. Please check Navigation in the Help section if you can't find things. I also initially made small adjustments to the front page layout, but have now reverted to the old look until all users are on the new system.

COUNTDOWN: Just a reminder for people still using Monaco that the final switch to the new skin is due on Nov. 3. After that, it will no longer be offered as an option. Sorry. Nothing to do with me.

Steve W

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Skatalites

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Guns_Of_Navarone_-_The_Skatalites

Guns Of Navarone - The Skatalites

The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. 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 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.

The founders of the Skatalites were Tommy McCook (died 1998), Roland Alphonso (died 1998), Lester Sterling (died 2023), Lloyd Brevett (died 2012), Lloyd Knibb (died 2011), Don Drummond (died 1969), Jah Jerry Haynes (died 2007), Jackie Mittoo (died 1990), Johnny Moore (died 2008) and Jackie Opel (died 1970). These ten musicians started to play together from 1955, when Kingston's recording studios started to develop.

In spring 1964, The Skatalites recorded their first LP, “Ska Authentic”, at Studio One in Kingston and toured Jamaica as the creators of ska. The Skatalites led sessions with top artists and worked with young talents such as Delroy Wilson, Desmond Dekker, The Wailers, Lee Perry, etc.

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.[1] Don Drummond died on 6 May 1969, in the Bellevue Asylum.

(Read more at Wikipedia.)

Links to Peel[]

Peel is not known to have played the Skatalites on his Radio One shows before 1979, when the UK ska revival based on 2 Tone Records encouraged him to play vintage material from the original Jamaican artists who had inspired bands such as the Specials, who recorded a cover of the Skatalites 1967 hit “Guns of Navarone”.

It is unlikely that Peel played the original Skatalites single of “Guns Of Navarone” when covering for other DJs on the pirate station Radio London, as although the station included ska, blue-beat and reggae records in its daytime playlists, there is no mention of the single in the online archive of Fab Forty chart listings and weekly playlists. (It did however make the charts of rival pirate station Radio Caroline[2].) . Furthermore, he had not yet acquired a liking for Jamaican music and did not play such material on his own late-night Perfumed Garden show. On a daytime show on 02 August 1967 he did play a new single by the "Techniques with Tommy McCook and Supersonics Band" and the Fab Forty Index explains the confusion caused by the artist name given on the label[3].

In the 1980s and beyond, the DJ would continue to play occasional recordings by the Skatalites, as well as solo material by former band members. In later years, he gave generous airtime to new releases of dub material with King Tubby from abortive reunion sessions in the mid-1970s.

Peel also played many Jamaican reggae artists who used the Skatalites or former band members as uncredited backing musicians in the studio.

Plays[]

1970s
The_Skatalites_-_Independent_Anniversary_Ska

The Skatalites - Independent Anniversary Ska

  • 13 March 1979: Guns Of Navarone
  • 17 September 1979: Independent Anniversary Ska (Various LP - Intensified! Original Ska 1962-1966) Island (cover of “I Saw Her Standing There” by the Beatles)
  • 19 September 1979: James Bond (v/a LP - Intensified! Original Ska 1962-1966) Island
1980s
1990s
2000s
The_Legendary_Skatalites_In_Dub_-Meet_King_Tubby-.

The Legendary Skatalites In Dub -Meet King Tubby-.

Tommy McCook
  • 06 September 1979: Rocket Ship (Various LP - Intensified! Original Ska 1962-1966) Island (JP: "Well there's another one that sounds as though it had been pressed on tarmac. Tommy McCook, from 1965, and that's called 'Rocket Ship'. In 1965 of course, I was in short pants - because that's what Dallas high school girls wore in September.")
  • 15 March 1982: Soul For Sale (v/a album - Gems From Treasure Isle Or Real Cool Rock Steady) Trojan
  • 13 December 1982: Black Power (7") Treasure Isle
  • 13 September 1989 (& Richard Hall): Dirty Harry (v/a album - Check The Winner The Original Pantomine Instrumental Collection 1970-74) Greensleeves
  • 21 September 1989 (Radio Bremen) (& Richard Hall): Dirty Harry (v/a album - Check The Winner The Original Pantomine Instrumental Collection 1970-74) Greensleeves
  • 07 April 1995 (& The Aggrovators): Inspiring Dub (LP-King Tubby Meets The Aggrovators At Dub Station) Trojan
  • 15 April 1995 (BFBS) (& Agrovators): Inspiring Dub (LP-King Tubby Meets The Agrovators At Dub Station) Live And Love
  • 21 April 1995 (& The Agrovators): The Dub Station (LP - King Tubby Meets The Agrovators At Dub Station) Basement
  • 24 April 1995 (BBC World Service) (& The Agrovators): Inspiring Dub (LP - King Tubby Meets The Agrovators At Dub Station) Attack
  • 29 April 1995 (BFBS) (& Agrovators): The Dub Station (LP-King Tubby Meets The Agrovators At Dub Station) Live And Love
  • 23 October 1997 (& Don D. Jr): Fisherman Special (Compilation CD-Jesus Dread 1972-1977) Blood & Fire
Tommy McCook & The Supersonics
Jackie Mittoo
Don Drummond
Lester Sterling
Roland Alphonso

Soul Vendors (see also Soul Brothers)

See Also[]

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