The Skatalites and The Wailers

Formed in 1963, The Skatalites was founded by tenor saxophonist Tommy McCook, alto saxophonist Rolando Alphonso, bassist Lloyd Brevett, drummer Lloyd Knibb, trombonist Don Drummond, guitarist Jah Jerry Haynes, teenaged pianist Jackie Mittoo, Johnny Moore, and Jackie Opel. Prior to forming the group the various members had played in previous groups and had crossed paths on a number of occasions, however with a lack of musical infrastructure in Jamaica, these groups were usually either hotel bands or school program bands.

Alphonso and McCook had both made recordings previously with local businessman Duke Reid, who together created the 'original' Ska sound, before coming together as the Skatalites to perform for the first time at the Hi-Hat club in Rae Town, Kingston. The band were then offered tenancy at the local Bournemouth Beach Club in Eastern Kingston, Jamaica, and for 18 months toured and recorded relentlessly. The band’s debut arrived in 1964 titled “Ska Authentic” released through Stuido One records.

This was an important epoch in musical history, The Skatalites merged older styles of music and dragged them into contemporary R&B, added a addictive and compulsively lively island beat and catapulted themselves into the mainstream.

Around this time the band played on a host of records for the likes of Price Buster, Duke and Justin Yap, and recorded an enormous cache of songs, however have become nototiously uncredited for the majority of their appearances. Later in 1964 the Don Drummond trombone composition “Man in the Street” entered the Top 10 in the UK, however a year later fraught with a history of mental illness Drummond was arrested and convicted of killing his girlfriend.

In 1965 The Skatalites played their last show breaking up into two supergroups Rolando Alphonso and the Soul Vendors and Tommy McCook and the Supersonics. The reunion arrived in 1974 for bass player Lloyd Brevett’s solo album, where McCook, Alphonso, Sterling, Knibb and Mittoo lay down parts for tracks that were largely credited as Lloyd Brevett and the Skatalites.

The official reformation came in 1986 and the band began touring regularly again with a few years later touring worldwide as Bunny Wailer’s backing band. Since then The Skatalites have released eight full-length studio albums including the Grammy nominated “Hi-Bop Ska: The 30th Anniversary Recording”, the Grammy winning “True Love” and “Walk with Me” in 2012.

The Skatalites are arguably the most prolific band and collective of talented and pioneering musicians to ever emerge from Jamaica. Among illustrious guest appearances and collaborations with highly revered artists, being the creators of a new contemporary genre and continuing to reinvent their sound and direction, The Skatalites remain one of the most influential and respected bands of their time.

To sum up the history of The Wailers is akin to summing up the history of The Beatles, except even more so. The influence and impact of Bob Marley and The Wailers goes far beyond that of the fab four, to the extent where some, very understandably, call Marley a straight up prophet. Even from a purely musical perspective, we’re talking about the creators of some of the most iconic pop music of our time. So, no pressure then.

The first incarnation of The Wailers eventually consisted of Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingstone playing together as a power trio. However, after several chart successes Livingstone and Tosh were unwilling to tour, so the band split and Marley reformed the Wailers as his backing band. It’s hard to believe that everything that happened next only happened in seven years, but come 1981, Marley passed away due to cancer.

After Marley’s passing, bassist Aston “Family Man” Barrett arguably became the band leader. In fact, Barrett’s nickname came from how he saw himself as the organizer of the band from the very beginning. He’d been Marley’s most trusted lieutenant right up until his passing, responsible for most of the songs arrangements and playing on the vast majority of his greatest hits.

Under his guidance the band has played to an estimated total audience of 24 million people over the years, and have worked and performed with artists like Sting, Stevie Wonder and Carlos Santana. They are the pioneers of one drop reggae to this day, and with a line-up as experienced as they are, a live show of theirs can still knock people for six at twenty paces. Highly recommended.