Ok, check this out. I'm no historian or anything but this has been a big part of my life for a while now.
First I gotta talk about the original skinheads. These folks started showing up in the UK around 1969. They weren't racist. They were working class youth of ALL races that gravitated towards a particular music called 'ska'. Ska is an offshoot of what folks from Jamaica brought over to the UK when they moved there.
It would be difficult to mention ska without mentioning Desmond Dekkar. Essentially, Desmond was a pioneer of this 'movement'. Here's a taste of his music:
Desmond Dekker - 'Rude Boy Train'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlEo6XmdOd8
Sounds a lot like reggae, doesn't it? It is, but the lyrics and slightly different beat are what make it different from reggae. (personally, I LOVE the horns found in most ska music)
Many young folk were out of work in the UK and ska music started to evolve. Some examples of the 'evolved' ska can be heard here:
The Specials - 'Little Bitch'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YthLQSqXjLo
The Toasters - 'I'm Running Right Through The World'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dbcSc6kBcM
Bad Manners - 'Skinhead Girl'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a5BTLXrUC4
Now it starts to evolve some more as certain (more modern( adaptations came into existence. Some of these would be:
Madness - 'One Step Beyond'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-uyWAe0NhQ
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - 'Rascal King'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NxMlG3M40k
Reel Big Fish - 'Beer'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gql9220Qon8
Streetlight Manifesto - 'Saddest Song'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUDndFKTA0s
Many punk and skinheads added their own punch to ska. This is more often called oi! music.
Here is a brief video on the history of ska:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AesId12OKsY
Like I was saying earlier skinheaad culture started in the UK and didn't take long to get to us here in the States. US skins adopted the term oi! as a salute ('Oi! John'), essentially, we simply replaced our East Coast 'yo' (Yo! John') with 'oi'. Some scenes had certain meanings to the way 'oi!' was said. One of these was a triple oi!, 'Oi! Oi! Oi' shouted meant that a fight was going down and if you were skin, you best go back your crew up.
Skins and punks started playing 'oi! music'. There are MANY variations.
Oi! Scouts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0LxCNAsE64
Operation Ivy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-za7J89qTc
FourSkins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5xInUlkjYA
Anyway, just wanted to kinda answer Drug Wench's question (she's awesome btw) about ska. The thing is that its more than music, its a lifestyle and culture. I couldn't talk about ska (without mentioning oi!)
Oh! I almost forgot! There is a specific manner of dancing to ska (called skanking) and you may have seen many improvisations in the pit at hardcore (punk) shows (especially variations of the Skinhead Stomp)
For shits and giggles I youTube'd some examples that are actually rather funny:
How To Skank 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_R5MlZpXko
How To Skank 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY4QAK_a0QY
How To Skank 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noPhluovtYw
Ha! I just found this! Its the Mighty Mighty Bosstones on the Jon Stewart show (you can see Ben skankin' away on stage). That's all dude does is skank in every video, every show! That RULES!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFgJjYoADGw
First I gotta talk about the original skinheads. These folks started showing up in the UK around 1969. They weren't racist. They were working class youth of ALL races that gravitated towards a particular music called 'ska'. Ska is an offshoot of what folks from Jamaica brought over to the UK when they moved there.
It would be difficult to mention ska without mentioning Desmond Dekkar. Essentially, Desmond was a pioneer of this 'movement'. Here's a taste of his music:
Desmond Dekker - 'Rude Boy Train'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlEo6XmdOd8
Sounds a lot like reggae, doesn't it? It is, but the lyrics and slightly different beat are what make it different from reggae. (personally, I LOVE the horns found in most ska music)
Many young folk were out of work in the UK and ska music started to evolve. Some examples of the 'evolved' ska can be heard here:
The Specials - 'Little Bitch'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YthLQSqXjLo
The Toasters - 'I'm Running Right Through The World'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dbcSc6kBcM
Bad Manners - 'Skinhead Girl'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a5BTLXrUC4
Now it starts to evolve some more as certain (more modern( adaptations came into existence. Some of these would be:
Madness - 'One Step Beyond'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-uyWAe0NhQ
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - 'Rascal King'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NxMlG3M40k
Reel Big Fish - 'Beer'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gql9220Qon8
Streetlight Manifesto - 'Saddest Song'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUDndFKTA0s
Many punk and skinheads added their own punch to ska. This is more often called oi! music.
Here is a brief video on the history of ska:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AesId12OKsY
Like I was saying earlier skinheaad culture started in the UK and didn't take long to get to us here in the States. US skins adopted the term oi! as a salute ('Oi! John'), essentially, we simply replaced our East Coast 'yo' (Yo! John') with 'oi'. Some scenes had certain meanings to the way 'oi!' was said. One of these was a triple oi!, 'Oi! Oi! Oi' shouted meant that a fight was going down and if you were skin, you best go back your crew up.
Skins and punks started playing 'oi! music'. There are MANY variations.
Oi! Scouts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0LxCNAsE64
Operation Ivy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-za7J89qTc
FourSkins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5xInUlkjYA
Anyway, just wanted to kinda answer Drug Wench's question (she's awesome btw) about ska. The thing is that its more than music, its a lifestyle and culture. I couldn't talk about ska (without mentioning oi!)
Oh! I almost forgot! There is a specific manner of dancing to ska (called skanking) and you may have seen many improvisations in the pit at hardcore (punk) shows (especially variations of the Skinhead Stomp)
For shits and giggles I youTube'd some examples that are actually rather funny:
How To Skank 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_R5MlZpXko
How To Skank 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY4QAK_a0QY
How To Skank 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noPhluovtYw
Ha! I just found this! Its the Mighty Mighty Bosstones on the Jon Stewart show (you can see Ben skankin' away on stage). That's all dude does is skank in every video, every show! That RULES!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFgJjYoADGw
