Laurel Aitken- Ska With Laurel

Label: Black Butcher

Reissued 2015, Originally released 1966

Reissue of Laurel Aitken's debut album from 1966  originally released on Rio Records in the U.K.  A major force within Ska music, Laurel was a hugely influential figure in the development of new Jamaican musical styles in the 1950s and 60s. He played a key role in bringing these genres to popularity in England. Laurel Aitken lived in the heart of Leicester for 35 years and made a huge contribution to the cultural life of the city, inspiring and helping hundreds of young musicians. Dubbed by Gaz Mayall as ‘The Godfather of Ska’, Laurel moved to England from Jamaica in the early 1960s, releasing records on the ‘Blue Beat’ label. Proving popular with the Mods and Skinheads in the 1960s and 70s, Laurel’s music also influenced the Two Tone sound of the early 1980s, in particular with bands such as The Specials and Bad Manners. 

Track listing:

1. Street Of Glory
   
2. Lonesome Traveller
   
3. Madame Sorosie
   
4. We Shall Overcome
   
5. Cal The Doctor
   
6. Freedom
   
7. Hallelujah Train
   
8. Looking For My Baby
   
9. Woman Is Sweeter Than Man
   
10. It's Coming Down
    
11. Take Off My Pyjamas
    
12. Leave My Woman Alone