Ska From the Vaults of Wirl Records

Ska was the name given to the music that came out of Jamaica between 1961 and 1966. It was based on the American R&B and Doo Wop records that the Sound Systems in Kingston Town used to play. However, the American record style started to mellow out while the Jamaicans preferred a more upbeat sound. As a result, the Sound System bosses became record producers to cater to this demand.

Sir 'Coxonne' Dodd and Duke Reid led the way by putting the top musicians on the island in the studio to make music. The subtle twist that had an emphasis placed on the offbeat made the music unmistakably Jamaican. W.I.R.L Records (West India Records Limited) was set up by the Jamaican politician Edward Seaga in the late 1950s. He had supervised the recording of an album of Ethnic Jamaican music and needed an outlet for its eventual release.

In 1962, the year of Jamaican Independence, Seaga became a member of Parliament, representing the Jamaican Labour Party and then decided to sell the label to Bryon Lee. The sale led to a name change from W.I.R.L to Dynamic Sounds. Kingston Sounds have compiled some of the best scorching ska sounds that came out of W.I.R.L vaults, and it still sounds as fresh today as the day it was recorded. It features The Skatalites, Roland Alphonso, Johnny Moore, and Don Drummond.

The tracklisting includes "Chinatown," "The Reburial," "South China Sea," "Determination," "Love in the Afternoon," "Confucius," "Live Wire," "Ska-Boo-Da-Ba," "A Shot in the Dark," "El Pussycat," "Ska-Ra-Van," "Smiling," "Ringo Rides," "VC 10," "Lawless Street," and "Marcus Junior." There are also CD bonus tracks included.