Laurel Aitken
22nd April 1927 - 17th July 2005
About time we had some Ska (my friend Marie in Quebec will be very happy).
Laurel Aitken's recording career stretches back into the 1950s and his 1958 single Boogie in My Bones/Little Shelia was one of the first records produced by Chris Blackwell (who would go on to form Island Records and be insturmental in making Reggae a driving force in the UK) and the first popular Jamaican record to be released in the UK.
He lived in Brixton for three years (1960-63) and was signed to Blue Beat and in that time released 15 singles. Back in Jamaica he recorded with Duke Reid and had The Skatalites as his back band.
In 1970 he moved to Leicester and settled but by the end of the seventies he was up and running again as his music got a new lease of life through the rise of the Mod Revival and Two Tone. Secret Affair signed him to their label I-Spy Records and he released Rudi Got Married. He toured with the Mod Revivalists and his backing band was The Ruts (minus Malcom Owen).
He was performing occasionally right up until his death from a heart attack in 2005.
There's a wealth of Laurel Aitken albums and compilations still around today. Worth checking out I think. Here today is a little kick start for you.
Laurel Aitken's recording career stretches back into the 1950s and his 1958 single Boogie in My Bones/Little Shelia was one of the first records produced by Chris Blackwell (who would go on to form Island Records and be insturmental in making Reggae a driving force in the UK) and the first popular Jamaican record to be released in the UK.
He lived in Brixton for three years (1960-63) and was signed to Blue Beat and in that time released 15 singles. Back in Jamaica he recorded with Duke Reid and had The Skatalites as his back band.
In 1970 he moved to Leicester and settled but by the end of the seventies he was up and running again as his music got a new lease of life through the rise of the Mod Revival and Two Tone. Secret Affair signed him to their label I-Spy Records and he released Rudi Got Married. He toured with the Mod Revivalists and his backing band was The Ruts (minus Malcom Owen).
He was performing occasionally right up until his death from a heart attack in 2005.
There's a wealth of Laurel Aitken albums and compilations still around today. Worth checking out I think. Here today is a little kick start for you.
Ska with Laurel
1965 Debut Album
Rudi Got Married
1980 John Peel Session
The Ruts were the backing band.
Voodoo Woman
Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!
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