Prince Buster: Blue Beat Hits [BLUE BEAT]

Why you'll love it

Every track here is remastered from the original Blue Beat singles. These are the singles that helped define ska, so much so that blue beat became shorthand for the whole movement.

This edition

• Remastered from the original Blue Beat singles

About the album

Cecil Bustamente Campbell grew up on Orange Street in Kingston, sang in church, danced in rock 'n' roll revues as a schoolboy and went on to become Prince Buster, one of the people who built Jamaican popular music from the ground up. As a singer, songwriter and producer in the 1960s, he made records that shaped everything that came after, from rocksteady and reggae to the British 2-Tone bands.

"Al Capone" still sounds like a warning siren from Kingston's streets, and "One Step Beyond" appears in its raw, original form. "Rough Rider" is cheeky and full of charisma, "Wash All Your Troubles Away (Wash, Wash)" and "Sit and Wonder" ride that loping, offbeat shuffle, and "Dance, Cleopatra" and "Cincinnati Kid" keep the floor busy before "Enjoy It (Enjoy Yourself)" sends everyone home singing.

The Beat later reworked "Rough Rider," and the British ska revival leaned on his catalogue again and again. A band from Camden even named themselves after the opening track, which is about the highest compliment a song can get without a trophy.

Also at Kops: more Prince Buster on vinyl · browse Reggae & Caribbean

Tracklist

Listen

On Blue Beat (cat# BBLP070826).