Studio One

One of the greatest ska/calypso/reggae labels also boasted some of the greatest LP covers. Founded in 1954 by Clement Dodd (also known as Coxsone) the label would be one of the first of it's kind to feature some of the earliest Ska and Blue-Beat. Back in 1998 I had a chance to interview the man himself, who was well into his 70's, on a phone line that sounded like it was underwater. He'd been living in Brooklyn where he passed away in 2004.

Pretty much having the Skatalites as it's house band, Studio One Records featured the likes of Delroy Wilson, Toots & The Maytals and the Wailers (with Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer). Many of which are featured in this mix.

The artists behind these covers are mostly unknown and their names will unfortunately be forever lost in the annals of music-dom. Here's some of the classics: