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Ska Covers of Mento Songs
Laurel Aitken - Shake
Shake Senora
Laurel Aitken - Sally Brown
Based on Count
Lasher's "Island Girl Sally
Brown"
Dennis Alcapone - Shades of
Hudson
Half of it is
"Emanuel Road".
Roland Alphonso - Big Bamboo
Though very much a part of the mento
repertoire, the original recording of this song was a hit in 1952 for
Trinidadian calypso star Duke of Iron.
Roland Alphonso - Sandy Gully
An instrumental version of "Advice To
Men" by Harold Richardson and The Ticklers.
Baba Brooks - Collie Foot
An instrumental based on
Count Lasher's "Calabash". (Thanks to
Olivier Albot of France for pointing this out to me.)
Beverly All Stars - Sly
Mongoose
An instrumental version. Thanks to Brian
Keyo for
Blues Busters - Shame And
Scandal
Baba Brooks Band / Skatalites
- Bank To Bank
This instrumental is said to
be an old mento song, but I haven't been able to substantiate this. Perhaps
it's being confused with the song, Riverbank.
Baba Brooks - Mattie Rag
An instrumental version.
Desmond Dekker - Island
In The Sun; Jamaica Farwell
Desmond Dekker - King of
Ska
Takes the melody from "Old Lady Oh".
Desmond Dekker and The
Specials - Sammy Dead
Desmond Dekker -
Soldering
Part of Rukumbine appears twice.
Shenley Duffus - Rukumbine
(Thanks to Frank Martin for reminding me of this one.)
Four Aces - Hoochy-Koochy
Kai-Po
A cover of Chin's "Don't Fool Roun
Me Gal", a.k.a. "Mo-Bay China Man", by the pre-Desmond Dekker
Aces.
The Gaylads and The Skatalites - Brown Skin
Gal, Chi Chi Bud
Thanks to Brian Keyo for pointing both of
these out.
Clancy Eccles - Sammy No Dead
Technically, "Sammy's Dead"
may be more of a Jamaican folk song than a mento song. In any event, hear
why Eccles was more successful as a producer than a singer.
Derrick Harriott - Face Dog
Based on the old JA folksong "John Tom".
Derrick Harriott - Monkey Ska
Lord Flea's
"Monkey". Thanks to Olivier Albot for
pointing this out.
Carlos Malcolm - Cut Munu,
Ethiopia, Rukumbine, Sly Moongoose, and Sweet Charlie, Skamania (Baji),
Linstead Market, Nobody's Business, Shame and Scandal, Wings of a Dove
Malcolm's ska had a Latin
influence. Thanks to Olivier Albot for pointing some of these out to me.
Derrick Morgan - Don't Call Me
Daddy
Not a straight cover but
thematically owes
a lot to The Hiltonaires' "Chinese Baby"
Derrick Morgan - No Body's
Business
Derrick Morgan -
River To The Back
Also know as "Can't Cross Over" or
"Bamboo", Derrick's reggae version includes fife, harkening back to this
song's roots.
Duke Reid - Night Food
According to Joop Visser, writing in
the liner notes of the Deep Ska collection, it is, in fact,
Lord
Tanamo singing on this
faithful cover of the Chin's song. He further identifies Tanamo's real name
as Joseph Gordon.
King Stitt - Iron Bar
King Bravo - Shame and Scandal
Danziel Lang - Man Payada
"'Man Pyaba", most probably by Denzil
Laing
Lord Tanamo - Iron Bar,
Maryann, Matty Rag (called "Ol' Matilda"),
Chinese Baby (called "Daddy "),
Mother and Wife (called "Mother's Choice").
 Eric 'Monte" Morris and Byron Lee -
Sammy Dead
Eric 'Monte' Morris - Penny
Reel
With the Skatalites backing
him, Monte Morris has his finest hour with this classic ska update of
Lord Power's mento song. A rare case where the cover surpasses the
original mento.
Eric 'Monte' Morris -
Beautiful Garden
Prince Buster - She Pon Top
The smooth dance band mento standard
transformed to a rough ska with nyabinghi drums.
Prince Buster - Buster's Ska
Uses the melody of Day-O.
Prince Buster - Sammy Dead Medley
Also includes "A Little More Oil In My
Lamp" and "The Got To Come"
Prince Buster - Ska Day-O, Tie The Donkey's
Tail (Jack-ass Song), Healing (Healing In The Balmyard)
 Prince Buster - Firestick
Old Lady Oh
Prince Buster - Girl Why Won't You Answer to
Your Name
The melody of "Oh Lady O"
Dennis Sindrey - Yellow Bird Ska
Skatalites - Peanut Vendor
Though a part of the mento repertoire, this
track may be Cuban in origin and was covered by numerous artists in
many genres.
Skatalites - River Bed
River Come Down
Skatalites - Musical Communion
Both "Water Come to Me Eye"
and "Day-O" are both quoted at the end of this instrumental. Thanks to Rey Donnart
for pointing this out.
Stranger and Patsy - Hog In Cocoa
Hog In Me Minty
Tommy
McCook - Wheel and Turn
Toots and the Maytals - Little Flea
Naughty Flea
The Vagabonds - Linsdka
"Lindsdka", as in "Linstead Market" and "ska"
Reggae Covers of Mento Songs
Charlie Ace - Penny Reel
Credited to "Charlie and Sticky", as seen
here.
Big Youth - Mama Look
Big Youth - Survival Plan
Uses the "Some of dem a holla, some a
bawl" refrain from "Chi Chi Bud" throughout the song.
Big Youth - Dread In A
Festival
Quotes from "Give Me Back My Shilling"
Big Jim - Monkey Do
Lord Flea's "Monkey"
Black Uhuru -
Shine Eye Gal
Shine Eye Gal is actually a Jamaican folk
song, though Black Uhuru added a lot of lyrics.
Frats Quintet
recorded a folk version in 1966.
Black Uhuru - Dry Weather
House
Performed by one of their
later line ups.
Cedric Im Brooks - Sly Mongoose; Nobody's
Business
Roots reggae / calypso fusion.
Charlie Ace and
Sticky - Penny Reel
A mento-reggae version of this song.
Barry Brown -
Emmanuel Road
Clint Eastwood - Nobody's Business
Congos - The River Beng Come Down
Quotes from two folk/mento songs, "River
Ben Come Down" and "Hold 'Im Joe".
Cedric Im Brooks - Salt Lane Rock
Based on the mento song "O Lady O", later
recorded in ska by Prince Buster as "Old Lady".
Samuel Cargill - Sambo Gal
Lord Fly's "Big Big Sambo Gal". Thanks to Olivier Albot for pointing this out.
Charlie Chaplin - Jamaican
Collie
Uses the chorus of Take Me to Jamaica
Where The Rum Comes From", updated to "..where the collie [marijuana]
comes from"
Charlie Chaplin - Revival
"Dip Dem Bedward" is incorporated.
Johnny Clark -
Collie Dread
Sammy's Dead
Johnny Clark - Don't Call I
Daddy
Same lineage as the
Derrick Morgan song above.
Thanks to Olivier Albot for pointing this out.
Clint Eastwood -
Some A Holler
Some of "Chi Chi Bud", a little of
"Charlie's Cow" and bit from a Ring Game, plus updated lyrics.
Clint Eastwood and
General Saint -
Shame and Scandal
Clint Eastwood and General Saint - Talk
About Run
"Love In The Cemetery".
Although part of the mento repertoire, this song
was originally recorded by Trinidadian calypso star Lord Kitchner.)
Clint Eastwood and General
Saint - Matty Gunga Walk
Mattie Run
Clint Eastwood and General
Saint - Healing In The Balmyard
It's a mento medley by the DJ duo, as "Healing
In The Balmyard", "Long Time Gal", "Sly Mongoose", "Brown Skin Gal",
"Wheel and Turn", and "Old Macdonald" (?!) are rattled off in rapid
succession.
England Cook - Samba Gal
Lord Fly's
"Big Big Sambo Gal"
Count Lasher - Maintenance
A reggae version of the old mento song, as
described further on the Count Lasher
page.
Culture -
Forward To Africa
This is a cover of Lord Lebby's Etheopia. Jim
Dooley, who maintains a Culture website at
http://www.culturereggae.net/
once asked Joseph Hill about this track. Hill didn’t recall having heard
Lebby's recording - he just remembered hearing the song on street corners.
Culture -
I'm Alone In The Wilderness
In part based on a Jamaican folk song called
"Me Alone", as recorded by The Jamaican
Folk Singers in 1969. Thanks to Olivier Albot for
pointing this out.
Culture - Get Them Soft
The Jack-ass song. Thanks to Olivier Albot for
pointing this out.
Earl Cunningham - John Tom
Nora Dean
- Walk and Talk
Nora Dean
- Want Man
The melody was taken from a Jamaican folk
song, "Mama Me Wan Fe Work" as recorded by
The Frats Quintet in 1958.
Nora Dean - Night Food Reggae
Night Food
Des All Stars - Night Food Reggae
Dillinger - Dip Them Bedward
Dip Dem (In The Healing Stream)
Phyllis Dillon - Don’t Touch
Me Tomato
Phyllis Dillon - Boys and Girls Reggae (Doing
The Reggae)
Based on "Black Girl In The Ring". Thanks
to Frank Martin of Ireland for pointing this out.
Desmond Decker -
Daylight Come
Day-O
Desmond Decker - Jamaica
Farewell
Desmond Decker -
Hey Grandma
Not a cover, but as Frank Martin of
Ireland points out, the lyrics mention singing a mento song:
I didn't do nothing wrong,
I was just singing a song,
Sweetie Charlie, Charlie, Sweetie Sweetie Charlie...
Dillinger -
Flat Foot Hustling
Becomes Linstead Market at the end of the
song.
 Father Sketto - Big 9
A faithful reggae cover of "Maintenance"
George Fullwood - Rucumbine
Reggae cover with rural vocals and a nice
dub version on the flip.
Dean Fraser -
Nuff Gal Mud Up
Instrumental medley including "Mango Walk"
and "Long Time Gal".
Justin Hines and The Dominoes - Cock Mouth
Kill Cock
Olivier Albot Points out that this song
(sometimes also called "Hey Mama Hey Papa") is Lord Power's "Chambolia".
Joe Gibbs - Dub Island
"Island In The Sun" as an instrumental
dub.
Hippy Boys - Hog In Me Minty
Jah Lion - Little Sally Dater
The old Ring Game song, "Little Sally
Water"
Jah Youth - Little Natty Dread
Borrows the main refrain from the
Lord Flea hit, as "Where did the naughty
little flea go?" become "Where did this natty little dread go?"
Jah Woosh - Judy Drownded
Jamaicans - Fire Fire
The melody was taken from a Jamaican folk
song, "Mama Me Wan Fe Work" as recorded by
The Frats Quintet in 1958.
(Thanks to Olivier Albot for pointing this out.)
Jamaicans - Black Girl
A faithful rendition of the ring game
song.
Winston Jarrett - Babylon Burning
The melody was taken from a Jamaican folk
song, "Mama Me Wan Fe Work" as recorded by
The Frats Quintet in 1958.
(Thanks to Olivier Albot for pointing this out.)
Winston Jarrett - Come Down Zacchius
Louise Bennett's "Come Dung" from her LP
"Listen To Louise".
(Thanks to Olivier Albot for pointing this out.)
Keith Black Slate - Day Light Come
Day-O with some new lyrics
Barrington Levy - She's Mine
Borrows the melody from "Mango Walk".
(Thanks to Olivier Albot for pointing this out.)
The Linkers (The Meditations) - Nyah Man Story
The melody was taken from a Jamaican folk
song, "Mama Me Wan Fe Work" as recorded by
The Frats Quintet in 1958.
(Thanks to Olivier Albot for pointing this out.)
Little John - Come Back To Me
Incorporates the chorus of "Back To Back,
Belly To Belly"
Lord Tanamo -
"China Man From Montego Bay"
Lord Tanamo - Ol Fowl
"Ol' Fowl" and "Dog War"
Lord Tanamo - Jamaica Farwell, Yellow Bird,
Island In The Sun, Shame and Scandal In The Family
Hugh Malcom - Mortgage
Uses the melody from
Arthur Knibb's "Soldier Man"
Maytones - Brown Girl In The
Ring
Maxie, Niney and Scratch (Max Romeo, Niney the
Observer and Lee Scratch Perry) - Babylons Burning
The melody was taken from a Jamaican folk
song, "Mama Me Wan Fe Work" as recorded by
The Frats Quintet in 1958.
(Thanks to Olivier Albot for pointing this out.)
Mellodies - Dread Oppression
The melody of "Oh Lady O"
Melodians - Daphne Walking
Mother Liza and Papa Kojack - Dance Pon The
Band Stand
Day-O
Prince Glen - Hog In Mi Minty
With new lyrics for the verses
Prince Jazzbo - Penny Reel
Prince Junior - Shame and Scandal
Eek A Mouse - Dip Em
Ethiopians - Live My Business Alone
Altered, but recognizable. (Thanks to
Olivier Albot of France)
Ethiopians - Rock Me Dine
"Rookumbine", at least in part.
Owen Gray - Put Me In Jail
Maintenance
Derrick Harriot - Face Dog
A version of the old folk- and mento song,
"John Tom".
Joe Higgs - Day-O
Thanks to Rey Donnart for pointing this out.
Joe Higgs - Mother Radio'
"Look
Out Fe You Tongue" by Chin's.
(Thanks to Olivier Albot of France)
John Holt - Island In The Sun
I-Roy - Casmas Town
Manual Road
I-Roy - Catty Rock
Big Boy and Teacher
I-Roy - Hill And Gully
I-Roy - Monkey Fashion
"Monkey", as in
Lord Flea's version.
Gregory Isaacs - Day-O
Gregory Isaacs - Nobody Knows
Naughty Little Flea with vermin-free
lyrics. Thanks to Olivier Albot for pointing this out.
Jah Woosh - In Deh
Miss Goosie (Thanks to Andreas Mink for
pointing this out.)
Justin Hinds and the Dominos -
Penny Reel
Jamaica All-Stars - Linstead Market and Banana
Thanks to Rey Donnart for pointing this out.
Jamaica Jazz - Linstead Market
Thanks again to Rey Donnart for pointing
this
out.
 Ini Kamoze - Hill and Gully
Loosely based on.
Dandy Livingstone - Come Back
Liza
Lone Ranger - Coconut Woman
Lone Ranger - Jamaican Weed
Takes the chorus from "Take Her To Jamaica
Where The Rum Comes From" and changes rum to collie.
Maytones - Brown Girl [In The Ring]
Freddie McGregor - In Your Dreams
Based on the Jamaican folk song, "Evening
Time"
Lee Perry and The Silvertones
- Finger Mash
Emanuel Road
Lee Perry - John Tom
Lee Perry and The Upsetters - Goosey
Miss Goosey (Thanks to Andreas Mink for
pointing this out.)
Pinchers - Hill and Gully Ride
Just the titular refrain survives from the
original, to the "My Boy Lollipop" riddim.
Lord Power (Calypso Joe) - Adults Only (aka The Big Race)
Count Lasher's "Miss Constance".
Meditations - Woman Piabba
(aka The Weed)
Derrick Morgan - Ben Johnson
Day
"Mama Me Want Fe Work", a
folk song as recorded by The Frats
Quintet. Thanks, Olivier Albot, for bringing this to my
attention. For another example of this folk song being retooled into a
famous reggae song see here.
Mutabaruka - The Monkey
Mutabaruka - Peanut Vendor
 Johnny Osbourne - Day-O
Johnny Osbourne - Hill and Gully
Complete with a synthesized banjo picking
sound over early digital dance hall. Thanks to Frank Martin of Balbriggan,
Ireland for finding this one.
Papa Michigan and General
Smiley - Come When I Call
Uses a stanza from
Lord Flea's "Monkey" and also briefly quotes "Manual Road".
Papa Tullo - Youth of Today
DJ Tullo ends his song with by quoting the
chorus of "Mama Look A Boo Boo".
The Paragons - Yellow Bird;
Island In The Sun
Dwight Pinkney - Mento Reggae
Mango Walk
Pioneers - No Dope Me Pony
Hol' Him Joe
Pioneers -
Dip And Fall Back
Prince Bothers - Hold Him Joe
Prince Brothers - Gal and Boy, Let Them Play,
Jeremiah
These are "Manuel Road", "The Jack-Ass
Song" and Wheel and Turn Me" (Thanks to Olivier Albot for pointing all
of these out to me.)
Rankin Dread - African
Quotes from "Rukumbine"
Ranking Joe - Oh What A Night
A medley of "Linstead
Market" and "Long Time Gal", as brought to my attention by Olivier
Albot.
Ras Michael and The Sons of
Negus - Boma Yeah
Olivier Albot points out that
this is a cover version of
the Jamaican folk song Rasam Gooma as recorded by The Frats Quintet in
1962.
Johnny Ringo - Calypso Fi Granny
Not a cover, but does mention the song
"Rukumbine".
Hubert Roe - Goosie
The lyrics of both "Miss Goosie" and "Matty
Gungo Walk" are combined.
 Max Romeo - Chi Chi Bud
Max Romeo - Sixpense
Based on Count
Lasher's "Jolly Jolly Shilling"
Max Romeo - Wine Her Goosie
Miss Goosie
Max Romeo -
One Night Dinner
Lord Fly's "I
Don't Know". (Thanks to Olivier Albot for pointing this out to me.)
 Ringo - Living In The Ghetto
Borrows heavily from "Linstead Market".
Pat Satchmo - Goosy
Miss Goosy
Errol Scorcher - Rucumbine Girl
Seven Letters - Bam Bam Baji
Bargie Composer
Sister Nancy - Ball A Roll
Borrows liberally from "Day O"
Slickers - Mother Matty
Not "Matty Roll" nor "Matty Rag", but
quotes "Wheel and Turn Me"
Winston Shan - Matilda
The old Jamaican Anancy folk song, not the
Belafonte song of the same name, also part of the mento repertoire.
Stranger & Gladdy - Skanking Monkey
Monkey
Symarip - Bam Bam Baji (also know as
Seven Letters)
Bargie Composer. Thanks to Gibb Schreffler
of Santa Barbara, California for pointing this out.
Seven Letters - Bam Bam Baji
Bargie Composer.
Techniques - Day-O
The Tellers - Green Guava Jelly
Patsy Millicent Todd - Little Flea
Thanks to Rey Donnart for pointing this out.
Trinity - Mr. Drummer
Towards the end, "Chi Chi Bud" is quoted.
Trinity - No Galfriend
Two lines each from "Sly Mongoose"
and "Brown Skin Gal" are quoted.
U-Roy - Big Boy and Teacher
Very true to the Chin's original,
sung, not DJed by U-Roy
Wailing Souls - Water Pumpee
"This Long Time Gal a Never See You", with a
snatch of melody from "Day-O", for good measure. Thanks to Olivier Albot
of France for pointing this out.
Sylford Walker - Every Goodie
Largely Based On "Reap What You Sow" China
Calypso Sextet. Thanks to Olivier Albot of France for pointing this out.
Dennis Walks - Belly Lick
It's actually Penny Reel, name checking Belly
Lick
Upsetters - Ten Penny Nail
Yellow Man - Hill and Gully Rider
Yellow Man - Take Me To Jamaica
Yellow Man & Fathead - Donkey Want Water
Hold Em Joe. The also did a version of
"Take Me To Jamaica" together.
Shelton Walks - No Money , No Friend
"Mattie Walk". Thanks again to Olivier Albot
for pointing this out.
Dancehall and Ragga Covers of Mento Songs
Beenie Man - Brown Gal In The
Ring
Captain Barkley - Dem Willie
Dead
The chorus from "Sammy's Dead" to the
Chrome rhythm.
Cutty Ranks - Ganja Pipe
Borrows from Mandeville Road
Mr. Balance and Rosalin - Hill
and Gully Ride
In name only. Actually, it should have been
called "Nice Time", as it uses the chorus from this
Bob Marley and The Wailers track.
Elephant Man - Hill and Gully
Jah Thomas - Rucumbine
Killa Fonz - Rookumbine
Alfonzo "Killa Fonz" Messam is
Lord Messam's son.
Welton Irie - Balm Yard
Little John - What Is Catty?
Based on Chin's
"Big Boy And Teacher"
Echo Minott - Emannuel Road
Nitty Gritty - Hog In A Minty
Patra - Dip and Fall Back
Wheel and Turn - Apache Scratchy
Takes from "Wheel and Turn Me" and "Long
Time Gal"
Tenor Saw - Ring The Alarm
Not a cover, but at one point lyrics from
"Hold 'Em Joe" make an appearance: "donkey want water, but you hold him
Joe".
Tiger and General Trees - Hill
and Gully Rider
T. O. K.
- Galang Gal
Parts of Gal A Gully & Mandeville Road
 Tony Tuff - Back To Back
Tony Tuff -
Dance Hall Rukumbine
Tony Tuff - Find My Girl
Not really a cover, but borrows heavily
from the chorus of Lord Flea's "Naughty
Little Flea".
Josey Wales - Water Come To Me
Eyes
Thanks to Anton Wilson for bringing this
to my attention.
Wickerman
- Girl Gungo Walk
Mattie Walla Lef
American Folk and Pop Covers of Mento Songs
Ink Spots -Hold Im Joe
Kingston Trio - Zombie
Jamboree
Peter, Paul and Mary - Bamboo
River She Comes Down
Dave van Ronk - River She
Comes Down
The Spinners - Rukumbine
The UK folk group, not the US soul group
by the same name.
 The Tarriers - The Banana Boat
Song
American folk trio covering Day-O, which
reached #4 on the charts. A year
later, Belafonte would record his massive
hit version of this song. As they included banjo, The Tarriers' version sounds
a bit more mento than one might expect. The Tarriers were Erik Darling
(tenor, banjo), Bob Carey (bass, guitar), and future movie actor Alan Arkin
(baritone, guitar). Darling replaced Pete Seeger in The Weavers, 1958-62,
then formed The Rooftop Singers.
Rock and American R&B Covers of Mento Songs
Brothers Four - Calypso Medley: Yellow Bird /
John B. Sails / Jamaica Farewell
Gary "U.S." Bonds - Coconut Woman
Very influenced by the Harry Belafonte
version.
Charlie Hunter, China Smith
and Ernest Ranglin - Island In The Sun
Grateful Dead - Man Smart,
Woman Smarter
Ink Spots - Hold 'Em Joe
David Lindley and Wally Ingram
- Shame and Scandal
Lloyd Price - Coconut Woman
Very influenced by the Harry Belafonte
version.
Madness - Shame and Scandal
Jazz Covers of Mento Songs
Monty Alexander
- Day-O,
Hold 'Em Joe, Mango Walk, Linstead Market
Eugene Grey - Mento Medley
Hold 'Em Joe and Penny Reel
Charlie Hunter, Ernest Ranglin, and Chinna
Smith - Island In The Sun
Marie Bryant - [Don't Touch My] Tomato, Noisy Spring and Watermelon
In a jazz-calypso style.
Sonny Rollins - Hold 'Em Joe
Michel Sardaby and Monty Alexander - Jamaica
Farewell, Yellow Bird
Other Covers of Mento Songs
Chet Atkins - Yellow Bird,
Peanut Vendor, Day-O
Adriano Celentano - Deus
Day-O, by this popular Italian singer,
sung in Italian. Thanks to Olivier Albot for pointing this out.
Boney M - Brown Girl In The Ring
The Jamaican ring game folk song by the
European disco band Boney M. Thanks to Olivier Albot for pointing
this out to me.
Covina Concert Band - Jamaican Folk Suite (I.
Mento, II. Promenade, III. Jump-Up)
Orchestral "Pops" versions.
Demis Roussos - Day-O
A reggae-ish cover from popular Greek
singer and one time member of the Greek rock band Aphrodite's Child.
Thanks to Olivier Albot for pointing this out.
Gaylads - Hill and Gully,
Kingston Market, Yellow Bird, Island Woman, Jamaica Farewell, Big Bamboo
For their second album, "Sunshine Is Golden",
in the late 1960s, Coxsone Dodd had this rock steady act do an LP of mostly
pan-Caribbean easy listening pop.
Eugene Grey - Mento Medely
"Hold Em Joe" and "Penny Reel" are
included in this medley by this pop/jazz guitarist.
 Lovindeer
- Gilbert
Count Lasher's "Talking Parrot",
repurposed to describe the infamous hurricane. Performed in a calypso
style by Jamaica's Lovindeer. Thanks for Peter Krog of Olstykke,
Demark for pointing
this out to me.
Michiko
Hamumura - Banana Boat Song
King Vup - Rukumbine
A cover that is best described as calypso
with a band comprised of late-1970's reggae heavyweights.
Miriam Makeba - Naughty Little Flea
The popular South African singer covering
Lord Flea's hit.
Miriam Makeba - River Ben Come Down
Nina and Frederik - Jamaica Farewell, Come
Back Liza, Man Smart Woman Smarter, Limbo, Day-O, Hold Em Joe and Long Time
Boy
 Early 1960s recordings by this Danish duo,
who apparently learned about Jamaican music by way of Harry Belafonte.
However, "Long Time Boy" is a cover of
"Long Time Gal", which I do not believe Belafonte recorded.
Peret - Banana Boat
Day-O by the Spanish rumba ringer. Thanks
to Iacore Abellan Baillo for pointing this out.
Raffi - Brown Girl In The Ring
American young children's act performing a
Jamaican children's folk song
Ska Cubano - Big Bamboo
Contemporary UK-based band that fuses
Cuban music with ska.
The Spinners - Rukumbine, Island In The Sun
The 1960s UK folk-skiffle band, not the
1970s US soul band. Thanks to Rey Donnart for pointing this out.
Steel Drum Bands - Yellow Bird, Iron Bar,
Island In The Sun, Shame and Scandal, Nobody's Business
Steel drum versions of these an other
familiar songs, performed by a variety of bands, can be
heard on the budget-priced 2 CD collection, Sand & Steel - The Classic
Sound Of Jamaican Steel Drums.
 Owe Thörnquist - Loppan
Naughty Little Flea by the popular Swedish
singer, sung in Swedish
Wiggles - Brown Girl In
The Ring
Australian young children's act performing
a Jamaican children's folk song
Also see:
For a site devoted to cataloging every
cover version in 1960s Jamaican music, visit SkaVille at
http://www.skaville.de/.
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