John Bailey

The Ska Rocksteady Quiz Book 1960-1968 John Bailey

At last a comprehensive quiz on the ska and rocksteady era, following hot on the heels of the 2020 publication Boss Skinhead Reggae Quiz Book. The book as the title suggests concentrates on the embryonic Jamaican music years of 1960-1968. Ska drew on the musical elements of Caribbean mento, calypso, rhythm and blues and American jazz circa 1960. The great names from the ska era include Prince Buster, Laurel Aitken, Jimmy Cliff, Derrick Morgan, Desmond Dekker, The Skatalites and Justin Hinds to name but a few. Rocksteady became more influential in 1966 with the beat slowed considerably from the fast paced ska and although it lasted less than two years it is seen by many as the most influential period in Jamaican music. The bass line changed to steady, repetitive and catchy, bearing a close resemblance to what would soon become reggae. The questions are set out in two sections, the first half are multiple choice, the next Tougher Than Tough comes without prompts, nevertheless with eight-hundred varied challenges the book is more than just a simple trivia of questions and answers, it reveals so much about the world of ska, rocksteady and a smidgen of early reggae.