Played my JA Doctor Bird "YOU SEND ME" out on Saturday, to much crowd delight - but wish I'd taken "You're too bad" to follow up. That said, my favourite Jackie Opel tune right now is "Welcome You Back Home" - his vocals are amazing on that. If he'd been American, he'd have been far more famous......

I agree, I think Jackie opel's Ska stuff stands out a mile above other artists from Jamaica etc.

Hes the Man.

Pete Griff

My JO favourites are SOLID ROCK, THE LORD IS WITH ME and I AM WHAT I AM...

...a magnificent voice taken away way too soon...

Played my JA Doctor Bird "YOU SEND ME" out on Saturday, to much crowd delight - but wish I'd taken "You're too bad" to follow up. That said, my favourite Jackie Opel tune right now is "Welcome You Back Home" - his vocals are amazing on that. If he'd been American, he'd have been far more famous......

I've been looking for "you Send Me" for a while now, is this hard to get seen it on a Canadian LP and Gaz's Ska CD but so far not on vinyl

It was released on a Trojan single to coincide with the release of Gaz Mayall's TOP SKA TUNES

It was released on a Trojan single to coincide with the release of Gaz Mayall's TOP SKA TUNES

Got the JA label issue on Doctor Bird - a minter with Safari on the flip. Amazing artefact.

Gaz has got my all time ska want - YOU BELONG TO MY HEART (SEP) by LORD TANAMO. I'd do time for that record!!!

"I am what I am" is my favourite, I think. Fantastic record.

"I am what I am" is my favourite, I think. Fantastic record.

"You're too bad" and "Old rockin chair" are my favourites. Very popular records in Italy too!

Too many awesome tracks (and not just ska etiher) to just pick one or two.

"Old Rocking Chair" has been a fav for a long time (especially Ranglin's Django Reinhart-esque solo at the end), but "The Lord Is With Me" has more recently hit my ears as the quintessential ska tune. I would love to hear (or own) the original JA issue on a Hi-Fi, chills would run down my spine. I think that recording is ska perfected, at the pinnacle of the Skatalites prime. Was that recorded for Yap or Coxsone?

Studio One as far as I know, Lord...though there's no indication on the Ska Beat (JB227) single.

Tears From My Eyes is the most soulful record I have heard to come out of the Islands.

SIT DOWN SERVANT

MORE WOOD

Nobody mentioned the fab "Pictures of Smoke" or "Take your time" yet?

Nobody mentioned the fab "Pictures of Smoke" or "Take your time" yet?

As with most of Jackie O's songs, topdrawer, Claudio...though they don't get a gold medal from me - my favourites (SOLID ROCK, THE LORD IS WITH ME and I AM WHAT I AM) I've had since about 1969 or 1970, so they're long in my consciousness, while the two you mention I've only had on CD for about 12 years...