Moon Ska World
Encyclopedia
Moon Ska World, formerly known as Moon Ska Europe, was formed in 1998 as the European sister label of the defunct record label Moon Ska Records. It is based in the United Kingdom
. The name change was revealed through the Moon Ska Europe website in 2006. Unlike Moon Ska Records, Moon Ska Europe released bands from genres outside of ska, but with the name change, the label shifted its focus exclusively towards ska and old reggae
. Moon Ska World was a separate entity to Moon Ska Records hence why still exists today. All of it's early American releases were licensed in, and it was not owned by Robert "Bucket" Hingley of The Toasters
but was run by his long term friend Lol Pryor former boss of Dojo Records and the legendary UK Punk label Link Records.
record label
s of the 1980s and 1990s.
The label operated from 1983 until 2000, and during those 17 years, only released ska and ska-influenced music. Originally named Moon Records, as a tribute to Sun Records
, the label changed its name to Moon Ska Records because another label owned the copyright to the Moon Records name. The label was started by Robert "Bucket" Hingley, founding member of The Toasters
as a means to distribute albums by The Toasters. The label became an American source for many British ska import albums.
The label rose to prominence in the early 1990s by releasing albums by many of the ska genre's biggest acts, such as The Toasters
, The Slackers
, Hepcat
, The Scofflaws
, Mephiskapheles
, The Pietasters
and the debut album of Dance Hall Crashers
— as well as many up and coming bands such as Spring Heeled Jack and Mustard Plug
. The label also promoted non-Moon Ska bands, such as The Allstonians
, Gals Panic
, Less Than Jake
, through various compilation albums. Some of these compilations featured the earliest recordings by No Doubt
. In 1997, the label branched out to form Ska Satellite Records
, in order to produce albums from smaller acts at a lower budget. Moon Ska also produced patches and T-shirt
s that were sold at ska concerts around the world.
In the mid-1990s, the label operated its own store in East Village, Manhattan
. The original storefront was located at 150 East 2nd Street in the Alphabet City
section of the East Village. When space became an issue, the business moved to a larger location at 84 East 10th Street. The storefront was a way for fans to purchase albums directly from the source and at cheaper prices than those of chain stores. It also became a place of social interaction for both ska band members and fans from around the world.
Amidst the end of the ska boom of the mid-1990s, sales began to drop and many records were returned to the small label. Several distribution companies were filing bankruptcy while owing Moon Ska thousands of dollars in unpaid invoices, for albums that were already sent to stores. Those same record stores refused to keep the album prices in the suggested $10 range, and instead marked them up to between $17 and $19. All of these factors led to the end of the Moon Ska store, and eventually, the label itself.
The label is survived by Moon Ska World
(formerly Moon Ska Europe), which is a licensed affiliate
and is not owned by Hingley. The label, based in the United Kingdom
, has released albums from acts such as Rhoda Dakar, Symarip, The Big, The Upsessions, Skaville UK and Go Jimmy Go. Unlike its American sister label, Moon Ska World has released albums from outside of the ska genre. With the name change, the label has shifted its focus to ska and old reggae
.
In 2003, three years after the demise of Moon Ska Records, Hingley started his second ska label, named Megalith Records
. The label has released material by The Toasters, New York Ska Jazz Ensemble, Victor Rice, Eastern Standard Time, Mr. T Bone, Bomb Town, Bigger Thomas & The Hub City Stompers.
Although Moon Ska Europe released over 30 albums licensed from Moon Ska Records USA the labels most important first signing was Spunge who later went onto to be signed to Warners
. The label also signed Whitmore
and released King Prawns first two albums as well as releasing Less Than Jake’s
debut European release. The label also licensed early best releases for The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
and Buck-0-Nine for Europe.
Due to both illness to both Lol Pryor and the other principle owner Sonia “Red” Bailey and subsequent deaths in their families the label was put on hold until the name change to Moon Ska World in 2006 where Lol Pryor took over running the label on his own.
In 2006 Moon Ska World signed UK underground Ska act The Big featuring vocalist and guitarist Ed Rome, European Dirty reggae specialists The Upsessions and award winning Hawaii Ska–soul act Go Jimmy Go
, Bodysnatchers
and Special Aka vocalist Rhoda Dakar
, as well as releasing records by The Toasters
, The Riffs
, 2-tone Supergroup Skaville UK and Skinhead Reggae legends Symarip
releasing their first ever live album and DVD recorded at the infamous Club Ska
Lol Pryor has been quoted as saying that his most important signing of his 28 year career in the music business was the Dub City Rockers the Jamaican and UK based collective. The bands track “Trojan City Love” was the most downloaded track from the labels free mp3 page with 120,000 downloads in the few months, almost double that of other established acts. Due to these figures and the positive reaction caused by the track appearing on Sunday newspaper giveaway Ska and Reggae CD, Pryor convinced the band in 2004 to start recording an album which took nearly six years to finish. It was finally released in October 2011 in the shape of their debut album “Peace, Love, Faith, hope, Respect Co-exist”.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The name change was revealed through the Moon Ska Europe website in 2006. Unlike Moon Ska Records, Moon Ska Europe released bands from genres outside of ska, but with the name change, the label shifted its focus exclusively towards ska and old reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
. Moon Ska World was a separate entity to Moon Ska Records hence why still exists today. All of it's early American releases were licensed in, and it was not owned by Robert "Bucket" Hingley of The Toasters
The Toasters
The Toasters was one of the first American bands in the third wave of ska, and is one of the longest active third wave ska bands.They have released nine studio albums, most of them on Moon Ska Records. The Toasters experienced a small degree of commercial success in the late 1990s due to the...
but was run by his long term friend Lol Pryor former boss of Dojo Records and the legendary UK Punk label Link Records.
History
Moon Ska Records was one of the most influential skaSka
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s of the 1980s and 1990s.
The label operated from 1983 until 2000, and during those 17 years, only released ska and ska-influenced music. Originally named Moon Records, as a tribute to Sun Records
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...
, the label changed its name to Moon Ska Records because another label owned the copyright to the Moon Records name. The label was started by Robert "Bucket" Hingley, founding member of The Toasters
The Toasters
The Toasters was one of the first American bands in the third wave of ska, and is one of the longest active third wave ska bands.They have released nine studio albums, most of them on Moon Ska Records. The Toasters experienced a small degree of commercial success in the late 1990s due to the...
as a means to distribute albums by The Toasters. The label became an American source for many British ska import albums.
The label rose to prominence in the early 1990s by releasing albums by many of the ska genre's biggest acts, such as The Toasters
The Toasters
The Toasters was one of the first American bands in the third wave of ska, and is one of the longest active third wave ska bands.They have released nine studio albums, most of them on Moon Ska Records. The Toasters experienced a small degree of commercial success in the late 1990s due to the...
, The Slackers
The Slackers
The Slackers are a New York City band, formed in Brooklyn in 1991. The band's sound is a mix of ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, soul, garage rock, and jazz...
, Hepcat
Hepcat
Hepcat is a ska and reggae band formed in southern California in 1989.Their soulful harmonies and mellow rhythms were unlike those of contemporaries and more akin to musicians from the heyday of 1960s Jamaican ska, also referred to as the first wave....
, The Scofflaws
The Scofflaws
The Scofflaws are a Huntington, Long Island, New York-based third wave ska band that debuted in 1988. Known for their rambunctious live shows, technically proficient horn solos and tight arrangements, The Scofflaws were one of the top third wave ska acts of the '90s and one of the most beloved...
, Mephiskapheles
Mephiskapheles
Mephiskapheles was a third wave ska band based in New York. Originally called "Skatterbrains," their later name is a portmanteau of "ska" and "Mephistopheles", of Goethe's Faust...
, The Pietasters
The Pietasters
The Pietasters are a seven-piece ska/soul band hailing from Washington, D.C., with additional members from Maryland and Virginia.- History :In 1990, a group of friends were attending college at Virginia Tech in the mountains of Virginia...
and the debut album of Dance Hall Crashers
Dance Hall Crashers
Dance Hall Crashers is an American ska punk band formed in 1989 in Berkeley, California.-Early years:The original incarnation of the Dance Hall Crashers was formed in 1989 by Matt Freeman and Tim Armstrong, formerly of the seminal Bay Area ska-punk band Operation Ivy, after both musicians...
— as well as many up and coming bands such as Spring Heeled Jack and Mustard Plug
Mustard Plug
Mustard Plug is a ska punk band from Grand Rapids, Michigan.Formed in 1991, the band's original members were Dave Kirchgessner, Mike McKendrick, Colin Clive, and Anthony Vilchez. Currently the band consists of Dave , Brandon Jenison , Jim Hofer , Nate Cohn , Colin Clive , and Rick Johnson...
. The label also promoted non-Moon Ska bands, such as The Allstonians
The Allstonians
The Allstonians are a third wave ska/reggae band formed in Allston, Massachusetts in 1992. They have released three albums, on the Moon Ska Records label and the most recent on Fork In Hand Records. They have also appeared on many ska compilations. The band has been featured on MTV's The Real...
, Gals Panic
Gals Panic (band)
Gals Panic was an Austin, Texas ska-punk band, formed in 1992. The band's name comes from the Kaneko arcade game of the same name.-Band history:...
, Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida. Originally formed in 1992 as a power pop trio, the band evolved into a hybrid of ska punk. Less Than Jake have also been cited as showing influences from a wide variety of genres including post-grunge, heavy metal, alternative...
, through various compilation albums. Some of these compilations featured the earliest recordings by No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
. In 1997, the label branched out to form Ska Satellite Records
Ska Satellite Records
Ska Satellite was started by Moon Ska Records as a way to produce smaller acts on a lower budget.-Bands on Ska Satellite Label:* Army of Juan* Buford O'Sullivan* Can't Say* The Checkered Cabs* Critical Mass* Edna's Goldfish* Highball Holiday...
, in order to produce albums from smaller acts at a lower budget. Moon Ska also produced patches and T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
s that were sold at ska concerts around the world.
In the mid-1990s, the label operated its own store in East Village, Manhattan
East Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
. The original storefront was located at 150 East 2nd Street in the Alphabet City
Alphabet City, Manhattan
Alphabet City is a neighborhood located within the Lower East Side and East Village in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is also known as Loisaida, a Spanglish adaptation of 'Lower East Side'. Its name comes from Avenues A, B, C, and D, the only avenues in Manhattan to have single-letter...
section of the East Village. When space became an issue, the business moved to a larger location at 84 East 10th Street. The storefront was a way for fans to purchase albums directly from the source and at cheaper prices than those of chain stores. It also became a place of social interaction for both ska band members and fans from around the world.
Amidst the end of the ska boom of the mid-1990s, sales began to drop and many records were returned to the small label. Several distribution companies were filing bankruptcy while owing Moon Ska thousands of dollars in unpaid invoices, for albums that were already sent to stores. Those same record stores refused to keep the album prices in the suggested $10 range, and instead marked them up to between $17 and $19. All of these factors led to the end of the Moon Ska store, and eventually, the label itself.
The label is survived by Moon Ska World
Moon Ska World
Moon Ska World, formerly known as Moon Ska Europe, was formed in 1998 as the European sister label of the defunct record label Moon Ska Records. It is based in the United Kingdom. The name change was revealed through the Moon Ska Europe website in 2006...
(formerly Moon Ska Europe), which is a licensed affiliate
Affiliate
An affiliate is a commercial entity with a relationship with a peer or a larger entity.- Corporate structure :A corporation may be referred to as an affiliate of another when it is related to it but not strictly controlled by it, as with a subsidiary relationship, or when it is desired to avoid...
and is not owned by Hingley. The label, based in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, has released albums from acts such as Rhoda Dakar, Symarip, The Big, The Upsessions, Skaville UK and Go Jimmy Go. Unlike its American sister label, Moon Ska World has released albums from outside of the ska genre. With the name change, the label has shifted its focus to ska and old reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
.
In 2003, three years after the demise of Moon Ska Records, Hingley started his second ska label, named Megalith Records
Megalith Records
Megalith Records is a ska record label founded on August 22, 2002 and located in Norman, Oklahoma. It is owned by Robert "Bucket" Hingley of The Toasters and the defunct label Moon Ska Records, and managed by Jeremy Patton, current webmaster and graphic artist for the Toasters...
. The label has released material by The Toasters, New York Ska Jazz Ensemble, Victor Rice, Eastern Standard Time, Mr. T Bone, Bomb Town, Bigger Thomas & The Hub City Stompers.
Musical style
Unlike Moon Ska Records in the USA, Moon Ska Europe's “rasin d’etre” was completely different and released bands from genres outside of standard Ska, when interviewed on this point Lol Pryor remarked “we didn’t really have much of a choice, apart from the 2-tone heroes floating about the only good Ska bands like Intensified were already signed up and what was left out there in the UK was pretty piss poor, third rate 3rd wave Ska bands, while the whole UK Ska-punk scene was so more interesting and fresh”.Although Moon Ska Europe released over 30 albums licensed from Moon Ska Records USA the labels most important first signing was Spunge who later went onto to be signed to Warners
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
. The label also signed Whitmore
Whitmore
-Places:*Whitmore Mountains, Antarctica*United Kingdom:**Whitmore, Staffordshire, England**Whitmore High School, Harrow*United States:**Whitmore, California**Whitmore Village, Hawaii**Whitmore Lake, Michigan-People:...
and released King Prawns first two albums as well as releasing Less Than Jake’s
Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida. Originally formed in 1992 as a power pop trio, the band evolved into a hybrid of ska punk. Less Than Jake have also been cited as showing influences from a wide variety of genres including post-grunge, heavy metal, alternative...
debut European release. The label also licensed early best releases for The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. Since the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky Barrett, bassist Joe Gittleman, tenor saxophonist Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton and dancer Ben Carr have remained constant members...
and Buck-0-Nine for Europe.
Due to both illness to both Lol Pryor and the other principle owner Sonia “Red” Bailey and subsequent deaths in their families the label was put on hold until the name change to Moon Ska World in 2006 where Lol Pryor took over running the label on his own.
In 2006 Moon Ska World signed UK underground Ska act The Big featuring vocalist and guitarist Ed Rome, European Dirty reggae specialists The Upsessions and award winning Hawaii Ska–soul act Go Jimmy Go
Go Jimmy Go
Go Jimmy Go is a ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul influenced band from Honolulu, Hawaii. Although chronologically, the band belongs to the third-wave, their mellow, slower tempo sound is reminiscent of the classic style of the original 1960s Jamaican first wave of ska.-History, 1996 to 2000:Go...
, Bodysnatchers
The Bodysnatchers (band)
The Bodysnatchers were a seven-piece all-female band involved in the British 2 Tone ska revival of the late 1970s and early 1980s.-Career:Formed in London by Nicky Summers in 1979, in the aftermath of the punk rock scene, The Bodysnatchers released two ska/rocksteady singles on 2 Tone Records...
and Special Aka vocalist Rhoda Dakar
Rhoda Dakar
Rhoda Dakar is a British singer and musician, best known as the lead singer of The Bodysnatchers, who were signed to the 2 Tone record label.-Career:...
, as well as releasing records by The Toasters
The Toasters
The Toasters was one of the first American bands in the third wave of ska, and is one of the longest active third wave ska bands.They have released nine studio albums, most of them on Moon Ska Records. The Toasters experienced a small degree of commercial success in the late 1990s due to the...
, The Riffs
The Riffs
The Riffs are a rock and roll and punk band from Portland, Oregon. They have released three full-length albums, all on indie labels, namely Pelado Records, Vendetta Records, and TKO Records.- Influences :...
, 2-tone Supergroup Skaville UK and Skinhead Reggae legends Symarip
Symarip
Symarip were a ska and reggae band from the United Kingdom, originating in the late 1960s, when Frank Pitter and Michael Thomas founded the band as The Bees. The band's name was originally spelled Simaryp, which is an approximate reversal of the word 'pyramids'...
releasing their first ever live album and DVD recorded at the infamous Club Ska
Lol Pryor has been quoted as saying that his most important signing of his 28 year career in the music business was the Dub City Rockers the Jamaican and UK based collective. The bands track “Trojan City Love” was the most downloaded track from the labels free mp3 page with 120,000 downloads in the few months, almost double that of other established acts. Due to these figures and the positive reaction caused by the track appearing on Sunday newspaper giveaway Ska and Reggae CD, Pryor convinced the band in 2004 to start recording an album which took nearly six years to finish. It was finally released in October 2011 in the shape of their debut album “Peace, Love, Faith, hope, Respect Co-exist”.
Bands with Moon Ska World releases
- Big D and the Kids TableBig D and the Kids TableBig D and the Kids Table is a ska punk band formed in October 1995 in Allston, Massachusetts when its members converged in college. Their first release was on their own Fork In Hand Records label, but have since teamed with Springman Records and SideOneDummy...
(USA) - Dub City Rockers (Jamaica/UK)
- Dumpster Pop
- Fandangle (UK)
- FarseFarseFarse are a five-piece ska-punk band hailing from Birmingham in the West Midlands.They attended St. Thomas Aquinas school in Birmingham, where the band formed in 1996 as a four piece, Ollie Chris Dan Tom Rose...
(UK) - Go Jimmy GoGo Jimmy GoGo Jimmy Go is a ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul influenced band from Honolulu, Hawaii. Although chronologically, the band belongs to the third-wave, their mellow, slower tempo sound is reminiscent of the classic style of the original 1960s Jamaican first wave of ska.-History, 1996 to 2000:Go...
(USA) - Graveltrap
- Less Than JakeLess Than JakeLess Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida. Originally formed in 1992 as a power pop trio, the band evolved into a hybrid of ska punk. Less Than Jake have also been cited as showing influences from a wide variety of genres including post-grunge, heavy metal, alternative...
(USA) - Lubby Nugget (UK)
- Mighty Mighty Bosstones (USA)
- Mixtwitch (Ireland)
- Chris Murray (USA)
- Pama InternationalPama InternationalPama International is an eight-piece reggae band from the United Kingdom. They describe themselves as 'Dub Fuelled Ska Rocksteady & Reggae'. They often play with other ska, dub and reggae artists...
- The RudimentalsThe RudimentalsThe Rudimentals are an eight-piece ska/reggae band from Cape Town, South Africa. The band's releases include two CDs, More Fire and Set It Proper, and a live DVD/CD combo of the 2007 Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens Concert. The band is signed to the United Kingdom based Moon Ska World distribution...
(South Africa) - Rhoda DakarRhoda DakarRhoda Dakar is a British singer and musician, best known as the lead singer of The Bodysnatchers, who were signed to the 2 Tone record label.-Career:...
- Sadie's Doll
- The SelecterThe SelecterThe Selecter are a 2 Tone ska revival band from Coventry, England, formed in mid 1979.Like many other bands in the ska revival movement, The Selecter featured a racially diverse line-up. Their lyrics featured themes connected to politics and marijuana, set to strong melodies and a danceable beat...
(UK) - Shootin' GoonShootin' GoonShootin' Goon were a ska punk outfit of the late 1990s and early 2000s who were signed to the label Moon Ska Europe and later Good Clean Fun Records....
(UK) - Skaville UK
- Solabeat Alliance (UK)
- Sonic Boom SixSonic Boom SixSonic Boom Six are a five-piece rock band from Manchester, United Kingdom. Their eclectic sound combines different elements of several genres and has been described by Kerrang! as "taking ska, pop, grime, dubstep, punk and metal apart, then rebuilding them as a hyperactive hybrid"...
(UK) - SpungeSpungeSpunge are a ska punk band from Tewkesbury, England...
(UK) - The ToastersThe ToastersThe Toasters was one of the first American bands in the third wave of ska, and is one of the longest active third wave ska bands.They have released nine studio albums, most of them on Moon Ska Records. The Toasters experienced a small degree of commercial success in the late 1990s due to the...
(USA) - Uncle Brian
- The Upsessions (NL)
- WhitmoreWhitmore-Places:*Whitmore Mountains, Antarctica*United Kingdom:**Whitmore, Staffordshire, England**Whitmore High School, Harrow*United States:**Whitmore, California**Whitmore Village, Hawaii**Whitmore Lake, Michigan-People:...
(UK) - Zen BaseballbatZen BaseballbatZen Baseballbat are a ska band from Widnes, England. They were the subject of a Granada TV documentary "Twin Town - North West Attitude".-Biography:They have toured the UK and Germany extensively, with bands such as Sonic Boom Six and Goldblade...
(UK)