History of Ska Bop (featuring Bob Ormrod)
Glastonbury (Somerset) based band SKA BOP emerged in the Spring of 1997 from the now defunct band, Skaville Train. The principal members of Skaville Train were Bob Ormrod (Sax) and Jeff Reed (Drums). Skaville Train started some 10 years earlier in 1987 and recorded many singles and an album for us. We are currently sorting through the tapes and we hope to release a "Best Of" Skaville Train, in the near future.
Bob formed the band with 11 new players. Their first gig was at the Assembly Rooms (Glastonbury) in April of 1997 and this led them to be invited to perform at the (Pilton) Glastonbury Festival in the same year.
They specialise in playing and re-creating the type of music that rocked the Dancehalls of Jamaica in the early 1960..s. Ska Bop draw their inspiration from the same sources as the Skatalites, Prince Buster..s All Stars, Soul Brothers, Rico Rodriquez and many others!. Namely, "cracking" tunes with Jazz, R&B and Latin influences, which feature driving rhythms with that unique Ska bounce!.
Their first recordings were also made in April 1997 (some of these feature on our SKA BOP album - "Live" In The Studio (Reggae Retro RRTLP 04-10). (CD release due soon). All tracks from this session were recorded "live" (and many were just one take only) without any subsequent re-mixing or overdubs. Many tracks were also new to the Band, which they had not played before the session, such was their versatility!. The tracks display and capture some of the excitement of many of those early JA Ska sessions!
They also recorded a Studio album in the fall of 1997 (produced by Ska Bop & Reggae Retro). Four tracks from these sessions appear on our special 7" EP (in Pic Sleeve) - Ska Bop! (Trybute TRRR 05EP).
The current SKA BOP personnel/players (the band is
now based in Bridgwater, Somerset) differ from the original line-up, with
some leaving etc; and are currently a seven member line up! However, oddly
enough, what goes around, comes around, as Jeff (Reed) rejoined the Band
(as the Drummer) in 2000.