| Reggae punk | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Punk reggae |
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Late 1970s, England |
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Reggae punk (also known aspunk reggae) is a genre of music originating inEngland in the late-1970s. It is characterized by a fusion ofreggae music withpunk rock. The genre originated amongst punk rock artists who mixed in reggae (and sometimeslovers rock[2]) elements into their punk rock sound. The most notable band to do this wasthe Clash,[3] having done so on many records. They even covered reggae songs such asToots and the Maytals' "Pressure Drop", released as the B-side to "English Civil War", both from 1978'sGive 'Em Enough Rope.Bob Marley also gave a nod to this genre by writing and recording "Punky Reggae Party" in 1977.[4]
As the 1980s dawned, the genre would infuse itself into other Jamaican inspired genres, such astwo-tone andska punk.
Reggae punk first appeared in the late-1970s in England by punk rock bands incorporating reggae (and even lovers rock) elements into their music. The most notable band to have done this was the Clash.[3] They have covered reggae songs by artists such as Toots and the Maytals, and even written their own. This sound continued up until their final albumCut the Crap, with which they avoided the reggae sounds of their prior albums.[5]
When Clash bassistPaul Simonon was getting his start in the music business and learning to play thebass, he found it easier to play along to reggae songs rather than traditional rock songs.[3]
In 1977, reggae musician Bob Marley would give a nod to the reggae-punk scene by writing and recording "Punky Reggae Party".[4]
In July 1977, DJ Tommy Vance ofCapital Radio invitedJohn Lydon of theSex Pistols onto his show, where he gave an interview and was allowed to spin records from his collection. While it featured artists from various genres such asCaptain Beefheart andTim Buckley, no genre was more prominent than reggae, which he revealed he grew up on.[3]
In 1977,the Police would form. Initially considered a punk rock band, they soon expanded their sound to incorporatepop,new wave and reggae. In a retrospective assessment,AllMusic'sStephen Thomas Erlewine argued that the notion of the Police as a punk band was only true "in the loosest sense of the term", and stated that the band's "nervous, reggae-injected pop/rock was punky" and had a "punk spirit" but it "wasn't necessarily punk".[6]
The Slits have also been described as punk-reggae byThe Independent.[7]
In the 1980s, the sounds of reggae punk would be absorbed into other genres. Two-tone, which emerged in the late 1970s, arose from a fusion of punk rock, new wave, reggae,ska androcksteady.[8] The genre took its name from the2 Tone record label that was founded byJerry Dammers ofthe Specials in 1979.[9]
The Clash's 1980 triple-albumSandinista! has been described as reggae punk byPitchfork.[10]
In the 1990s, a genre derived from two-tone, ska, punk rock, and hardcore punk, known asska punk, emerged. It is closely tied to third wave ska which reached its zenith in the mid-1990s. Notable bands of this style of music includeSublime,[11][12][13]No Doubt,Less Than Jake,the Mighty Mighty Bosstones,[14][15][16][17][18] andFishbone.[19]
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones have also been described asska-core,[20] which fuses ska punk withhardcore punk.
Ska punk would also fuse itself withcrust punk to createcrack rock steady.[21] Notable bands within the genre includeChoking Victim,Leftöver Crack,Morning Glory andStar Fucking Hipsters.[22]
Reggae punk would also infuse itself into hardcore punk to createreggaecore.Bad Brains are a notable band of this style, incorporating hardcore punk and reggae elements into their sound.
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