Photo Album: Skoidats and Thumper

I saw the Skoidats, Inspecter 7 and Thumper in Charleston, Wv at The Empty Glass in the latter part of the 90s on a wild night whose exact date I cannot remember. It was a raucous show and I mean that in the best of ways. I can only find pictures of Inspecter 7 when they were in the audience so I'll wait for a later date and share some from the next time I saw them in Huntington, Wv..

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

The Slackers live at The Stoned Monkey 1-26-99

This show is from a tape that The Slackers allowed me to use for my old radio show Ska Beat. It was recorded at The Stoned Monkey located in Huntington, WV on January 26th, 1999. The Slackers have given me permission to upload this concert and they retain ownership of all the content. Many thanks to the band for all of the great music over the years and hopefully with more to come.

To download the show go here.

notmovingpictures Episode 075: Mini Vacation

If my voice sounds a bit off it's because I'm fighting a cold that was contracted during my trip home to see my family. That's what this episode is about, going back to a familiar place to spend an all too little amount of time with family. That concept seems to be getting more important to me the older that I get.



Opening music: Alloy - Live To See The Day
Closing music: Crocodile Shop - April Reigns

Email: notmovingpictures@gmail.com  Twitter: @notmovingpics
Blog: www.notmovingpictures.blogspot.com

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Photo Album: The Slackers @ The Vanguard, Tulsa 24 April, 2015

It had been at least fifteen of sixteen years since I had seen The Slackers so imagine my surprise when I found out they were coming to Tulsa. Back in the day I was able to interview one of them (Agent J?) in Huntington, WV and I still have the tape buried away somewhere. Perhaps when I get another room in the house to use as my office I can dig all of that stuff out and upload it. The Slackers always put on a great show and do not disappoint. I just hope it doesn't take that long before I get to see them again.

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

notmovingpictures Episode 040: The Vox Populi Connection

Episode 40 of notmovingpictures is my rambling tale of how I came to receive a demo tape from a band called Vox Populi that was from Shepherdstown, WV in 1995  and then reconnect with them over twenty years later all thanks to the internet age. It's also the story of that band told in their (or at least one of the members) own words. It just goes to show you it's never too late to find something or do something.



Opening Music: Alloy - Live To See The Day
Closing Music: Vox Populi - Everything

Email: notmovingpictures@gmail.com
Twitter: @notmovingpics
Blog: www.notmovingpictures.blogspot.com

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Ska Beat 2nd Anniversary Show Tape

This is the tape from the Ska Beat 2nd anniversary show. At the end the sports team came in without any advance notice for a promo before allowing me to end the show. What can I say, that's how things went at WMUL. Sports were king and music was an afterthought. Such is life. Click here to jump to the Internet Archive and listen or download.

Yardbeat - Push Wood
Dave Hillyard & The Rocksteady 7 - Hillyard Street
Stubborn AllStars - Take Your Chances
Gondwana - Irie
Alpheus - Nothing Can Stop You
Aswad - Freedom Street
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes - Teach The Youth
Hepcat - Riding The Region
The Skalars - After The Show
Long Beach Dub AllStars - Pass It On
The Inspector - Spanish Galleon
The Equators - Softly Softly
Bim Skala Bim - Set Me Up
The Dominant Seven - Stranded
Dave's Big Deluxe - Time After Time
The Robustos - Don't Be Down   cuts off
Laurel Aitken & The Skatalites - Come Down
Filibuster - Pale Writer
Pilfers - Agua
The Donkey Show - Mr. Brown
Inspecter 7 - Now
Skavoovie & The Epitones - Boyo
The Chinkies - Run Away
Notchoma - Rudeboy
Freetown - She's A Natural
The Radiation Kings - Come Down
Jimmy Skaffa - Magic City
Boitovision w/Greg Lee - Big Bamboo
Macka B - Malcolm X
Edna's Goldfish - I'm Your Density
Fishbone - Party At Ground Zero

Ska Beat was a show I did in the latter part of the 90s as a community volunteer for 88.1 WMUL, Marshall University's radio station, in Huntington, WV. The show ran for almost three years, mostly in the Sunday noon to 2PM timeslot before shifting to a Thursday evening 8-10PM shift. It was a great time to see live music as many ska bands came through the Huntington area on their way to somewhere else.

Be forewarned, I have chosen to include all of the Public Service Announcements, weather updates, mistakes and whatever else was recorded along with the music. Yeah, I am that lazy. Also, these shows were taped on cassettes and as such may suffer from sitting around for all of these years. Additionally, WMUL had an ongoing issue of a loud hum that would periodically present itself when I was talking but normally it went away when the music was playing. Often I forgot to hit record or to turn the tape over at the midpoint of the show so there will be gaps in songs as well as some being omitted entirely. I have tried to annotate when that happened.

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Ska Beat Tape 2-21-99 WMUL, Marshall University

The tape from the 2/21/99 Ska Beat show has been uploaded to the Internet Archive. To listen or download click on the link here.

Franceska - Get Up
The Insteps - The Sufferer
Dunita & Django - Come To My Rescue
Laurel Aitken & The Skatalites - Bad Minded Woman
Israel Vibration - Pay The Piper
Yardbeat - Dance Crasher
Jump With Joey - Ska Cha Cha
Skinnerbox - Heat
Radiation Kings - Can't Find A Way
The Slackers - Manuel
The Agents - Two Men Gone
The Inspector - Ingred
Deals Gone Bad - Pirates
Inspecter 7 - Regret II
The Skoidats - Granted
The Royalties - Jabberwocky
Punch The Clown - Crackerjack
The Scofflaws - In The Basement
Rocker T & The Version City Rockers - Do You Wanna
Tommy McCook & The Supersonics - Top Secret
Blue Beat Players - This Girl Of Mine
Checkmate - Jericho
The Skatalites - Latin Goes Ska
Selika Drake - Baby
Yeska - Greyhound To Chiapas
Easy Big Fella - Locked In The Chapel Of Love
Eastern Standard Time - Be-Bop
The Chinkees - Hana
Hepcat - I Can't Wait
Bim Skala Bim - Set Me Up
Laurel Aitken - Rudi Got Married

Ska Beat was a show I did in the latter part of the 90s as a community volunteer for 88.1 WMUL, Marshall University's radio station, in Huntington, WV. The show ran for almost three years, mostly in the Sunday noon to 2PM timeslot before shifting to a Thursday evening 8-10PM shift. It was a great time to see live music as many ska bands came through the Huntington area on their way to somewhere else.

Be forewarned, I have chosen to include all of the Public Service Announcements, weather updates, mistakes and whatever else was recorded along with the music. Yeah, I am that lazy. Also, these shows were taped on cassettes and as such may suffer from sitting around for all of these years. Additionally, WMUL had an ongoing issue of a loud hum that would periodically present itself when I was talking but normally it went away when the music was playing. Often I forgot to hit record or to turn the tape over at the midpoint of the show so there will be gaps in songs as well as some being omitted entirely. I have tried to annotate when that happened..

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

WMUL Tape 12-2-98 Marshall University

This is a tape from a fill spot that I did on WMUL on 12-2-98. It's about 60 minutes long and showcases swing, ska, punk and rockabilly music. There is a serious buzz going on so be aware. Check it out by clicking on the link for the Internet Archive and enjoy. 

New Morty Show - Out Of Control
Dem Brooklyn Bums - Boozin' And Cruisin'
Skinnerbox - Uno Dos Tres
The Agents - Gratidao
Inspecter 7 - Now
Amazing Royal Crowns - Little Demon
The Cranktones - Pink Cadillac
Hipster Daddy-O & The Handgrenades - Daddy-O
Colin James & The Little Big Band II - Let's Shout (Baby Work It Out)
Los Mocosos - Somos Los Mocosos  (tape switches)
Screeching Weasel - Dummy Up
Dropkick Murphys - Going Strong
The Slackers - Manuel
The Checkered Cabs - Honor Your Mother And Father
The Scofflaws - In The Basement
Slimer - Raised On The Raydio
The Graduates - Badsville
The Cuffs - Too Much Confusion
Bluebeat Stompers - I Need Your Loving

This audio comes from an old cassette tape I recorded as I did a fill in slot on WMUL, Marshall University in Huntington, WV. It may suffer from the effects of time. I have done nothing special to enhance the sound or fix any bugs suffered by the equipment of the radio station. I have also chosen to keep everything including station i.d.s and PSAs. It is what it is.

email : notmovingpictures@gmail.com
twitter: @notmovingpics
blog: notmovingpictures.blogspot.com

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Ska Beat Tape 11-22-98 WMUL, Marshall University

This is tape from the show one week after the one year anniversary show. The ever present hum is there in full force while I talk and a few songs skip. I doubt they ever got those things worked out. It is what it is though. Click on the link to the Internet Archive to stream or download.

11/22/98 Setlist

The Agents - Gratidao (song skips)
Checkered Cabs - Walk Right In
Bluebeat Stompers - I Won't Cry For You
Isaac Green & The Skalars - High School
Stubborn AllStars - Back With A New Batch
Mobtown - Coming To Get You
Neville Staples - Simmer Down
Ian Hearn & Strange Tennants - Washington Via Kingston (song skips)
Prince Buster - Blackhead Chinaman
Adrian Miller - Rude Boy On The Bus
Los Hooligans - Wrong Side Of The Tracks
Deals Gone Bad - Pirates
Magadog - Pipeline
Undercover S.K.A. - March Slob
Punch The Clown - Sweaty Betty
Hepcat - Bobby And Joe
The Incredible Casuals - Let's Do Better
tape switches
Laurel Aitken - Mad About You
The Skoidats - Skinhead Hop
Inspecter 7 - Agent 86
Voodoo Glow Skulls - Los Hombres No Lloran
The Pilfers - Dr Kervorkian
Spider Nick And The Madddogs - Spider On My Bed
Spring Heeled Jack - Running Man (Lookin' Thru The Mirror)
 Fishbone - Ugly
The Slackers - Have The Time
Skinnerbox - Hepcat Season
The Rudies - Forget It
The Jumpstarts - This Is What I Do
Dion Knibb & The Agitators - Turn Your Lamps Down Low
Dance Hall Crashers - He Wants Me Back
Kampo Viejo - Libre
The Offbeatniks - Superhero
The Specials - Guns Of Navarone
The Pietasters & The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Ocean (cuts off)

Ska Beat was a show I did in the latter part of the 90s as a community volunteer for 88.1 WMUL, Marshall University's radio station, in Huntington, WV. The show ran for almost three years, mostly in the Sunday noon to 2PM timeslot before shifting to a Thursday evening 8-10PM shift. It was a great time to see live music as many ska bands came through the Huntington area on their way to somewhere else.

Be forewarned, I have chosen to include all of the Public Service Announcements, weather updates, mistakes and whatever else was recorded along with the music. Yeah, I am that lazy. Also, these shows were taped on cassettes and as such may suffer from sitting around for all of these years. Additionally, WMUL had an ongoing issue of a loud hum that would periodically present itself when I was talking but normally it went away when the music was playing. Often I forgot to hit record or to turn the tape over at the midpoint of the show so there will be gaps in songs as well as some being omitted entirely. I have tried to annotate when that happened.

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Ska Beat tape from 12/14/97, WMUL, Marshall University

I've uploaded the tape from the 12/14/97 Ska Beat radio show on the Internet Archive so just click here for the link. Almost two hours of great ska music from the latter part of the 90s, what more can you ask for?

Ska Beat setlist 12/14/97

Let's Quit - Ennio Ska
The Kingpins - The 10 Commandments Of Ska
The Specials - Guns Of Navarone
Save Ferris - The World Is New
Reel Big Fish - Hungry Like The Wolf
Unknown - Simmer Down
Voodoo Glow Skulls - Feliz Navidad
The Mad Caddies - Distress
Skavoovie & The Epitones - Sonic Boom
The Scofflaws - Nude Beach (live)
The Pietasters - Out All Night
Los Hooligans - Swing Right Rudy
Dr Ring Ding & The Senior Allstars - Big Man
Isaac Green & The Skalars - Bloodshot Eyes
The Aquabats - Superrad
Doreen Shaffer & The Skatalites - Have A Good Time
The Slackers - Fried Chicken/Mary Mary
The Blue Meanies - It Doesn't Matter
Link 80 - Dance Floor
Madness - One Step Beyond
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - The Rascal King
Spring Heeled Jack - The Running Man
Pain - Fight
The Allstonians - Pleasing Malady
The Toasters - I'm Running Right Through The World
Bad Manners - Skinhead Girl
Derrick and Patsy - Housewife's Choice
Dance Hall Crashers - Nuisance
Buck-O-Nine - My Town
The Skunks - Sorry
The Ventilators - Lost For Sure

Ska Beat was a show I did in the latter part of the 90s as a community volunteer for 88.1 WMUL, Marshall University's radio station, in Huntington, WV. The show ran for almost three years, mostly in the Sunday noon to 2PM timeslot before shifting to a Thursday evening 8-10PM shift. It was a great time to see live music as many ska bands came through the Huntington area on their way to somewhere else.

Be forewarned, I have chosen to include all of the Public Service Announcements, weather updates, mistakes and whatever else was recorded along with the music. Yeah, I am that lazy. Also, these shows were taped on cassettes and as such may suffer from sitting around for all of these years. Additionally, WMUL had an ongoing issue of a loud hum that would periodically present itself when I was talking but normally it went away when the music was playing. Often I forgot to hit record or to turn the tape over at the midpoint of the show so there will be gaps in songs as well as some being omitted entirely. I have tried to annotate when that happened..

Feel free to leave a comment if my memory has failed or I completely messed thing up.

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

11/27/97 Tape WMUL 88.1 Marshall University Fill In Slot

This is a strange one. Once again I filled in for a missing dj at WMUL, this time on 11/27/97 but I didn't talk at all. More than likely I simply queued up the cd In Their Eyes: '90s Teen Bands Vs. 80s Teen Movies and put it on auto play while I did something else. Anything to keep the station on the air. So at least you don't have to listen to me blabbing on and on this time. So click on the link here and surf on over if 90s teen bands covering songs from 80s teen movies is your thing.

The Grown Ups - Pretty In Pink
The Gadjits - Don't You Forget About Me
Dyslexic Crush - A Million Miles Away
Phantom Planet - Somebody's Baby
Ben Lee and Spitoon - If You Were Here
Round House - Bring On The Dancing Horses
Crazy Glue - Oh Yeah
F.O.N. - You Might Think
The Rondelles - I Melt With You (tape switches)
Stinky Puffs - In Your Eyes
Marigold - If You Leave
English League - Weird Science
Slimer - Raised On Raydio
The Knock-Ups - Johnny Are You Queer?
Schools Out - The Donnas

This audio comes from an old cassette tape recorded at WMUL, Marshall University in Huntington and may suffer from the effects of time. I have done nothing special to enhance the sound or fix any bugs suffered by the equipment of the radio station. I have also chosen to keep everything including station i.d.s and PSAs. It is what it is.

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Ska Beat 12-7-97 88.1 WMUL Huntington, WV

The tape from the 12/7/97 Ska Beat radio show(88.1 WMUL, Marshall University, Huntington, Wv) has been uploaded to the Internet Archive. Just follow the link here and listen to all the great ska music listed below: 

              setlist

Skavoovie & The Epitones - Wildfire (in progress)
Isaac Green & The Skalars - High School
Millie Small - My Boy Lollipop
Hepcat - Bobby & Joe
The Slackers - She Wants To Be Alone
The Skunks - Swing Out Skasper
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Simmer Down
Magadog - Border Patrol
The Determinations - Housewife's Choice
Regatta 69 - I Wanna Smack You
The Skunks - Sorry
Spring Heeled Jack - Electric
The Mad Caddies - Distress
Bim Skala Bim - Not Natural
The Allstonians - The Alston Beat (tape switches)
Skankin' Pickle - It's Margaret Cho
The Pietasters - Crazy Monkey Woman (cut off)
The Toasters - Toast On The Coast
The Pietasters - Without You
Regatta 69 - Simple Simon
Reel Big Fish - Sell Out
The Voodoo Glow Skulls - Los Hombres No Lloran
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Let's Face It
The Skeletones - Dr Bones
Los Hooligans - Sonora
Five Iron Frenzy - Handbook For The Sellout
The Selector - On My Radio
Lord Tanamo - Come Down
The Aquabats - Theme Song
Less Than Jake - 9th And Pine
The Dance Hall Crashers - He Wants Me Back

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Tape of WMUL 88.1 Marshall University Fill In Slot 11-26-97

The tape from my first ever fill in session for WMUL 88.1 Marshall University where I was a community volunteer has been uploaded to the Internet Archive. Often the student djs would skip their assigned slot and since I was always hanging out at the station in the afternoon before going to work I would fill in to keep the station on the air. What you hear on this tape is what was available to me that I actually wanted to play. Mostly ska and swing with some rockabilly and a few other things. Go check out the show here.

WMUL set list 11/26/97

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Go Daddy-O (in progress)
Cherry Poppin' Daddies - Zoot Suit Riot
Royal Crown Revue - Barflies On The Beach
Jump With Joey - Jump With Joey
The Stray Cats - Stray Cat Strut
Rev. Horton Heat - Rock This Joint
Amazing Royal Crowns - Do The Devil
Justin Hinds - & The Dominoes - Rub Up, Push Up
Robert (Bob) Marley - Judge Not
Dr. Ring Ding & The Senior Allstars - Shame And Scandal In The Family
Los Hooligans - Swing Right Rudie
Jason & The Scorchers - Take Me Home Country Roads
Skavoovie & The Epitones - Wildfire
The Scofflaws - Nude Beach
The Paragons - The Tide Is High
Millie Small - My Boy Lollipop
The Skatalites - Can't You See
Royal Crown Revue - Hey Pachuco
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - You And Me And The Bottle Makes Three (cuts off)

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Ska Beat Radio Show 11/30/97 WMUL Huntington, WV

The tape from the 11/30/97 Ska Beat show has been uploaded to the Internet Archive. Go here to check it out.

Isaac Green & The Skalars - Don't Count
The Skatalites - Guns Of Navarone
The Slackers Watch It
Dr Ring Ding & The Senior Allstars - Shame And Scandal
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes - Carry Go Bring Come
The Toasters - Two Tone Army
The Potato Five - Do The Jerk
Los Hooligans - Stephanie
Regatta 69 - Operation Time Control
The Dance Hall Crashers - Lost Again
Skankin' Pickle - Turning Japanese
Undercover Ska - March Slob
MU330 - Neighbors
The Scofflaws - William Shatner
The Aquabats - Idiot Box
The Skoidats - Rootsawalkin'
The Instigators - Bandito (tape switches over)
Skavoovie & The Epitones - Blood Red Sky
The Shenanigans - Cupid
The Specials - Simmer Down
Bob Marley - Judge Not
Prince Buster & The Skatalites - King Of Kings
Mento Buru - Move It Girl
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - The Impression That I Get
Persiana Jones - Come Me Gusto
Spring Heeled Jack - Pay Some Dues
Ocean 11 - I Am Queen
Mephiskapheles - Saba
Venice Shoreline Chris - Ex Darling
Laurel Aitken - Rudy Got Married
Arthur Kay - Play My Record

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Ska Beat 11/23/97 WMUL radio show

Ska Beat was a radio show I did in the latter part of the 90s while I was a community volunteer at WMUL, Marshall University in Huntington, Wv. This is the 2nd show that I have put online recorded from cassettes back in the day and it is what it is, I've made no attempt to clean up the sound and I didn't always remember to turn the tape over or even on so be kind. Still, there's some great music on these tapes. More will be forthcoming when I have the time.

Unfortunately I can't get the player from the Archive to embed so you'll have to follow the link here to listen to it.

New York Ska Jazz Ensemble - John James
Skinnerbox, - Move Like Ya Gone
The Slackers - Cooking For Tommy
The Toasters - Daddy Cry
Los Pies Negros - Siempre Igual
Buck O Nine - My Town
Ska King Crab - Mike The Barber
Dance Hall Crashers - He Wants Me Back
Magadog - Semi-Sweet
Supertones - Unite
Let's Go Bowling - Cumbia del Sol
Save Ferris - Super Spy
The Skoidats - Granted
The Aquabats - The Story Of Nothing
Save Ferris - World Is New
Oi Skall Mates - Nutty Sound
Mu330 - Tune Me Out
tape cuts off
The Upbeat - 17@17
Mephiskapheles - Introducing The Yellow Passion
Hepcat - Bobby and Joe
The Allentons - Pyramid Five
Madness - The Prince
Voodoo Glow Skulls - Malas Palabras
Laurel Aitken - Mad About You

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Ska Beat 11/23/97

This is the second ever show of Ska Beat. It seems that while I was intent on taping the first few shows I was somewhat less diligent in actually hitting record or turning the tape over. As a result there are some unknown songs on here since I missed the part where I say what they are and can't find my old playlists. It is what it is. The sound is what it is as well. Like I said before these tapes are old and sometimes the equipment at WMUL emitted a buzzing sound, especially when talking. Still, this is an exact example of what I was doing at this exact moment in time. And trust me, I do get better at this, I've heard it on tape and you will too, as I get the other tapes out. So take a listen to what I was listening to:



Unknown Song
New York Ska Jazz Ensemble - John James
Skinnerbox - Move Like Ya Gone
The Slackers - Cooking For Tommy
The Toasters - Daddy Cry
Los Pies Negros - Siempre Igual
Buck-O-Nine - My Town
Ska King Crab - Mike The Barber
Dance Hall Crashers - He Wants Me Back
Magadog - Semi-Sweet
Supertones - Unite
Let's Go Bowling - Cumbia Del Sol
Save Ferris - Super Spy
The Skoidats - Granted
The Aquabats - The Story Of Nothing
Save Ferris - World Is New
Oi Skall Mates - Nutty Sound
Unknown Song
The Upbeat - 17 @ 17
Mephiskapheles - Introducing The Yellow Passion
Hepcat - Bobby And Joe
The Allentons - Pyramid Five
Madness - The Prince
Voodoo Glow Skulls - Malas Palabras
Laurel Aitken - Mad About You

I have chosen to include all of the Public Service Announcements, weather updates, mistakes and whatever else was recorded along with the music. Yeah, I'm that lazy. Be warned, the shows were taped on cassettes and as such may suffer from sitting around for the last seventeen years or so. WMUL had an ongoing issue of a loud hum that would periodically present itself when I was talking but normally it went away while the music was playing. Often I forgot to hit record or to turn the tape over at the midpoint of the show so there will be gaps in those songs as well as some being omitted entirely. I've tried to annotate when that happened and if the songs didn't make it on the tape I leave them off of the playlist.

What you end up with is a snapshot of where I was and what bands I was going to see in the latter part of the 90s. It was a great time to see live music as many ska bands came through the Huntington area on their way to somewhere else. Unfortunately I've lost my playlists from so long ago and my memory isn't what it used to be so there may be a few unknown artist and song listings. I'm not going to let that hold me back on posting these shows. Feel free to leave a comment and square me away on anything I've messed up or forgotten. Additionally I used to fill in at various times to keep WMUL on the air and I have about five tapes of those shows to go with the twenty odd tapes from Ska Beat. It's been a blast listening to these tapes and remembering a time in my life that is completely different from where I am now. Hope you enjoy the show because I definitely enjoyed doing it.

Email: notmovingpictures@gmail.com  Twitter: @notmovingpics
Blog: notmovingpictures.blogspot.com

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Ska Beat 11/16/97: The Very First Tape

UPDATE: I had to go to Podomatic to get a media player to work.

  

******I am having difficulty embedding the player from the Internet Archive. Until this is fixed you can go here to stream or download the show.******



A long time ago in a place far, far away a radio show called Ska Beat began. Well, okay, actually it was 1997 and in Huntington, WV to be precise. A little over two years after leaving the U.S. Army I found myself helping out at WMUL, Marshall University’s radio station as a community volunteer. After suggesting non-stop that WMUL needed a ska show due to the genres increasing popularity I was informed on a Friday that I was to be doing the show on the following Sunday at noon and I needced to get my butt in the studio. With an hour or so of training I did indeed make my debut one week before my birthday.  I didn't think to record that show but I did on my birthday, November 16^th, 1997. The show ran for almost three years mostly in the Sunday noon to 2PM timeslot before shifting to a Thursday evening 8-10PM shift.

I have chosen to include all of the Public Service Announcements, weather updates, mistakes and whatever else was recorded along with the music. Yeah, I’m that lazy. Be warned, the shows were taped on cassettes and as such may suffer from sitting around for the last seventeen years or so. WMUL had an ongoing issue of a loud hum that would periodically present itself when I was talking but normally it went away while the music was playing. Often I forgot to hit record or to turn the tape over at the midpoint of the show so there will be gaps in those songs as well as some being omitted entirely. I’ve tried to annotate when that happened and if the songs didn’t make it on the tape I leave them off of the playlist.

What you end up with is a snapshot of where I was and what bands I was going to see in the latter part of the 90s. It was a great time to see live music as many ska bands came through the Huntington area on their way to somewhere else. Unfortunately I’ve lost my playlists from so long ago and my memory isn’t what it used to be so there may be a few “unknown artist and song” listings. I’m not going to let that hold me back on posting these shows. Feel free to leave a comment and square me away on anything I’ve messed up or forgotten. Additionally I used to fill in at various times to keep WMUL on the air and I have about five tapes of those shows to go with the twenty odd tapes from Ska Beat. It’s been a blast listening to these tapes and remembering a time in my life that is completely different from where I am now. Hope you enjoy the show because I definitely enjoyed doing it.

Laurel Aitken - Sally Brown (in progress)
Jump With Joey - Jack Lord Ska
The Specials - A Message To You Rudy
Madness - One Step Beyond
The English Beat - Ranking Full Stop
The Toasters - Don't Let The Bastards Grind You Down (stops about a minute in, wrong song played), I'm Running Right Through The World
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Let's Face It
Fishbone - Ugly
Hepcat - Dance Wid Me
Regatta 69 - The Fiasco
The Skoidats - Rootsawalkin'
Reel Big Fish - Sellout
Let's Go Bowling - Grover's Harem
THe Aquabats - The Theme Song
Skankin' Pickle - Rotten Banana Legs
Skavoovie & The Epitones - Bli-Blip
Los Hooligans - Swing Right Rudy (cuts off as tape ends and is switched)
Mento Buru - Try And Try
Isaac Green & The Skalars - Don't Count
Supertones - Supertones Strike Back
The Scofflaws - Ska Groovie
Voodoo Glow Skulls - Los Hombres No Lloran
Shoulderhopper - 67 Beetle
The Pietasters - Factory Concerto
Save Ferris - World Is New
Five Iron Frenzy - Third World Think Tank
Bim Skala Bim - Pete Needs A Friend
Cherry Poppin' Daddies - Don Quixote
Spring Filled Jack - Running Man Looking Through The Mirror)
The Allstonians - Brighton Memories
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - The Impression That I Get (tape cuts off)


Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

The Flight Of The Trooper

In November of 1987 I joined the U.S. Army and since I was already in the National Guard and had attended all of my training all I had to do was go back and get a new MOS (Military Occupational Specialty). Basically that means getting trained for a new job. My training took me back to Ft. Jackson, S.C., the scene of so much pain, sweat and a few curse words that we shall call Basic Training. The Christmas and New Years holidays were fast approaching and at this time every year all of the training units were to be shut down and all of the trainees sent home for two weeks. It's a strange procedure called Christmas Exodus.

We weren't allowed to take all of our belongings with us since we would be coming back so we had to decide what we couldn't live without. The problem for me was that I had many cassette tapes to choose from and not a lot of space to put them in. This clearly was a process that required a great deal of thought and careful deliberation. After all, if I left a tape behind that meant I wouldn't have access to it for two whole weeks, almost an eternity in those days. So there I was kneeling in front of my locker going through my box of cassettes trying to make the hard choices.

Some choices were easy, like Moving Pictures by Rush, that went in the yes pile without a thought. Next to that was the maybe pile followed by the no pile. The maybe pile was the largest. As I went through them I came upon Iron Maiden's Piece Of Mind and I immediately put it in the no pile. However as soon as I did this and started to reach for another cassette I hesitated. It occurred to me that it did contain my favorite Maiden song "The Trooper" and you never know, I might be in the mood for something that aggressive during the holidays since I never was much for celebrating and didn't care for Christmas music.

With that thought my mind was quickly changed and I relocated Iron Maiden to the yes pile and continued with my selections. Once finished the cassettes were placed in my carry on bag with my walkman and a book or two, the bag properly zipped up and off I went to catch a cab to the airport dressed in my Class A uniform (it was a requirement not a style choice). From there I waited for my flight to Huntington, W.V. I'm not from Huntington, it's just that it has the closest airport to my hometown of Ironton, Ohio, which itself is not a huge, bustling borough. The ride was a short one and after checking my bag I still had time to kill once I arrived at my departure gate. So on came the headphones and I started jamming to some music and read a magazine.

Right after the announcement was made for first class to board I noticed a skinny, long haired guy walking past me with a very attractive, dark haired woman. The only thought that entered my brain was "Wow, that guy's got a messed up nose just like the drummer from Iron Maiden." Upon closer inspection I saw that he was carrying the kind of case that looked like it contained drum sticks and a practice pad. This called for a re-evaluation so I gave him a good once over and my next thought was "He even looks like the drummer from Iron Maiden."


As the rest of the passengers started boarding I could tell that the ladies working at the gate were excited as they were eagerly chattering to each other in hushed tones. Feeling that it was appropriate, I asked them if that indeed this fellow was the drummer from Iron Maiden, but they wouldn't confirm or deny it. Clearly something was up though. Again I gave him the once over as I walked down the aisle to my seat and as I did so I was totally convinced. It was Nicko McBrain, the drummer from Iron Maiden, here on my flight to Huntington, W.V. of all places. I knew I couldn't let a golden opportunity like this pass me by.

After sitting in my assigned window seat I immediately started digging through my bag frantically trying to find my Piece Of Mind cassette tape. The man sitting next to me in his dress shirt, tie and slacks asked me what was going on. I tried to explain to him that the drummer for the world famous heavy metal band Iron Maiden was at this very moment sitting in first class on our plane and I intended to get his autograph. After all, this is a group that could sell out stadiums in countries like Poland which always seemed like a pretty impressive an accomplishment to me. Although my seat companion clearly had no idea about who or what I was speaking of he was nevertheless impressed by my excitement and quickly loaned me his sharpie and wished me luck.

Slowly I made my way up the aisle (it wasn't a very large plane) into first class where I could see the stewardess talking to the only occupants there, Nicko and his lady friend. The stewardess glanced at me and asked me if she could help me. Looking directly into her eyes I told her "No, but he can" and immediately turned to Nicko thrusting out my tape and the sharpie and asked for his autograph. If he was surprised at the sight of this tall, skinny guy with his hair buzzed off, dressed in a military uniform, who had readily recognized him he didn't let it faze him. Instead he happily complied and asked my name as he started writing. Now at this moment my head almost overflowed with questions that I could ask of him now that I had been gifted with this rare chance meeting. Topics like when were they touring, when would a new album be coming and so forth all burst into my consciousness.

Instead, I only managed to blurt out "You guys rock!" That's it. That's all I could muster in my moment in the sun. So sad. I'm sure that he noticed the change in my demeanor as immediately I started berating myself mentally for sounding so stupid but if he did he didn't show it. He merely thanked me, finished signing my tape and handed it back to me. Realizing that my time was rapidly fading I regained my senses and asked him why he was going to Huntington. It turned out that the lady was his fiance and she was from a town located about midway between Huntington and Charleston, WV and they were on their way to spend the holidays with her parents. Thanking him again I quickly made my way back to my seat in the nether regions of coach class and prepared for takeoff.

The rest of the flight was a blur for me and yes, I did listen to Piece Of Mind during the flight. Once we arrived in Huntington I informed my sister and her husband of the famous musician on my flight and as we walked to claim my baggage Nicko was already walking away with his. I caught his eye and he nodded to me, a move of which I made sure my sister and her husband were aware of. We grabbed my bags and on the way to their car we could see Nicko putting his bags into his rental car with a cluster of teens around him. As we walked on those teens came by us and I overheard one of them saying "I don't know who he is but I know he's famous." I wanted to smack those young punks right then and there for having the audacity to ask someone for an autograph when they didn't even know who he was. The nerve.

There's my story of how I met a famous rock star and said something totally and completely lame to him. Some may say that my change of heart about bringing the only Iron Maiden cassette tape that I owned was merely a coincidence and nothing more but I think not. It was instead some strange twist of fate not meant to be life altering, perhaps only to be an amusing tale (hopefully) for me to bore people with later in life. That's where all of you come in. As for the only other question that can be asked about this momentous occasion, do I still have the tape? You better believe it. I wouldn't trade it for anything.




Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.