During the Ska/Rocksteady period of 1965-1968 when I was living in Hackney, East London (I was only a nipper), my dad got friendly with a Jamaican guy who they used to call 'The King Of The Darkies'...his words, not mine! This guy couldn't drive and asked me dad to drive him around in exchange for money....rather like a personal taxi driver I suppose. Suffice to say, dad got invited to 'blues parties' around the Hackney area....he say's there were white people at these parties but many were women....mmmmm.
I also remember dad going to the Lycium Ballroom reggae nights (can't recall where that was though, somewhere in North London I think) and that must have been around 1968/69 and saying it was full of 'yobbos'. So I guess that must have been the skinheads.
Anyway, dad amassed a collection of Blue Beats, Island, Doctor Bird etc which he'd pick up at these parties, many from off the floor (some even have stilletoe prints indented in them!). When we moved to Norfolk, he stuck all his records (including some real shite, Rock n Roll & Soul) in our garage where they remained, getting mouldy and damp for years! When he buggered off with some tart, I was already into Northern Soul and begining to also get into the Two-Tone sound (1979/80)....remembering those Blue Beats still in the garage I plundered them and so started a healthy collection of ska/rocksteady/reggae alongside my Northern Soul. The gang I hung around with were all skinheads/rudies and I remember we were all into both sounds (soul & ska). Still am and still wear a crombie!
Pete Smith knows the score!