Dancing With My Baby / Do The Boogaloo - Laurel Aitken

	£		30
	$		40

Lorenzo Aitken (April 22, 1927 – July 17, 2005), better known as Laurel Aitken, was a singer and one of the originators of Jamaican ska music.

Born in Cuba of mixed Cuban and Jamaican descent, Aitken and his family settled in Jamaica in 1938. After an early career working for the Jamaican Tourist Board singing mento songs for visitors arriving at Kingston Harbour, he became a popular nightclub entertainer. His first recordings in the late 1950s were mento tunes such as "Nebuchnezer", "Sweet Chariot" (aka the gospel classic "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot") and "Baba Kill Me Goat". Progressing to a pre-ska shuffle, Aitken's 1958 single "Little Sheila"/"Boogie in My Bones" was one of the first records produced by Chris Blackwell, who founded his Island Records label that year. Other rock and roll singles from this period include "Low Down Dirty Girl", "Drinkin' Whisky" and "More Whisky", produced by Duke Reid.

Aitken moved to London, England in 1960 and recorded both in the UK and Jamaica throughout the 1960s. This cemented his position as one of ska's leading artists and earned him the nicknames The Godfather of Ska and Boss Skinhead. He gained a loyal following not only among the West Indian community, but also among mods, skinheads and other ska fans. He had hit records in the United Kingdom and other countries in the 1950s through to the 1970s on labels such as Blue Beat, Pama, Trojan, Rio, Dr. Bird, Nu-Beat, Ska-Beat, and Dice. Some of his singles featured B-sides credited to his brother, guitarist Bobby Aitken. Aitken also recorded a few talk-over/deejay tracks under the guise of 'King Horror', such as "Loch Ness Monster", "Dracula, Prince of Darkness", and "The Hole".Aitken settled in Leicester with his wife in 1971. Aitken's career took in mento/calypso, R&B, ska, rock steady, and reggae, and in the 1990s he even turned his talents to dancehall. He performed occasional concerts almost until his death from a heart attack in 2005. After a long campaign, a blue plaque in his honour was put up at his Leicester home in 2007.

Dancing With My Baby / Do The Boogaloo - Laurel Aitken

Record plays  VG

Please note **********

My records for sale are used and have been played.

I have tried to grade fairly, but as you can appreciate grading and descriptions are subject to MY OWN interpretation, which may be on some occasions not agreeable to the buyer.

So remember you buy/bid at your own risk as if you are not happy with the grading or descriptions DON’T BID.

I will only give full or partial refunds, where I have unintentionally mis-graded an item as long as the buyer can show that I have.

Record grading as follows:

MINT:The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

EXCELLENT: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing.

VERY GOOD: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

GOOD: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discoloration, etc.

FAIR: The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise.
The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.

JC - Jukebox (large) centre
PIC - picture sleeve
SOL - Sticker on label
WOL - Writing on label

LD – Label damaged or worn

Postage & Packing:

U.K. and Ireland                                   7" Single       LP & 12"

1st Class Royal Mail            (Insured up to £32)         £1.50                           £2.90

1st Class Recorded               (Insured up to £32)       £2.50                           £3.50

Special Next Day Delivery (Insured up to £500)        £5.00                           £5.75

For each additional 7" add £0.50 and £1.00 per additional LP

Europe                                                 7" Single        LP & 12"

Airmail Small Packet          (Insured up to £32)           £2.50                        £3.90

International Signed For    (Insured up to £500)         £7.00                         £8.50

For each additional 7" add £0.75 and £1.25 per additional LP

Rest of the World                                  7" Single        LP & 12"

Airmail Small Packet           (Insured up to £32)           £3.25                         £6.75

International Signed For     (Insured up to £500)         £8.00                         £11.00

For each additional 7" add £1.25 and £3.00 per additional LP

If you do not reply within 3 days to arrange payment, or payment does not reach me within 7 days without explanation I will relist the item or offer it to the second highest bidder.

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