I Don't Like Reggae, I Love It: The History of "Redondo Beach" by Patti Smith

I Don't Like Reggae, I Love It: The History of "Redondo Beach" by Patti Smith

Author: Marc Wasserman March 19, 2021 Duration: 23:00
In this episode of I Don’t Like Reggae, I Love It, a special audio series of the Ska Boom podcast, on the historical origins and impact of reggae on popular music, I focus on Patti Smith’s embrace of reggae that started with the song “Redondo Beach” on her 1975 debut album “Horses.” The origin story of Redondo Beach is fascinating. Originally written and published as a poem in 1972, “Redondo Beach” was recorded, then lost, then re-recorded finally making it onto Horses. It may be ...

Marc Wasserman has been living and breathing American ska since helping to found Bigger Thomas, New Jersey's first ska band, back in 1988. That front-row perspective to the scene's growth, combined with his work as an author of books like *Ska Boom: An American Ska & Reggae Oral History*, fuels this deeply personal Ska Boom-An American Ska & Reggae Podcast. Think of it as the audio companion to those written histories, but with the volume cranked up and the stories told in real voices. Each episode is built on conversations-sometimes with musicians you know, sometimes with the crucial behind-the-scenes figures you don't-that trace the unique and often overlooked American journey of these genres. You'll hear firsthand accounts that span from the early underground clubs to the mainstream explosions, discussions on the music's cultural impact, and analysis of the sounds that defined generations. It's a mix of history, commentary, and interview, all filtered through the experience of someone who wasn't just watching from the crowd but was actively helping to build the stage. The result is a podcast that feels less like a lecture and more like a series of late-night talks with the people who made the scene happen, preserving the energy and anecdotes that might otherwise be lost.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Ska Boom - An American Ska & Reggae Podcast
Podcast Episodes
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Duration: 17:54
Welcome to Ska Boom! Stories, which is the audio companion to my new book Ska Boom: An American Ska & Reggae Oral History now available for pre-sale through DiWulf Publishing. The first 500 pre-orders get a rare 80 minut…
Ska Boom Stories - Why isn't Fishbone in Ska Boom? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:20
Welcome to Ska Boom! Stories, which is the audio companion to my new book Ska Boom: An American Ska & Reggae Oral History now available for pre-sale through DiWulf Publishing. The first 500 pre-orders get a rare 80 minut…
Ska Boom Stories - Why is Clyde Grimes on the cover of Ska Boom? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:45
Welcome to Ska Boom! Stories, which is the audio companion to my new book Ska Boom: An American Ska & Reggae Oral History now available for pre-sale through DiWulf Publishing. Now that the book is finally finished and go…
Ska Boom Stories: Johnny Nash American Reggae Pioneer? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:08
Welcome to the first episode of Ska Boom Stories -- a new podcast series that will highlight stories, anecdotes and gossip taken from all 19 chapters of Ska Boom! An American Ska & Reggae Oral History that is now availab…