After my last post about Joya Landis’s version of “Angel of the Morning”, I thought it would be cool to take a look at how three distinctly non-reggae bands incorporated some reggae influence into their music. All of these songs are built around reggae guitar riffs, the key attribute of which is “the skank”, or striking the chords on the off-beat (think hitting the “and” in a “1 and  2 and 3 and  4” progression.) What I love about all three of these songs is that they maintain their autonomy. They’re not reggae rip-offs, but instead do a great job of building that influence into their music. So here we go…

First up is “Eyes of a Stranger”, by The Payolas.

Being of Canadian blood myself, this one is my sentimental favourite. However, it’s also just a great song. Probably best known as the standout song on the “Valley Girl” soundtrack, the boys from the Payolas did a great job on this one. The riff doesn’t kick in until the first chorus, but when it does it sends the song into a completely different and unexpected groove that is pretty brilliant, and certainly sets it apart from all of the other radio hits from that era, making it a pretty timeless groove. You can find the song on their album No Stranger To Danger, produced by the great Mick Ronson, available on iTunes or on Amazon.

Next up is “The Dreaming Moon”, by the Magnetic Fields.

This is probably the subtlest contribution of the three, because there is so much layering going on, and really because who is expecting something like reggae from The Magnetic Fields?  One doesn’t often think synth keyboards and droning vocals with reggae riffs, but The Magnetic Fields pull it off beautifully in this moody, rainy day song. In fairness, Stephin Merritt and crew are always bringing in unexpected and terrific twists into their music, so one really shouldn’t be too taken by surprise. In addition to the skank groove, the Fields add another touch of reggae influence in this song, which is the unbroken repetition of the riff. Once it starts it runs uninterrupted all the way through to the end. A great weaving together of styles that makes up the last track on the bands 1995 album Get Lost. Get it on iTunes or on Amazon.

Last of my three picks is “(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais”, by The Clash.

Ok, if you’re a Clash fan or a music fan in general, you might be screaming, “cheating!”

In point of fact, this song is often referred to as “Reggae-Rock”, so you may have a point. However, to me The Clash was always first and foremost a punk band that knew how to evolve and involve the rest of the broad spectrum of music into their writing better than any other band of the era. The guys in The Clash were huge fans of all types of music, and are renowned for being able to tie various genres together within their music. Lyrically, this tune is one of Joe Strummer’s best odes to frustration, which starts out with a trip to a reggae show featuring Dillinger, Leroy Smart, and Delroy Wilson, and winds up with Strummer taking jabs at other bands and England in general. Musically, the band pairs a heavy reggae influence into the song, but it never quite gives itself over entirely. There are still some pretty heavy riffs that makes up the intro, bridges, and choruses in this number. Originally released as a 7” record, you can now find it on several Clash compilations, again on iTunes or Amazon.

And since they were such a great live band, here’s that version…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4rC3gP2hXk

That’s it! Happy listening.