Train to Skaville

The Ethiopians issued "Train to Skaville" in Jamaica on WIRL after Leonard Dillon found financial backing from Leebert Robinson, and the single was self-produced. It became the group’s breakout record and was the song that helped carry them to Britain for their first tour. Released in 1967, "Train to Skaville" became The Ethiopians’ first major hit and reached the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 40 and spending six weeks there. It helped establish the group as one of Jamaica’s leading harmony acts in the late ska and rocksteady era. The song has remained a ska standard, later covered by artists including The Selecter, Boney M., and Derrick Morgan, and it has been sampled in multiple recordings. Its enduring reach keeps it among The Ethiopians’ best-known recordings.