Phoenix City

Recorded in Kingston’s Studio One circle with Roland Alphonso and the Skatalites’ Studio One session players; the original release came out on Doctor Bird in 1966 and was produced by Clement "Coxsone" Dodd. It became one of the defining Studio One ska instrumentals, built around the fast brass-led sound that helped set the template for Jamaican ska. The tune was issued as a Jamaican/UK single and circulated widely in the sound-system era. It remains a staple of classic-ska compilations and has been covered and sampled by later artists, including Symarip, Judge Dread, Barry Adamson, and Mr. Review. The track is still one of the best-known pieces associated with Roland Alphonso and the Skatalites.