Symarip – Skinhead Moonstomp / Must Catch A Train

7 inch singles were instrumental to the development of the Jamaican music industry, more affordable than full lengths for the consumer, they also allowed the labels to turnaround what was being recorded into music played from their booming sound systems as quickly as possible. In that spirit, Get On Down will be reissuing some of the most crucial reggae and ska sides on 45.
This issue marks a slight departure in the series as Symarip were not a Jamaican group but had their origins in the UK. By the time Skinhead Moonstomp was released as a single in 1969, reggae had spread its influence into the UK to such an extent that it changed British music for good. Symarip were the first group to work to directly appeal to UK skinhead culture, creating the climate that allowed for the explosion of the two tone movement in the late 1970s. Yet it was only on the singles’ reissue in 1980 that the cut hit the UK charts, landing at #54. So, to paraphrase the song’s intro, get up on your feet, put your braces together and your boots on your feet, it’s time again for some of that old moonstompin’.”