Let's Do Rocksteady-Nicky Summers The Bodysnatchers/2Tone

Let’s do Rocksteady was our take on Dandy Livingstone’s People Get Ready-  Let’s do Rocksteady first released in 1969. 

We played it at a  faster pace than the original  and 2Tone/ Chrysalis wanted it for the first single though some of us were discussing whether to release The Boiler. However the powers that be in 2Tone/ Chrysalis felt The Boiler was too challenging for the public  so against our feeling and the fact that The Boiler was self-penned and not a cover  we agreed to record Let’s Do Rocksteady.

I / we had no say whatsoever in the recording or production of this song . I recall it took 26 takes as we were encouraged to constantly speed up our playing and to play it tighter than we were used to . It was also mixed to sound as commercial as possible and ’ good ‘ on the radio, I feel already losing credibility or authenticity .

However I am genuinely complemented and slightly taken aback when I hear recent ska bands cover The Bodysnatchers' version .