National Emergency Declared - Terrorist Alert

Terrorist is one of the most influential & overlooked U.S. ska/reggae/Dub bands of the late 70s - early 80s. Before early 80s Los Angeles was enjoying the mod/ska explosion that propelled The Untouchables straight to London & a recording contract with Stiff Records, a very different kind of music scene was brewing in bars & clubs around New York City. This scene helped to produce many iconic rock bands including The Ramones, The New York Dolls, Talking Heads, Patti Smith, Suicide & many more. It also nurtured & supported Terrorists who played their unique blend of reggae, ska, dub, & punk a full two years before 2-Tone officially kicked off a punky reggae party in the UK.

The band was formed by a group of white New York City kids who were punk, ska, Dub & reggae fanatics about the same time that Bob Marley & The Wailers released Exodus, helping to launch the whole punk/reggae love affair in the U.K. Begun in October 1977 by drummer Dro (David Ostrowe), bassist Gary Schiess (a/k/a DB), keyboardist Frank Covello, & singer/guitarist Ray De Angel (who was soon replaced by singer John Collins & guitarist Mark "Dino Supreme" Levi), the band quickly became a mainstay of the New York music scene. They shared the stage with well known artists including Talking Heads, Patti Smith, Brian Setzer (Stray Cats), Johnny Thunders, & Sylvain Sylvain (The NY Dolls/The Heartbreakers), The Selecter, Lee Alan Vega (Suicide), The Fast, Joe Bowie (Defunkt), Lester (Almost Famous) Bangs, & many others. Their propulsive brand of punky reggae filled the dance floor at clubs throughout New York City including Max's Kansas City, CBGB's, Irving Plaza, Hotel Diplomat, Hurrah's, The Ritz, The 80's Club, The Rat, Peppermint Lounge, Electric Circus, Trax, & Tramps.

The Terrorists' were inspired by & committed to playing traditional Jamaican ska, reggae, & Dub. Their adherence to & ease with the genre soon caught the attention of superstar dub producer Lee "Scratch" Perry. This was during a time when Perry had parted company with his Jamaican house band The Upsetters. Perry was traveling widely, forging musical partnerships wherever he went. His work with the Terrorists was one of the first of these partnerships. The band played live with Perry during his time in America in the early 1980s. Two studio recordings captured their brief collaboration: "Love Is Better Now" (a love song with Scratch in the producer's chair) & "Guerilla Priest" (a typical early '80s ranter with Scratch on vocals).

The band also worked extensively with Rolando Alphonso of the legendary The Skatalites. Alphonso recorded & performed live with the band, adding further credibility to their musical chops.

Alphonso had suffered a stroke in 1975 that left him with limited dexterity in his right hand. He had to re-learn new ways to play his instrument. It was during this time that Roland would often be present at rehearsals of his son Noel's band, Outer Limits. It was at one of those rehearsals, at Matrix Studios on West 27th, New York City in the spring of '75, that David "Dro" Ostrowe first met Rolando.

Dro recalled, "He had his old Selmer tenor sax that never got polished in its case. Roland was just sitting there watching Outer Limits. He never played with them, at least when I was watching. It was a couple of years later that I saw him come onstage with Noel's new band Jah Malla. He blew a tremendous tune. Nobody seemed to know who he was & when he left the stage no one seemed the wiser. I approached him & asked if he would play with my band, Terrorists. I told him we could provide a proper stage for him. He said yes. We planned it for Max's Kansas City. By spring of 1979 we were ready to do it. We'd play our set, then bring on Roland as the headliner to blow his own set of tunes. We worked with him for about two years. It went great, Roland was in good spirits, & blowing really well. Terrorists played shows with him through '79 into 1980. By the end of the year his name was being more properly recognized around New York."

Sadly, Dro passed away in October 2002. He was well known in New York City reggae circles. He also had a very popular reggae radio show on WBAI-FM. His legacy & the legacy of Terrorists lives on in the generations of New York/New Jersey ska/reggae/Dub bands.

Bolstered by their involvement with Lee "Scratch" Perry, who traveled with & fronted Terrorists & the many tracks with Roland Alphonso of the Skatalites, this is an important slice of reggae, ska, punk, & Dub from Manhattan in the late 70s - early 80s. This is an historic document with material that is absolutely unique.

Forces: 1977-1982 features all 21 tracks the band ever recorded.  (I have included as a bonus track the song "Fences" by Kozminot from 2000. It is the last recorded track that Dro played drums on (recorded at Out by the Tree Studio in the Music Building in mid-town Manhattan.)

Terrorists - Forces 1977-1982, Reachout International Records RUSCD 8277, 2001.

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Hail the Day
Fade Away
Love is Better
Guerrilla Priest w/ Lee "Scratch" Perry (vocals)

Four Corners
Christine Keeler
What am I Living For
Ska-Bostello
Treat Her Right
Bridge View - all six featuring saxophonist Roland Alphonso

Anittoo
Forces
Drainidge
I Want Justice
Happy Man
My Best Girl
Bitch Slapped
It’s Impossible
Happy Go Lucky Girl
Copasetic
What am I Living For #2

bonus track - Fences (Kozminot with Dro [drums])

Enjoy,
NØ