# Help me find the Ska/Big Band hits of the '90's **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 8, 2006, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502 "2006-02-08T04:13:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chouinard\_Fan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Chouinard\_Fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chouinard_Fan)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502/1 "2006-02-08T04:13:40Z")
Ok, there was some great music from the '90’s that was of the Ska/Big Band genre that I simply love. Only thing is that when I could remember the names of these bands I couldn’t afford any cd’s. There is one song in particular that I ABSOLUTELY MUST FIND!! I think it is Mighty Mighty Bosstones but searches have turned up negative, I have been trying for years, but to no avail. So please weigh in with your fav’s and if you help me find my song I promise you a spot on my cabinet in 2040! All this I kinda blame on how I grew up with a certain older brother who was (is) more than a little crazed with music, certain online message boards (to the point of giving subscript’s of said board to family members for Christmas), and a certain baseball mascots of the red avian nature. ---
**Author:** ![albertmdh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ab992/32.png) [@albertmdh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/albertmdh)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502/2 "2006-02-08T04:16:00Z")
Try some searching for both the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, as well as the Brian Setzer Orchestra, and maybe Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, thats all I can think of besides the bosstones. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502/3 "2006-02-08T04:23:53Z")
The Bosstones’ big hit was called “The Impression That I Get.” The chorus was about ‘never had to knock on wood…’ Is that the one you mean? Reel Big Fish had one or two big hits. The Squirrel Nut Zippers had “Hell,” and the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies’ big hit was “Zoot Suit Riot.” ---
**Author:** ![St\_Ides](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@St\_Ides](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St_Ides)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502/4 "2006-02-08T05:21:32Z")
Give a hint as to some lyrics or something, and we may be able to help better. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502/5 "2006-02-08T05:28:20Z")
Hey, I think I’m qualified to weigh in, given my user name, my music collection, and my experience DJing swing dances and playing sax in a ska band in the late '90s. Mighty Mighty Bosstones: As said earlier, “The Impression That I Get,” from the album _Let’s Face It_, was their big hit. They followed it with the single “Royal Oil,” but it got a lot less radio airplay. Before that album, I guess around 1995, the band had a brief appearance in the movie Clueless, playing “Someday I Suppose” at a party scene. The only other ska bands that attained national prominence during that time were Reel Big Fish, with their big hit “Sell Out,” and Save Ferris, the girl-fronted band who did “The World Is New.” As for swing, Cherry Poppin’ Daddies’ only real big hit was the aforementioned “Zoot Suit Riot” (from the outstanding album of the same name), and Royal Crown Revue had a minor hit with “Hey Pachuco!”, which they performed in the Jim Carrey movie The Mask in 1994. (RCR is my favorite of all the late '90s swing bands, but they were never quite as commercial as Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.) Big Bad Voodoo Daddy was a little bigger. Of course they came to prominence with their appearance in the 1996 movie Swingers that brought the neo-retro swing culture to the mainstream for a short time, and made stars out of Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau. Their hits, both from the movie, were “Go Daddy-O” and “You and Me and the Bottle Make Three Tonight.” Those songs appeared on their self-titled album and also the Swingers soundtrack. They had a lesser hit with “Cruel Spell,” a slower song which appeared in a few TV shows and movies. The Squirrel Nut Zippers combined swing with Dixieland, old-timey ragtime – they didn’t go for the whole zoot suit thing, and featured fiddle, banjo, lower brass, and a girl singer who sounded like a cross between Billie Holiday and Betty Boop. Their big hit, again, was “Hell” (with the guy singer), which they followed with “Put a Lid On It” (girl singer). A few years later, they tried again with “Suits Are Picking Up the Bill” from their third album, _Perennial Favorites_, but it didn’t get big. Finally, Brian Setzer, former singer/guitarist of the '80s rockabilly revival trio known as the Stray Cats, fronted the Brian Setzer Orchestra in the late '90s and continues to lead them today. They had a big hit with a cover of Louis Prima’s classic “Jump Jive and Wail,” which was featured in a Gap commercial around that time, with some excellent swing dancers. (Or was the original in that commercial? I forget.) Is this helpful at all? I can get waaaaay more obscure, but I named anything that would have had mainstream exposure (radio airplay, music videos, or soundtrack spots). ---
**Author:** ![JCorre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@JCorre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JCorre)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502/6 "2006-02-08T07:31:45Z")
2 Bands to look into: Unsteady Save Ferris ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502/7 "2006-02-08T12:34:43Z")
Since this is about musical groups, I think you’ll find more responses over in Cafe Society. I’ll move 'er for ya. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502/8 "2006-02-08T15:17:02Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > The Squirrel Nut Zippers combined swing with Dixieland, old-timey ragtime – they didn’t go for the whole zoot suit thing, and featured fiddle, banjo, lower brass, and a girl singer who sounded like a cross between Billie Holiday and Betty Boop. Their big hit, again, was “Hell”… I bought the CD because I liked _Hell_. I was hoping for more swing. Turns out it was the only song I liked on it. I’ve mislaid it, so when I put it in iTunes I’ll just download the single song. **Chouinard Fan** : I bought [_Ska: The Third Wave Vol. 2_](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000000DS6/ref=m_art_li_4/103-8395179-4959802?s=music&v=glance&n=5174) when it came out. I had to get _Coffee_ by AWOL (only they were 7 Minds when I first herd the song). It’s a good sampler. For older stuff there’s The Specials, Madness (_One Step Beyond_ was the first music video I ever saw, back in the late-1970s), and English Beat. ---
**Author:** ![Chouinard\_Fan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Chouinard\_Fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chouinard_Fan)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502/9 "2006-02-08T16:16:49Z")
> [@St\_Ides](#): > > Give a hint as to some lyrics or something, and we may be able to help better. Your telling me, if I could remember lyrics I would google them and buy the ole cd just like that. As for Voodoo D’s suggestions, thanks, I have pretty much tried all those bands and all those tracks although I am checking some that I don’t have. To date myself Big Bad Voodoo Daddy played my junior prom just before they went huge. My buddies used to go out to little hops BBVD would play and swing away, oh, the good old days eh? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502/10 "2006-02-08T17:06:49Z")
For something a little more college radioish…try Less Than Jake. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502/11 "2006-02-08T17:10:47Z")
The Pietasters? ---
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502/12 "2006-02-08T18:41:08Z")
Don’t forget about the Specials either. Their song “Little Bitch” was the song being played during the high school dance in the movie 16 Candles. Other good ska/punk bands: (Early) No Doubt Sublime Rancid ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502/13 "2006-02-08T18:56:54Z")
The only band I can remember hearing on the radio at the time that wasn’t mentioned by **Big Bad Voodoo Lou** is the Dancehall Crashers. (I also remember “Someday I Suppose” being a really big radio hit for the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, but I’m from Boston which might skew things a bit) ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502/14 "2006-02-08T19:09:46Z")
I love all the bands that everyone in this thread has mentioned, and I’ve seen most of them live. Nobody seems to like this kind of music anymore, which disappoints the hell out of me (although apparently ska is still semi-present for Hot Topic teenyboppers). I am stoked about possibly seeing the Toasters and Mustard Plug live tomorrow night at a small club in town, and nothing will keep me away from seeing Big Bad Voodoo Daddy in April at the House of Blues in Orlando. I first saw them in 1998, at a tiny, smoky club, on my birthday. I was in my suit and my two-tone Docs and had a beautiful blonde on my arm. Good times. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502/15 "2006-02-08T20:00:29Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > The Squirrel Nut Zippers combined swing with Dixieland, old-timey ragtime – they didn’t go for the whole zoot suit thing, and featured fiddle, banjo, lower brass, and a girl singer who sounded like a cross between Billie Holiday and Betty Boop. Their big hit, again, was “Hell” (with the guy singer), which they followed with “Put a Lid On It” (girl singer). A few years later, they tried again with “Suits Are Picking Up the Bill” from their third album, _Perennial Favorites_, but it didn’t get big. I saw The Squirrel Nut Zippers live probably 7 or 10 years ago at a club called Trax in Charlottesville VA. They started off the show by coming in the main door of the club while playing their instruments, and marched through the crowd and onto the stage. It was an awesome show. They’re a very talented band and I love that type of music. “Hell” and “Perennial Favorites” are my fav albums. I think they still play together occasionally, but it seems like Katherine Whalen (the female member) is busy doing the mom thing. She put out a jazz album that seemed good to my jazz-ignorant ears. ---
**Author:** ![Tarrsk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/97f17d/32.png) [@Tarrsk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarrsk)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502/16 "2006-02-08T20:17:00Z")
Since you specifically stated 90s ska, you might also want to check out: Mustard Plug Mad Caddies (IMO the best band to come out of the entire late-90s ska scene) Catch-22 Kemuri Rx Bandits Operation Ivy Fishbone Five Iron Frenzy (the only good band the Christian rock scene ever produced) …in addition to the various bands already listed in this thread. These particular bands skew more towards the ska-punk sound of the late 90s than most of the other bands listed in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502/17 "2006-02-08T20:37:28Z")
Fishbone rocks, and for a little retro swingy stuff try Big Time Operator. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502/18 "2006-02-09T01:15:13Z")
Hey **Big Bad Voodoo Lou** - do you remember August Darnell\* and his swing inspired “Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band”? \*known to many as the Kid of “Kid Creole and the Coconuts”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502/19 "2006-02-09T01:37:47Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > The Bosstones’ big hit was called “The Impression That I Get.” The chorus was about ‘never had to knock on wood…’ Is that the one you mean? They got a fair amount of play with “Where Did You Go?” and “The Rascal King” too. ---
**Author:** ![St\_Ides](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@St\_Ides](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St_Ides)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502/20 "2006-02-09T03:40:48Z")
I’m personally a huge fan of The Slackers. I went to see them for the first time last year, and I’m going to see them again at the beginning of March, they’re playing a couple times in the area (different cities) and I may go to all the shows… They’re just that good. As far as hits go, I’ve heard them on the radio (once or twice) but I can’t remember what specific song. Check out the song “Sarah” or “Rude and Reckless” if you want a good idea of their sound. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-the-ska-big-band-hits-of-the-90s/343502.md?page=2)