Born in Cuba in 1927, Laurel Aitken recorded 'Boogie In My Bones' in 1958 for the new Island label started in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell. The record was an early example of what became known as Jamaican 'blues' music - localised variants on the shuffle-boogie R'n'B records coming out of New Orleans, which were the precursors of ska. When ska itself hit, Aitken enjoyed a string of successes, both in Jamaica and England. Moving to the UK, he based himself first in London and then in Leicester, recording scores of songs for Emile Shalett's Blue Beat label, Graeme Goodall's Rio Records, and the Palmer brothers' Nu Beat. Aitken's fan base amongst initially mods and subsequently skinheads assured him of a second crack at his career in the late 1970s with the 2-Tone ska revival. - ReggaeXplosion