If you ask a fan of ska to name three pioneering acts, you’ll likely find a lot of people answering with Reel Big Fish, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (RIP) and Less Than Jake. And for good reason. The staying power of the three legendary bands speaks for themselves; Reel Big Fish formed in 1991, the Bosstones were around as early as the mid-1980s, and Less Than Jake first surfaced thirty years ago.
Chris DeMakes of Less Than Jake is streaming a reggae version of Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home” below. The song will be released as a seven inch single on RareBreed Recording Co. He commented on the song:
I was approached by Vinnie and Obi to participate in their Rare Breed series. They played me a few tracks they had with other artists singing. I thought it was great and was immediately intrigued by the idea of doing a few 80’s metal songs retooled into reggae tunes.
After much consideration, I settled on “Home Sweet Home” by Motley Crue. The 80’s metal tunes often get a lot of slack, but when you look past the image of the bands and listen to the melodies with open ears, there’s a lot of good stuff there. When I heard the reggae arrangement, I knew I had made a cool choice.
I’m super excited about this project and am honored I was asked to be a part of it. Can’t wait to share more of these tunes with you!
