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The Uptones are an American ska band, based in Northern California. Formed in 1981 by a group of high school students in Berkeley, California, The Uptones were influenced by the English 2 Tone sound, as well as the British mod scene, punk rock, and the original Jamaica ska sound.Interview with Eric Din, May, 2009 The Uptones were one of the first U.S. bands devoted to playing ska and were an influence on the burgeoning West Coast punk/ska scene.Selvin, Joel. "Uptones Get Down", San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco, Sunday, March 23, 2008. Retrieved March 10, 2021. The band reformed with core founding members in the early 2000s and continued to play live shows throughout the Bay Area until 2018.
Writing original songs throughout the Reagan era, The Uptones were a dance band with a political bent, covering topics such as the Cold War and the increased militarization of the U.S.Carnes, Aaron. "The Uptones: The East Bay’s Seminal Ska Band", East Bay Express, Oakland, September 19, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
Rock promoter Bill Graham took note and started booking the band as support for major acts such as the Go-Go's and UB40 at the Greek Theater in Berkeley; X, Madness and the English Beat at the Kabuki; Oingo Boingo at the Warfield; General Public at the Henry J. Kaiser Center; and Billy Idol at the Oakland Coliseum.Din interview and archive of Paul Jackson The Uptones have also played numerous shows with Los Angeles bands Fishbone and The Untouchables.
Jesse Michaels of Operation Ivy has cited the Uptones as a key influence. His bandmates Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman were also influenced by the Uptones, having opened for them in their earlier band, Basic Radio. NME | Operation Ivy Biography Michaels describes the Uptones' place in the underground Berkeley ska scene in an interview:
The new line-up included original members singer/guitarist Din, singer/keyboardist Jackson, bass-player Eastwood and saxophonist Adam Beach, along with new members Musashi (Moose) Lethridge on guitar, Mike Stevens on drums, and a horn section featuring Jeanne Geiger on trombone and Scott Bertrand on trumpet. The band currently plays live shows throughout the Bay Area and was featured in a cover story in the San Francisco Chronicle Datebook in March, 2008.
In 2008, the Uptones recorded a new CD, Skankin' Foolz Unite! with producers Matthew King Kaufman and Michael Rosen for the Fun Fun Fun Recordings label. Discogs. The Uptones – Skankin' Foolz Unite!. 2008.
Guitarist Moose Lethridge left The Uptones to join the English Beat in 2010. He was replaced by singer/guitarist Emily Jayne. In 2013, Lethridge rejoined The Uptones, and in 2018 he left again.
In June, 2010, the Uptones played four California dates on The Warped Tour. Vans Warped Tour 2010
On November 5, 2017, The Uptones played a benefit concert at the Ashkenaz in Berkeley to raise money for the Northern California fire relief effort. This was their first show since December 2013.
In 2019 Berkeley Cat Records released a digital reissue of the OUTBACK six-song EP, including the original version of Burning Sky which had been a hit on KITS "Live 105" commercial alternative radio in San Francisco in 1987 and remained in rotation through the 1990s.
In 2020, Liberation Hall Records released The Uptones' "Get Out of My Way, the early recordings" CD, along with 415 Records: Still Disturbing The Peace, a compilation of bands originally on the roster of Howie Klein 415 label. The compilation includes music from Uptones contemporaries of the 1970s/80s Bay Area punk and new-wave music scene, including The Nuns, The Mutants, Pop-O-Pies, and SVT.
In 2024, Berkeley Cat Records released a live UpTones recording from November, 1986 at the Rheem Theater in Moraga, California.
San Francisco Chronicle music critic Joel Selvin wrote of the Uptones in San Francisco Chronicle's list of top 100 Bay Area bands:
The discovery of a DAT tape of a 924 Gilman Street show led to the release of the album The Uptones Live!! 924 Gilman in 1995. Discogs. The Uptones – Live!!. 1995. Crawdaddy! called it "the best live ska record ever."EastBayExpress Archives. "Best Ska Band - The Uptones", East Bay Express, Oakland, June 25, 2008. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
"There was a ska scene in Berkeley that most people don't know about, in the mid-80s... There was this great band called the Uptones that would get on stage and the whole 2-Tone thing...and they looked and played like a punk band, really dynamic and exciting. People would be stage diving and going crazy at their shows." Ink19 | Common Rider - An Interview with Jesse Michaels | Tom Minarchick
Reformation
Despite critical acclaim and a devoted following, after seven years the band went their separate ways. Their recording output had been minimal, and they were mostly known by word-of-mouth from their live shows. Original band members Din, Jackson and Eastwood went on to form new rock bands, first Hobo and then Stiff Richards, playing a combination of alt-rock, ska and reggae, though Din would always consider The Uptones his main band. Subsequently, The Uptones reunited 2002. According to Din, the other bands "were just keeping the heart of the Uptones alive."
Critical acclaim
Allmusic praises the Uptones for being ahead of the mid-1980s Third wave ska movement:
"Their impact upon the evolving ska scene was enormous ... With a musical maturity far beyond their years and a groundbreaking third wave sound ... the Uptones knocked out high-energy songs quite removed from anything or anyone else ... Light years ahead of their time, the Uptones were a pivotal band and a seminal one."
The review notes the Uptones' rabid hometown following and strong influence on later ska practitioners.
"Along with Operation Ivy, the Uptones formed the core of the Berkeley ska punk scene that paved the way for the likes of Rancid. A hard-edged, upbeat band that would have been huge if it hadn't been years ahead of its time."
Discography
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