Moon Ska Records was one of the most influential ska record labels of the 1980s and 1990s.
The label operated from 1983 until 2000, and during those seventeen years, only released ska and ska-influenced music. Originally named Moon Records, as a tribute to Sun Records, the label changed its name to Moon Ska Records because another label owned the copyright to the Moon Records name. The label was started by Robert "Bucket" Hingley, founding member of The Toasters as a means to distribute albums by The Toasters. The label became an American source for many British ska import albums.
The label rose to prominence in the early 1990s by releasing albums by many of the ska genre's biggest acts, such as The Toasters, The Slackers, Hepcat, The Scofflaws, Mephiskapheles, The Pietasters and the debut album of Dance Hall Crashers — as well as many up and coming bands such as Spring Heeled Jack and Mustard Plug. The label also promoted non-Moon Ska bands, such as The Allstonians, Gals Panic, Less Than Jake, through various compilation albums. Some of these compilations featured the earliest recordings by No Doubt. In 1997, the label branched out to form Ska Satellite Records, in order to produce albums from smaller acts at a lower budget. Moon Ska also produced patches and T-shirts that were sold at ska concerts around the world.
Moon Ska World, formerly known as Moon Ska Europe, is a ska record label based in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1998 as the European sister label of the defunct American label Moon Ska Records, which was owned by Robert "Bucket" Hingley of The Toasters. Moon Ska World is a licensed affiliate run by Lol Pryor, the former Dojo Records and Link Records head. Due to illnesses in both Pryor and the other principal owner, Sonia "Red" Bailey, as well as deaths in their families, the label was put on hold until 2006, when Pryor changed its name to Moon Ska World and began running the label on his own.
Unlike its American counterpart, Moon Ska Europe released bands from genres outside of ska, but in 2006, the label shifted its focus exclusively towards ska and old reggae. In addition to releasing more than thirty albums licensed from Moon Ska Records and early licensed albums by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Buck-O-Nine, Moon Ska Europe released albums by Spunge (who later signed with Warner Bros. Records), Whitmore, King Prawn (their first two albums) and Less Than Jake (their debut European release). In 2006, Moon Ska World signed UK underground ska act The Big, European reggae act The Upsessions, Hawaii ska/soul act Go Jimmy Go and former Bodysnatchers and Special Aka vocalist Rhoda Dakar. They have also released albums by The Toasters, The Riffs, 2 Tone supergroup Skaville UK, and skinhead reggae act Symarip.
We’re gonna build a rocket my daddy and I
And we will leave the ground and head for the sky
We’re gonna leave the planet earth and find another place
We’re gonna pump up the volume in outer space
And as soon as we are landing on the surface of the moon
We’re gonna stomp it to the rhythm of the stereo
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one
Here we go!
Moon ska
Common everybody move your feet, do the moon ska
It’s a big step for the mankind when we leave this
afternoon
My daddy is going to be the first rudeboy on the moon
He has brought his black & white suite and hat and is
ready to take off