| In 1979
British music was attracted to the Jamaican music called ska. The colours black and white
in this secondwave ska refer to the multiracial ideas behind this ska scene. It all
started with the founding of the 2 Tone label by Jerry Dammers, an Indian immigrant who
played in the band The Specal A.K.A. (previously called the Coventry Automatics). They
played punk-rock combined with reggae like the punk-band the Clash. They toured together
with the Clash on their British tour. Eventually, the Specials released their first single on their own 2 Tone
label. They had exactly enough money to record one side of the single.
"Gangsters", based on "Al Capone" by Prince Buster. The B-Side was an
instrumental recorded a year earlier by Noel Davies known by Lynval Golding (backing
vocals). With an extra guitar the song became "The Selecter". 5000 copies were
pressed. The single became an underground hit. Finally, the Special were contracted by
Chrysalis en saved their own label. "Gangsters" reached the British top 10.
The next single on the 2 Tone label was "The
Prince" by Madness who later signed to Stiff Records. The third single became
"On my radio"by the Selecter which became a true band with Noel Davies and
Pauline Black. The Special A.K.A. released a second single: "A message to you
Rudy", a cover from a song by Dandy Livingstone with Rico Rodriquez on trombone.
After that the name of the band was changed to The Specials. The next single was by the
Beat (in the U.S. called The English Beat)"Tears of a clown", a cover of Smokey
Robinson. The Beat formed their own label and continued as General Public and The Fine
Young Cannibals.
Finally, the Specials reached number 1 in Brittain
with "Too much too young". The Selecter left the label but the Specials
Continued witmore success with"Ghost Town". Hall, Staples and Golding left the
band and formed the Fun Boy Three. They had hits with "T'aint what you do it's the
way that you do it"(featuring Banamarama), Really Saying Something"(featuring
Banamarama) and "The Tunnel Of Love". When also the guitarist left the band they
were forced to change their name back to The Special A.K.A. Their new single was "The
Boiler" together with Rhoda Dakar from the disbanded band The Bodysnatchers. The
remaining members of The Bodysnatchers went on as "The Belle Stars.
After a 2 year abcense the Special A.K.A. released
a new album "In the studio", introduced by the hit "Free Nelson
Mandela". After that it was over with the 2 tone label. A fusion between members of
The Specials and The Beat as Special Beat performed many hits of The Specials and The Beat
live on stage. In the last decade of the 2nd millenium Madness was back as well as The
Selecter and The Specials.
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