When The Specials reformed for live gigs in 2009 it was greated with much rejoicing! But great as it was to hear some of these songs played live again it does seem like a bit of a sham.
Despite singer Terry Hall's involvement and a number of the original musicians being included, one key person was not present, Jerry Dammers.
Dammers was the founder and driving force musically and politically for the band from their inception in 1977. He personally interviewed all members of the group. The political ethos of black and white integration that underlined the bands socially conscious position was lead by Dammers. The big songs that are the bands best known ('Ghost Town', 'Nite Klub', 'Free Nelson Mandela', 'Too Much Too Young') were written by him and those that were not Specials originals ('A Message To You Rudy', 'Gangsters') are his reworkings of old '60s Jamaican ska tracks. The iconic 2Tone record label that was home to The Specials, Madness, The Selector, Bad Manners and the cream of new wave ska bands was his label, his creation. He even designed the logo. 2Tone Ska and The Specials is Jerry Dammers and fairly the idea of him not being in a reformed line-up is as inconceivable as the Sex Pistols without John Lydon or Dexys without Kevin Rowland.
Produced by Elvis Costello this first their first album is a post punk essential with Jamaican ska re-imagined by dispossessed and pissed-off 1970s inner city Coventry boys. Unlike Jamaican ska, the guitar is to the forefront and the overall sound is much more energetic.
The album features several covers or reworkings: 'Monkey Man' (originally by Toots & The Maytals), 'Too Hot' (by Prince Buster) and 'A Message To You Rudy' (by Dandy Livingstone). 'Too Much Too Young' is a re-working of Lloyd Charmers 'Birth Control' and 'Stupid Marriage' draws heavily on a Prince Buster hit 'Judge Dread'.
Adding to the sense of continuity from the original Ska artists of the 60s is the presence of trombonist and member of the Skatalites, Rico Rodriguez who appeared on many of the old Jamaican recordings of the '50s and '60s including the original version of '...Rudy'
CONCRETE JUNGLE
MONKEY MAN
TOO MUCH TOO YOUNG
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