I'm honestly not very well versed in this era of Ska/Two Tone... so if you have any other bands like this or other songs by the specials you think I would dig, leave them here! I'm down for more.
The Specials are one of the most fantastic British bands of all time, and this song - good though it is - doesn't even begin to touch the sides of their immense breadth of talent! 'Ghost Town' is an absolute MUST, and other songs such as 'International Jet Set', 'Blank Expression', 'Do Nothing', 'Friday Night, Saturday Morning', 'Stereotype', 'Too Much Too Young', 'Rat Race' and 'Gangsters' are exceptional. They're a band that are appreciable on every level: if you want to listen to decent musicianship and arrangements, they have that. If you like to listen to thought-provoking lyrics, they have those by the bucket-load. If you like raw melancholy emotion that hits you straight in the heart, they have that too. Boiling, righteous anger that punches you in the gut? Yep, check! Or if you don't care about any of that and just want to dance, with The Specials you can do that too! Sorry for the length of this comment Lee, but I really cannot recommend The Specials highly enough. They are well worth your time delving deeper into. I promise you you won't regret it!
Ghost Town from The Specials is a must listen. If you want to delve into early ska from the mid 60s, I suggest Guns of Navarone by The Skatalites or My Boy Lollipop from Millie Small. And for some more British ska from the late 70s, check out One Step Beyond by Madness.
The Specials, "Gangsters", Too Much Too Young", Another huge band in UK at this time with a ska influence were Madness. Hit after hit, "Night Boat To Cairo", "House Of Fun", "The Prince", "One Step Beyond" etc May I also suggest exploring Ian Dury and the Blockheads, especially "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" which will send you down a wonderful rabbit hole
Not London, Coventry was the home of the Specials. Too Much Too Young, Ghost Town and Free Nelson Mandela were all UK hits for the Specials, they were at the forefront of the Two Tone ska scene of the late 70's
These guys did so much to fight racism. We played several times with them on Rock Against Racism and Anti Nazi League gigs After this week we really need them back.
OMG, I love The Specials. It's addictive music, it can raise you up from the worst slump or depression. The old school "ska" was magic like that. Toe tapping stuff.
The Jam: that’s entertainment, Going underground, Down in the tube station at midnight, Town called malice. I’d go with the jam honestly out of the ones I mentioned.
@mattleppard1964 I did. It was a replacement for something else that was blocked. I didn't really think about it. Its a song I've always loved. I thought Lee would like it so why not? He didn't hate it. That's what matters.
Ska from the 50’s/60’s came out of Jamaica. The English genre came out in the late 70’s with bands like this after many migrants from Jamaica moved to UK. This English genre merged Jamaican ska with a post-punk influence.
This genre was massive in the UK in the late 70s early 80s. It was in the charts every week and they even played it at school discos. So much breadth of different styles and also a lot of female leads to check out.
Their biggest and most influential track was undoubtedly "Ghost Town." Damon Albarn used it as the template for the song "Clint Eastwood" off the first Gorillaz album, and calls the Specials a big influence.
This music , rock ska originated in a time in the UK when there were a lot of race riots . There were a lot of Two Tone bands who put on concerts under the banner Rock against Racism to show that black and white could mix in music so why not generally. It’s particularly pertinent to play this this weekend as many of the bands are coming together to play a big 50 year anniversary concert. Loved this music.
Great reaction! Here's a couple of things in answer to your timeline questions: this is a cover of an original ska song from the original ska era in Jamaica, the mid-60s. When they say 'Rudy,' they're talking about 'rude boys,' male teens and 20-somethings in Jamaica from the original ska era. The Specials were probably the most faithful of the UK ska revival groups of the late 70s/early 80s -- and they were WAAAAYYYY more faithful than any American 'ska' group that came about in the decades following. Madness may have been less 'faithful' but their playful and punk enthusiasm and tempos rightly catapulted them up the charts a handful of times both here and in the UK.
The English Beat - Mirror in the Bathroom, or, Twist And Crawl. People used to go nuts over that. And I also got to see The Specials live in a pretty small venue and it was such an incredible show.
Ever since Ghost Town, these guys were in my childhood and teen years and later when they morphed into Fun Boy Three and the Special AKA. Singer/writer Terry Hall co-wrote the Go-Gos’ “Our Lips are Sealed” ❤❤
Ghost Town, Monkey Man from the Specials. Mirror in the Bathroom from The English Beat is my personal ground zero for the two tone explosion back then. Selector On My Radio, , Madness, One Step Beyond. Some great great music came out of that short period.
Thanks Moz for the suggestion. I am not super deep into ska but I do know and like this song. I am pretty sure I heard some others from them as well. The ska scene was intertwined pretty closely with the punk scene that I was in and I did know some bands and songs but don't know it well enough to make any recommendations so I'll leave that to the experts.
The Specials were some talented young upstarts who spearheaded the Ska revival in the late 70’s. Ska began in Jamaica in the early 60s with bands like The Skatalites, The Upsetters and Prince Buster. Legendary trombonist Rico Rodriguez gave The Specials some kudos as he was a part of that first wave. Going into musical evolution, Ernest Ranglin, a Jamaican guitarist was ( I think) credited with the first Ska song, by combining the sound of American RnB with local Mento rhythms.
Check out their debut single 'Gangsters'. It pays homage to, and covers 'Al Capone' by Prince Buster (legendary Jamaican Ska artist from the '60s). The album from which this comes from 'The Specials' is seminal in the birth of 2 Tone in the post punk UK of the late '70s. To many of us who were youths at the time, The Specials are as important as The Sex Pistols, The Clash and Elvis Costello . Fab band, fab album.
🔥🔥🔥 so glad seeing you getting into our music which although the same named genre is completely different feel from American ska and two tone. RIP Terry who passed in 2022. Ghost Town probably the best known of their songs along with Too much too young and Mandela. Check out Mirror in the Bathroom by The Beat and any song by Madness lol. While America was drowning in race wars our music scene was culturally mixed with the sounds of each culture entwining to bring forth a uniquely british sound. UB40 a solid staple of British reggae and Linton Kwesi Johnson a protest singer heading the charts with Sonny's lettah about sus laws. Musically a fantastic time. Love your reactions. Big luv from England. 💜🏴
Definitely do Concrete Jungle !!! There used to be old hotels that had Ballrooms so plenty of room to dance. Saw these guys and the Specials just great shows, the dancing was so packed and fantastic.
The Specials are fire, dude. I was in the marching band trombone line in high school and we used to play this (just when f*cking around). "Do the Dog" is fire. "Concrete Jungle" is also a good one. Also "(Dawning of a) New Era."
SKA and reggae music was huge in England around 1979-'80, replacing punk. The Police made their breakthrough with it. Most of their early music had a reggae sound.
Rico Rodriguez has a lot of stuff oot there that is worth listening to from the first wave of Ska well into the 2000s. There was a Boys school in Jamaica run by Catholic Nuns for Boys. Every kid going through there was Taught how to play a Musical instrument. There are so many Jamaican Horn players went through that school inc Rico, Tommy McCook and Headley Bennet to name a couple but also a few Singers as well. Yellowman, Leroy Smart and Johnny Osbourne all went through Alpha as well. Check oot Rico on some of these tracks. "Africa Dub", "Chang Kai Shek", or fi Way back in '61, "Rico's Farewell".
The great 'English' Ska trio were Specials. Selector & The Beat (early with Rankin' Roger). Although all owe allegiance to Prince Buster. Madness did a tribute to him. Their are many more great Ska bands, & bands that did Ska among the Reggae & Punk, Clash of course a well known band.
I know you do suggestions only from those paying on Patreon, but here's a nice little combo of videos that fit the unusual - and excellent - way you often listen to a song. I think you'd enjoy it. The Beat (known as "The English Beat" in the USA) were another great ska band. Here's one of their hits "Save it for Later" with its corny official video - tho' I think was meant to look like The Cavern Club in Liverpool where The Beatles started: th-cam.com/video/c-7lBq0zuSM/w-d-xo.html or live in the USA in 1982 in a slightly slower version: th-cam.com/video/Tpjs95jD2rU/w-d-xo.html Here's Pete Townshend's live version, with a little preamble - which I know you enjoy: th-cam.com/video/pQ0zMDJKkbg/w-d-xo.html or Pete's studio version, that has great bit of acoustic guitar and piano around 2 minutes in: th-cam.com/video/Ge2Vyxq7S1Q/w-d-xo.html Don't worry, I don't expect you to check out any of these, but a Patreon subscriber might see this and agree it's worth requesting. If not, sorry you're missing out on a great bit of cultural history brought in by the 'Windrush generation', who arrived in a very bleak UK, with their suits, hats, and music, and took Britain by storm.
London - not specific. Many of the Ska bands were form in the British midlands: Sheffield, Birmingham, Coventry - multi-ethnic cities, working class, sharing the same social needs and music.
There was a resurgence in the UK of ‘Rude Boys’ in the 70’s - if I remember correctly that’s what these cool dudes are referring to. Unless somebody knows better?
I came here to explain that too, "Rudy" is not an individual but a type of person the song is speaking to. Wiki says "Rude boy is a term for a discontented and violent youth culture that originated in 1960s Jamaica and influenced the mod and skinhead scenes in the UK"
This music , rock ska originated in a time in the UK when there were a lot of race riots . There were a lot of Two Tone bands who put on concerts under the banner Rock against Racism to show that black and white could mix in music so why not generally. It’s particularly pertinent to play this this weekend as many of the bands are coming together to play a big 50 year anniversary concert. Loved this music.
I'm honestly not very well versed in this era of Ska/Two Tone... so if you have any other bands like this or other songs by the specials you think I would dig, leave them here! I'm down for more.
This is good choice😊
The Specials are one of the most fantastic British bands of all time, and this song - good though it is - doesn't even begin to touch the sides of their immense breadth of talent! 'Ghost Town' is an absolute MUST, and other songs such as 'International Jet Set', 'Blank Expression', 'Do Nothing', 'Friday Night, Saturday Morning', 'Stereotype', 'Too Much Too Young', 'Rat Race' and 'Gangsters' are exceptional.
They're a band that are appreciable on every level: if you want to listen to decent musicianship and arrangements, they have that. If you like to listen to thought-provoking lyrics, they have those by the bucket-load. If you like raw melancholy emotion that hits you straight in the heart, they have that too. Boiling, righteous anger that punches you in the gut? Yep, check! Or if you don't care about any of that and just want to dance, with The Specials you can do that too!
Sorry for the length of this comment Lee, but I really cannot recommend The Specials highly enough. They are well worth your time delving deeper into. I promise you you won't regret it!
Ghost Town from The Specials is a must listen. If you want to delve into early ska from the mid 60s, I suggest Guns of Navarone by The Skatalites or My Boy Lollipop from Millie Small. And for some more British ska from the late 70s, check out One Step Beyond by Madness.
Definitely give Ghost Town a listen, also check out Fun Boy Three: the band Terry, Neville & Lynval formed after the Specials fell apart.
The Specials, "Gangsters", Too Much Too Young", Another huge band in UK at this time with a ska influence were Madness. Hit after hit, "Night Boat To Cairo", "House Of Fun", "The Prince", "One Step Beyond" etc
May I also suggest exploring Ian Dury and the Blockheads, especially "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" which will send you down a wonderful rabbit hole
Ghost Town or Enjoy Yourself from The Specials. Anything from Madness is fun.
Ghost town was a listening staple for me during the lick downs
@@Moz1011 Madness. Fantastic idea. From Baggy Trouses to Michael Caine. Still recording
Not London, Coventry was the home of the Specials. Too Much Too Young, Ghost Town and Free Nelson Mandela were all UK hits for the Specials, they were at the forefront of the Two Tone ska scene of the late 70's
These guys did so much to fight racism. We played several times with them on Rock Against Racism and Anti Nazi League gigs
After this week we really need them back.
OMG, I love The Specials.
It's addictive music, it can raise you up from the worst slump or depression.
The old school "ska" was magic like that.
Toe tapping stuff.
If you like this stuff, Madness is a good band to explore.
Ghost Town next bro. It could be the national anthem.
Yes .. more of this please
The Beat (the English Beat) Save it for Later or The Jam are like these guys. Maybe Madness, Interrupters.
The Jam: that’s entertainment, Going underground, Down in the tube station at midnight, Town called malice.
I’d go with the jam honestly out of the ones I mentioned.
This is the music my late wife would play stumbling back from the bars, kicking-off the party @ home!
These guys morphed into Fun Boy 3
Thanks for doing this. Glad you liked it.
@@Moz1011 Did you request it? An inspired choice!
@mattleppard1964 I did. It was a replacement for something else that was blocked. I didn't really think about it. Its a song I've always loved. I thought Lee would like it so why not? He didn't hate it. That's what matters.
Magnificent. Terry Hall, RIP
This is a part of the punk movement , like a half brother to Clash. «Free Nelson Mandela» , «Ghost town and their first albums are classics
Ghost Town is a classic
Yes!
Ska from the 50’s/60’s came out of Jamaica. The English genre came out in the late 70’s with bands like this after many migrants from Jamaica moved to UK. This English genre merged Jamaican ska with a post-punk influence.
This genre was massive in the UK in the late 70s early 80s. It was in the charts every week and they even played it at school discos. So much breadth of different styles and also a lot of female leads to check out.
Their biggest and most influential track was undoubtedly "Ghost Town." Damon Albarn used it as the template for the song "Clint Eastwood" off the first Gorillaz album, and calls the Specials a big influence.
This music , rock ska originated in a time in the UK when there were a lot of race riots . There were a lot of Two Tone bands who put on concerts under the banner Rock against Racism to show that black and white could mix in music so why not generally. It’s particularly pertinent to play this this weekend as many of the bands are coming together to play a big 50 year anniversary concert. Loved this music.
Dancing was pretty big back in the day. Lots of genres are danceable, even rock. But Reggae and Ska were way up there! 😊
The Selector are a similar band. On My Radio is a good song.
Classic song!
Good choice with Pauline Black singing lead. Part of ska revival in Britten from 1979-1983.
Great reaction! Here's a couple of things in answer to your timeline questions: this is a cover of an original ska song from the original ska era in Jamaica, the mid-60s. When they say 'Rudy,' they're talking about 'rude boys,' male teens and 20-somethings in Jamaica from the original ska era. The Specials were probably the most faithful of the UK ska revival groups of the late 70s/early 80s -- and they were WAAAAYYYY more faithful than any American 'ska' group that came about in the decades following. Madness may have been less 'faithful' but their playful and punk enthusiasm and tempos rightly catapulted them up the charts a handful of times both here and in the UK.
The English Beat - Mirror in the Bathroom, or, Twist And Crawl. People used to go nuts over that. And I also got to see The Specials live in a pretty small venue and it was such an incredible show.
Must hear the song :"Gangsters" and the band Madness
@@nikosalmpanis-ty3jt Gangsters - a song from my childhood and a total classic
Thank you, Moz! This was light and fun!🙂
Lovely reaction. My era again. Please try Ghost Town by these guys . They were from Coventry, they are still touring x🏴🏴🏴
What fun, Moz, many thanks. Let's hear more, please. Great reaction, Lee. Blessings all.
Back when this came out everybody I knew bought this album. It's a great vibe album, play it all the way through.
UB40 - Food For Thought
Ever since Ghost Town, these guys were in my childhood and teen years and later when they morphed into Fun Boy Three and the Special AKA. Singer/writer Terry Hall co-wrote the Go-Gos’ “Our Lips are Sealed” ❤❤
That was a lot of fun 😊
Ska went way back but the Two Tone thing was a revival late 70's. Specials were from Coventry.
Ghost Town, Monkey Man from the Specials. Mirror in the Bathroom from The English Beat is my personal ground zero for the two tone explosion back then. Selector On My Radio, , Madness, One Step Beyond. Some great great music came out of that short period.
Gangsters, their first single, is great.
Thanks Moz for the suggestion. I am not super deep into ska but I do know and like this song. I am pretty sure I heard some others from them as well. The ska scene was intertwined pretty closely with the punk scene that I was in and I did know some bands and songs but don't know it well enough to make any recommendations so I'll leave that to the experts.
I never knew this was a cover - thank you!
The Specials were some talented young upstarts who spearheaded the Ska revival in the late 70’s. Ska began in Jamaica in the early 60s with bands like The Skatalites, The Upsetters and Prince Buster. Legendary trombonist Rico Rodriguez gave The Specials some kudos as he was a part of that first wave.
Going into musical evolution, Ernest Ranglin, a Jamaican guitarist was ( I think) credited with the first Ska song, by combining the sound of American RnB with local Mento rhythms.
Too Much Too Yong, by the Secials. Also Check out the Live performances of The Specials with Amy Winehouse. They are wonderful.
@@jefmay3053 You're Wondering Now with Amy was fantastic.
Hey Lee cool choice by Moz. The Specials are great. I love that ska sound, and The Specials have great production value. Ska mon!
I like old style ska but good recordings are not so easy to find on TH-cam. The Specials and Madness shook things up when they appeared. RIP Terry.
@@Moz1011 He’s dead. I didn’t know - a true musical giant. RIP
@mattleppard1964 December 2022 sorry. He's such a loss.
@ Somehow passed me by. Very sad, yes. He and his music were a big part of my childhood and onward. I was 9 when this came out
Ahhhh the best times
Check out their debut single 'Gangsters'. It pays homage to, and covers 'Al Capone' by Prince Buster (legendary Jamaican Ska artist from the '60s). The album from which this comes from 'The Specials' is seminal in the birth of 2 Tone in the post punk UK of the late '70s. To many of us who were youths at the time, The Specials are as important as The Sex Pistols, The Clash and Elvis Costello . Fab band, fab album.
So happy you did this Lee
Gotta do Madness
Night boat to Cairo
It must be “you’re wondering now”! My all time favourite Specials song…
Love Ska! Play It On The Up Strum Fast. Love The Specials & Madness! Thanks For The Cool Content.😌
🔥🔥🔥 so glad seeing you getting into our music which although the same named genre is completely different feel from American ska and two tone. RIP Terry who passed in 2022. Ghost Town probably the best known of their songs along with Too much too young and Mandela. Check out Mirror in the Bathroom by The Beat and any song by Madness lol. While America was drowning in race wars our music scene was culturally mixed with the sounds of each culture entwining to bring forth a uniquely british sound. UB40 a solid staple of British reggae and Linton Kwesi Johnson a protest singer heading the charts with Sonny's lettah about sus laws. Musically a fantastic time. Love your reactions. Big luv from England. 💜🏴
Definitely do Concrete Jungle !!! There used to be old hotels that had Ballrooms so plenty of room to dance. Saw these guys and the Specials just great shows, the dancing was so packed and fantastic.
The Specials are fire, dude. I was in the marching band trombone line in high school and we used to play this (just when f*cking around).
"Do the Dog" is fire. "Concrete Jungle" is also a good one. Also "(Dawning of a) New Era."
Ska - wave 2, U.K. social notice -Rudy, listen, get your life in balance!
Thanks Moz.
Specials - Gangsters
Specials - Ghost Town
Madness - One Step Beyond
Bananarama (feat. Fun Boy Three) - He Was Really Sayin’ Something
This reminds me of high school 1979/80 manchester. Loads of kids with skinheads and parkers.
SKA and reggae music was huge in England around 1979-'80, replacing punk. The Police made their breakthrough with it. Most of their early music had a reggae sound.
Featuring the legendary trombonist Rico Rodriguez (17 October 1934 - 4 September 2015)
The flip side of this was 'Nite Club', well worth a listen
That one's a banger!
Dick is short for Richard when it comes to first names. Like President Richard Nixon had the nickname Tricky Dick.
Rico Rodriguez has a lot of stuff oot there that is worth listening to from the first wave of Ska well into the 2000s.
There was a Boys school in Jamaica run by Catholic Nuns for Boys. Every kid going through there was Taught how to play a Musical instrument.
There are so many Jamaican Horn players went through that school inc Rico, Tommy McCook and Headley Bennet to name a couple but also a few Singers as well. Yellowman, Leroy Smart and Johnny Osbourne all went through Alpha as well.
Check oot Rico on some of these tracks. "Africa Dub", "Chang Kai Shek", or fi Way back in '61, "Rico's Farewell".
more Specials!!
Just as much fun, is Madness' 'Night Boat to Cairo.'
The great 'English' Ska trio were Specials. Selector & The Beat (early with Rankin' Roger). Although all owe allegiance to Prince Buster. Madness did a tribute to him. Their are many more great Ska bands, & bands that did Ska among the Reggae & Punk, Clash of course a well known band.
I didn't realise this was a cover actually
It was probably Coventry or Birmingham
I know you do suggestions only from those paying on Patreon, but here's a nice little combo of videos that fit the unusual - and excellent - way you often listen to a song. I think you'd enjoy it.
The Beat (known as "The English Beat" in the USA) were another great ska band. Here's one of their hits "Save it for Later" with its corny official video - tho' I think was meant to look like The Cavern Club in Liverpool where The Beatles started:
th-cam.com/video/c-7lBq0zuSM/w-d-xo.html
or live in the USA in 1982 in a slightly slower version:
th-cam.com/video/Tpjs95jD2rU/w-d-xo.html
Here's Pete Townshend's live version, with a little preamble - which I know you enjoy:
th-cam.com/video/pQ0zMDJKkbg/w-d-xo.html
or Pete's studio version, that has great bit of acoustic guitar and piano around 2 minutes in:
th-cam.com/video/Ge2Vyxq7S1Q/w-d-xo.html
Don't worry, I don't expect you to check out any of these, but a Patreon subscriber might see this and agree it's worth requesting. If not, sorry you're missing out on a great bit of cultural history brought in by the 'Windrush generation', who arrived in a very bleak UK, with their suits, hats, and music, and took Britain by storm.
Coventry...West Midlands...home of ska and reggae in the U.K.
Great choice...try The Beat...Stand down Margaret.
Specials..Nite Klub.
London - not specific. Many of the Ska bands were form in the British midlands: Sheffield, Birmingham, Coventry - multi-ethnic cities, working class, sharing the same social needs and music.
There was a resurgence in the UK of ‘Rude Boys’ in the 70’s - if I remember correctly that’s what these cool dudes are referring to.
Unless somebody knows better?
Hi Lee, try similar bands Madness, tracks: Our House, Baggy Trousers, House of fun, etc. and The English Beat track: Mirror in the Bathroom
Ghost Town & Too Much Too Young by the Specials or anything by Madness starting with One Step Beyond.
Meant for the Rude Boys
A "Rudy" is a rude boy...
I came here to explain that too, "Rudy" is not an individual but a type of person the song is speaking to. Wiki says "Rude boy is a term for a discontented and violent youth culture that originated in 1960s Jamaica and influenced the mod and skinhead scenes in the UK"
Trombone solo!
Jerry Dammers is the singer in the middle. He had a massive influence on British music in later years
@@JohnLedger-g4i Terry Hall is the singer in the middle. Jerry Dammers is the keyboard player.
@@leehyett sorry
Too much too young ❤
coventry not london
The place shown in the video wasn’t London?
Lee...stop saying "London" when referring to UK music.
Huh? lol I was talking about 70s London because that’s what the video was showing.
At least I’m guessing that’s what it was. This is a confusing comment.
@@L33Reacts Two Tone came from Coventry. Yeah..the vid is in London, though. I'm not being serious, mate.
@@L33Reacts ..I tlak carp wehn i get a bit too sonetd :))))
@@mana3735 your good mate I confused myself lol
This music , rock ska originated in a time in the UK when there were a lot of race riots . There were a lot of Two Tone bands who put on concerts under the banner Rock against Racism to show that black and white could mix in music so why not generally. It’s particularly pertinent to play this this weekend as many of the bands are coming together to play a big 50 year anniversary concert. Loved this music.