SO COOL!| FIRST TIME HEARING The Specials - Ghost Town REACTION

[@benshafer5198]

2-tone ska from Coventry, UK. Three of the members were Jamaican nationals and were part of the main Jamaican wave of immigration to UK from the mid 50's through the late 60's. The reason reggae/ska was such a significant influence in UK pop/rock in the 80's and beyond. RIP Terry Hall 🙏

[@baconbutt7367]

Three? There was only ever Two Black Guys in the Specials?

[@DazzleMonroe]

@@baconbutt7367 Rico Rodriguez

[@LibraKing3121]

​@DazzleMonroe Came here to see if anyone was going to mention Rico. Good on ya!

[@jonathanmartin4125]

Terry Hall massive legend

[@fayesouthall6604]

My era

[@1889jonny]

You finally came across UK Ska. When I was a young teenager, Ska did more for integration than any government program etc. had ever hoped to do. Working class white kids and kids from West Indian backgrounds found a common ground, became friends and allies. I still love Ska music and through the UK Ska revival, I got really into Rocksteady and Jamaican Ska. Jump down the rabbit-hole, you'll love it. Tis the music of Jah!

[@carolwaller9605]

Loved Ska, best and most refreshing sound, still my favourite even now

[@lotuselise4432]

Back in the day we where "all mates" and colour blind as it did not matter where you where from, 50 years on there is more racial tension the ever.

[@nigeldepledge3790]

At the time, I thought of The Specials as two-tone. What is it that distinguishes UK Ska from two-tone?

[@1889jonny]

@@nigeldepledge3790 Two Tone was basically just the independent record label started by Terry Hall and Jerry Dammers (The Specials) but they were the only label willing to take on young UK Ska bands at that time. Madness only made one 2Tone album and then signed to Stiff, and The Beat signed to Chrysalis making them essentially not 2Tone but still UK Ska. The UK Ska revival was just either white working class kids like me that had grown up together with kids from West Indian backgrounds, and their West Indian mates, combining Jamaican Ska and Rocksteady with more punkier beats. I love it..... Wrote a lot more than I had meant to lol

[@1889jonny]

@@lotuselise4432 Maybe with the younger generation, not so much with mine, but it might be different depending on where you live. I'm still "colour blind", but I do sense more tension, mainly with Asians. Not so much with whites and West Indians.

[@sonsofthesportsguy]

Their cover of A Message to You Rudy is a MUST.

[@gabrielmcdonnell8699]

Classic MTV. 😎 So loved discovering music from 🇬🇧. ✌🏽

[@seanswinton6242]

Monkey Man and Pressure Drop!

[@bobholtzmann]

I have that album - it was produced by Elvis Costello.

[@DerekDominoes]

and "Stupid Marriage"

[@paul.kristoff]

Yes! Also "Little B**ch", which contains a Rolling Stones sample they'll be sure to recognise. And following that, Dandy Warhols "Bohemian Like You" for a new (to them) 90s band (yes I know the song came out in July 2000) which uses the same Stones sample.

[@sweetnightmares2498]

The 2Tone movement was a Godsend to us working class urban kids in 1979. It represented the true multicultural nature of the UK. The mainstream hated 2Tone even more than Punk because it was bringing the inner city kids together, regardless of their ethnicity. The Specials are Gods!

[@lastspud7030]

I think it was more about integration. Multiculturalism was is a very divisive idolagoagy and the sooner we grow our of it the better.

[@guywilletts2804]

​@@lastspud7030???? Integration and multiculturalism are two sides of the same coin. Anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to exploit you. Without both multiculturalism there would have been no ska: without integration ska wouldn't have turned into two-tone.

[@edmann1820]

@@guywilletts2804 No you've got it the wrong way round. Today a band like the specials might get accused of cultural appropriation. Multi means more than one, which means separate and competing. If you have one culture which adopts and integrates other cultures then it's a mono culture. That is natural human behaviour. Multi culturalism is unnatural since by definition it seeks to maintain separation. Don't confuse multicultural with multiethnic. Cultural adoption and integration strengthens a society, it creates unity and harmony. Take the example of fish and chips. A most quintessential English thing. Brought to and popularised by Jewish immigrants. Not an English innovation but something that was adopted by the English. If we decide to go for fish and chips I'm not going to say to you 'lets go for a Jewish'. Compare that to vindaloo which was created in Britain, by British citizens. Yet if I were to suggest that you and I get a vindaloo I would say 'lets go for an Indian'. Which is better? Which style does more to destroy racism? One where we're all separate and different or one where we have integrated the best bits of each others cultures?

[@andymageen5308]

Jay and Amber you got a LOT of people excited with this reaction. The British Ska movement of the late Seventies early Eighties was not as well recognized outside of the UK. This was a dead on social commentary on the death of industry going on that time. Their other songs were much more upbeat, try another social commentary song, You’ve done to much, much too young. Two Tone Forever. ✌️

[@bibakroll8999]

I still listen to Ska, still bop around the kitchen to it! :)

[@patrick3926]

Yesss🎉🎉🎉

[@timdyer5903]

2 Tone always!

[@timdyer5903]

Too much too young!

[@michaelburggraf2822]

I think it resonated well in Germany as far as I can remember. Some of my friends and I were huge fans of that music. Particularly industrialized areas of Western Europe were affected by a decline of the steel and mining industries. And even some car manufacturers weren't doing well. Many economies were experiencing a combination of high inflation and stagnating business which received the name "stagflation". The UK was additionally affected by overzealous efforts of Margret Thatcher's government to introduce a new economic policy called monetarism, to drastically reduce the influence of trade union and to promote the UK economy to become more based on services, particularly on financial services.

[@debianowns4393]

The Specials are a national treasure here. Glad you liked it :)

[@donach9]

Yes, this was a huge No 1 hit and loved to this day

[@J_Gamble]

Nice! I don't think any other reactors have dipped into the ska/two-tone UK music movement much yet. A few notes--the Specials and Madness and others were part of the ska and two-tone music scenes when England was going through some rough economic times, industries closing, and austerity economics. Violence was breaking out in some areas. This multi-ethnic groups were coming from areas and neighborhoods of ethnic diversity. Particularly Caribbean immigration. And the music was a part of this whole scene.

[@heathcornbeef]

Maybe but i like new younger people who might not get exposed to our old PUNKROCK SKA AND REGGAE too have a Crack at it too and as long as people are listening to our music from the stone age it won't die and fossilize into something a geologist or archaeologist will have to try and interpret in the future 😉

[@jco207]

Thanks for adding that context. I just want to add that because bands like The Specials attracted an interracial audience, skinheads started showing up at the shows and starting fights. Over time, venues stopped wanting to book bands like them, another reason it was becoming a ghost town. Hence the line, "bands don't play no more, too much fighting on the dance floor."

[@heathcornbeef]

@@jco207 Skinheads were a constant threat to us punkrockers here in Aotearoa New Zealand in the late seventies through to the early nineties they hated us i think because the punkrock scene is inclusive anyone is welcome as long as your not a Racist/ Bullie/or just a plain old asshole Funny thing is Forty years after getting my first mohawk I've still got one red at the moment And a lot of those skinhead assholes are dead👏👏👏

[@punkpopnotdead]

madness where not a tow-tone band a very good band tho

[@alicecobb7763]

I'm hearing you, thank you 🌺

[@applin121]

This song was released in 1981 when the UK was experiencing both severe economic hardship and civil unrest; cities were on fire. So it perfectly captured the zeitgeist.

[@jon-paulfilkins7820]

I am just old enough to remember it, it dropped in the middle of major riots in the country. Same old causes (sadly the song is as relevant today as it was then). Same with the B-side "Why".

[@myredroom]

You took the words out of my mouth!

[@ejbbur4673]

l remember it well

[@blackcountryme]

the de industrialisation, the ending of manufacturing in Coventry that built cars, motorcycles, engines, bicycles.. all gone in a very short time. leaving a lot of unemployment. I remember it. I was only a kid though

[@bionicgeekgrrl]

​@@blackcountrymecompare the city in the video and now and some things are worse whilst others such as older run down concrete buildings, have gone or are going soon. But then virtually every city or town centre is a ghost town these days.

[@bearballin]

Moody, ominous and foreboding... Ghost Town is a classic example of 80s ska music. During the pandemic lock down I had to work daily as an essential worker. That first week of riding public transportation, this song kept echoing in my head as it seemed I was the only one out in the streets. Creepy asf!

[@lolalilolily]

I had it on repeat while walking the dog during lockdowns

[@kf9346]

@@lolalilolily This song came back into my playlists during lockdown too! And when at one point when it seemed this might be the new norm and the world would change forever, I was like, on the bright side we might finally get some awesome new musical/cultural anti-mainstream movements again!

[@kendon81]

Same was an essential government worker during the pandemics never stopped working the 2 years of the lockdown and this song was the song of the pandemic especially once you got to the inner city and everything closed and no-one around but the homeless it was like a zombie apocalypse

[@PeterMoore66]

Thanks for reacting to this. For many of us who grew up in the UK in the late 70s and early 80s, this single summed up the way we felt about the depressing way that the country was heading at the time. It's often held up as one of the most important songs released during the 80s.

[@vikingpsg]

Don't forget "Maggies Farm" by them which reflected the Thatcherite governments attempt to get young people into work by introducing YOP/YTS (Youth Opportunities Program/ Youth Training Sheme). 🙂

[@combabus]

"Gangsters" and "A Message to you Rudy" are two other favorites from The Specials.

[@ythomitnellum]

Too Much Too Young as well. I was at college in their hometown when this came out and they played an anti racist gig that remains the best I’ve ever been to.

[@TFEnright5]

Rat Race is another good one

[@eggy1962]

Excellent choices for follow up songs as they essentially were the bands first two hits

[@nealc.6927]

Let's face it; Both the 1st & 2nd albums are amazing, not a single bad track on 'em. I was a 'grebo' at the time, long hair, denim, heavy metal - you know the score - but that whole Ska movement just fuqqin rocked. Good times . . .

[@cliffpooley930]

I just remembered a classic piece from a sitcom we had in the UK father Ted. The DJ only had this song so they had to keep playing it - even when they stood for the Irish national anthem😂😂

[@bassvibasics479]

YES!! Now we're talking! The Specials and the whole 2-Tone movement are very important in British music.

[@jezzthesecondhandman]

The ghost town they are referring to is probably their home city of Coventry. Lead singer Terry Hall died recently. It was a great shock he was taken far too soon.

[@keithroberts4952]

Great song choice! Rest in peace to the lead singer Terry Hall who co wrote the Go go's hit, our lips are sealed! The Specials are from Coventry in England and were very influential back in the late 70's, early 80's. This was a big hit for them back in 1981.

[@PaganPunk]

Terry Hall had another band Called 'Fun boy 3' They Brought 'Our lips are sealed' out in the UK too....Was a Fantastic single....way better than the Go Go's version....❤

[@AmethystDew]

@@PaganPunk I loved Fun Boy 3's version so so much. One of my favourite songs ever. So many happy memories go along with it too.

[@PaganPunk]

@@AmethystDew ❤️

[@KC-gy5xw]

RIP Terry. The Specials were second coming of Ska/Two Town in the late 70's/80's but they also mixed it up with other musicians. Our LIps are Sealed, brilliant song. The Beat, Madness also of this genre.

[@Mr2at]

Our lips. has always been in my top 5

[@LaptopLarry330]

This music video was among the first music videos ever shown on MTV in 1981. As an American, I really identified with the music video, because in my home towns in Youngstown, Ohio and Warren, Ohio, they were also becoming ghost towns, after the closing of the steel mills here at that time. The Specials, in my opinion, were probably the best Ska band that ever existed in the UK, and influenced so many Ska bands around the world in the 1990s, 2000s, and up to today. Another song/music video by The Specials that I highly recommend for the both of you to react to, is for their cover of “A Message To You, Rudy”.

[@Isleofskye]

They closed all the streets @ 5am to film there, to make it seem deserted which is ironic as it is a hive of activity during the day. That nearby Tunnel is The Rotherhithe Tunnel, which is one of the tunnels connecting South East London to East London near where I was born and lived for my first 29 years, just 3 miles away/ ...The Ghost Town,in question,is their Hometown of Coventry in The East Midlands of England.

[@flybobbie1449]

@@Isleofskye Wouldn't be hard back then Sunday closing streets were deserted on early Monday morning.

[@Chris-mf1rm]

Spot on Larry. It represents what happened to industrial areas all over UK, Europe and US in that period. Mass unemployment (especially young people). Add in a massive dose of racism in the police and riots broke out across the country. We don’t always learn the lessons.

[@Mamawaffa]

Amazing group! Ska of the 80’s❤This group is very much a huge part of my childhood 🙏🏼❤️This song describes the days of ‘Thatcherism’. I live in Scotland and I’m old enough to remember it was grim up north👌

[@Anglo-Saxon-96]

Shut up you scottish old hag no one care 😂😂😂

[@jos3g679]

Here…here! As seen in the video (City of London & Rotherhithe Tunnel). It struck a welcoming chord with me during it’s released…as a reminder what we are going through then.

[@denisemeredith2436]

This is 2-Tone Ska from Coventry nr Birmingham England. Rest in Peace Terry Hall the lead singer who passed fairly recently. Another 2-Tone Ska band to listen to on Female Friday is The Selecter with their lead singer Pauline Black - On My Radio is a good song to react to. Both The Selecter and The Spevials, The Beat aka The English Beat were from Birmingham. I used to hang around with these bands during my early 20's. More Specials' songs to react to A Message to You Rudy and Nelson Mandela, also Too Much Too Young.

[@fin1131]

Bet you went to see them at Tiffanys in Cov then, now just a library. great times.

[@denisemeredith2436]

@@fin1131 Sure did. I used to know Ranking Roger from The Beat and Astro from UB40. I remember going to a private party at The Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath and seeing UB40 for the first time. There is a big 2-Tone gig at The Hare & Hounds soon but I don't know if I will go yet.

[@fin1131]

@@denisemeredith2436 mixing with some legends there

[@grassygnoll3345]

Much to Young is soooo gooood.

[@seanmurphy1704]

Is that Birmingham NR London or another one ?

[@trevorberridge6079]

A legendary British band with a legendary song and video. Unfortunately we lost leader singer Terry Hall this year. He was a major influence on music in the UK and elsewhere. A unique and special individual. The band was rightly name The Specials. They were one among an explosion of British music talent that still influences music across the globe over 40 years later.

[@jameskneubuhl9115]

The Specials were one of the leading lights of the Ska revival of the early '80s, and they made two albums before splintering. This single was the last one by the original lineup. Some of this lineup went into a subsequent band called The Special A/K/A who had a hit with the song "Free Nelson Mandela". Ohers went into a short-lived but popular band called Fun Boy Three. Then in the 2000s all the original members got back together ***except*** the keyboard player and main songwriter Jerry Dammers. The lead singer, Terry Hall, passed away just recently.

[@MardyGit]

Please, please, please do "Free Nelson Mandela". It was a major UK hit, when our government wasn't exactly against apartheid South Africa. And such a great song.

[@didukknow]

argh, I had forgotten he died. shame on me

[@petebrown6356]

I was growing up in the UK during this time. It was a violent time. Mods, Rockers, Punks, Skin Heads, Rude Boys, Casuals, Trendies....lol. They would all fight. Clubs would close. Hence, "Ghost Town". This genre, while reggae like, didn't really exist outside of the UK...but one of my favs. They have a many great songs.

[@chrisr5499]

Best comment ever and was like that right uptil Rave as was part of the 1980s Scooter Scene and you Skinheads, NF Skins and Psychobilly...mental but good times.

[@r2aul]

The Specials, “Message To You, Rudy” !!!! You’ll love it!

[@EllOfAWalk]

Great choice of song/group. I grew up in this era in Thatchers Britain. This was 81, the year of riots throughout the country. There was high unemployment and racism. This song was a masterpiece (in particular the extended version) and there were many other groups in the two tone/ska movement with strong messages that gave the youth a voice(The Selector, The Beat, Madness, Bad Manners, The Bodeysnatchers). Great channel.New subscriber here.

[@richardstevens2306]

Haha ! Thatcher’s Britain. Lol. Typical brainwashed leftie. She inherited a country destroyed by Socialism. Who / what destroyed our industries & the railways ? Socialism, The unions & the fascist nationalisation of them. Go read some history

[@chrisr5499]

I wis The Specials never split and had another 2-3 years in them as did The Jam

[@simonweedy4683]

So great that you’re getting into The Specials. They were incredibly important band during a time of great social unrest and, in many areas deprivation, in the UK. Ghost Town captured perfectly what was happening in towns and cities everywhere. Terry Hall was an immensely gifted musician. He died last year of cancer, RIP.

[@gperch]

1981 was an incredible year for music, I remember hearing Kim Wilde's "Kids in America" at the youth club just a mile away from where I am now (I was 10) so it was quite emotional to see her sing it live last weekend :D This alphabetical list of 1981 UK hits might be missing some and also have a couple of guilty pleasures in there :D "(Do) The Hucklebuck" Coast to Coast "Can You Feel It" The Jacksons "Don't You Want Me" The Human League "Einstein a Go-Go" Landscape "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" The Police "Fade to Grey" Visage "Flash" Queen "For Your Eyes Only" Sheena Easton "Ghost Town" The Specials "Girls on Film" Duran Duran "Hold On Tight" Electric Light Orchestra "I Go to Sleep" The Pretenders "In the Air Tonight" Phil Collins "It Must Be Love" Madness "Jealous Guy" Roxy Music "Just Can't Get Enough" Depeche Mode "Kids in America" Kim Wilde "Kings of the Wild Frontier" Adam and the Ants "Love Action (I Believe in Love)" The Human League "Making Your Mind Up" Bucks Fizz "One Day in Your Life" Michael Jackson "One of Us" ABBA "Open Your Heart" The Human League "Prince Charming" Adam and the Ants "Reward" The Teardrop Explodes "Souvenir" Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark "Stand and Deliver" Adam and the Ants "Swords of a Thousand Men" Tenpole Tudor "Tainted Love" Soft Cell "Under Pressure" Queen & David Bowie "Under Your Thumb" Godley & Creme "Vienna" Ultravox "Woman" John Lennon

[@chrisr5499]

UK Charts were great from the middle of 1977 to middle of 1983

[@elspeff]

Not a shabby selection at all, min. Not. At. All.

[@paullecomtenz]

Thanks for playing this, one of the most influential Ska bands of all time. RIP Terry Hall.

[@emeraldscorpio]

And RIP John Bradbury

[@gavst79]

Ska needs a come back.

[@curleex3838]

I'm 55 and English and this was our kind of music when i was an early teen, our music was The Selector, The Specials and Madness etc, that was the music theme of my childhood. I went to school with Musical Youth and used to play paintball with UB40 amongst others! Great days and a great free era!

[@maxlipovore]

I saw these guys live at the Toronto Police Picnic in Aug 1981. They did this song as their last number and at the end they managed to "disappear" off the stage just as the song was ending. Nobody saw it coming and the crowd went nuts.

[@danhurley2274]

I was at the Police Picnic 1981 also. The Specials put on an amazing set!

[@robmcluskie4557]

you're hooked to the song on the first note...a very cool ska track RIP Terry Hall

[@hellokimmy68]

Woohoo! Another request fulfilled! Thank you! So, some of the members of Specials were in another band called Fun Boy Three, and they did a collaboration with Bananarama called "It Ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)" that was SO great. Specials were contemporaries with the Clash, both sharing their take on what was going on in England socially and politically around this time.

[@etc7070]

I loved Fun Boy Three's version of Our Lips Are Sealed!

[@lawrencekelli]

@@etc7070 The lead singer of Fun Boy 3 wrote this song with the bass or drummer from the Go Go's, They where seeing each other at the time on the side. They met when the Go Go's did a UK Tour in the 80's. It may have been released in the UK by FB3 just b4 the GoGo's in the USA.

[@Whisper_and_Sigh]

The Specials were the greatest ska band of the 80s. So much great music.

[@markstryshak539]

SKA, precursor to Reggae in Jamaica. The Specials are from England and were know as a 2 tone band. It was a record label but also referred to the bands having both black and white members.

[@kerinsian8844]

I saw them playing in Cardiff as a support band for the Clash a very long time ago. Hardly anyone there had heard of them before, but they had the entire place dancing and asking for more! The Clash played a blinder of a set too, so all in all it was a great night. They came back about a year later and shared the bill with with Selector and Madness. 😊

[@chrisr5499]

You lucky bastard

[@kerinsian8844]

@chrisr5499 I agree 👍 I'm grateful that my teens and early twenties had so much going on musically.

[@clash5j]

The genre is called ska and it was developed in Jamaica. Jamaicans took R&B and made it into something that was uniquely their own. It was a musical predecessor to reggae. Bob Marley started off as a ska artist and he never left it behind entirely

[@BGNOLA]

It was influenced by the New Orleans R&B that Jamaica was hearing on the radio from the N.O. stations; I'm from New Orleans and was a fan of the Specials; their first show in the US was here (though I was too young to go) I prob. heard the connection with the 50s R&B dad was playing in the house. I remember when there was a news story pn the riots going on in Britain and they used this song as background music and showed the video...that was exiting. Saw them on SNL in 1980 too

[@clash5j]

@@BGNOLA Although I also like Madness (and others), I think The Specials were peak English ska and I hope Rob will listen to more of them

[@MrJeddYoung]

Well done. You hit all the essential elements using the fewest words possible. Quite impressive.

[@chrisr5499]

@@BGNOLA Also Jamaica had it's own version of Calypso called mento plus had a massive Modern Jazz scene from the 1930's onwards but sadly no recordings of Jamaican Jazz.

[@pjnolan7989]

Singer was Terry Hall, who sadly just passed away last year. Great band. They did a really good version of "A Message To Rudy"

[@andre.gorley]

They're from England and they are a big part of the Ska and 2 tone revival scene. They are such a great band and along withThe Clash and The Stranglers they influenced so many bands. Thanks for this trip down memory lane.

[@oakfront]

I'm from Coventry and they started the two tone scene, unfortunately i was too young to see them play the pubs but used to see them regularly on Saturdays shopping for clothes in the second hand shops. Such great down to earth guys.

[@cphipps1969]

Glad you finally hit The Specials. I think you’d really like “A Message to You Rudy”.

[@rrlg1]

Gangsters by them is an absolute banger. They did a famous SNL rendition that got alot of attention and fans.

[@liaboyd8464]

Wait, is this the first ska on the channel? I think it is! Ska is a mix of reggae and punk.

[@avonlave]

More precisely you're referring to 2nd wave, British ska. Original Jamaican ska preceded reggae and punk (which it had no connection with).

[@ChelseaPensioner-DJW]

Sorry it isn't, SKA became a Skinhead Favourite style in 1968/9, and the Blue Beat label was about in the early 60s, so definitely a blend of Punk and Reggae. Crikey Emmanuel (Rico) Rodriguez MBE the trombone man with the Specials was a SKA legend from the 60s.

[@liaboyd8464]

@@avonlave very true, this is 2nd wave. Probably the only iteration likely to appear on this channel, but not the original meaning of the term

[@joannalandingham788]

Yessss!!

[@liaboyd8464]

@@ChelseaPensioner-DJW yep, already clarified this is 2nd wave ska from the late 70s-80s, which is the reggae-punk version. Totally different from earlier definitions of ska. I wasn't specific enough in my first comment

[@jonathanokeefe9783]

1981 - Unemployment was sky-rocketing in the UK, with whole industries shutting down. There was a prevailing sense of despair. This song captured that moment in time perfectly: a country rapidly spiralling out of control.

[@mattparks2153]

The Specials are a British Band. Enjoyed your reaction.

[@someadvids5655]

HI all, just watched this vid and oh my god that is one mager classic tune you have there, brummie here through and through, grew up in brum uk in the 80's and this was playing everyware on the radio when i was in the arcades back then, the Specials and musical youth? (you heard of them?) are mager bands back in the 80's! loved them since day one! much love take care and have a great day all!!

[@MrHws5mp]

When I went to secondary school, my parents bought me a radio alarm clock as a present, and on my first day, this was the tune that the radio woke me up with. Always been stuck in my mind ever since, and pretty much started my love of music, since I hadn't listened to the radio or much pop music up to that point. The Specials are generally regarded as a 2-Tone band, although this track has more of a straight reggae beat: 2-Tone and Ska are generally faster. 2-Tone was both a record label started by The Specials and a general style, which started as the fusion between reggae and punk which came out of British and Jamaican youth meeting in British cities. The word 'Ska' has been used for two distinct styles. Original Jamaican Ska preceded Reggae and was slower, however nowadays the word 'Ska' is used interchangeably with '2-Tone' to refer to the faster, more energetic style. Check out 'Get Smart' by The Melbourne Ska Orchestra for a good example of the modern 'fun' style of Ska.

[@inserter400]

The Specials are the greatest group of our times, my favourite group ❤️ Yes I was a skinhead back in the day and still at heart ❤️

[@michaelbuhl4250]

A great original by The Specials! They also did some great covers - "A Message to You Rudy" (originally "Rudy a Message to You" by Dandy Livingstone), "Gangsters" (originally "Al Capone" by Prince Buster), "Too Hot" (also originally by Prince Buster), and "Monkey Man" (originally by Toots and the Maytals).

[@cazzyuk8939]

This was around when I was at school - also called two-tone here, Ska music originated in Jamaica. It reflected in the clothes, girls would wear black/white skirts /tops , boys would wear black & white & slim ties and parka coats. There were groups that typified this era/sound like the Specials/Madness/Bad Manners/Toots & the Maytals etc.

[@Guildofarcanelore]

A message to Rudi!! This is SKA!

[@templetonpeck393]

The Specials were from my City - Coventry (and Birmingham). This song is about Coventry and Birmingham during the Late 70s early 80s. I have met Roddy a couple of times, he's quite a quiet bloke.

[@mkmstillstackin]

Love this song! Its just so layered with such cool unique, dramatic, and ominous mood swings. Such a prolific, well-respected 80's Ska band.

[@wolfeflambe]

This was recorded in my hometown. About a mile from where I used to live. Woodbine Street studio in Leamington Spa.

[@johnnieangel99]

Absolutely one of my fave bands of this era

[@comeonman8191]

This was number 1 in the UK on the week of Charles and Diana’s wedding which told you more about the UK at the time. There had been summer riots in London, Liverpool, Bristol and Birmingham. It was a people’s anthem.

[@LoneRanger100]

Friday night, Saturday morning is a must by the specials. Great lyrics. Also Amber can feature more two tone on female Friday by playing The Selector, lead by Pauline Black, an icon in the uk.

[@stevekenilworth]

another one from Coventry just 4 miles from me The Selector is an English 2 tone ska revival band, formed in Coventry, England. seen them live about 3 years ago they were great, specials think was the year before but they did not get main stage they in side tent, The Selector they got the main stage and they certainly got the crowd going wild. The Selector also has few songs with same name as The Specials

[@samhainkid]

Known for their upbeat dancehall-ready tunes, this is generally viewed as The Specials' best song. It's eerie vibe goes so well with the mood and apocalyptic lyrics and really stands apart in their catalogue. So happy to see you guys dive into other genres and bands that other reactors haven't touched yet. Once you step away from the mainstream, you find whole new worlds of sounds and styles.

[@MrStickyfingers22]

One of the coolest bands in my youth growing up, absolutely ground breaking time in the UK.

[@allanmckeown8417]

It was, thank god for the end of the 70's, I saw them at Hammersmith Palais 1980, although I had to hide my quiff under a hat, there was a lot of skinheads there.

[@HelenH-fk2jh]

Ohh, so glad you're doing the Specials (highly recommend Gangsters and A Message To You, Rudy) They are the BEST of the two tone wave in the UK, and a very late 70s unique sound from here that totally reminds me of my childhood. Still stands up today. (and RIP Terry Hall.)

[@HelenH-fk2jh]

Plus, Amber, connected to them (on a B side, I think) was the HUGELY popular "On My Radio" by a band called The Selector with a singer called Pauline Black, which I think a lot of us would recommend for Female Friday.

[@buckrichard7690]

I was born in Coventry and grew up in the 80’s. The Specials and Ska in general was a massive influence at the time.

[@PedroConejo1939]

Straightaway I'm glad you got the video version of this, gotta love that Vauxhall PA. The Specials were the one of the founders of 2 Tone - a brilliant time for British music. In the face of a nasty wave of racism, they represented the real kids in the Midlands. The mixture of English and Jamaican accents was part of our lives. They capture the social state perfectly with Ghost Town. Great live, The Specials encouraged people onto the stage but like a lot of their fellow bands, had problems with violent elements in the crowd - who were definitely _not_ part of the Mod-Ska scene. The problem was that the original skinheads were an outgrowth of the Mods and nothing like the thugs everyone knows as skinheads, but the latter thought that the Specials were in tune with their view of things (how they failed to notice the mixed band and fans is a mystery). There were some tense, blood on the floor, gigs back then. Me, I love Gangsters and Skinhead Moonstomp, not forgetting Maggie's Farm. Also, try The Selecter, another 2 Tone band that still rock the house.

[@coinneachmaclellan3121]

Makes me think of being in London in 1975 in Islington where there were blocks and blocks where old housing and buildings had been demolished except for a few streets of empty, grimy, red brick row houses and warehouses that you could walk through...it was a bit creepy.

[@tcarnold6425]

Ohhhhh excited! Rob Squad dips a toe into the early 80s ska scene and it's just the perfect way to begin! The US didn't really get into this much but in Britain it was huuuuuuge! If you're sticking with the Specials for now then perhaps Gangsters is the way to go next. But also look at the next evolution of the group and listen to Fun Boy Three - The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum. Plenty more original sounds with a message running through. LOVE you guys! ❤

[@LoneRanger100]

And terrys next band the colourfield!

[@tcarnold6425]

@@LoneRanger100 absolutely! Thinking Of You would blow their minds!

[@gdoggatl]

They were great in the early '80's. Interesting story to tell to recommend another of their songs. You probably have heard The Go-Gos first hit single, "Our Lips Are Sealed". It was written by Jane Wiedlin and Terry Hall (RIP), the Specials lead singer here. They were having an affair, and the song was about it. The Specials (actually the Specials were done, and the three singers carried on as Fun Boy 3) version came out a couple years after the GoGos cut. I'm going to go play it now. Also these guys made Bananarama big, so I'd also tell you guys to play one of their collaborations like "Really Saying Something". THanks!!

[@robertcrawford1791]

Absolute legend of a song, and band

[@moominpic]

The Specials were from Coventry, an industrial town in the English midlands. In late 1970s- early 1980s therecwas a lot of unemployment and social upheaval, youth violence, riots etc. Coventry was a particularly rough place by all accounts.

[@dalelawrence8374]

The Specials were an early Ska band from England. Tony Hall (one of the lead singers who just passed away in the last couple of years) and two others from the group, split off to become Fun Boy Three (who had hits with Bananarama).

[@XtheMystic244]

Terry Hall

[@dalelawrence8374]

@@XtheMystic244 Correct. Terry, not Tony (sorry about that).

[@seanswinton6242]

That need to react to Fun Boy Three, English Beat, and from the U.S. West Coast, The Untouchables.

[@jonahart777]

Terry Hall, legend...RIP. His version of "Sense" is a joy to behold.....The Specials are held in justified high regard in the UK....

[@davidsmith8813]

"my names Terry and I'm going to enjoy myself first ". Terry Hall. RIP The Specials- Ive been lucky enough to see this band live half a dozen times and were the BEST band live. So much energy. A Message to you Rudy or Enjoy Yourself, another classic (from late 40's) reggae song given the The Specials Ska treatment

[@paulmiller7838]

The song had a dark sound to it because of the subject matter they were singing about. The message of the song was a rather dark one and thus the sound was appropriate. However, this is still by and far one of my favorite songs by The Specials. They were such an amazing band!

[@01thistledoo]

Amber's definitely got an emotional intuition for music. She spots little nuances and usually understands the message

[@somedipshtinthecomments2507]

'Ghost Town' is a song that's deeply rooted in the recent history of the West-Midlands town of Coventry (so, the middle area of England, just east of Birmingham) and understanding that is really key to understanding the feel of the song. During the 1970s and 80s, right around the time of the UK Ska revival movement (of which the Specials were an important part), Coventry and many other small cities and towns throughout England were going through a period of significant economic and social decay as a result of the gradual process of de-industrialization that was taking place at the time in the UK. As a result, many towns like Coventry (where the specials, in part, originally hailed from) had become emiserated shells of thier former selves, plagued by economic hardship and social difficulties like high unemployment, sub-standard housing and significant income inequality. The song pays homage to the feeling of living in and coming from a town like Coventry at the time: a deep sense of bitter sorrow and weariness at the feeling of living in a place where 'all the clubs have been closed down' and 'Bands don't play no more (too much fightin' on the dance floor)'. None the less, the song references the bittersweet nostalgic memory of better times: 'Do you remember the good old days before Ghost Town?' and the haunted pride of living in a place that was once so vibrant, yet now is afflicted with an intense stagnation and shame. My Dad (who comes from Coventry himself, and actually MET the Specials outside a gig at one time) has always said to me that, although the song could refer to any such town that has experienced bad times, for him the song perfectly captured the feeling of living in and hailing from Coventry specifically, and that the themes it deals with are an important part of the identity not just of the city itself, but of the people who both live in, and hail from it, to this day. I love this song deeply and it's an affectionate part of both my own family history and regional identity and I'm so glad you got a chance to listen to and reflect on it.

[@gabrielmcdonnell8699]

Jay and Amber, I really like the range of artists from 🇬🇧 that you guys react to. Keep it up. Thanks! And shout out to Team “A Message To Rudy”! ✌🏽

[@briggaskin]

in 81 this song went to number 1 in the uk charts in the exact same time as major civil unrest and rioting hit major british cities. The song reflected the feeling at the time of the british people,mass unemployment ,industrial crisis, crime and govt corruption/scandals etc. The specials were a major part of uk music history and ska music history,and their own iconic record label 'two tone' ,sparked a whole ska revival in the uk in 1979 into the early 80s, mixing original late 60s trojan (skinhead reggae) with the attitude and influence of mid 70s punk. iconic band to this day and always will be.

[@bartlettbigx]

I was 10 when this came out and it made a huge impression on me. It made me realise that there was a whole world of music outside pop and that music didn't always have to happy and smiley to be brilliant. Coming out as it did during Thatcher's era, it has huge significance for people of my generation in the UK. It partly explains why the recent death of Terry Hall was so keenly felt.

[@paulgreed5248]

Always so great to see and hear people discovering Ska. Yes, their songs definitely carried a message but at this point in UK history, the makeup of the band was, in itself, a message!

[@davidgorman994]

A classic song. No Doubt would occasionally drop snippets of this song into their live sets

[@sisterdebmac]

Terry was in one of their videos and Gwen was in one of his. I gotta look those up. God, I love that dude.

[@chrisr5499]

No Doubt are just american MTV shit...never put them in the same sentence as 2 Tone

[@klaxoncow]

@@chrisr5499 You might not like No Doubt and Gwen Stefani, but they did grow up listening to the ska and 2tone from the UK. (Indeed, Gwen tells a story about how they just had the vinyl record imports over in California, at a local record store, so she actually had no idea, for the longest time, that Madness were white. Particularly over in America where music is still suffering the segregation of the "black music charts" - kept away from the white music and white radio stations (even MTV wouldn't show black artists at first, until the record companies forced them to play Michael Jackson) - the thought that "black music" was being made by white artists, and that there were lost of bi-racial bands in the UK (such as the Specials) was just not a thought that would occur to a Californian "valley girl" as even being possible.)

[@chrisr5499]

Fair do's :)@@klaxoncow

[@foxontherun6082]

Have seen them live a few times bck in the day simply fookin AWSOME LONG LIVE TWO TONE !!!!

[@emmahowells8334]

Great ive been waiting to see you react to this song, its a cool song.

[@ianbarker6456]

The "Ahhhhs" are very appropriate if you'd ever seen/been to Coventry in the 80's!! Five nights a week delivering and picking up opposite the Pink Parrot nightclub at chucking out time was enough to make you go "Ahh" I can tell you.

[@iandavis8755]

This song was used in the soundtrack of Snatch, as well as the soundtrack of Shaun of the Dead. It suited both movies perfectly!

[@OwainGlyndwr1927]

The Specials are a Ska band. I saw the Specials at Sophie Gardens, Cardiff in 1979. Seven of us went down from the Rhondda valley valley in a mark 1 escort. Six of us packed in the car and one of the boys went in the boot. Great days. ( Wales is not England ) we are a country.

[@russbillington6291]

My favourite band of all time, grew up on SKA in the late 70s and 80s finally got to see them live when they got back together around 2009 or 2010..Best gig I've ever been to...RIP Terry Hall..

[@kath2934]

I remember going to see The Specials ,Selector and Madness at the Top Rank club Sheffiled...what a night

[@GrahamMilkdrop]

I was born in Coventry where this band came from and grew up with lots of SKA and 2Tone music. This was a number 1 hit in the UK when I was 10 and it was pretty unique in terms of style. My personal favourite of theirs is 'Gangsters'. Nothing gets men dancing like SKA music! Check out the band Madness too if you like that kind of thing!

[@billydonaldson6483]

The City of Coventry where the group were located was at the heart of the car, motorcycle, tractor and aero engines etc. at one time. Countries such as Japan were building their own cars and motorcycles and built modern factories that out performed and out priced a lot British and European manufacturers which were often strike bound. Decades of underinvestment led to closures and unemployment. Paper Lace are another Coventry band that had a huge country music hit in the US with ‘Billy Don’t Be a Hero.’

[@iangudgin6536]

One of my all time favorite songs

[@hamsternibbler5582]

Huge hit in the UK. Two tone music at its finest, from the same stable as the Selector, Madness and the Beat.

[@stevemadrid6522]

THE SPECIALS!!!!! This band introduced me to ska! And I have never left! Great tune! #DontCallMeSkaFace

[@chrino21]

THE SPECIALS!!!! “Monkey Man”, “Too Hot”, and well, EVERY SINGLE SONG on the first album is incredible!

[@AM-yq8ht]

I’m from Woodstock Ga, so I feel like you are giving me a shout out, secondly The Specials are a second wave ska band

[@robbieorourke5534]

The Ska bands were amazing in the day, the record label was 2 Tone, bands were The Selector, Specials, Madness, The Beat, Bad Manners, mostly the lads were called rude boys, wore two tone suits, Doctor Marten's and was completely mixed between Whites and West Indians, great days!!! They re-interpreted the old Jamaican reggae songs and put more of a beat into them.

[@hattster1818]

Two tone was a movement started in coventry late 70s early 80s, coventry was murder capital of the UK at this time. The lead singer has just died a few months ago.

[@Konspire]

Watching someone discover such an iconic band as The Specials for the first time is truly bittersweet. They’re the band who made the 80s great, the creators of 2Tone in what became a ska revival. I urge anyone who enjoyed Ghost Town to watch the movie Dance Craze, you will not regret it.

[@chrisr5499]

No one talks about the Ska type song by The Boomtown Rats House on Fire from 1982

[@LouiseRichards-p6c]

Brilliant tune. You have to listen to our lips are sealed. Terry Hall Rip xxxx

[@StuartWilkie-xo7ju]

On My Radio by The Selector is another song by a Two-Tone band worth checking out

[@frankb4517]

In the hospital after surgery. Thanks for cheering me up and getting my mind off things. The goodness and positivity that you all put out has an effect is beyond what I think you could possibly imagine. Thanks again, and Long Live the Mighty Rob Squad.

[@americangirl6029]

Sorry to hear you’re in the hospital but glad you’re still here! Wishing you a speedy, painless recovery. ✌️😊

[@1moola]

Best wishes to you for a speedy recovery!

[@frankb4517]

@@americangirl6029 thanks so much

[@frankb4517]

@@1moola thank you

[@angelalambert6069]

Wishing you a speedy recovery ❤

[@NedKelly1967]

Been a fan since the 70s RIP Terry. Thanks for the memories. ❤️

[@slamboy66]

English Beat: "Save It For Later"

[@jerryday813]

Love it! This was a popular dance song when it came out.

[@paulj5080]

Ghost Town is a 2 tone classic, 2 tone is a mix of genres; a bit of punk, a bit of new wave sprinkled with a heavy dose of reggae and ska.