The Specials were the fulcrum of the ska revival of the late '70s, kick-starting the 2-Tone movement that spurred a ska-punk revolution lasting for decades. As influential as they were within the realm of ska, the group and its impact can't be reduced to that genre alone. The Specials were one of the defining British bands of new wave, expanding the musical and political parameters of rock & roll. Protest was an integral part of the group, particularly their initial lead songwriter Jerry Dammers, who chronicled the tensions of the Margaret Thatcher era on such hit singles as "Ghost Town." The Specials balanced these barbed messages with an inspired rallying call to party and impeccable sense of style embodied by Terry Hall, a lean, laconic singer who split vocal duties with the nore exuberant Neville Staple. Hall left the group in 1982, prompting the band to rebrand itself as the Special AKA -- one of many lineup changes that sometimes coincide with alterations in the group's name. The Specials split in 1984, and while Dammers never returned to the fold, Staple, Lynval Golding, Horace Panter, John Bradbury, and Roddy Radiation revived the Specials a number of times before Hall came back aboard in 2008, prompting a reunion that lasted for years.
The Specials were the fulcrum of the ska revival of the late '70s, kick-starting the 2-Tone movement that spurred a ska-punk revolution lasting for decades. As influential as they were within the realm of ska, the group and its impact can't be reduced to that genre alone. The Specials were one of the defining British bands of new wave, expanding the musical and political parameters of rock & roll. Protest was an integral part of the group, particularly their initial lead songwriter Jerry Dammers, who chronicled the tensions of the Margaret Thatcher era on such hit singles as "Ghost Town." The Specials balanced these barbed messages with an inspired rallying call to party and impeccable sense of style embodied by Terry Hall, a lean, laconic singer who split vocal duties with the nore exuberant Neville Staple. Hall left the group in 1982, prompting the band to rebrand itself as the Special AKA -- one of many lineup changes that sometimes coincide with alterations in the group's name. The Specials split in 1984, and while Dammers never returned to the fold, Staple, Lynval Golding, Horace Panter, John Bradbury, and Roddy Radiation revived the Specials a number of times before Hall came back aboard in 2008, prompting a reunion that lasted for years.
The band was originally formed in Coventry, in 1977, as the Coventry Automatics and later the Special A.K.A. by songwriter/keyboardist Jerry Dammers, with Terry Hall (vocals), Lynval Golding (guitar, vocals), Neville Staples (vocals, percussion), Roddy Radiation (guitar), Sir Horace Gentleman (bass), and John Bradbury (drums). An opening slot for The Clash stirred up interest with the major labels, but Dammers instead opted to start his own 2-Tone label, named for its multiracial agenda and after the two-tone tonic suits favored by the like-minded mods of the '60s. The Dammers-designed logos, based on '60s pop art with black and white checks, gave the label an instantly identifiable look. Dammers' eye for detail and authenticity also led to the band adopting '60s-period rude-boy outfits (porkpie hats, tonic and mohair suits, and loafers).
The Specials debuted with the "Gangsters" single, which reached the U.K. Top Ten in 1979. Soon after, hordes of bands and fans followed in the same tradition, and the movement reached full swing. Over the next several months, 2-Tone enjoyed hits by similar-sounding bands such as Madness, The Beat and The Selecter. Late in 1979, the band released its landmark debut album, The Specials, produced by Elvis Costello. They followed with several 2-Tone package tours and a live EP, Too Much Too Young (confusingly credited to Special A.K.A.). The title track, a pro-contraception song, was banned by the BBC but reached the number one spot in the U.K. At this time, the band switched musical directions, releasing album number two, More Specials, with a new neo-lounge persona. Signs indicated that the movement was fading and 2-Tone began to experience financial troubles. Nevertheless, a film documenting the 2-Tone package tours, Dance Craze, as well as its companion album, saw considerable success.
"Ghost Town," one of the band's most significant singles, was issued in 1981 amid race-related unemployment riots in Brixton and Liverpool. The song jumped to number one, but the band was falling apart. Hall, Staples and Golding left to form Fun Boy Three, leaving the band without its trademark voice. Dammers held on, reverting back to the old name, Special A.K.A., and enlisted a new vocalist, Stan Campbell. After several years, they returned with In the Studio in 1984. They managed a few hits, including "Racist Friend" and "Free Nelson Mandela." Dammers would then dissolve the unit and go on to pursue political causes such as Artists Against Apartheid.
The Specials reunited again in 2008 (without Dammers) and toured until 2015, when John Bradbury, the backbone of the 2-Tone sound, passed away in December at the age of 62. Trombonist Rico Rodriguez had died three months earlier, on September 4. He was 80 years old.
The Specials, headed by Golding, Panter, and Hall, released Encore -- their first album of new material since their reunion -- in early 2019.
