The Specials Specials/More Specials/In The Studio (Out 11th May 2002 via EMI Catalogue)
in the spring of 1979 The Specials on their own label 2 Tone Records were ready to face an unsuspecting public. Bringing back a Jamaican derivative of R&B into the more concrete surroundings of Coventry. The result was ska with balls. Their lyrics addressed life in many a town and city which spoke volumes to the an increasing legion of rude boy / rude girls followers. 2 Tone Records, named after the two tone suits of the mods and skinheads of the late 1960’s, the label would go on to , to feature the likes of Madness (briefly), The Selecter, The Beat, Bodysnatchers et al. But it was The Specials that spearheaded the 2 Tone movement. Now a couple of decades on, EMI release the first three the first three studio albums , remastered and digitally enhanced on CD-R acetate, each disc also comes with a couple of bonus original videos.
The seven-piece outfit’s self-titled debut, first saw the light of day in late October 1979. produced at TW studios by Elvis Costello no less, the album’s mixture of re-worked ska standards such as the immortal ‘A Message To You Rudy’ and ‘Monkey Man’ with original gems written by band leader Jerry Dammers – ‘Too Much Too Young’, ‘Nite Klub’, ‘Doesn’t make it Alright’ all still all shine today, there is really no weak track in the fourteen on show on ‘The Specials’.
Those that expecting the same on second album ‘More Specials’ were in for a surprise with the 1980 follow up. As the album first opens it’s a seems its a case of business as usual, with Prince Buster’s ska anthem ‘Enjoy Yourself’, but by the time you make the journey to the reprise, that brings the album’s proceedings to a close, you realise how much further The Specials had travelled. ‘More Specials’ was less angry, all together more relaxed than their debut and musically more eclectic. With influences drawn from ska, reggae and jazz and what has since been described vas mood music, successfully breaking out from the ska tighter format.
In the summer of 1981 The Specials were at the top of the charts with the classic ‘Ghost Town’. At this time they were one of the most significant bands around. But all was not well, within just two months of their success, the original band were no more. With vocalists Terry Hall and Neville Staples, plus rhythm guitarist Lanolin Holding left the band to form Fun Boy Three. Whilst Roddy Radiation also quit to spend time on his own side project The Tearjerkers.
The remaining members, reverted to their original moniker The Specials AKA once more, but fans would have to wait another three years for ‘In The Studio’ to be eventually released. The sound continued to expand, soul, reggae, pop and funk influences all figure. But there were no real surprises, 4 of the 10 tracks had already had appeared as singles. The anti-apartheid anthem ’Nelson Mandela’ brought the band back to top ten success; alongside ‘Racist Friend’, ‘War Crimes’ and ‘Night On The Tiles’ it’s not difficult to see that ‘In The Studio’ was not contagious as the first two releases, but just as inspirational. But in 1985, after three years in the studio making that difficult third album, brought ‘In The Studio’ in well over budget after 6 weeks spent in the charts was left with huge debts, the band regrettably could sadly no longer continue.
Collectively, The Specials gave all something real, a fireguard against the worst excesses of soulless 1980’s pop, and yeah we all danced! 9.5/10
Steve Janes