Band · United Kingdom
The Specials
ska band
Formed in 1977
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- Brighton, United Kingdom · Brighton Centre Details
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- London, United Kingdom · Roundhouse Details
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- London, United Kingdom · Troxy Tickets
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About
The Specials, also known as the Special A.K.A., were an English 2 tone and ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry. The first stable lineup of the group consisted of Terry Hall and Neville Staple on vocals, Jerry Dammers on keyboards, Lynval Golding and Roddy Radiation on guitars, Horace Panter on bass, John Bradbury on drums, and Dick Cuthell and Rico Rodriguez on horns. Their music combined the danceable rhythms of ska and rocksteady with the energy of punk. The lyrics of their songs included political and social commentary. The band wore mod-style "1960s period rude boy outfits (pork pie hats, tonic and mohair suits and loafers)".
In 1980, their The Special A.K.A. Live! EP, of which the lead track was "Too Much Too Young", reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart. In 1981, the recession-themed single "Ghost Town" also hit No. 1 in the UK.
After seven consecutive UK top 10 singles between 1979 and 1981, the main lead vocalists Hall and Staple, along with the guitarist Golding, left to form Fun Boy Three. A revised Specials band continued as "the Special A.K.A." (a name that they had used on earlier Specials releases) which released new material until 1984, including the top 10 UK hit single "Free Nelson Mandela", after which their founder Jerry Dammers dissolved the band.
The group reformed in 1993, and performed with varying line-ups, none of which included Dammers, until the death of Terry Hall in December 2022.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Also in Français
The Specials est un groupe de musique britannique de ska formé en 1977 à Coventry (Angleterre)
autour du claviériste Jerry Dammers.
Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Discography
Albums
- 1979 Specials
- 1980 More Specials
- 1984 In the Studio
- 1993 King of Kings
- 1996 Today’s Specials
- 1998 Guilty ’Til Proved Innocent!
- 2000 King of Ska
- 2000 Skinhead Girl
- 2001 Conquering Ruler
- 2009 Ghost Town
- 2019 Encore
- 2020 Protest Songs 1924–2012
EPs
- 1980 Too Much Too Young
Singles
- 1979 A Message to You Rudy
- 1979 Gangsters / The Selecter
- 1980 Braggin’ & Tryin’ Not to Lie / Rude Boys Outa Jail
- 1980 Do Nothing
- 1980 Rat Race / Rude Buoys Outa Jail
- 1980 Stereotype
- 1981 Concrete Jungle
- 1981 Ghost Town / Why? / Friday Night Saturday Morning
- 1981 Ghost Town
- 1982 Jungle Music
- 1982 The Boiler
- 1982 War Crimes
Show all (24)
- 1983 Racist Friend / Bright Lights
- 1984 Nelson Mandela
- 1984 What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend
- 1991 Ghost Town Revisited
- 1995 Hypocrite
- 1996 A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You
- 1996 Pressure Drop
- 1998 It’s You
- 2018 Vote for Me
- 2019 10 Commandments / You’re Wondering Now
- 2023 A Message to You Rudy (Re-Recorded, Sped Up)
- 2023 Ghost Town (re‐recorded – sped up)
