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Ska is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walking bass line accented with rhythms on the off beat. It was developed in Jamaica in the 1960s when Stranger Cole, Prince Buster, Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, and Duke Reid formed sound systems to play American rhythm and blues and then began recording their own songs. In the early 1960s, ska was the dominant music genre of Jamaica and was popular with British mods and with many skinheads.
Madness are an English ska and pop band from Camden Town, north London, who formed in 1976. One of the most prominent bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s two-tone ska revival, they continue to perform with six of the seven members of their original line-up. Madness's most successful period was from 1980 to 1986, when the band's songs spent a total of 214 weeks on the UK Singles Chart.
The Specials, also known as The Special AKA, were an English 2 tone and ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry. After some early changes, 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. The band wore mod-style "1960s period rude boy outfits ". Their music combines the danceable rhythms of ska and rocksteady with the energy and attitude of punk. Lyrically, their work presented overt political and social commentary.
Jeremy David Hounsell Dammers GCOT is a British musician who was a founder, keyboard player and primary songwriter of the Coventry-based ska band the Specials and later the Spatial AKA Orchestra. Through his foundation of the record label Two Tone, his work blending political lyrics and punk with Jamaican music, and his incorporation of 1960s retro clothing, Dammers is a pivotal figure of the ska revival. He has also been acknowledged in his work for racial unity.
Terence Edward Hall was a British musician who came to prominence as the lead singer of the 2-tone band the Specials, and later recorded with groups such as Fun Boy Three, the Colourfield, Terry, Blair & Anouchka, and Vegas.
Neville Eugenton Staple, sometimes credited as Neville Staples, is a Jamaican-born English singer, known for his work with the 2 Tone ska band the Specials, the pop group Fun Boy Three, as well as with his own group, the Neville Staple Band. He also performed with Ranking Roger in the supergroup Special Beat.
The Selecter is an English 2 tone ska revival band, formed in Coventry, England, in 1979.
The Beat are a British band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1978. Their music fuses Latin, ska, pop, soul, reggae and punk rock.
Bad Manners are an English two-tone and ska band led by frontman Buster Bloodvessel. Early appearances included Top of the Pops and the live film documentary Dance Craze (1981).
Horace Panter also known as Sir Horace Gentleman, is the bassist for the British 2 Tone ska band The Specials.
Roger Charlery, known professionally as Ranking Roger, was an English musician. He was a vocalist in the 1980s ska band the Beat and later new wave band General Public. He subsequently was the frontman for a reformed Beat lineup.
Too Much Pressure is the debut studio album by English 2 tone ska revival band the Selecter. After the band's official formation in 1979 in Coventry, following the release of a song entitled "The Selecter" by an unofficial incarnation of the band, the band's hit single "On My Radio" prompted their labels 2 Tone and Chrysalis to ask the band to record their debut album. Working with producer Errol Ross, the Selecter recorded the album at Horizon Studios over two months. The album contains original material, mostly composed by band founder and guitarist Neol Davies, as well as numerous ska and reggae cover versions, in a similar fashion to the Specials' debut album.
Celebrate the Bullet is the second studio album by English 2 tone ska revival band the Selecter, released on 27 February 1981 by Chrysalis Records after the band had left the 2 Tone label. The album was recorded with producer Roger Lomas, who plays bass on some songs, and frequently seeks a more slow, eclectic sound, with new wave influences. Band members Charley Anderson and Desmond Brown, uncomfortable with the new approach, left the band during production and after the release of 1980 single "The Whisper" to form the band the People. They were replaced by keyboardist, James Mackie, and bass player, Adam Williams. Ian Dury and the Blockheads bassist Norman Watt-Roy played bass on the title-track and "Washed Up and Left for Dead".
Skinhead Girl is a cover album by The Specials Released in 2000. After a project backing ska legend Desmond Dekker on his 1993 album King of Kings, producer Roger Lomas brought the band back into the studio to record covers of popular Trojan Records songs. Band member Lynval Golding left two weeks before the sessions, and was replaced by former Selecter guitarist Neol Davies on rhythm guitar.
Rhoda Dakar is a British singer and musician, best known as the lead singer of The Bodysnatchers, who were signed to the 2 Tone record label. She also worked with The Specials/Special AKA, and also other 2-Tone artists.
"On My Radio" is a song by English 2 tone ska revival band the Selecter, released as a single on 5 October 1979 by 2 Tone Records. It peaked at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart, remaining on the chart for nine weeks, and became their most successful single.
"Three Minute Hero" is a song and single written by Neol Davies and performed by the English 2 tone ska revival band the Selecter. It is the opening track on side one of their debut studio album Too Much Pressure. Released in 1980, the song reached number 16 on the UK charts, staying there for six weeks.
"Gangsters" is the first single by the English ska group The Specials.
"Missing Words" is a song and single written by Neol Davies and performed by English 2 tone ska revival band the Selecter. Released in 1980 it reached #23, on the UK charts, staying there for eight weeks.
The Happy Album is the third studio album by British ska band The Selecter, and their first following their reformation in 1990, released in 1994 on Demon Music in the UK and Triple X in the US. Their first album of new material in thirteen years, The Happy Album follows their successful live reunion tour of 1991 and its respective live album document, Out in the Streets (1992). Founding member Neol Davies left the band after Out in the Streets while fellow original member Arthur "Gaps" Hendrickson rejoined the band. The new line-up recorded The Happy Album with production from Aswad guitarist Jimmy "Seyna" Haynes
References
- 1 2 Chambers, Pete (2005). The Two Tone Trail. ISBN 9780954412531 . Retrieved 16 June 2013.
- ↑ "Special AKA - The Selecter". Discogs.com. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
- ↑ "UK Charts The Specials". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
- ↑ "UK Charts - The Selecter". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
- ↑ "On My Radio". Discogs.com. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
- ↑ "Missing Words". Discogs.com. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
- ↑ "Three Minute Hero". Discogs.com. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
- ↑ "The Whisper". Discogs.com. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
- ↑ "Neol Davies". Neoldavies.net. Archived from the original on 26 November 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
