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The Specials

This article is about the British ska band. For other uses, see Specials (disambiguation).
"The Special A.K.A." redirects here. For the jazz-style ensemble, see The Spatial AKA Orchestra.

The Specials
Background information
Also known asThe Special A.K.A.
OriginCoventry, England
Genres
Years active
  • 1977–1981
  • 1982–1984
  • 1993
  • 1996–2001
  • 2008–2022[3]
Labels
Spinoffs
Past members
Websitethespecials.com

The Specials, also known as The Special AKA, were an English 2 tone and ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry.[4] 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 (pork pie hats, tonic and mohair suits and loafers)".[5] Their music combines the danceable rhythms of ska and rocksteady with the energy and attitude of punk.[6] Lyrically, their work (often written by primary songwriter Dammers) presented overt political and social commentary.

In 1980, their The Special AKA Live! EP, featuring lead track "Too Much Too Young", reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart.[7] In 1981, the recession-themed single "Ghost Town" also hit No. 1 in the UK.[4]

After seven consecutive UK top 10 singles between 1979 and 1981, main lead vocalists Hall and Staple, along with guitarist Golding, left to form Fun Boy Three.[4] Continuing as "The Special AKA" (a name they used frequently on earlier Specials releases), a substantially revised Specials line-up issued new material until 1984, including the top 10 UK hit single "Free Nelson Mandela". After this, founder Jerry Dammers dissolved the band and pursued political activism.[8]

The group re-formed in 1993, and continued to perform and record with varying line-ups – none of them involving Dammers – until the death of Terry Hall in December 2022.

  1. ^ Perone, James E. (7 September 2018). Listen to New Wave Rock! Exploring a Musical Genre. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781440859694 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ "Isolation Discs Podcast - The Specials BONUS". 7 June 2020.
  3. ^ Rider, Alan (November 2023). "The Art of Being A Special". Outside Left. London. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 519. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  5. ^ Woodstra, Chris. "Allmusic.com". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
  6. ^ Woodstra, Chris. "The Specials". AllMusic.
  7. ^ Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 201. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference The Great Rock Discography was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

The Specials

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