An Interview with Chris Foreman of Madness

As Madness gear up to release the long and anxiously awaited for album, "The Liberty of Norton Folgate," the wonderful folks over at Madness Central have posted a fantastic interview with band guitarist and all around nice guy Chrissy Boy Foreman. The interview, which includes both the audio as well as the transcript (so you can read along at home!) is an astonishing 71 minutes long!

Rather than cut and past the entire interview into this post, I've selected choice excerpts and suggest that if you are interested in the entire interview that you surf over to Madness Central and have a look around yourself. I was most interested to learn more about the release date for the new album. It sounds like it may be delayed a bit longer and that it has to do with finding a record label willing to release it.

On The Specials reunion show at Bestival and Jerry Dammer's refusal to perform:

...yeah. I saw them on Youtube and it sounded like they were playing really well, but you know, he's so bizarre, Jerry, that he went to the gig (laughs). I mean what's the point? He might as well have got up onstage really, but I've told him enough times, we all have. It'd be really nice if they finally reformed so if they did I think we would definitely like to do something with them, yeah.

On keeping Madness relevant and contemporary:

Well I think, myself, it's funny. I don't really write lyrics but I think all the people who do write lyrics are writing good lyrics, you know that are quite contemporary, if you know what I mean. You know even though some of them, I mean that "Norton Folgate" song goes back to the very history of England but it kinda comes up to the present day. I mean everybody, Lee, he's really good .... don't try and distract me while I'm talking to you ... Lee's a really good lyricist and Suggs, you know, we've written some really great songs so I think we're contemporary. We're contemporary in a way because we haven't changed, if you know what I mean, we haven't tried to become a sort of dance band or you know whatever the latest thing is. I don't know what the latest thing is, there isn't really a latest thing in England that I can think of, you know, I dunno do I. Sometimes I think you remain contemporary anyway, in a way because you're just kinda ploughing on maybe doing something that sounds old-fashioned but then maybe old-fashioned comes back into fashion, if you know what I mean. It's like clothes, you know, I like sort of old style clothes because I think we always have, Madness when we were kids we used to get stuff from charity shops, you know thrift stores, like really old codger's suits, double-breasted suits that we thought were good and then every now and then, they come back into fashion and then they go out but it's kinda like good tailoring so it's always gonna be in fashion Steve. I suppose Madness is like good tailoring, we put thought into the songs, into how they sound and they are like, er what's that word, aberrations, you know where you view half of them and the terrible thing, erm, "I'm Sorry". I mean I didn't like that and I wasn't on that but that was something where I think the manager had a bit of an idea. He was trying to make Madness contemporary, now you tell me if that worked. I don't think you liked it, I know some people did like it but it was trying to make Madness something that they're not. Personally, I think that never works.

What's the secret to making Madness work?

Well if you mean ... how do we ... carry on, if we all hate each other. It's not like that, as you know I've had many a run-in with Chas, yeah, but that's it, it's not like some smouldering resentment, you know what I mean? We have it out, he and I, and at the moment I'm not on his sorta best friend list, but you know we have the occasional e-mail and sometimes they're quite, you know, okay. So you know I love everyone in the band, even Chas, he knows it and we all do. We all argue and bitch with each other, some more than others. The main sort of bitching people are me and Chas, (laughs) me and Barso or Barso and Chas, any kind of combinations of us three. Woody's kind of really sensible, he's become the elder statesman of the band in some ways, he's really funny. Bedders just stays out of it, Suggs stays out of it and then Thommo does these little weird, it's mainly e-mail crap, Thommo does these e-mails that no one understand.

What's going on with the new album - The Liberty of Norton Folgate?

We're trying to get some sort of deal to release it. We've tried various ideas and at the moment we may get some sort of financing deal in place and then release it through a third party, another label 'cos I know a lot of people go, "Why don't you just do it on Stiff?" but it's not really like that. Stiff Records doesn't exist, and neither does Zarjazz 'cos Zarjazz Records never really existed, you know, it wasn't some big office block that we owned, we did it through Virgin Records and it was a better deal for us at the time. One wants to be realistic and the music industry in England, and probably most of the world, isn't very healthy. It's not driven by emotion anymore, it's driven by business which is fair enough 'cos it should be a business but you know people say, "Oh, Madness, what was their last album, oh the Dangermen thing, that didn't do very well," and that's the way they look at it, they don't like listening to what we've done and going, "This is fantastic, let's give them millions of pounds," unless they want our souls for the rest of our lives. But it will come out and it will be really good and I just think that it's been ten years since the last one so what's another couple of years? Obviously, doing a kind of showcase for it wasn't too clever, in June or whenever it was.

For those of you who just can't wait any longer to hear what the new album will sound like, here are two 10 second short teasers shot by Chris Foreman with his ever present Flip Video of production on 'Rainbows' and 'That Close'. You may have to play them over and over to satisfy your curiosity!





Finally, here is video from Chris's Flip Video (you can see if attached to his guitar strap in the picture above) of the band performing 'On The Town' live from the Hackney shows this past June and 'My Girl' from Montreaux in September. I love the "you are there" vibe!

David Steele: From Punky Reggae Bassist to Soul Producer Extraordinaire

David Steele remains a musical hero of mine (though I also count Horace Panter and Paul Simenon as bass heros). I have always admired his innovative and inventive bass lines which define many of The Beat's classic songs and has influenced my own bass style(see 'Mirror In The Bathroom', 'Too Nice To Talk To', 'Twist & Crawl', 'Sole Salvation') He uniquely combined the Jamaican ska/reggae/pop bottom end that was the basis for much of The Beat's early material and added a harder, punk-influenced style which completely set them apart from their contemporaries.

In many ways I would consider Steele The Beat's secret weapon. Because he tended to avoid the spotlight (I could not find one picture of him alone anywhere on-line and the one above with fellow band mate Andy Cox from 1986 is from a great site called And What's Next ) he has not gotten the credit he deserves as a musician, songwriter and producer. Out of all the original 2-Tone era musicians, Steele and Terry Hall remain the ones who have explored musical genres far outside their early days playing ska. Where Hall wrote guitar pop songs with The Colourfield and Vegas, Steele has followed a path from techno dance to soul-pop and now classic soul and R&B.

Few pop musicians have an ear for talent and the patience of David Steele. Back in the Eighties, he and Andy Cox, spent a couple of years searching for the right singer for Fine Young Cannibals, before settling on the distinctive talents of Roland Gift. During and following their chart topping success with the Fine Young Cannibals, he and Cox worked producing acts as varied as The Wee Papa Girls, Monie Love, Pop Will Eat Itself and notably Al Green on his 1993 LP, `Don`t Look Back`. It was during all those recording sessions but particularly with Green, that Steele finally began to realize there was a lot more to making soul and R&B records than the Cannibals` trademark stylized pop take on the genre.

Here is the video for Monie Love's "It's A Shame" which bears all the hallmarks of Steele's early dance style:



According to an interview he conducted with The Guardian in the UK following his experience working with Al Green, Steele said, “I knew there was another level I could go to, and I also knew it had to be with somebody who wasn`t famous - because working with legends you`re too respectful. So - though it seemed a bit insane - I basically set out to find the new Aretha Franklin, no less! I was looking for the sort of old soul voice that today`s hip hop people would sample.”

And like his search a few years earlier for Roland Gift, Steele embarked on a similar quest for a new singer to serve as the muse for his songs. That was in 1994. And as the 21st Century rolled around, an unhurried-yet-determined Steele was still looking. Until finally, in the summer of 2001, a lengthy stay in New Orleans - centred around the city`s annual Jazz Festival - brought him into contact with a young local gospel vocalist, Jonte Short. One of the stars of the local Ebenezer Baptist Church choir, Short was also singing for pop audiences in night clubs to pay the rent. And, like many great gospel voices in America, hers was part of a family inheritance - having started singing aged just two with her brothers and sisters in a group run by her mother. In Short, Steele's unearthed a secularized gospel singer with more than a touch of Aretha Franklin. Like Gift before her, Short has a unique look and sound and like Gift, she takes Steele's songs to another level.

Calling themselves Fried after Southern U.S. cooking, the duo at once began both writing and recording together in New Orleans and set out to secure a record deal. The self-titled version of the record was released by London Records, home of the Fine Young Cannibals, but the company was going through hard times. In August 2005 London agreed to release them from their contract and they were quickly picked up by Sony/BMG, who've re-released the album in 2007 and titled it `Things Change`. It now features Sade`s Andrew Hale plus key contributions from former Portishead songstress Beth Gibbons and Wu Tang Clan`s RZA.

Below are two videos from the Jools Holland Live Show in 2004 featuring "When You Get Out Of Jail" and "Things Change":

Ranking Roger and Mick Jones: A musical mutual appreciation society

There has always been a mutual appreciation society between Ranking Roger of The Beat/General Public and Mick Jones of The Clash/Big Audio Dynamite. The Beat toured with The Clash (see the ticket stub for a show the bands played together in Paris in 1981) and it was on tour that Ranking Roger, who as a punk briefly played drums in a Birmingham-based punk band called The Dum Dum Boys, met Jones who along with Joe Strummer and Paul Simenon were incorporating reggae into their sound.

First a little bit of history. In case you didn't know, The Clash album "Combat Rock" was originally planned as a double album with the working title "Rat Patrol From Fort Bragg", but the idea was scrapped after internal wrangling within the group. Mick Jones had mixed the first version, but the other members were dissatisfied and mixing/producing duties were handed to Glyn Johns, at which point the album became a single LP. This intra-band arguing soon lead to Jones departure from the band. However, the original mixes have since been obtained and subsequently bootlegged. Jones was such a fan of Ranking Roger's, that he invited him to toast on his mix of "Rock The Casbah". The version did not make the "Combat Rock" album, but it cemented a friendship that has gone on to this day.

Here is the alternate version of "Rock The Casbah" featuring Ranking Roger as mixed by Mick Jones:



Both The Clash and The Beat broke up around the same time in mid-1983, with Joe Strummer and Paul Simenon "firing" Mick Jones from the The Clash and Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger leaving to start General Public. Wakeling and Ranking Roger joined up with keyboardist Mickey Billingham (Dexys Midnight Runners), bassist Horace Panter (The Specials) and drummer Stoker (Dexys Midnight Runners/The Bureau) to form the new band. Jones was originally announced as a band member, and based on his friendship with Ranking Roger agreed to come on-board. However, by the time the "All The Rage" album was released in 1984, Jones had left to form Big Audio Dynamite, although he did play guitar on the majority of the album’s tracks.

Jones returned the favor to Ranking Roger in the mid-90's, inviting him to sing on the track B.A.D. track "Harrow Road". Ranking Roger joined Big Audio Dynamite full-time from 1996-98 and performed at several live shows with the band. Ranking Roger also joined the band in the studio to record the album "Entering A New Ride." However, the band broke up shortly after he joined when its last album was shelved by the record company and they refused to release it. In 1997, the band launched a new web site, primarily as a means to distribute songs from the Entering a New Ride album to the group's fans. The album is one of the earliest virtual albums ever.

Below is the track list and the download of "Entering A New Ride":

Track listing

"Man That Is Dynamite"
"B.A.D. in the Night Time Ride"
"Sunday Best"
"Must Be the Music"
"Taking You to Another Dimension"
"Sound of the B.A.D."
"Cozy Ten Minutes"
"Get High"
"Bang Ice Geezer"
"On the Ones and Twos"
"Nice and Easy"

Here is the download to "Entering A New Ride". The song files are very large so the album is saved in 5 parts.

Big Audio Dynamite - Entering A New Ride

The Beat - Live @ Rock On The Tyne Festival - July 31st, 1982

While I work on some longer posts and finish up a few more exclusive interviews, here is some great footage of The Beat performing live at the Rock On The Tyne Festival from the Gateshead Stadium in the North Of England on July 31, 1982 as part of show that included The Police, U2, Gang Of Four and Lords Of The New Church (what a line-up!). The show was billed as a homecoming for Sting of The Police after years away on the road. What's great about this footage is how close the cameras get to the band on stage. The show was filmed by Channel 4 and aired on "The Tube". The final video of an after show interview with Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger is noteworthy alone for the demonstration that Ranking Roger gives of toasting. Don't hurt yourself trying to mimic him.

According to reviews, The Beat received a warm welcome, and their up tempo ska-pop was just the thing for a stadium gig -- high energy and tight -- unlike the Lords Of The New Church who did not go down particularly well with this crowd. Sadly The Beat were in its last throes and would disband a year later in 1983. The videos below include "Too Nice To Talk To" and "Mirror In The Bathroom".

You can read more about the festival at this website.

Andy Cox - From The Ska-Pop of The Beat to Playing A Bicycle As A Musical Instrument

Whenever one thinks of The Beat, its generally Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger who come to mind. As the front men, its only natural that they would be seen as mouthpieces for the band, However, when The Beat first started, they were quite democratic about who would show up to do interviews. In fact, they never confirmed who would appear so that the every member of the band was seen as a contributor. And though it was Wakleing and Ranking Roger who captured the lion share of the attention, I was always more intrigued by the band members in the back, namely guitarist Andy Cox and the shuffling bassist David Steele who were rarely heard from.

When The Beat split in 1983, it came as a surprise to Cox and Steele. The first time they realized that the group's vocalists had gone off to form a group without them was when their accountant phoned to finalize the divorce. While the defectors had formed General Public, Cox and Steele set about creating something new of their own. Apart from not wanting to repeat the mistakes of The Beat, and with a vague notion of adding both jazz and soul to The Beat's ska roots and incorporating a vocalist who’d be both distinctive and sympathetic to those influences, there was no definitive blue-print for their evolution. Cox and Steele auditioned more than 500 potential front men, until so frustrated by such a disheartening process, they abandoned it in order to search for one particular singer named Roland Gift they’d remembered fronting Hull ska punks The Akrylykz, who had supported most of the key 2 Tone/ska revival acts including The Beat. The rest is history and Fine Young Cannibals went on to score #1's on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Cannibals dissolved in 1996 after a nearly 10-year run together with each member going on to work solo. Steele became an in-demand producer and launched his retro-soul and R&B duo Fried. Gift released a solo record and has lately been performing with other musicians as the Fine Young Cannibals in the UK. However, Cox has taken an all together different musical road post-Beat and post-FYC.

Often marveled for his imaginative reconstructions of Jamaican ska and American soul, Cox's latest work is skewed with an intriguing partner -- Yukari Fujiu - a young, underground Japanese singer. The story of how Cribabi came together as a band is truly the stuff of folklore: Yukari bought a learn-to-speak-English tape with a monologue about guitars that was performed by Andy. A while later, she coincidentally met him in London while she was working in the same building that his Lo Fi recording studio is housed in. They started talking, then they shared some ideas, did a little recording, and subsequently decided to embark on an album project. Yukari returned to Tokyo while Andy stayed in London, and their debut album titled "Volume: was recorded in pieces half a world apart with the tracks traded via email, for a cost of roughly £300.

While Cox is just as well known for his traditional musical projects, he is now working on more experimental projects that include using bicycles to make music. Yes bicycles! (have a look at the picture below of a bicycle that Cox outfitted as an instrument). You can listen to the podcast of the Bicycle Show that Cox appeared on in early 2007 to discuss bicycle music below:


Andy Cox on The Bike Show
(If you have trouble getting the link below to work directly, try copying and pasting the URL address directly into your browser and it should play)

Finally, here is a long lost snippet of an interview Cox conducted with a U.S, DJ in the early 1980's when he was with The Beat about how the band got started and how they connected with The Selecter and The Specials. Its quite refreshing to hear Cox's broad Midlands accent. The interview lasts about 3 minutes and 30 seconds and also includes Ranking Roger.

Radio Interview with Andy Cox and Ranking Roger (If you have trouble getting the link below to work directly, try copying and pasting the URL address directly it into your browser and it should play)

Skye Sweetnam - A New Rude Girl Moves "Into Action"

From what I can gather, Skye Sweetnam is Canada's slightly punk version of Britney Spears with a twist. Though she served as the singing voice for Barbie in The Barbie Diaries and she recorded a song in simlish for the release of The Sims 2: Pets, she has also worked with Operation Ivy and Rancid front man Tim Armstrong and recorded one of the best ska songs of the last 5 years, the nearly perfect "Into Action."

The song was written by Armstrong for Sweetnam's album "Sound Soldier", but was also re-recorded by Armstrong and Sweetnam with Southern California ska and reggae stalwarts The Aggrolites, and it appeared on Armstrong's solo LP " A Poet's Life" which is his love letter to 2-Tone ska. The song was one of the most requested songs ever at Los Angeles radio station KROQ-FM. Armstrong's love of 2-Tone has been clear for some time and has influenced many of the songs he has recorded with Rancid (have a listen to Time Bomb or Roots Radical). He also sang guest vocals for the song "Fearful" on The Specials Mk2 LP "Guilty Till Proved Innocent".

Now Sweetnam has versioned the song with her own lyrics (the two versions share a chorus) and released it, along with a very watchable video. I think Gwen Stefani may finally have some competition in the rude girl department. Here is Skye Sweetnam's version of the "Into Action" (I really dig the Emma Peel vibe to the video!):



Just so you are up to speed, here is Tim Armstrong's original version with Skye doing backing vocals and The Aggrolites backing it all up. I love the whole 2-Tone vibe to this one:

Exclusive: Interview with Coventry Music Journalist, Author & 2-Tone Expert Pete Chambers

While every music scene has the bands that put the city on the map, there are also the important and indispensable members of the media who serve to chronicle and help promote the scene and keep its fans informed. The Beatles arrival in New York City was heralded and covered by one Murray The K. Later, the Los Angeles KROQ DJ and Rock scene maker Rodney Biggehneimer was the man every musician passing through on tour wanted and needed to speak to. Coventry and 2-Tone also has such a person and his name is Pete Chambers.

Pete is an unabashed fan of 2-Tone and a booster for Coventry. A lifelong resident of the city, his passion for 2-Tone and his connections with its musicians has helped him to keep its legacy alive while establishing perosnal and professional relationships with members of the bands. This dual role of journalist/fan has allowed him to support and publicize the music as a member of the media and author, while providing the perspective of a fan who loves the bands and music and wants other fans to love it just as much.

Pete is a very busy man these days. Between writing a regular music column for the Coventry Evening Telegraph and hosting a BBC radio show he has also authored a number of rock music books. Of particular interest are his two books about the history of 2-Tone. The first, "The 2-Tone Trail" looks at the places and the faces that helped to shape 2-Tone. Full of rarely seen photographs and very interesting tidbit's of info, the book features a 20 location tour around Coventry, and each one is brought to life by quotes from the likes of Jerry, Horace, Roddy, Lynval, Neville, Pauline, Roger Lomas, Neol Davies who also contributes the foreword. He just launched the follow-up titled, "2-Tone 2 - Dispatches From The 2-Tone City 30 Years On". The new book includes news stories, rare and unseen photographs, and the views of some of 2-Tone's key players.

I was lucky enough to interview Pete the same day The Specials announced their first UK tour dates since 1981. Pete shared his thoughts on The Specials reunion, his favorite 2-Tone song and band (you might be surprised who that is) and the future for ska music in Coventry. Enjoy the interview.

Can you tell me about your introduction to music and ska music in particular?
Like so many others, my lasting memory of the discovery of music, has to be The Beatles. The old Dancette in the corner, blaring out sounds that seemed to make sense, probably the only time in our lives when my whole family shared anything near a musical taste I suppose. I’m a bit of a cultural tourist, so happily I have been influenced by all types of music. I love ska and reggae of course, but I also love many other types of music. Though Ska and reggae music came into my life around the 70’s. I was a proud suede head, spending my paper-round money on Tighten Up compilation albums. I recall that this was the music our particular youth culture was supposed to be into. I never got that, I wasn’t getting off on it cus I was supposed to, this was bloomin great music, simple as. I recall hearing Here I am baby, by Al Brown & Skin Flesh and Bones for the first time, and been blown away totally. That made me want to explore the genre even more, I adore roots reggae, especially The Mighty Diamonds and U-Roy, stuff like that.

What was it like growing up in Coventry? Did you experience the 2-Tone explosion firsthand?
I suppose I should talk of ghost towns and concrete jungles. The truth is I had a pretty average upbringing, in an average city. I always talk about the Ghost Town dichotomy, we were branded a ghost town at our most creative period, 2-Tone was amazing for Coventry. Every local artist in the 80’s wanted to be the cities next ‘pop stars’. The legacy it has created is now well and truly seated in Cov’s urban history. No other artists from the city has ever done that. As a music fan it was a wonderful place to live in the 80’s, it was happening right on a doorstep. For once we weren’t your average city. We were Cov, and at last we had something to be proud of. Happy days.

You seem to be very well connected with members of The Specials and The Selecter. How did you meet them?
Through my music journalism mainly, anyone who knows me, will see me not just as a writer, but a fan too. I don’t really care about the bullshit of the industry, just the music. I try never to cross anyone, I just write about the music, I think they respect that. I know Lynval does, as he has told me many times. Horace has been a family friend for years, I DJ’d and took the photos at his wedding. Horace, Roddy, Neville, Neol, Gaps, Lynval, Aitch, Roger Lomas among others, are always there for me in all my cockeyed ideas and schemes god bless them. (Lynval Golding with a copy of Pete's new book).

You were the only member of the media invited to secret rehearsals for The Specials first reunion show at Bestival in September. What was that like? Its hard for those of us who never saw the band live to fathom how significant their reunion is isn't it?
I know we all love a good sound bite, but I was literally looking away, then back at the stage, convincing myself I was seeing those six guys back together. When the session began and they started playing I admit there was a tear in my eye. It was that important to me, and to be allowed to witness this piece of history. Most people will never know just how hard it was for this reunion to happen. It was a nightmare at times, and so often I thought that it would never happen. So to see this was a glorious result of an almost impossible journey. I was so humbled to be allowed in that room with such giants of music.

What is your take on Jerry Dammers? Do you think he will decide to tour with the band next spring and help mark the 30th anniversary?
Here we go, in-band politics, lets put this in perspective, No Jerry Dammers, no 2-Tone, we wouldn’t even be doing this interview if it wasn’t for him. I would dearly love to see all seven guys on stage next year, do I think it will happen, not a chance.

What is your favorite 2-Tone song and why?
Gangsters has to be up there, where it all began Ghost Town perfect song where it all ended, It Doesn’t Make It Alright is genius though. On My Radio had incredible energy, although not strictly 2-Tone we had Celebrate The Bullet, a forgotten gem, I adore it. Sorry can’t narrow it down to one.

The Specials or The Selecter? Which one and why? (Sort of like The Beatles or The Rolling Stones)
I always say that, as much as I adore the Specials, I felt that the Selecter were nearer the ethos of what 2-Tone was all about. Neol and Pauline were a dynamic that worked far better than many realised. Her ‘in yer face’ interpretations of Neol's often stark lyrics, was a match made in 2-Tone heaven. I saw them sing together recently, and it was like someone had switched a light on. They just got up there and made magic, it was easy to see the spark. The Selecter, now that would be another great reunion for sure. (Neol Davies with Pete's new book in front of Coventry's Horizon Studios where The Specials and The Selecter LPs were recorded).

Coventry and 2-Tone are forever linked in the same way that Detroit and Motown and Seattle and Grunge are here in the U.S.. When one talks of a 2-Tone sound everyone knows what that means. What is it about Coventry that it has been the birthplace of so much great music and bands?
I put it down to the big bang factor, we are a great fusion city. The automotive industry in Coventry saw the influx of people settling in Coventry from the Caribbean . They bought with them their culture and music, it was understandable music fusion would occur. It would eventually influence people like Jerry Dammers. By 1980 many bands in Coventry were playing the Coventry Sound, basically a four four beat, with a huge punk/new age angle to it. There were a few hit bands that came from the city, but others like Gods Toys, Urge and The Reluctant Stereotypes that were just as good, but never really made it.

You are quite a multimedia fellow with a newspaper column, a BBC radio show and a number of books to your name. How did you get where you are now?
Not certain where I am exactly; but I love what I do, my jobs my hobby and vice versa, I’m living the dream. I suppose I did it by knowing and being passionate about my subject, it’s amazing when you write a book and suddenly you become an expert. My first book Godiva Rocks really opened doors, and that led to full-page column in the Coventry Telegraph and a regular guest spot on BBC radio. Now when TV want a talking head that knows Coventry music they wheel me out. I’m loving it!

Tell me about your two 2-Tone specific books. Where can readers get a copy if they are interested?
My new book is 2-Tone-2- Dispatches From The 2-Tone City 30 Years On. Basically a compendium of lots of 2-Tone stories, articles and rare or unseen photos with an update of my first 2-Tone book thrown in for good measure. It’s getting some great reviews I’m happy to say. Lynval Golding was kind enough to do the foreword. The best place to get it is on E-Bay, just search 2-Tone-2. I’ll even sign it for you. (The picture below is from Pete's book launch party for 2-Tone 2 this past October including Neol Davies, Horace Panter, Roddy Radiation and Roger Lomas among others)

What is your take on the ska scene in the UK at the moment? What do you make of Pama International, The Ripps, The Enemy? Do you think another revival is in the works?
I love Pama, an exciting band, The Ripps are a shining example of what Coventry can produce. They are for me the natural legacy of 2-Tone, a superbly talented trio. The Enemy are a Coventry band, but don’t play ska or reggae. They have however put Coventry back on the music map. With the reunion of the Specials I think there’s going to be considerable interest in the genre, as for a ska revival, well has it ever gone away, I would say not? Many thanks been great to do this, respect.

Here is a recent TV clip about Pete's new book "2-Tone 2" that features an interview with Pete and Neol Davies of The Selecter:



Here is footage of Special Brew (a 2-Tone tribute band) along with Ray King, Horace Panter and Neol Davies performing at the launch party for Pete's new book back in October of this year:

You can buy a copy of Pete's new book on Ebay here