The Specials rumored to play UK Music Festival on September 6th

Rumors are circulating that The Specials may perform at this year's Bestival. According to information posted on the VentnorBlog, the band are favorites to fill the 'Surprise Act' slot on the main stage on Saturday September 6th. Terry Hall, who appeared at last year's Bestival alongside Lynval Golding, told BBC Radio earlier this year that the band would be reforming for a festival in September.

Hall is already likely to perform with the Dub Pistols on Friday night, so an appearance with The Specials the following day could be in the works. Last year Madness took the same surprise slot on the main stage.

If you live in the UK and plan to attend Bestival let me know.

Misty In Roots and The Ruts: Rock Against Racism Unites Reggae & Punk

I have previously highlighted the ways UK punk and reggae bands came together under one umbrella in the late 70's. In many ways, the partnership of roots reggae band Misty In Roots and punk rockers The Ruts best exemplified this cultural collaboration brought together by the Rock Against Racism movement. Rock Against Racism (RAR) was a campaign set up in the UK by Red Saunders, Roger Huddle and others in winter 1976. It was founded in response to allegedly racist comments and gestures made by Eric Clapton and David Bowie.

In the spring and fall of 1978, RAR organized two major music festivals to counteract the growing wave of racist attacks in the UK. It has been reported that 80,000 people attended an open-air concert that featured The Clash (as seen in the film Rude Boy), Buzzcocks, Steel Pulse, X-Ray Spex, The Ruts, Sham 69, Generation X and the Tom Robinson Band. An audience of 25,000 came to the Northern Carnival in Manchester, for a concert featuring Buzzcocks, Graham Parker and the Rumour, and Misty in Roots.

It was through their involvement with RAR that reggae band Misty In Roots and punk/reggae band The Ruts came to work together, influencing and supporting each other. Both bands were from the Southall section of London. Misty In Roots added The Ruts as a opener on many of the RAR shows they played around the UK. Misty In Roots were full-fledged Rastas and The Ruts for all intents and purposes were skinheads. According to Dave Thompson in his book "Wheels Out Of Gear: 2-Tone, The Specials and a World in Flames, "For the two bands to appear on bills together was like detonating a bomb beneath a battalion of stereotypes."

The bands were also partners on the People Unite cooperative which was also Misty In Roots record label and they released the The Ruts first single "In A Rut". The song was picked up by the DJ John Peel and sold 20,000 copies. After several weeks on the Rock Against Racism circuit the band was signed by Virgin and hit the Top Ten with "Babylon's Burning", a classic that captured the simmering discontent on the streets. They followed this with other minor hits: "Staring at the Rude Boys", "Something That I Said" and "West One (Shine on Me)". lead singer Malcolm Owen died of a heroin overdose soon after the release of their debut album, The Crack, which became one of the staples of the genre.

The Ruts's music was a strongly original blend of punk, funk and dub meshed into a seamless whole by powerful, anthemic songs. In 1979, Clarence Baker, a member of Misty In Roots and the People Unite collective, was severely beaten and injured by British Riot Police during protests in Southall against the National Front. The Ruts honored Baker in their song "Jah Wars" which appeared on their album "The Crack".

Here is live video of The Ruts performing "Jah War" and "Babylon's Burning" on French TV in 1980:



Here is the band's final performance before Owen's death of "Staring At The Rude Boys" on TOTP in 1980:



Misty In Roots was one of the most powerful live reggae acts to come out of London and were noted for their powerful roots reggae sound and uncompromising lyrical vibrations and were a major force in RAR, playing more concerts than any other band in the movement. This opened up a whole new audience for the band who quickly developed a very strong cross over audience, playing with acts such as Tom Robinson, The Ruts and Elvis Costello. Despite their success as a live act the band did not release their first album until 1979. The album "Live At The Counter Eurovision", which was recorded live in Belgium during the band's 1978 tour, is today still proclaimed by many critics as one of the best live reggae album of all time. The band followed the LP with a string of limited edition singles such as "Oh Wicked Man", "Rich Man’, "Salvation", "How Long Jah" and "See Them Ah Come".

Here is a video of Misty In Roots performing on a John Peel session in 1983:



Below are the track lists and downloads of the debut albums by both bands:

The Ruts -The Crack

Babylon's Burning
Dope For Guns
S.U.S.
Something That I Said
You're Just A....
It Was Cold
Savage Circle
Jah War
Criminal Mind
Backbiter
Out Of Order
Human Punk (live at The Marquee, London, 19 July 1979)
Give Youth A Chance - CD Bonus Track
I Ain't Sofisticated"- CD Bonus Track
The Crack- CD Bonus Track

Misty In Roots - Live At The Counter Eurovision

Introduction
Mankind
Ghetto Of The City
How Long Jah
Oh Wicked Man
Judas Iscariot
See Them A Come
Sodom And Gomorrah

An Interview with Jane Bayley of The Swinging Cats

The Swinging Cats were a Coventry-based band that formed at the end of 1979 during the height of 2-Tone mania. The band originally came to prominence by winning a Battle of the Bands competition at Lanchester Polytechnic in Coventry. The band played a mixture of ska and calypso originals as well as a number of covers of Sandy Shaw songs. Word has it that Jerry Dammers dated the band's original vocalist and that was how he knew about them. After they replaced Holly & The Italians on The Selecter's March 1980 tour, 2-Tone offered them a deal to record a single.

The band line-up that recorded for 2-Tone was:

Toby Lyons:Keyboards

John Shipley:Guitar
Jane Bayley:Vocals
Paul Heskett:Sax
Billy Gough:Drums
Chris Long:Percussion
Steve Vaughan:Bass

After breaking-up, Paul Heskett later toured with The Specials and played Sax on 'Sock It To 'Em J.B' & 'Braggin' And Tryin' Not To Lie' on the More Specials album and Flute on Ghost Town. John Shipley joined the Special AKA on guitar and recoded the "In The Studio" alum and Toby Lyons met Terry Hall after he left the Fun Boy Three to form The Colourfield. Lead vocalist Jane Bayley became Jane Bom-Bane 'Queen of the Funky Harmonium' and now performs around the UK at the Brighton and Edinburgh Fringe festivals.

Here is a video of their one single "Mantovani" for 2-Tone

Here is an interview with Jane Bayley that was conducted in 2005 by Paul Williams on the Ska Dance Craze web site:

Do you think the band could/should have lasted longer?
Yes, it's a real shame they didn't, at least before they made an LP.

As the so called easy listening band of the 2tone era, did you feel on the outside looking in as the 2Tone movement took off and ended?
Not really. It didn't last long, but the other 2tone bands were very welcoming!

What exactly are you doing now? Any involvement with Ska? What was your last Ska CD /LP bought or any CD ?
Still wielding the mechanical hats and harmonium up and down the country to gigs and festivals, usually with Nick Pynn, with each of us accompanying the other's songs and tunes. This year's hat is the Einstein Hat, which I've just begun to make. It goes with a song about the man himself, who 50 years ago came up with the General Theory of Relativity, which deserves celebrating, doesn't it? Ska - well, yes, during our gig at the Brighton Festival, me and Nick played a version of 'Away', the one and only single I did with the Swinging Cats. The audiences was sitting down, but there was a lot of foot and hand skanking going on. I still really enjoy the old Trojan stuff I've got.

Have you any rare unheard footage of The Cats?
Unfortunately, I haven't.

Were the band happy with the single 2Tone put out?
The Swinging Cats were happy with the single they made, but when it came out it sounded a bit odd. Recently, someone said they thought the holes in the records must have been slightly off-centre!

Why didn’t you do an LP?
Same reason that we didn't last long.

How come you were not as prominent as the other 2Tone bands on the label, was this down to timing, politics surrounding the label and the band or Jerry having his favourites to promote?
We came towards the end of the 2tone era. The line-up changed so many times in the band, I don't think Jerry, or anyone else could keep up.

Did you write all your own stuff and what was your favorite band in the label?
The band had a selection of covers and original material. More and more songs were being written all the time, and eventually I suppose it would have been all our own material. My favourite band was the Specials, but I liked them all. They were all great live bands.

Do you think that if 2Tone had come along at a different time it would have been as big and as important?

Yes, definitely. My son (18) and all his friends, and friends' kids all know and rave about the Specials and 2tone. I think it's revived itself because of the internet access to music of past decades.

Do you still keep in touch with anybody from any of the other bands?
Yes, one or two!!

There were rumours of a Swinging Cats reformation- Can you clarify what went on and why it didn’t come off?
A few years ago I had one phone call from an old Cat to ask if I fancied doing anything again and where I was playing next, but no-one came to the gig and I never heard any more. Or maybe they did come, but hot-footed it away because they didn't like it

You can learn more about Jane by visting her website.

Here is a download of their one single for 2-Tone:

The Swinging Cats - Mantovani/Away

Suggs - Madness Frontman's Solo Career Yields Ska-Pop Classics

While we all wait patiently for the new Madness album "The Liberty of Norton Folgate" to be released I thought I would take a trip back in time to when Suggs embarked on a solo recording career. His album "The Lone Ranger" was released in 1995 during a high point for ska in both the US and the UK.

After Madness reunited for Madstock in 1992 and 1994, Suggs went to work on his first solo album with the production help of acclaimed reggae producers Sly and Robbie. In 1995 The Lone Ranger was released and peaked on the U.K album charts at #14. The first single to be released was a cover of The Beatles song "I'm Only Sleeping"made into the U.K top ten at #8. The video for which featured appearances from fellow Madness bandmates Mike Barson and Chas Smash. This was followed by Camden Town, a homage to his favorite part of London reaching #14 in the U.K. In 1996 the third single from the album, a version of the Simon and Garfunkel classic Cecilia became his most successful, entering the U.K charts at #4 and selling in excess of 500,000 copies. The final single released was No More Alcohol charting at #24.

Here is the promo video for Sugg's ska pop cover of The Beatles "I'm Only Sleeping"

Here is the promo video for "Off On Holiday

Album Tracklist:

I’m Only Sleeping

Camden Town

Alcohol

4 AM

The Tune

Cecilia

Haunted

Off On Holiday

Green Eyes

Fortune Fish

She’s Gone

Suggs - The Lone Ranger

Terry Hall & Friends Live at 100 Club

I posted about the live show Terry Hall, Lynval Golding and members of the Dead 60's played at the 100 Club in June. I was finally able to find board recordings and video of the 5 song performance courtesy of Judge Fredd which are posted below. The songs sound surprisingly good and the guys in the Dead 60's have clearly studied the Specials and Fun Boy 3 back catalog. If The Specials reunion falls through this combo could go easily go on tour.

The set includes:

The Tunnel of Love

Friday Night Saturday Morning

Do Nothing

Gangsters

A Message To You Rudy

Here are mp3 downloads of the performance

Terry Hall & Friends

Here is video download of the performance

Terry Hall & Friends

Heavy Manners - Early 80's Chicago ska veterans make a come back

While The Untouchables from Los Angeles are widely credited with being the first U.S. ska band, there were other important bands from around the U.S that emerged in the early and mid-80's: New York had The Toasters, Boston had Bim Skala Bim, Detroit had Gangster Fun and Chicago had Heavy Manners.

Heavy Manners come closest in look and sound to an American ska version of The Selecter highlighted by Kate Fagan's vocals and ripping guitars (take a listen to my favorite "Taking The Queen To Tea"). Throughout the early 80's they built a huge cult following throughout Chicago and the Midwest opening shows for The English Beat, The Clash, Third World, Jimmy Cliff, The Ramones, The Go Gos, Grace Jones and Peter Tosh among others.

The band's live shows were so legendary, that a gig they played with Tosh during a sold out show at Chicago's famed Aragon Ballroom changed their fortunes. The reggae superstar was so impressed by their live performance and the quality of the band's songwriting he offered to produce a recording session with them. Studio sessions were soon set up in Chicago and Tosh flew in from Jamaica to produce along with his guitarist Donald Kinsey and his engineer Dennis Thompson.

The Tosh produced tracks are now available for the first time as a part of a collection of new and vintage Heavy Manners cuts called "Heavier Than Now." Included on the disc are remastered versions of the band's vinyl singles previously released on Disturbing Records and a five song set. You can purchase the CD here and you can hear versions of the songs on the band's MySpace site.

The band recently reunited earlier this month the play 2 shows in Chicago. If you live in Chicago keep your eyes open for them and check them out if they play again.

Here is a self-produced video they released for the song "Flamin' First".

JB's All-Stars - Specials drummer John Bradbury's Northern Soul band

Shortly after The Specials split, band members splintered into several new groups and 2-Tone took on a totally new direction from its old ska roots. The label began releasing more soul/funk singles by new one-off signings like The Higsons, The Swinging Cats and The Apollonaires who released singles. As the mid-80's approached, The Special AKA which at the time consisted only of original members Jerry Dammers and drummer John Bradbury released a few more singles and an album and kept the 2-Tone label open, if in name only. The final release on the 2-Tone label came in January 1986 with the release of Bradbury's JB's Allstars "Alphabet Army".

JB's Allstars was a band founded by Specials drummer Bradbury as a side-project to indulge his love of UK northern soul. The band's day in the sun came when they performed on UK music TV show "The Tube" in 1984 performing "One Minute Every Hour", "Sign on the Dotted line" and a odd US Football themed "Backfield in Motion" which was a single released by RCA Victor in 1984 that did not make the UK charts. JB's Allstars featured Brad on drums, Dee Sharp on vocals, Mark Hughes on harmonica, Jason Votier on trumpet, Robert Awahi on guitar, Steve Nieve (from Elvis Costello & The Attractions) on piano and George Webley on bass.

Here is there The Tube performance from 1984:




Here's a download of the final 2-Tone single "Alphabet Army":

JB's All-Stars - Alphabet Army