Terry Hall & Jerry Dammers of The Specials Speak to BBC Radio About Making The Band's Classic Debut LP

Did Hell freeze over!  Below is a radio interview that Terry Hall and Jerry Dammers conducted with  Steve Lamacq of BBC6 about the making of the band's iconic first self-titled album.

Sadly, I'm unable to listen to the interview since I live outside the UK so I can't say if Hall and Dammers were interviewed together or separately (based on the photos I would venture to guess separately but anything is possible).  Hopefully some you living in the UK and EU will be able to enjoy this and one of you will send me a transcript!

UPDATE: I found this link to the interview which is accessible regardless of where you may live.  Scroll forward to the 2 hour mark to hear the interviews. The player below is for people living in the U.K.

Could This Be The Specials Most Dedicated Fan? -- Meet Robert Taylor

Officially, fandom is a term used to refer to a subculture composed of fans who share passionate feelings of sympathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the object(s) of their interest and spend a significant portion of their time and energy involved with their interest, often as a part of a social network with particular practices that differentiates fans from those with only a casual interest.

While most bands have passionate fans, The Specials have particularly passionate fans (which I experienced first hand when I saw the band perform in New Yorrk last spring).  The band's reunion tour has given fans, who were often young adolescents and teens in the late 70's and early 80's, a chance to relive that initial excitement and energy again in their 30's and 40's. I know finally seeing the band live was a religious experience for me.

One of those fans is Robert Taylor of Belfast, Northern Ireland.  Robert, like many of us, has been a fan of The Specials since he first heard them as a precocious ten year old back in 1979.  Like many of us, he got hooked hearing 'Gangsters' on Top Of The Pops along with Madness The Selecter and The Beat.  Seeing the band for the first time at eleven in Belfast turned him into a life-long, 2-Tone ska loving skinhead. Like many of us, The Specials and their music mean a lot to him,

While many of us count ourselves as dedicated fans who know the arcane and intricate details of The Specials musical history and can quote the band's lyrics chapter and verse, I do believe Robert may be one of the band's most passionate fans.  Indeed, the band and their music have helped him through a number of life's challenges and to show his gratitude and dedication, he commissioned a full tattoo of a picture of the band across his entire back. The picture he selected came from the cover of Paul Williams' definitive history of the band -- 'You're Wondering Now - The Specials from Conception to Reunion'.

After hearing about The Specials gig in Belfast last weekend, I also heard rumors about Robert, who's tattooed devotion to the band caused a mini riot in the crowd, as hundreds of fans clamored to get a photo of his back.  Once I saw the tattoo I knew I needed to know more about the story behind it.  I was able to connect with Robert, who kindly shared his story and the events that led to his decision to tattoo the band on his back.  Read excerpts of our conversation below.

I had a Specials tattoo on my right shoulder of Walt Jabsco done when I was 17.  I had always wanted the picture of The Specials from the back cover of the first album done as a back piece. The thought of the pain and the cost did put some doubts in my head however.

I am a proud dad with two sons.  My eldest Robbie, is 11 years old and my youngest Joel is 6 years old. They are so into their ska music! Unfortunately my son Joel needed life saving heart surgery when he was four days old and has required further major open heart surgeries since.

2010 was quite a bad year.  Joel was in poor health. My mum moved into a care home with Alzheimer's and my dad had taken a stroke. I needed something to lift me and to focus on, other than the love of my family.  The Specials were something that meant so much to me and shaped my life from when I was 10 years old.  I had purchased Paul Williams book 'You're Wondering Now' and I got a signed picture with it. The photograph on the cover of the book looked amazing and after chatting to my wife, I decided to go for this design as a back piece.

I had done my homework on local tattooists and decided to go for a guy called Stuart Walker who had been an art student before going into tattooing. We chatted a few times over the design and on January 16th 2010, I spent my first 4 hours under the needle.  I had five  further four hour sittings and the tattoo was completed by March 12th 2010.  I didn't flinch at all and Stuart couldn't believe how I took the pain.  I used my son as inspiration and thought of the pain he went through before during and after his three surgeries.  

Each one of The Specials has seen my tattoo.  Terry Hall mentioned it on local radio last month and Roddy Byers has sent me messages on Facebook and The Specials website.

At the Specials gig last Saturday my back was photographed at least 500 times and the comments i got where truly amazing. I am arranging to meet up with The Band at the sound check at The Alexandra Palace show and have my back autographed by each one of the band.  The Stuart will ink each signature for me.

Thanks very much to Robert for sharing his story.  I'm looking to profile other fans of The Specials as they embark on their final tour.  If you or someone you know has a story to tell, let me know!

Tony Beet Of The International Beat Releases New Acoustic Ska Single

The break-up of the original version of The Beat twenty-eight years ago this month in 1983 was a great loss at the time. The band was close to breaking big in the U.S. and had they stayed together probably could have approached The Police in terms of popularity. Instead various members went their separate ways and the musical world gained General Public and the Fine Young Cannibals. Often overlooked in the divorce of The Beat were saxophone player Saxa and drummer Everett Morton, who in my humble opinion were just as responsible for the unique sound of the band as any of the other members.

Enter Tony Beet who through a chance meeting with Saxa at a pub in Birmingham one night helped to launch the International Beat. The band was formed in 1990 by Beet along with ex-Beat members Everett Morton and Saxa and also featured Ranking Roger as a special guest at select shows. Beet, who was the the guitarist/vocalist and songwriter for the band was also able to recruit ex-Dexy's Midnight Runners/General Public piano player Mickey Billingham as well. They toured in the early 90's and also released a studio album called 'The Hitting Line' in 1991.

The International Beat - Danny Boy



The International Beat - Are You Ready?



I've always had a soft spot in my heart for The International Beat (probably because of the distinctive playing of Saxa and Moreton) and Beet's vocals and voice was very reminiscent of Dave Wakeling's. As such The International Beat certainly satisfied fans of The Beat who missed their unique sound. Tony's songs and the overall sound of the band helped to carry on the great legacy of The Beat while adding their own unique spin. In my mind, they were responsible for keeping the flame of ska and the spirit of The Beat alive as both Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger often joined the band for live shows before reforming General Public a second time in the mid-90's. Ranking Roger has said that a sold-out show he played with The International Beat at the Greek Theatre in LA in 1990 prompted him to launch Special Beat.

More recently Beet has focused his energies on writing ska/pop songs on his acoustic guitar and performs them with the Birmingham-based Acoustic Theatre which features acoustic guitar, melodica, organ, percussion and double bass.  To that end he has just released a new single titled 'Love & Unite' which fits nicely into the canon of International Beat songs, featuring a hint of The Beat, a bit of 2-Tone and rocksteady reggae. Watch a live performance of the song below.



The track is available for sale on iTunes in the U.K.

Pressure & Slide Riddim: One Of The Most Enduring Rhythms In Jamaican Music

Riddim is the Jamaican patois pronunciation of the English word 'rhythm,' but in Jamaican music refers to the instrumental accompaniment of a song. A rocksteady or reggae song consists of the riddim (the bass and drums) plus the 'voicing' (vocal part) sung by the performer. Riddims are such an important part of Jamaican music that hardcore fans can instantly identify the hundreds of riddims which are the DNA of reggae music.  While many songs may share the same riddim, each is truly unique based on the singer, the topic and additional instrumentation.

A given riddim, if popular, may be recorded and performed  in hundreds of songs and live performances. Some classic riddims, such as 'Cherry Oh Baby' and 'Real Rock' are essentially the accompaniment tracks to the original 1960s reggae songs (Cherry Oh Baby by Eric Donaldson and 'Rockfort Rock by Sound Dimension) with those names, that were popularized by successive performers and producers who knew they could have a hit on their hands if the record buying public was already familiar with the riddim.  As they say, 'Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...'

According to 'Wake the Town and Tell the People: Dancehall Culture in Jamaica':

"Riddims are the primary musical building blocks of Jamaican popular songs.... At any given time, ten to fifteen riddims are widely used in dancehall recordings, but only two or three of these are the now ting (i.e., the latest riddims that everyone must record over if they want to get them played in the dance or on radio). In dancehall performing, those whose timing is right on top of the rhythm are said to be "riding di riddim".

One of the most enduring riddims in Jamaican music is the 'Pressure & Slide' riddim which was originally written and recorded in 1966 by Prince Buster on his rocksteady hit 'Shaking Up Orange Street' and was immediately covered at Studio One by The Tennors who re-titled in 'Pressure & Slide' giving the song structure its well known name. The riddim was famously covered by Sugar Minott on his critique of the Jamaican police on 'Oh Mr. DC" and later by Yelllowman.

Prince Buster - Shaking Up Orange Street (1966)


The Tennors - Pressure & Slide (1967)


Sugar Minott - Oh Mr DC (1978)


Yellowman - Two To Six Supermix (1982)


My first introduction to the 'Pressure & Slide Riddim' came courtesy of the dancehall meets lover's rock classic 'One Dance Won't Do' by Audrey Hall that was all over the radio in the U.K in the mid-80's when I was living there.   The song was a hit and the riddim roared back to life again. At last count  there have been recordings of more than a hundred songs using the Pressure And Slide riddim.

Audrey Hall - One Dance Won't Do (1986)


For those who are interested in exploring the 'Pressure & Slide' riddim further, I recommend checking out the compilation alum 'What One Riddim Can Do' on iTunes.

Rare Early 80's Footage of The Specials On BBC TV Show 'Look! Hear!'

In honor of The Specials first show of their very last reunion tour which kicks off at Belsonic in Belfast this weekend, I bring you rare television footage of the band performing three songs from January 1980 on Look! Hear!, a teen-orientated music show broadcast on BBC Midlands between 1977 -81.  Hosted by future punk pop star Toyah Wilcox, the show featured reports on what was hot in the worlds of entertainment and fashion and performances by influential bands -- including nearly every 2-Tone band.

So far only the episode featuring The Specials performing 3 songs ('Too Much Too Young', 'Rat Race' and 'Skinhead Moonstomp') is available for viewing, though I'm hopeful the recently discovered episodes featuring The Selecter (‘Three Minute Hero’, ‘Every Day’, ‘Too Much Pressure’), The Beat (‘Big Shot’, ‘Mirror in the Bathroom’; ‘Ranking Full Stop’), and The Swinging Cats (‘Never on a Sunday’, ‘Away’) will all come on line soon.

Without further ado, I transport you back to height of 2-Tone mania in the U.K. circa 1980.  Enjoy one of the best live television performances of The Specials I have ever seen.  Look for the band at the following times during the program:

09.00 Too Much Too Young
23.30 Rat Race
27.20 Skinhead Moonstomp

Vive Le Rock Cover On The Specials Claims 'New Album Exclusive'

The Specials grace the cover of the current Vive Le Rock magazine which claims "New Album Exclusive!" in big red type.  Though I have not been able to get my hands on a copy, from what I can gather, the 4-page feature includes interviews with the band about the Tories and about their experiences touring. There is a separate side-bar article where Jamie Jazz from ska/reggae/folk trio The King Blues interviews guitarist Roddy Radiation.

What's of most interest though is that nagging cover claim, which seems to be an on-again and off-again story/rumor that has chased the band since the reunion kicked off in 2009.   It tends to get the band's fans overheated and excited for a time (myself included) and then the band tend to put the rumor to rest.

In this case, it seems that the magazine has taken liberties with what band members may have said in the context of the interviews.  I imagine one or more of the band members mentioned they were writing songs (and given Roddy and Neville have their own band's that is a a true statement).  That tantalizig possibility of new songs makes great copy and helps to sell copies (though the band is about to sell out all the venues of their final European and UK tours so the publicity is just that -- publicity).  In this case the publicity would seem to benefit Vive Le Rock.

In response to the Vive Le Rock cover story claim, The Specials posted the following statement on their web site this week that would seem to put the magazine's hyped-up headline into perspective:

Re our current Specials cover feature, Vive Le Rock would like to point out that the band have not actually said they will release a new album together, they merely said that they are all writing songs, but whether it is suitable for the Specials or not is another matter. They said they have not made that decision yet. We perhaps got a little carried away, hoping for a new album. It does however, look to be their final tour, but as one door closes, another door opens. You have not heard the last of the Specials by any means. Its all in this month's Vive Le Rock magazine.

If anyone has a link or a scan of the story or can share more about the contents to the story I would love to see it.

Montreal Ska Festival Announces The Skatalites & The Toasters as Headliners

The third installment of the Montreal Ska Festival, which is quickly establishing itself as the premiere ska event in North America, will kick-off from October 13-15th with a diverse line-up of bands from across Canada, the U.S. and Europe. The festival will feature headlining sets from 60's Jamaican ska icons The Skatalites, and long-running New York ska warriors The Toasters who will be performing as part of their 30th anniversary tour celebrations.

Other acts set to perform include Mr T-Bone from Italy, Eastern Standard Time and Void Union from the U.S. and Danny Rebel & the KGB, The Hanger, and the Fabulous LoLo from Canada.

The shows are well planned, affordable and well attended and Montreal is easy to get to from anywhere across the northeast of the U.S. as well as Quebec and Ontario in Canada, which should motivate any of you ska fans still sitting on the fence about attending this three day affair a reason to attend.   In fact, my fellow ska blogger Steve Shafer (The Duff Guide To Ska) and I are trying to make it up to Montreal for this.  Hope to see a few of you there!

Below is a video recap of the 2010 festival.