Specials

The Specials are a British band formed in 1977 in Coventry. Led by singer Terry Hall, the group is regarded as one of the institutions of the Ska Revival/2 Tone Ska genre, which exploded in the UK during the second half of the 70s. This new sonic formula fused rock and punk elements with ska rhythms, giving birth to a new sound.

The band starts out with a series of rock and reggae covers, riding the wave of success enjoyed in England by the slow Jamaican rhythms of Bob Marley, already embraced by the Clash on "Police And Thieves", but they soon end up reviving ska, the fast-paced blend of Caribbean music and American r'n'b that had originated in Jamaica before the reggae explosion, with the Skatalites, the Maytals, and the early Wailers. Ska is closer to England's typical r'n'b roots, making it a natural fit to merge with the new rock sound, punk, in a mix that proves explosive right from the first single, "Gangsters", in 1979.

It was also a cultural statement: the band adopted a look built around suits and "bluebeat" hats, visually reconnecting with the original mod scene of the Sixties, by then close to the skinhead scene, and grafting onto it their own interracial, egalitarian message.

The band soon built up a huge live following thanks to the unifying power described above and the energy of their live shows, reaching the milestone of their debut LP, produced no less than by Elvis Costello, then a rising star of the English rock scene, and enriched by the horns of Rico Rodriguez, an original member of the Skatalites.

Their 1979 album “The Specials” offers striking reinterpretations of older songs alongside original compositions.

Among their hits, especially certain singles, are “A Message To You Rudy”, “Ghost Town”, “Too Much Too Young” and the aforementioned debut 45, “Gangsters”.

After seven consecutive singles that cracked the British top ten between 1979 and 1981, The Specials decided to split up, only to reunite in the 90s and break up again in 1998. In 2008 the band reunited once more.

In 2022 singer Terry Hall died of pancreatic cancer. Among the many tributes to his memory was one from Damon Albarn of Blur, who regards him as one of his mentors.