Book Review: Too Much Too Young

In 1979, 2 Tone exploded into the national conscience as records by The Specials, The Selecter, Madness, The Beat, and The Bodysnatchers burst onto the charts and a youth movement was born. 2 Tone was black and a multi-racial force of British and Caribbean island musicians singing about social issues, racism, class and gender struggles. It spoke of injustices in society and took fight against right wing extremism.

The music of 2 Tone was white youth learning to dance to the infectious rhythm of ska and reggae; and crossed with a punk attitude to create an original hybrid. The idea of 2 Tone was born in Coventry, masterminded by a middle-class art student raised in the church. Jerry Dammers had a vision of an English Motown.

The Specials - The Specials

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday.

This month marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of the self-titled debut of the Specials. This 1979 release went to number 34 in Sweden, number 21 in Canada, number 5 in New Zealand and number 4 in the UK. Here in the US, it spent twenty-one weeks on the Billboard Album chart with a top spot of 84.

Special AKA - In the Studio

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of In the Studio, the third album from English ska band the Specials which charted at number 34 in the UK.