"The Specials" and "More Specials" UK Vinyl Reissues

Following The Specials' recent Record Store Day single (which contained previously unreleased dub mixes of "Rat Race" and "Sock It To 'Em, J.B!"), Rhino Records in the UK is re-issuing The Specials' first two albums on heavyweight vinyl. Of course, these are the British versions of the releases--so The Specials (available in the UK on June 9, 2014) doesn't include "Gangsters," but (and this is pretty cool) More Specials (already released in the UK) sports a free 7" single like the original release: "Braggin' and Tryin' Not To Lie" by Roddy Radiation and The Specials b/w "Rude Boys Outa Jail" by Neville Staple AKA Judge Roughneck.

The pre-order of the imported version of More Specials (released on May 6, 2014 in the USA) on Amazon.com will run you a steep $50 (!), so you might want to try Amazon.co.uk, where it's about $38 (though you'll then have to pay a bit more for shipping).

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May 15 update: You can pre-order More Specials in the USA from Insound for about $22...

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Also, earlier this month, The Specials released a video of a new arrangement of Lynval Golding's ever-relevant "Why?' from the stellar 1981 "Ghost Town" EP. Check it out below and see what you think...