Duff Review: Victor Romero Evans "At the Club" b/w The Detonators "Lift Off" reissue

12" vinyl single
Special Request
1980 (2022 reissue)

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Remastered and reissued for the first time since 1980, the John Collins-produced/co-written 12" single featuring Victor Romero Evans' "At the Club" and The Detonators' "Lift Off" should be of interest to Specials' fans, as it's forever linked to their most brilliant release--the Ghost Town EP.

Back in the day, after the Evans/Detonators record was played on Radio One's "Roundtable" program and favorably reviewed (it also was #1 on Black Echoes' reggae chart at the time), Collins received a late-night call from Jerry Dammers asking him if he might be interested in producing The Specials' next recording. The band was very impressed with Collins' production (recorded on a four-track in the front room of his house and released on his own label) and, in the wake of More Specials' not completely welcome excursion into muzak/lounge and the hi-tech 24-track studio it had been recorded in (that offered Dammers too many choices!), The Specials wanted to capture a more authentic reggae sound for these new songs in a much simpler fashion. And they believed Collins was their man.

When The Specials' met John Collins, they didn't expect him to be white. Lynval Golding and Neville Staple told him, "We were expecting someone like Lee Perry; a wild rasta smoking ganja." Indeed, the seductive Lovers Rock of "At the Club" and mysterious outer space dub of "Lift Off" seem as if they could have come from the mixing desks of Dennis Bovell or Mad Professor, two of the top UK reggae producers back then--and now. (Trainspotters will be interested to know that Victor Romero Evans also played the part of Lover in Franco Rosso’s stellar 1980 film Babylon--an updated Thatcher-era The Harder They Come shot in South London, with a boss reggae soundtrack by Bovell, Yabby U, I-Roy, Cassandra, Aswad, Vin Gordon, and Michael Rose.)

Of these two tracks, the wonderful dub instrumental "Lift Off" is clearly the sonic blueprint for what Dammers wanted for "Ghost Town." It sports a clean, warm, roots reggae sound with electro percussion and trippy synth effects (shades of every B 1950s sci-fi film you've ever seen)--and features the same ghost synth that is later used to open and close "Ghost Town." (To these ears, John Bradbury's drumming on "Ghost Town" and "Friday Night, Saturday Morning" sounds like its programmed, even though it's not; but I think it's a combination of how Brad is drumming--reportedly influenced by Gregory Isaacs' "Night Nurse"--and how Collins recorded him.)

Specials' completists will want to snap up a copy of this (I ordered a copy through Juno.co.uk), but the Victor Romero Evans "At the Club"/Detonators "Lift Off" 12" is worth having in its own right. It's a fantastic slice of early '80s UK reggae that stands the test of time. 

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Duff Review: The Specials "Encore"

Island Records/UMG
CD/2xCD/LP
2019

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Barely a day after fans had a chance to unwrap the cellophane from their CDs or LPs and social media was already afire, grinding out both brutal condemnations of and impassioned praise for the new Specials album Encore. (In contrast, in the music press, the album has generated mostly positive, if not glowing, reviews.)

What seems to be lost in the instantaneous rush to judgment is that after years of touring since their reunion in 2009, we finally have an album of new music from the current, if pared-down, version of The Specials (Terry Hall, Lynval Golding, and Horace Panter--joined by top collaborators Nikolaj Torp Larsen on keys, Kenrick Rowe on drums, and Steve Craddock on guitar) and they deserve fans' respect and support for doing so, full stop. This in itself it is momentous.

As for why The Specials have released this album now, one suspects that they didn't want to show up for the 40th anniversary of 2 Tone with nothing in hand. Their peers have been pretty busy moving forward of late (see Madness' Can't Touch Us Now, The Selecter's Daylight, Dave Wakeling's Here We Go Love, Ranking Roger's Public Confidential, and Rhoda Dakar's The Lotek Four, Volume II--all of which are great!), while The Specials have been mining their catalogue for their admittedly phenomenal live shows for years now (I just re-watched the video I shot of them playing "Nite Klub" on Pier 26 in NYC in 2013 and they're so good that the hair on the back of my neck was on end). So, fan expectations are high, probably impossibly so.

Perhaps the best way to approach The Specials' Encore is to attempt to put The Specials' late '70s/early '80s releases temporarily out of mind (these classics do loom large) and take a break from basking in the comforting and familiar nostalgia for all things 2 Tone (if you want The Specials of '79, break out their debut). All of the brilliant, youthful, creative tension generated by the original band members' various personalities, talents, egos, opinions, class, educational backgrounds, and drug choices (sped up or slowed down) was never going to be resurrected on this record. This is the middle-aged core of the band that's still standing and able to stand each other. You pined for new music from this decades-on version of The Specials and here it is. So, have at it. (Give it some spins on the turntable or CD player, and live with it for awhile before coming to conclusions.)

With expectations re-calibrated, you'll find that Encore is a thoughtful, well-crafted album with ace performances that picks up where the two camps of the band were heading during and after More Specials (less ska/reggae and a bit more of everything else) and is legitimately great, at times outright stellar, in its own right. The brilliance of the original Specials output (and of 2 Tone in general) was that the music and lyrics moved both your body and mind, and Encore is highly relevant--if generally downbeat--music for our dark and dystopian-seeming times. However, one senses that the music occasionally takes back seat to the very worthy messages contained within (there are three spoken word tracks on the album). Like The Special AKA's In the Studio (which I previously wrote was "a record that often found the world to be a terribly and disappointingly ugly, petty, predatory, and unjust place"), Encore needs its one moment of pure joy, its own "Nelson Mandela" (an impassioned anti-apartheid song about an unjustly jailed political prisoner/freedom fighter that also managed the trick of compelling you to sing along and dance) to counterbalance some of the gloom in the songs and the world around us.

The Specials' deep commitment to the anti-racist ethos of 2 Tone is emphatically and explicitly reaffirmed by Encore's first two tracks--an unexpected but right on cover of the interracial Equals' fantastic hard funk, anti-white supremacist 1971 UK top ten hit "Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys" written by Eddy "Electric Avenue" Grant (which imagines a world of human beings free from socially constructed divisions: "They ain't got no country/They ain't got no creed/People won't be black or white/This world will be half-breed") and "B.L.M.," a spoken word piece by Lynval Golding (which musically quotes both "Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys" and "Ghost Town") that recounts his father's experiences of racism as part of the Windrush generation, as well his own as an immigrant to both England and America ("In England they call me a black bastard/In America they call me a goddam n*gger/Boy, welcome to my world/But I'm not here to teach you.../Black lives matter"). Like his song "Why" (which recounted the horrific, racially-motivated knife attack he endured in 1980 outside the Moonlight Club for walking and talking with two white women), Golding's personal stories of encountering ubiquitous, everyday racism--whether, verbal, physical, or institutional--resonate powerfully.

Upon first listen, it's sort of a shock to hear the opening bars of "Vote For Me" musically quote a bit of "Ghost Town" and then settle into the moody, minor-key territory staked out by The Special AKA's In the Studio (think the reggae and jazz of "Racist Friend," "Alcohol," and "What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend," plus a bit of Rico's Jama; there's also a wonderful, Madness-like bridge with strings in there, too!). On one hand, it makes sense for the remaining Specials to go this route--they're essentially time traveling to pick up where The Specials left off at their demise (and Hall, Golding, and Staple went on to form the Fun Boy Three). So, in one sense, "Vote For Me" is a safe move, reminding the listener of Specials' sounds and songs of old that are ingrained on fans' hearts and minds. Yet, it's also sort of audacious, given how The Specials' dissolution was driven in part by dissatisfaction with the musical direction Dammers had taken with More Specials (he was the band's primary--though by no means sole--songwriter and arranger), as well as his leadership style (his given nickname "The General" was not meant to be endearing). Whether intentional or not, with "Vote For Me" they've validated Dammers' vision for the evolution of The Specials' post-"Ghost Town" music that was realized through In the Studio. It's just a shame that Dammers, Staples, Radiation, and Bradbury and Rico (RIP) couldn't be back for the ride, as "Vote For Me" successfully keeps faith with The Specials' collective sound and mission.

Lyrically, "Vote For Me" is pointed commentary on the corruption, lies, self-dealing, and moral bankruptcy of political leaders in England and America during this dreadfully bleak age of Brexit and Trumpism ("You tore our families apart" has to refer to the absolutely horrific, repugnant, racist, and inhumane Trump policy of sometimes permanently separating migrant/asylum-seeking kids from their parents at the US-Mexico border)--it continues the kind of "government leaving the youth on the shelf"/should be serving the greater good and needs of the people criticism expressed back in '81. And it's fantastic how the chorus ("There are no rocks at Rockaway Beach/And all that glitters isn't gold") references Queens, NY's bruddah's The Ramones, William Shakespeare (and Bob Marley's nod to the bard in "Get Up, Stand Up"), and dings Trump's penchant for gaudiness to hammer home its point about political deception.

Their cover of their own/Fun Boy Three's "The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum" (1981) and the new "Breaking Point" are cut from the same cloth. The former was about Reagan's itchy nuclear trigger and Thatcher's indifference to the poor and destitute and has now been revived for the utter madness of Trump and May. "Breaking Point"--a terrific Madness-y ska track!--is about trying to live in a seemingly out of control world ("Progress would be wonderful/If only it would stop") run by self-dealing and morally bankrupt leaders ("The sales pitch from door to door/Says feed the rich and hang the poor/Twinkle, twinkle little star/Point me to the nearest bar/I'll drown my sorrows with the rest") that is seemingly on the path to oblivion ("With the help of God and a few marines/We'll blow this place to smithereens/Here we are at the breaking point').

The Specials' wonderful version of The Valentines' "Blam Blam Fever" comes closest to being that moment of musical bliss on the album while decrying gun violence--and the band adds some lyrics to address America's insane love affair with guns, its outrageous tolerance of mass shootings of kids, concertgoers, you name it, and the very fact that weapons of war are readily available for commercial sale: "What we gonna do/About amendment number two/Gun fever is back/And we think it is obscene/You can buy AR-15/The gun fever is back/Every time you read the New York Times/Seventeen dead in a school crime...The simplest thing is rat, tat tat, tat tat/NRA how you deal with that?"

While "Ten Commandments" shares the same title as Prince Buster's song, it's not a cover with new lyrics. The Specials' version is a spoken-word answer record to Buster's original with a new instrumental track beneath it (that opens with a similar drum roll) and features Saffiyah Khan listing her version of the commandments from a feminist perspective. Khan, of course, became a potent symbol of progressive resistance when she was participating in a counter-demonstration against the racist, right-wing, and Islamophobic English Defence League in Birmingham on April 10, 2017 and was photographed smiling and relaxed as EDL leader Ian Crossland was angrily in her face after she intervened to stop a number of EDL goons from harassing a fellow counterprotester who was wearing a hijab. Khan's popularity rose even further in certain circles when photographs of her from different angles revealed she was wearing a Specials t-shirt to the counter-demonstration--which led to her being invited by the band to pen the lyrics for and perform on this recording.

This is not the first answer record to Buster's "Ten Commandments." Buster himself released “Ten Commandments (From Woman to Man)” featuring Princess Buster in 1967, which pushed back hard--for the 1960s and within the confines of marriage--against Buster's sexism ("Commandment One: Thou shall have no other woman but me. Two: Thou shall not provoke me to anger or thou will have no peace at night..."). Khan's commandments powerfully and unequivocally refute all of the limitations and expectations that our patriarchal and chauvinist society would impose on her body and volition, solely on the basis of her gender. Her assured declarations of independence and take no prisoners support for women's rights are thrilling to behold. Yet, it's incredibly depressing to realize how little has changed at a societal level--these same ugly and pernicious attitudes towards women were prevalent when The Specials debuted four decades ago (and they were not completely immune to them either; see "Little Bitch"). In fact, apart from the references to femi-nazis, femoids, the internet, and YouTube, these spoken word lyrics could have been written back in 1979.

The Specials back Khan with an orderly, brisk reggae skank that emphasizes the rock solid bass line (Khan says it's from Dawn Penn's "No No No"), but never distracts the listener's focus from her spoken word lyrics. But on the periphery of the entire song there are swirling, dubby synth effects and during interludes between the verses, there are descending, minor-key violin lines--all suggesting a lurking danger and barely contained chaos, like the bottom could fall out at any moment. It's as if Khan's thoughts, will, and voice keep the demons at bay; but in their absence, a terrible darkness seeks to fill the void.

After years of decrying the (eventually repealed) racist Sus laws (where the police could stop anyone merely on the suspicion that they might commit a crime and was used as an excuse to harass/abuse black youth in general) and playing Rock Against Racism gigs back in the day, The Specials' "Embarrassed By You" is a catchy, straight up ska track that calls out the perpetrators of knife violence and muggings by moped gangs for feeding into the pernicious stereotype of black Britons as nothing but low-life criminals preying on whites ("We never fought for freedom for nasty little brutes like you/To come undo the work we do...Shame on the footprints you're leaving behind").

"The Life and Times (of a Man Called Depression)" gives the listener heartbreaking insight as to what Terry Hall has endured for years while dealing with manic depression and schizophrenia (at first self-medicating and finally being treated with psychotropics): "The voices inside his head are playing/Chinese whispers/As all around him play hide and seek; But don't ask him to put a smile on his face or to cheer up." The really lovely jazzy, oddly metered backing instrumental track under Hall's words has horn and flute lines that wouldn't be out of place on In the Studio (or what Dammers has done recently with his Spatial AKA Orchestra). The album ends with the subdued orchestral pop gem "We Sell Hope," which is a plea for love and tolerance and a much needed reminder of what could be if we had a bit more empathy and compassion for each other: "Looked all around the world/Could be a beautiful place to live in...We've got to take care of each other/Do what you need to do/Without making others suffer." The 2 Tone message, version 2.0.

That Hall, Golding, Panter and company have delivered a great Specials album at this point in time is a true gift to the fans. (Take the time to fully appreciate it.)

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The Specials Preview "Vote For Me" From New Album "Encore"!

Terry Hall, Lynval Golding, Horace Panter (l-r)

(By Steve Shafer)

To help whet fans' appetites for the new Specials' album Encore (to be released on CD/LP on February 1, 2019 from UMC), the band is previewing their terrific song "Vote For Me" on their YouTube channel and FB page.

Upon first listen, it's sort of a shock to hear the opening bars of "Vote For Me" musically quote a bit of "Ghost Town" and then settle into the moody, minor-key territory staked out by The Special AKA's In the Studio (think the reggae and jazz of "Racist Friend," "Alcohol," and "What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend," plus a bit of Rico's Jama; there's also a wonderful, Madness-like bridge with strings in there, too!). On one hand, it makes sense for the remaining Specials (Terry Hall, Lynval Golding, and Horace Panter--joined by top collaborators Nikolaj Torp Larsen on keys, Kenrick Rowe on drums, and Steve Craddock on guitar) to go this route--they're essentially time traveling to pick up where The Specials left off with More Specials and the Ghost Town EP--which is exactly what Jerry Dammers and John Bradbury did with The Special AKA after Terry Hall, Neville Staple, and Lynval Golding left The Specials to form Fun Boy 3 (some of the songs that appeared on The Special AKA's In the Studio were written before the split for The Specials' then-planned third album; and it should be noted that Panter, Golding, and Radiation did guest perform on a few In the Studio tracks).

So, in some sense, "Vote For Me" is a safe move, reminding the listener of Specials' sounds and songs of old that are ingrained on fans' hearts and minds. Yet, it's also sort of audacious, given how The Specials' dissolution was driven in part by dissatisfaction with the musical direction Dammers had taken with More Specials (he was the band's primary--though by no means sole--songwriter and arranger), as well as his leadership style (his given nickname "The General" was not meant to be endearing). Whether intentional or not, with "Vote For Me" they've validated Dammers' vision for the evolution of The Specials' post-"Ghost Town" music that was realized through In the Studio. It's just a shame that Dammers, Staples, Radiation, and Bradbury (RIP) couldn't be back for the ride, as "Vote For Me" successfully keeps faith with The Specials' collective sound and mission.

Lyrically, "Vote For Me" is pointed commentary on the corruption, lies, self-dealing, and moral bankruptcy of political leaders in England and America during this dreadfully bleak age of Brexit and Trumpism ("You tore our families apart" has to refer to the absolutely horrific, repugnant, racist, and inhumane Trump policy of sometimes permanently separating migrant/asylum-seeking kids from their parents at the US-Mexico border)--it continues the kind of "government leaving the youth on the shelf"/should be serving the greater good and needs of the people criticism expressed back in '81. And it's fantastic how the chorus references Queens, NY's bruddah's The Ramones and William Shakespeare (and Bob Marley's nod to the bard in "Get Up, Stand Up") to hammer home its point about political deception.

Every vote for you, do you promise
To be upright, decent, and honest
To have our best interests at heart?

You understand why we don't believe you
You're way too easy to see through
Not the best places to start

There are no rocks at Rockaway Beach
And all that glitters isn't gold

You're all so drunk on money and power
Inside your ivory tower
Teaching us not to be smart

Making laws that serve to protect you
But we won't ever forget that
You tore our families apart

There are no rocks at Rockaway Beach
And all that glitters isn't gold

So, every vote for you, do you promise
To be upright, decent, and honest
To take away all of the fear?

You said you wait for us to elect you
But all we'll do is reject you
Your politics bore us to tears

There are no rocks at Rockaway Beach
And all that glitters isn't gold

"Vote For Me" is a powerful and more than credible opening salvo from The Specials' Encore. Based on this track, it seems like fans' expectations for the new album should be high.

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For more on the new Specials' album, check our "Everything We Know About The Specials' New Album Encore" post from earlier this fall.

In addition, you can read The Duff Guide to Ska's write-up of the reissue of The Special AKA's In the Studio from a few years ago.

Lastly, unlike the some of the stone-filled beaches I've seen in England, New York City's Rockaway Beach is pretty much all sand and you can take the A subway line to get there.

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Duff Review: "Rudeboy: The Trojan Records Story" Documentary

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Pitched somewhere between a hagiography of sorts and earnest truth-seeking documentary, "Rudeboy: The Story of Trojan Records," directed by Nicolas Jack Davies, had its US premiere last night at the DOC NYC Festival at a nearly sold-out screening at the SVA Theatre in Chelsea. Commissioned by BMG (which currently owns the Trojan catalogue) in celebration of Trojan's 50th anniversary this year, this 85-minute film employs a mix of short, talking head interviews with a number of often charming key players and commentators (Roy Ellis, Lee Perry, Derrick Morgan, Pauline Black, Don Letts, Ken Boothe, Toots Hibbert, George Dekker, Marcia Griffiths, Bunny Lee, King Edwards, Freddie Notes, Dandy Livingstone, Lloyd Coxsone, Neville Staple, and Dave Barker); archival footage of Jamaica, London, and TV/concert appearances by some of the featured artists; and truly artful recreations of past events with actors portraying various protagonists in this story, such as the late Trojan co-owner Lee Gopthal, Jamaican producer and Trojan sound system owner Duke Reid, and younger versions of Dandy Livingstone, Derrick Morgan, Bunny Lee, and more (they aren't given any lines and are usually shown in fairly ordinary situations in offices, studios, or dances, but nonetheless provide compelling visuals to accompany the audio of some of the interviews or samples of essential Trojan releases).

In sum, they provide a very cursory, but completely appealing outline of the label's history from its founding until it went under in 1975 (the origins and history of ska and its evolution to rocksteady and early reggae receive short shrift, too). Newcomers to Trojan will be intrigued and enlightened by what they learn, but anyone with a deeper knowledge of the label and its affiliated artists will be left wanting more (there's enough to cover here for a doc mini-series). Notably absent from the film is Trojan co-founder Chris Blackwell (after the viewing and brief Q&A with the audience, I asked director Davies about this as we were being ushered out of the theater and he told me that he very much wanted to include Blackwell, but was prevented from doing so, as Blackwell was contractually committed to telling his story for another project; Trojan label director and manager David Betteridge and Rob Bell stand in for him in the film) and with so many stellar artists released on Trojan over the years, one had the nagging feeling that far too many voices were left out (no doubt due to availability, budget and time constraints, and--most tragically--the deaths of many musicians).

At the heart of this film is the story of how a commercial enterprise (the joining of Chris Blackwell's and Lee Gopthal's similar ventures licensing reggae singles from Jamaican producers for release in the UK) unintentionally ended up influencing a generation (or two or three) of youth in the UK and beyond. And the film is most successful at conveying Trojan's enormous cultural and societal impact, as well as showcasing some of the label's finest music (which, of course, is released on the accompanying soundtrack album, full of superlative early reggae/skinhead reggae; a good reminder of how much extraordinary music came from this poor and tiny island nation).

Trojan's string of UK top ten charting pop hits in the late '60s and early '70s (including The Upsetters' "Return of Django," Harry J All Stars' "Liquidator," Boris Gardiner's "Elizabethan Reggae," Dave & Ansell Collins' "Double Barrel" and "Monkey Spanner," Desmond Dekker's "Israelites" and "It Mek," The Pioneers' "Long Shot (Kick De Bucket)," Bob and Marcia's "Young, Gifted, and Black" and "Pied Piper," the Melodians' "Sweet Sensation," and Nicky Thomas' "Love of the Common People") and success with its budget line of Tighten Up compilation albums was a result of skinhead reggae's massive popularity among both black and white youth. The sons and daughters of the Windrush generation (in the '50s and early '60s, over 100,000 Jamaicans emigrated to England after WWII after they were invited to help rebuild the nation and its economy) who largely felt alienated in Britain's overly racist society (there's a scene in the film where soundman Lloyd Coxsone recounts looking for employment at a government job center and finding that every listing was marked with a NCP, an acronym for "No Colored People") found that they shared a deep and common love for reggae with their white working class peers, which enabled all sorts of social connections to be formed (and making that generation of white Britons a bit less racist than the previous). Indeed, as reggae/punk DJ, filmmaker, and musician Don Letts reminds the viewer, the white skinheads of the late '60s/early '70s were, "the fashion kind, not the fascist kind," who were emulating the look of the black working class reggae fans and musicians. As well (as both Pauline Black and Neville Staple note), Trojan's artists and releases helped young, first-generation black Britons find validation and a sense of cultural belonging through the widespread embrace of reggae music and the representation of black British and Jamaican artists on the radio (even if it was usually pirate radio!), TV, and in the press.

The film glosses over the demise of Trojan, which was the result of many factors, including the transition to roots and dub in Jamaica (depriving the label of skinhead reggae to license), the business split between Gopthal and Blackwell (who went on to directly sign reggae musicians like Bob Marley and the Wailers, Toots and the Maytals, and Burning Spear to Island--and figured out how to successfully shape their sound for and market them to a white, rock audience), and the accumulated expenses from re-mixing, re-mastering, and adding pop strings to many later releases that never made it big. Also unmentioned was the common, but ugly and exploitive music business practice in Jamaica at that time--the music producer controlled the copyright/owned the recording. So, the producers of the licensed Trojan hits were paid all of the royalties due, little of which was ever shared with the artists themselves.

All criticisms aside, "Rudeboy: The Story of Trojan Records" really is a great (and fantastic looking/sounding) introduction to the legendary label and all of its stellar music--and longtime ska and reggae fans will enjoy watching it. But anyone seeking a much more detailed and comprehensive history of the label and its magnificent roster of artists will find it in Laurence Cane-Honeysett's newly released (also to mark the label's 50th anniversary) and absolutely essential "The Story of Trojan Records."

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Everything We Know About The Specials' New Album "Encore"

Word's been seeping out for a bit now about The Specials new record Encore, which is being released on February 1, 2019 (it's already available to pre-order through Amazon.co.uk, but not in the US yet). So, we're going to sum up what's publicly known and then some. The 10-track album will be available on vinyl and CD (the latter includes a bonus disc, titled The Best of The Specials Live). Of note, Encore is being issued on a major label by UMC (Universal Music Catalogue), which is part of the Universal Music Group. This particular imprint released Madness' most recent album Can't Touch Us Now and its current batch of new records includes The Beatles' deluxe reissue of The White Album, The Rolling Stones' 50th anniversary edition of Beggar's Banquet, and remastered back catalogue/comps from Massive Attack, Brian Eno, The Cure, The Beach Boys, John Lennon, The Police, Soft Cell, REM, Metallica, Guns n' Roses, and more. So, it'll be interesting to see what sort of promotional push this receives (The Specials are announcing their 2019 tour dates on October 30).

Encore's track list is a mix of new material and covers:

1. "Black Skinned Blue-Eyed Boys" [an Equals cover]
2. "B.L.M." [Black Lives Matter]
3. "Vote For Me"
4. "The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum" [a Fun Boy 3 cover]
5. "Breaking Point"
6. "Blam Blam Fever" [a Valentines' cover AKA "Guns Fever"]
7. "10 Commandments" [a Prince Buster cover, featuring Saffiyah Khan]
8. "Embarrassed By You"
9. "The Life And Times (Of a Man Called Depression)"
10. "We Sell Hope"

While various--but never all--members of The Specials have recorded as The Specials (King of Kings with Desmond Dekker, Today’s Specials, Guilty ’til Proved Innocent!, Skinhead Girl, and Conquering Ruler) in the years since the original group split in 1981 (into The Special AKA and Fun Boy 3), Encore marks the first time singer Terry Hall has recorded/released new material under The Specials banner since the extraordinary/incendiary Ghost Town EP.

This iteration of The Specials consists of original members Hall, Lynval Golding, and Horace Panter--joined by more recent collaborators: keyboardist Nikolaj Torp Larsen (who also co-wrote some of these tunes with Hall, Golding, and Panter), Kenrick Rowe on drums, and Ocean Colour Scene guitarist Steve Craddock. Founder, primary songwriter, and keyboardist Jerry Dammers steadfastly has refused to participate in any Specials reunions; guitarist Roddy Radiation and singer Neville Staple were part of many reunion tours, but opted out within the past few years to pursue their own musical projects; and, sadly, drummer John "Brad" Bradbury passed away unexpectedly in 2015.

Specials biographer Paul "Willo" Williams has posted an exclusive, glowing preview of Encore, which he states picks up "where More Specials left off" (so there will be bits of rock, pop, and soul with your 2 Tone); and if "'Ghost Town' was the anthem of 1981, then Encore is the snapshot of the world today--and on a global scale." Expect sharp political and social commentary on racism, sexism, gun violence, mental illness, and more--all of which you can dance to.

Needless to say, expectations are running high for this release (fans have been clamoring for new material ever since the first few reunion tours, which started back in 2008!). Here's really hoping that the band delivers!

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The Duff Guide to Ska Year in Ska Reviews 2017, Part 3!

From The Duff Guide to Ska sticker collection
(click on image to enlarge)!

(All reviews by Steve Shafer)

Bad Manners Return of the Ugly (LP, Black Butcher Classics, 2017 reissue; originally released in 1989 on Blue Beat Records): Read The Duff Guide to Ska appreciation here.

Erin Bardwell Collective vs. Friends, Guests, and Studio Stars Great Western Reggae Soundclash (CD, Pop-A-Top Records, 2017): The Erin Bardwell Collective makes great, laid-back old school rocksteady and early reggae with a bit of worldbeat in the mix--think of The Trojans--and are joined here by a number of high profile friends, including Neol Davies (The Selecter), Dave Clifton (Hotknives), Pat Powell (Melbourne Ska Orchestra), Matty Bane (Neville Staple Band), and London's Nostalgia Steel Band. The connective tissue of this album is a Western reggae vibe coursing through many of the tracks, but it's really all about great songs/performances (check out "Best News of The Year," "Edith New," It's No Lie," "Dominica," "Waiting for the Conversation," or "Night Bus to Highworth"). This one may take a few listens to reveal its offbeat charms, but once it clicks--damn, it's good!

Buster's All Stars Skinhead Luv-a-fair (LP, Black Butcher Classics, 2014 reissue; originally released in 1989 on Blue Beat Records): Read The Duff Guide to Ska appreciation here.

The Busters "Hunky-Dory" b/w "Ska Bang 87" (red or clear yellow vinyl 7" single, Jump Up Records, 2017): This single off The Busters' eighteenth album (if I'm counting right) Straight Ahead features two awesome Richie Alexander penned tunes (Dr. Ring Ding has been a member of The Busters since 2013, if you're not up on the German ska scene). Side A is a great swinging-jazzy-ska tune about looking good, feeling fine, luck shining down on you, and being in love. The flip "Ska Bang 87" is a cracking instrumental that swipes a bit of the riff from The Rolling Stones' "Miss You."

Susan Cadogan "Don't Know Why" (Three track digital single, Stonyhill Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Hollie Cook "Superstar" b/w "Superdub" (free Record Store Day 7"/digital download, Merge Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The Dirty Notion The Dirty EP (CD/digital, Abbey Productions, 2016): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The Georgetown Orbits "Keep Your Chin Up" b/w "Picture on the Wall" (7" vinyl picture sleeve single/digital, Simmerdown Productions, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Napoleon Solo Early Recordings: First Demos - 1984/1985 (Six-track, limited-edition vinyl EP, Jump Up Records, 2017): Ska old-timers will remember this fantastic Danish ska-soul act from the late 1980s--their How to Rule the World EP and Shot! LP are very much worth tracking down, and they contributed really winning tracks like "I Don't Believe You" to Skankin' 'Round the World, Volume II, "Drive Me Wild" to Live in London: The London International Ska Festival, and "Go Home" to Ska United. This new EP features the band's early cassette-only demos which contain some very catchy material that probably should have turned up later on proper releases. "0059," "Nobody Told Me," the "Ghost Town-ish" "What Comes After Spring," and the South African anti-apartheid cut "Victory" ("ANC is going to make them free/ANC is going to lead to victory") are particularly good.

NST and The Soul Sauce Back When Tigers Smoked (CD/digital, Eastern Standard Sounds, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Pama International Love and Austerity (Heavyweight LP/CD/digital, Happy People Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Pama International "Man Next Door" b/w "Austerity Skank" (clear vinyl 7" single/digital download, Record Kicks, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The Red Stripes In the Ska East (CD, Mod Sound Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Smiley and The Underclass Rebels Out There (CD/LP/digital, Bredda Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Neville Staple Return of Judge Roughneck (CD/2 x LP, Cleopatra Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The Stiff Joints First Proper Album (CD/digital, self-released, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra Paradise Has No Borders (CD/LP/digital, Nacional Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

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Read The Duff Guide to Ska Year in Ska Reviews 2017, Part 1.

Read The Duff Guide to Ska Year in Ska Reviews 2017, Part 2.

(Part 4 to come soon!)

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Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: The Red Stripes "In the Ska East"

Mod Sound Records
CD
2017

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Made up of British, Canadian, and Aussie ex-pats residing in Hong Kong, The Red Stripes' sound is similar to many bands in the late 80s and early 90s who were heavily influenced by 2 Tone, but shed that scene's rougher edges in favor of the traditional jazzy/big band ska of The Skatalites and their contemporaries (think The Scofflaws, The Busters, Potato 5). Produced by Sean "Cavo" Dinsmore (of the Skaboom and Thrill Me Up era Toasters, who also contributes some vocal effects on one track) and featuring Neville and Christine Staple on "Hong Kong Special," In the Ska East offers a mix of fine instrumentals ("Hong Kong Dub," "Theme from 'Rocky,'" and "Rude Rude Rude") and catchy originals with male and female vocals (and lovely harmonizing) by Fred Croft and Sarah Watson ("Julia Posh," "Let Me Tell Ya," and "OK La"). Based on this album, The Red Stripes seem like they'd be a fantastic night out.

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(Speaking of connections to The Toasters, The Red Stripes' drummer's name is Matt Davis--can't possibly be that one, right?)

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Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: Hollie Cook's "Superstar," Pama International's "Man Next Door" b/w "Austerity Skank," and Neville Staple's "Return of Judge Roughneck"

(Reviews by Steve Shafer)

Hollie Cook "Superstar" b/w "Superdub" (free Record Store Day 7"/digital download, Merge Records, 2017): The physical release of this single was a last minute addition to the 2017 Record Store Day line-up and was said to given out for free at select indie shops in celebration of Cook's joining the Merge Records line-up in the USA (did anyone receive one?). The choice of cover here--The Carpenters' AM pop staple "Superstar"--is definitely inspired, continues to fulfill Cook's mission to create "tropical pop," and is well matched to her wonderfully pure voice. And while this is no slight to producer/drummer Ben Mckone (who does a very fine job here), I have to admit to kind of missing the Prince Fatty touch. No word on the new album yet, but it bodes well, based on this teaser...

Pama International "Man Next Door" b/w "Austerity Skank" (clear vinyl 7" single/digital download, Record Kicks, 2017): Following their fantastic cover of Martha and the Vandellas' "Heatwave" comes Pama International's second single off their forthcoming Love and Austerity album (to be released any time now via Record Kicks and featuring the amazing co-lead vocals of Jewels Vass and Anna Uhuru). John Holt's rocksteady urban living lament (most memorably versioned/deconstructed by The Slits) is beautifully rendered here. Even better is Pama International's original tune "Austerity Skank," which tries to shake off the gray of the punishing Cameron (now May/Brexit) years through PMA: "Hard times have come/Now, hard times be gone/No more illusions/System delusions/Our hard times are done...I'm stepping out to a better place/Tired of all of the lies getting in the way/I just want to be free/With no austerity..."

Neville Staple Return of Judge Roughneck (CD/2 x LP, Cleopatra Records, 2017): When I first put on Neville Staple's new record (after first seeing it on Chuck Wren's FB feed) and heard the opening notes of "Gangsters"/"Al Capone" in "Return of Judge Roughneck" (referencing his "Stupid Marriage" persona, natch), I braced myself for an album trading heavily on 2 Tone/Specials nostalgia (even note the use of The Specials' font on the back cover). After having listened to the LP several times through now, my initial impressions haven't been dispelled, but it's all done so winningly and well that any cynicism melts away at the sheer joy of it all. About half the tracks are safe but good covers (Stranger Cole's "Bangarang," Peter Tosh's "Maga Dog," The Melodians' "Sweet Sensation," and Sigman and Magidson's via Prince Buster/The Specials "Enjoy Yourself," among them)--though, the "Ghost Town"-like version of his own Fun Boy Three's "The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum," an apt tune for the times if there ever was one, and gleeful rendition of Jimmy Soul's "If You Want to Be Happy" are truly ace; but think of them as warming you up for the really good stuff. Just about all of the new tracks--the Toasters-like modern ska of "Down My Street," the rocksteady rude boy anthem "Crime Don't Pay," the Madness-y sing-along music hall ska of "Gang Fever" ("Every time you read The Mirror or Star/Kids shot dead, rumours of war/It's a fever"), and "Politician Man"--are really good in their own right (more of these, please!). Oh, and there's a full album of inventive dubs included on the second LP or extended CD ("Crime Dub," Roadblock," "Dub Fever," "Bang Bang," "Dub Crazy," and "Legal Dub" in particular are fantastic!). This one is very much worth picking up.

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Vive Le Rock On 2 Tone--"Then and Now: How the 2 Tone Spirit Lives On"

The cover of issue #38 of Vive Le Rock is devoted to 2 Tone ("Ska'd For Life--Then and Now: How the 2 Tone Spirit Lives On") and the magazine features some terrific interviews with Horace Panter and Neville Staple of The Specials (done separately), Ranking Roger of The Beat (where he talks about his upcoming new Beat album, as well as recording a version of "Rock the Casbah" back in the day with The Clash--the bootleg of which I wrote about here), and Pauline Black of The Selecter, and Rhoda Dakar of The Bodysnatchers. There's also a reprint of Gary Bushell's 1979 piece on Madness from his "Dance Craze: The 2 Tone Story," which is definitely worth reading again.

Here are some choice quotes from each interview:

Horace Panter: [Question: "What is your abiding memory of John Bradbury?"] "I don't think Brad's death has sunk in. I don't think it will until we're all in a room together with our instruments. It is the music that binds us together. My snapshot memory of Brad will probably be on stage (I forget where) and I'm shouting at him, telling him he's playing too fast. He glares at me, points with his drumsticks at the crowd and says 'Look'! The crowd, by this point in the show, were going mental. They wanted it too fast. That was Brad--he played for the audience."

Neville Staple: ["Question: "With yourself, The Beat, The Selecter, Bad Manners, The Specials and Madness all still touring and recording why do you think 2 Tone is still so popular?"] "Our lyrics are as relevant now as they were back then. There's rarely any other bands around dealing with the same grit and social awareness, today's lot are mostly busy twerking and getting their bits out! Plus, of course, you can't deny that awesome party beat that you get from old Jamaican ska and reggae riddims, mashed up with punky flavours. It really is a music of unity, stomping and chanting along."

Rhoda Dakar: [Question posed to both women: "Why do you think so few women were in 2 Tone bands before the Bodysnatchers?"] "People think punk had a lot more women involved, but that's simply because there were far more punk bands. There were only five or six 2 Tone-related bands. The seaside tour we did with The Specials and Go Gos though was different. The Go Gos had a female roadie and manager so both on and off stage it had a very different feel, It was nice to be on a tour where members of the bands, i.e.: the women, could get themselves together and be somewhere at the time they were supposed to!"

Pauline Black: "There had been several all-female punk bands. We regularly had The Mo-Dettes supporting us before The Bodysnatchers came on the scene. I remember being at a Bodysnatchers gig and Jerry Dammers was there too. The band had a wonderful, natural quality to them and it was suggested that they do a single on the 2 Tone label, which was recorded in Coventry at Horizon Studios. Women in bands were relatively rare whatever the genre of music back then, so I don't think that so few women was just a problem of 2 Tone. The original ska music scene had very few women involved too, but those that were in the vanguard in those days, like Millie Small and Doreen Shaffer in the Skatalites, were primarily seen as singers, rather than songwriters."

Ranking Roger: [Talking about the early days of The Beat.] "Things moved so quickly. We found Saxa three days before we went in to record the first single. Dave brought him into rehearsals and said listen to this guy he's brilliant. My first impression was, who's this noisy, very rude old man? But as soon as he played the first note that was it. When controlled, Saxa was a genius but he was unstoppable on stage. A song would finish and he'd carry on for another three minutes until he was ready to stop and the audiences would love it."

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The Specials: This Year's Model

There was a minor freak out in the ska and new wave circles on the internet yesterday when it was announced that on March 30, 2015, 2 Tone Records/Warners Catalogue would be re-releasing remastered versions of The Specials' three albums proper with new, alternative covers; liner notes by Lois Wilson (music writer for Mojo Magazine and Record Collector); unseen photos of the band by punk/new wave-era NME photographer Chalkie Davies (who shot the original cover photos for all three albums); and bonus material (on the second CD of each release), some of it appearing on compact disc for the first time. All of this has Jerry Dammers' blessing. Both Uncut and Slicing Up Eyeballs have all the details.

As for the bonus material, I (and probably most long-time Specials' fans) have all of it on various releases/formats--with the exception of the recording of The Specials performing for the BBC in concert at the Paris Theatre on December 15, 1979. Still, these versions will be tempting for completists. A commenter on the Mojo website noted how nice it would have been to include the (amazing!) videos that comprised The Special AKA's "On Film" on the new In the Studio re-release, since this video collection was only released on VHS in the UK and Laserdisc in Japan way back in 1984.

For fans in North America, the more momentous news may be that The Specials are booked to perform their first concert in Mexico--in Mexico City's El Plaza Condesa on March 12, 2015 (without Jerry, Roddy, or Neville, I think). Hopefully, this means that dates in the U.S. are in the works, too (come back to NYC--your last show here on a pier on the Hudson River in 2013 was so good and so much fun!).

[Updated to reflect the fact that all of the material on these reissued CDs has been previously released. Thanks to Duff Guide to Ska reader Jon for pointing this out.]

"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...

2 Tone-Era Band Updates

According to the September 2009 issue of Mojo (UK), Madness is going to be re-issuing expanded versions of all of their albums, from their 1979 debut through 1999's Wonderful. One Step Beyond...will be released in October 2009 with a second disc of b-sides, demos, live tracks, and foreign language versions, and the remainder of their catalogue in this enhanced format will find its way into stores and on-line through the middle of 2010.

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In related 2 Tone-era band news, the reunited Specials (minus Jerry Dammers) are planning to release a live album and DVD of their recent reunion shows in the UK.

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Lastly, Mojo has a review of Neville Staple's autobiography, Original Rude Boy--which calls it a "fascinating but harrowing tale of an uneasy life."

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The latest single from Madness' The Liberty of Norton Folgate (following "Dust Devil")...

Neville Staples JA Arrest Fiasco Follow-up

From today's Coventry Telegraph (UK):

The Specials' Neville Staple in Jamaica drugs quiz
Jun 19 2009
By Helen Thomas

THE Specials singer Neville Staple was left stranded in Jamaica after being searched for drugs by customs officers and missing his plane.

The 54-year-old, on a week-long break on the Caribbean island, was due to return on Monday for a couple of reunion concerts.

But just as he was about to board the plane at Jamaica’s Sangster International Airport, in Montego Bay, he was taken away by officers.

They searched his bags and questioned him but found no evidence of any illegal substances.

By the time they had finished, Staple had missed his plane back to Britain and has had to miss a couple of performances with the band.

Speaking to the Coventry Telegraph from his home in Jamaica, Staple said: “It was all a big misunderstanding. I’ve been doing a lot of travelling and have been going backwards and forwards to Jamaica since my mum died in December.

"I never have a lot of baggage because I have things over here and I must have been red flagged or something.

“I got to the airport late and I was saying things like ‘come on’ to try and speed things up so I could get on my plane and I think I attracted their attention.

“They’ve seen me travelling through customs quite often and I think they got suspicious.

"When I went through security I was taken aside to a small room.

"They had me there for a while and searched through my bags but obviously I didn’t have any drugs. I wasn’t arrested.”

After he missed his plane he returned to his home in Christiana to wait for the next flight home tomorrow.

Staple said: “I have my own house here so I’m staying here. I came over to put a new roof on it. I’d only come out here for a week.

“One of the customs guys was from England and he knew who I was and knew The Specials.

"I was really annoyed to miss the plane because I’ve missed a couple of shows.”

Staple was born in Jamaica but moved to the UK as a small child.

He joined The Specials in 1977 and is known for his vocal style, known as toasting.

The Specials' Neville Staple Reportedly Arrested, Strip Searched in JA

According to the Original Rude Boy blog (which is devoted to the musician and his new autobiography of the same title) and the Coventry City FC website, Specials' singer Neville Staple was arrested at Montego Bay airport in Jamaica earlier this week, then strip searched and x-rayed (presumably the authorities were searching for drugs). The police found nothing on (or in!) him, so no charges were filed. Staple is stuck in JA until Saturday and has missed several gigs with the Neville Staple Band as a result of this incident...

At the moment, there doesn't seem to be any additional info about this on-line. Stay tuned.

The Specials' Neville Staple to Pen Autobiography

Not to be outdone by Sir Horace Gentleman, The Specials' Neville Staple recently sold the rights to his autobiography, titled "Original Rude Boy," to Aurum Press in England. His tome should hit the bookstore shelves in 2010. In the press release, his editor at Aurum, Sam Harrison, gushes:

'I'm absolutely delighted Aurum are publishing Nev's autobiography. He's a legend. Not just in the history of Ska, but in the history of Pop per se. With its insider's view of The Specials and the Transatlantic post-punk music scene; not to mention its often harrowing, frequently hilarious account of growing up the wrong side of the law in Seventies Britain, ORIGINAL RUDE BOY promises to be the must-read memoir of Summer 2010.'

The press release also hypes Neville as the "godfather of ska." I have a great deal of respect for Neville, but that's a bit of a stretch, isn't it? The spirit of Laurel Aitken might want to have a word with his publicist...

I hope this one's as enjoyable a read as Sir Horace Panter's "Ska'd for Life."