A Message to You, Rudy

"A Message to You, Rudy"
Single by The Specials featuring Rico +
from the album Specials
B-side	"Nite Klub"
Released	1979 (1979)
Format	7" vinyl
Genre	Rocksteady
Length	02:54
Label	2 Tone
Writer(s)	Dandy Livingstone
Producer	Elvis Costello
The Specials chronology
"Gangsters" (1979) "A Message to You, Rudy" (1979) "Too Much Too Young" (1980)

"A Message to You, Rudy" is a 1967 rocksteady song by Dandy Livingstone. The song, originally entitled "Rudy, A Message to You" later achieved broader success when, in 1979, The Specials cover reached number 10 in the UK Singles Chart.

Veteran trombone player Rico Rodriguez, played on both Livingstone's and The Specials' versions.

Chart performance

Chart (1979)	Peak position
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)	10
Chart (1980)	Peak position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 75)	7
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	22
New Zealand (RIANZ)	29

Other cover versions

The song has also been covered by a number of artists, including The Mescaleros, Judge Dread, Barenaked Ladies, Dead Milkmen, Madness and Amy Winehouse. Pete Doherty, at the Eurockéennes de Belfort, also performed the song in 2009, and Sublime featured lyrics borrowed from "A Message to You, Rudy" in their song "D.J.s." on their debut album. Propagandhi, a Canadian punk band used the melody and partial lyrics in their song "Ska Sucks" featured on their album How to Clean Everything.

Crawley Town F.C. and musician Mike Dobie recorded a cover of the song ahead of their clash with Manchester United. Rather than "A Message to You, Rudy," the Crawley Town fans sing, "A Message to You, Rooney," or "A Message to You, Fergie."