The Selecter
The Selecter were a 2 Tone ska revival band from Coventry, England, formed in the late 1970s.
Like many other bands of the ska revival movement, The Selecter featured a racially mixed line-up. Their lyrics featured themes such as violence, politics and marijuana set to strong melodies and an irresistible beat. What set The Selecter apart from the other 2 Tone bands at the time was the songs of Neol Davies, the voice of Pauline Black and the pumping rhythms of Desmond Brown on the Hammond. The band's name is based on the term selector, which is a Jamaican word for DJ.
The Selecter was, at first, just Neol Davies and John Bradbury (who was later to be the drummer in The Specials). The band name was also the title of the seminal instrumental released as the b-side of the first 2Tone record "Gangsters vs. The Selecter" in July 1979. Pauline Black has been the lead singer in The Selecter since its formation as a band in August 1979 when the band released the singles , "Three Minute Hero", "The Whisper", "Missing Words" and "On My Radio". The Selecter's debut album Too Much Pressure was recorded at the end of 1979 and beginning of 1980, and released by the 2 Tone Records and Chrysalis Records. Their second album, Celebrate the Bullet, was issued in 1981. The Selecter were featured in the 2 Tone documentary Dance Craze.
After the band split in 1982, Black developed a career in TV and theatre, appearing in dramas such as The Vice, The Bill, Hearts and Minds and 2000 Acres of Sky. She won the 1991 Time Out award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in the play All or Nothing At All. She starred next to Christopher Lee in the horror film The Funny Man. Black and Davies reformed The Selecter in 1991 and have released several new albums and have toured all over the world. Davies left the band in the mid 90's to record two solo albums "Box Of Blues" and "Future Swamp". In the 2000s, The Selecter no longer exists as a band but may reform occasionally to perform concerts. They were recently referenced in the Mighty Mighty Bosstones single "Don't Worry Desmond Dekker."
Discography
Albums
the original line up
- Too Much Pressure (Feb 1980) UK # 5
- Celebrate the Bullet (Feb 1981) UK # 41
- The Happy Album (Jul 1994)
- Pucker! (Aug 1995)
- Cruel Britannia (Nov 1998)
- The Trojan Songbook (1999)
- The Trojan Songbook - Vol 2 (2000)
- The Trojan Songbook - Vol 3 (2001)
- Real to Reel (2003)
Singles
- "Gangsters" (The Special A.K.A.) vs. "The Selecter" (The Selecter) (Jul 1979, 2 Tone, TT1/TT2) UK # 6
- "On My Radio" (Oct 1979, CHSTT 4) UK # 8
- "Three Minute Hero" (Feb 1980, CHSTT 8) UK # 16
- "Missing Words" (March 1980, CHSTT 10) UK # 23
- "The Whisper" (August 1980, CHSS 1) UK # 36
- Celebrate The Bullet (Nov 1980, CHSS 2)
- On My Radio 91 (1991)
- Madness ( The Selecter Featuring Prince Buster ) ( 1992 )
- Hairspray E.P. (1995)
Line-up on Too Much Pressure
- Pauline Black : vocals
- Compton Amanor: guitar
- Charley Anderson: bass guitar
- Charley 'H' Bembridge: drums
- Desmond Brown: Hammond keyboard
- Neol Davies: guitar
- Arthur 'Gaps' Hendrickson: vocals
References
- Guinness Book of British Hit Singles - 16th Edition - ISBN 0-85112-190-X
- Guinness Book of British Hit Albums - 7th Edition - ISBN 0-85112-619-7
- The Great Rock Discography - 5th Edition - ISBN 0-84195-079-3