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The Specials (album)

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Specials is the debut album by British ska revival band The Specials.

Released in 1979 on Jerry Dammers' 2Tone label, the album is seen by some as the defining moment in the UK ska scene. Produced by Elvis Costello, the album captures the disaffection and anger felt by the youth of the UK's "concrete jungle" - a phrase borrowed from Bob Marley's 1972 album Catch A Fire but equally apposite used here to describe the grim, violent inner cities of 1970s Britain.

Musically, the album encapsulates the wave of British ska, greatly reworking the original sound of 1960s Jamaican ska. The music shares the infectious energy and humour of the original sound, but injects new-found anger and punk sensibility. The resulting sound is considerably less laid-back and "Caribbean" sounding than original ska, and dispensed with much of the percussion and the larger horn sections used in the older variety. The Specials also brought guitar to the front of the mix; it had often been a secondary instrument in Jamaican ska. The album features a mixture of original material and several covers of classic Jamaican ska tracks, a debt which went uncredited on the 1979 vinyl release.

Many songs on The Specials' debut album were covers of older ska songs. "Monkey Man" had been a hit for Toots & the Maytals in 1969, "Too Hot" was a Prince Buster original from 1966, and the opening track, "A Message to You, Rudy" was a Dandy Livingstone single in 1967. "You're Wondering Now" was originally performed by The Skatalites; a vocal version was recorded by duo Andy and Joey in 1964. Other tracks are reworkings of Jamaican originals; "Too Much Too Young" was based on Lloyd Charmers' "Birth Control", "Stupid Marriage" draws heavily on the Prince Buster hit "Judge 400 Years" (also known as "Judge Dread").

A live version of "Too Much Too Young" was later released on a five track EP, The Special AKA Live!, which went to #1 on the UK charts. A Message to You Rudy/Nite Klub was also released as a single.

Trombonist Rico Rodriguez, who performed on many 50s and 60s Jamaican recordings before moving to London in 1962, played on the band's version of "A Message to You, Rudy", as he had on the original recording fifteen years previously. As a former member of the legendary Skatalites, a band that helped define the sound of ska and reggae, Rico's appearance on the album considerably added to the album's credentials.

In 2000 Q magazine placed Specials at number 38 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever.

A digitally remastered edition also featuring promotional videos to "Gangsters" and "Too Much Too Young" as enhanced content was released by EMI in 2002.

Pitchfork Magazine featured Specials as number 42 in their list of the 100 best albums of the 1970's.

Also, the song "Little Bitch" is featured as a playable song on the very first release of the dance simulation game Dance Dance Revolution.

Track listing

Side one

  1. "A Message to You, Rudy" (Dandy Livingstone) - 2:53
  2. "Do the Dog" (Rufus Thomas, arr. by Jerry Dammers) - 2:09
  3. "It's Up to You" (Dammers, The Specials) - 3:25
  4. "Nite Klub" (Dammers, The Specials) - 3:22
  5. "Doesn't Make It Alright" (Dammers, Dave Goldberg) - 3:26
  6. "Concrete Jungle" (Byers) - 3:18
  7. "Too Hot" (Cecil Campbell) - 3:09

Side two

  1. "Monkey Man" (Toots Hibbert) - 2:45
  2. "(Dawning of A) New Era" (Dammers) - 2:24
  3. "Blank Expression" (Dammers, The Specials) - 2:43
  4. "Stupid Marriage" (Dammers, Mark Harrison, Neville Staple) - 3:49
  5. "Too Much Too Young" (Dammers, acknowledgment to Lloyd Charmers) - 2:16
  6. "Little Bitch" (Dammers)† - 2:31
  7. "You're Wondering Now" (Seymour) - 2:36

† On some US releases, the song "Gangsters" (The Specials) appears between "Too Much Too Young" and "Little Bitch". In Australia and New Zealand, "Gangsters" was included between "Do the Dog" and "It's Up to You"

Personnel

Guest Musicians

References

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