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The Specials

Musical Group

English 2 Tone / ska revival band formed in Coventry in the late 1970s, led by Jerry Dammers; known for blending Jamaican ska with punk energy and socially conscious lyrics.

Formed in Coventry in 1977, central to the late-1970s ska revival and the Two Tone movement. Jerry Dammers founded the Two Tone label. Key early albums include The Specials (1979) and More Specials (1980). The group is credited with influencing a generation of UK ska and punk-influenced acts and addressing social and racial themes in their songs.

Reviews praise The Specials as pioneers of the late-1970s ska revival, noting their mix of Jamaican ska, punk energy and socially aware lyrics. The debut (1979) is widely celebrated; More Specials (1980) is described as risk-taking and eclectic. Overall reception across reviews is positive.

For:Fans of ska, 2 Tone and late-70s UK music; listeners interested in socially conscious punk-influenced dance music.

 

This album is an incoherent but courageous work, a much more interesting chapter than the debut album.

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So, the album from 1979, a milestone of ska, and not only that, “The Specials” marks a spectacular debut for this English band, founded in Coventry a few years earlier.

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The ska-revival was undoubtedly inaugurated by the Specials and their mastermind, keyboardist/composer Jerry Dammers, the real Johnny Rotten of the genre.

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