The Specials (originally known as The Coventry Automatics, then later named The Special AKA) were the first band of the 2-Tone era in the late '70s and early '80s in Britain. The band formed in 1977 in Coventry.
Their music combines the rhythms of ska and rocksteady with the energy and attitude of punk. Lyrically, their work presented overt political and social commentary.
In the first few months of 1981, the band took a break from recording and touring and then released "Ghost Town", a non-album single, which hit No. 1 in 1981. Shortly afterwards, The Specials split up.
Jerry Dammers and John Bradbury continued under the name The Special AKA until 1985, as did Horace Panter to a certain extent. Roddy Byers left but made a appearance on one single in 1982 with The Tearjerkers. Terry Hall, Neville Staple and Lynval Golding formed Fun Boy Three.
The Specials re-formed in 1993 and have continued to perform and record with varying line-ups, none of them involving Jerry Dammers.
Drummer John Bradbury died on 28 December 2015 at the age of 62.
On 19 December 2022, the Specials announced on social media that Terry Hall had died at age 63.
Band members:
Terence Edward (Terry) Hall, Neville Staple (Judge Roughneck) - vocals
Lynval Golding, Roderick James (Roddy Radiation) Byers - guitar
Dick Cuthell, Emmanuel (Rico) Rodriguez - horns
Jeremy David Hounsell (Jerry) Dammers - organ
Stephen Graham (Horace) Panter - bass
John Bradbury (Brad) - drums.
"Specials" is the debut studio album by The Specials, originally released in 1979 on Two-Tone Records and reissued in 2015 on Two-Tone Records.
Tracks:
CD One The Album
CD Two Extra Specials:
1-3 7" Too Much Too Young, released in 1979
4-14 BBC In Concert The Specials At The Paris Theatre (15.12.79).
Tracklisting CD One:
1. Gangsters
2. A Message To You Rudy
3. Do The Dog
4. It's Up To You
5. Nite Klub
6. Doesn't Make It Alright
7. Concrete Jungle
8. Too Hot
9. Monkey Man
10. (Dawning Of A) New Era
11. Blank Expression
12. Stupid Marriage
13. Too Much Too Young
14. Little Bitch
15. You're Wondering Now
VBR ~242K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
Tracklisting CD Two:
1. The Special AKA - Too Much Too Young
2. The Special AKA - Guns Of Navarone
3. The Special AKA - Skinhead Symphony
4. The Specials - (Dawning Of A) New Era
5. The Specials - Do The Dog
6. The Specials - Rat Race
7. The Specials - Blank Expression
8. The Specials - Rude Buoys Outa Jail
9. The Specials - Concrete Jungle
10. The Specials - Too Much Too Young
11. The Specials - Guns Of Navarone
12. The Specials - Nite Klub
13. The Specials - Gangsters
14. The Specials - Medley Long Shot Kick De Bucket Skinhead Moon Stomp
VBR ~275K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
"More Specials" is the second studio album by The Specials, originally released in 1980 on Two-Tone Records and reissued in 2015 on Two-Tone Records.
Tracks:
CD One Original Album
CD Two More Extra Specials:
1-2 7" Rat Race, released in 1980
3 John Peel Session recorded 29/10/80, transmitted 01/12/80
4 7" Stereotype, released in 1980
5 Neville Staple aka Judge Roughneck; free 7" with early copies of the More Specials LP
6-7 Rico with The Ice Rink String Sounds; 7" Do Nothing, released in 1980
8 7" Concrete Jungle, Dutch 1981 release
9-11 12" Ghost Town/Why?/Friday Night, Saturday Morning, released in 1981
12 John Peel Session recorded 29/10/80, transmitted 01/12/80
13 Kid Jensen BBC Radio 1 Session unknown date.
Tracklisting CD One:
1. Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think)
2. Man At C & A
3. Hey, Little Rich Girl
4. Do Nothing
5. Pearl's Cafe
6. Sock It To 'Em J.B.
7. Stereotype/Stereotype - Pt. 2
8. Holiday Fortnight
9. I Can't Stand It
10. International Jet Set
11. Enjoy Yourself (Reprise)
VBR ~268K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
Tracklisting CD Two:
1. Rat Race
2. Rude Boys Outa Jail
3. Stereotype/Stereotype - Pt. 2
4. International Jet Set
5. Rude Boys Outa Jail (Version)
6. Do Nothing
7. Maggie's Farm
8. Racquel
9. Why?
10. Friday Night, Saturday Morning
11. Ghost Town
12. Sea Cruise
13. You're Wondering Now
VBR ~264K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
"In The Studio" is a studio album by The Special AKA, released in 1984 on Two-Tone Records and reissued in 2015 on Two-Tone Records.
Tracks:
CD One Original Album
CD Two Extra Special AKA:
1 7" Rhoda Dakar with The Special AKA - The Boiler, released in 1982
2 7" What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend!, released in 1984
3 Rico And The Special AKA – Jungle Music, released in 1982
4-6 Peel Session 12/9/83
7-12 Instrumental.
Tracklisting CD One:
1. Bright Lights
2. Lonely Crowd
3. What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend
4. House Bound
5. Night On The Tiles
6. Nelson Mandela
7. War Crimes
8. Racist Friend
9. Alcohol
10. Break Down The Door
VBR ~267K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
Tracklisting CD Two:
1. The Boiler
2. You Just Can't Get A Break
3. Jungle Music
4. Lonely Crowd
5. Alcohol
6. Bright Lights
7. Break Down The Door
8. Racist Friend
9. War Crimes
10. Theme From The Boiler
11. Bright Lights
12. Nelson Mandela
VBR ~276K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
"BBC Radio 1 Live In Concert" is a live album by The Selecter and The Specials, released in 1992 on Windsong International. Recorded for BBC In Concert Series at the Paris Theatre, London, 5 December 1979.
Tracklisting:
1. The Selecter - Murder
2. The Selecter - Out On The Streets Again
3. The Selecter - The James Bond Theme
4. The Selecter - Carry Go Bring Come
5. The Selecter - Street Feeling
6. The Selecter - Everyday Things Are Getting Worse
7. The Selecter - They Make Me Mad
8. The Selecter - Too Much Pressure
9. The Specials - Dawning Of A New Era
10. The Specials - Do The Dog
11. The Specials - Rat Race
12. The Specials - Blank Expression
13. The Specials - Rude Boys Out Of Jail
14. The Specials - Concrete Jungle
15. The Specials - Too Much Too Young
16. The Specials - Nite Klub
17. The Specials - Gangsters
18. The Specials - Longshot Kicked De Bucket
VBR ~278K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
"Dawning Of A New Era" is a compilation album by The Coventry Automatics AKA The Specials, released in 1993 on Receiver Records Limited.
Tracklisting:
1. Wake Up
2. Nite Klub/Raquel
3. Rock And Roll Nightmare
4. Look But Don't Touch
5. Concrete Jungle
6. It's Up To You
7. Stupid Marriage
8. Blank Expression
9. Too Much Too Young
10. Little Bitch
11. (Dawning Of A) New Era
12. Jay Walker
VBR ~154K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
"BBC Sessions" is a compilation album by The Specials, released in 1998 on EMI.
Tracks:
1-4 In Session With John Peel 29/5/79
5-7 In Session With John Peel 22/10/79 (not 1980, typo in the booklet)
8-10 In Session With John Peel 01/12/80
11-13 In Session With John Peel 12/09/83
14-16 Unknown programme and date; David "Kid" Jensen Session 1980.
Tracklisting:
1. Gangsters
2. Too Much Too Young
3. Concrete Jungle
4. Monkey Man
5. Rude Boys Outa Jail
6. Rat Race
7. The Skinhead Symphony In Three Movements
8. Sea Cruise
9. Stereotype
10. Racquel
11. Alcohol
12. Lonely Crowd
13. Bright Lights
14. Blank Expression
15. You're Wondering Now
16. Friday Night, Saturday Morning
VBR ~240K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
"Stereo-Typical (A's, B's & Rarities)" is a compilation album by The Specials, released in 2000 on EMI.
Tracks Disc 1:
1 7" The Special AKA/The Selecter – Gangsters/The Selecter, released in 1979
2-3 7" A Message To You Rudy, released in 1979
4-6 7" Too Much Too Young, released in 1980
7-8 7" Rat Race, released in 1980
9-10 7" Stereotype, released in 1980
11-12 7" Do Nothing, released in 1980
13-14 7" Braggin' & Tryin' Not To Lie, released in 1980
15-17 7" Ghost Town, released in 1981
18-19 7" Concrete Jungle, released in 1981.
Tracklisting Disc 1:
1. Gangsters
2. A Message To You Rudy
3. Nite Klub
4. Too Much Too Young
5. Guns Of Navarone
6. Skinhead Symphony
7. Rat Race
8. Rude Boys Outa Jail
9. Stereotype
10. International Jet Set
11. Do Nothing
12. Maggie's Farm
13. Braggin' And Tryin' Not To Lie
14. Rude Boys Outa Jail (Version)
15. Ghost Town
16. Why?
17. Friday Night, Saturday Morning
18. Concrete Jungle (Live)
19. Racquel
VBR ~244K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
Tracks Disc 2:
1-2 7" Rhoda Dakar with The Special AKA - The Boiler, released in 1982
3-4 7" Rico And The Special AKA – Jungle Music, released in 1982
5 12" Rico And The Special AKA – Jungle Music, released in 1982
6-7 7" The Special AKA - War Crimes, released in 1982
8-9 7" The Special AKA - Racist Friend, released in 1983
10-11 7" The Special AKA – Nelson Mandela, released in 1984
12-13 7" The Special AKA - What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend!, released in 1984
14 7" The Special AKA - Free Nelson Mandela (Special 70th Birthday Remake), released in 1988
15 7" The Specials/Special Productions – Ghost Town Revisited, released in 1991
16 12" The Specials/Special Productions – Ghost Town Revisited, released in 1991 as Ghost Dub '91 Version.
Tracklisting Disc 2:
1. The Boiler
2. Theme From The Boiler
3. Jungle Music
4. Rasta Call You
5. Easter Island
6. War Crimes (The Crime Remains The Same)
7. War Crimes (The Crime Remains The Same) (Version)
8. Racist Friend
9. Bright Lights
10. Nelson Mandela
11. Break Down The Door
12. What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend
13. Can't Get A Break
14. Nelson Mandela '88
15. Ghost Dub '91
16. Let Us Unite
VBR ~247K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
Tracks Disc 3:
1-2 12" The Specials - Ghost Town, released in 1981
3 10" The Special AKA – War Crimes, released in 1982
4-5 12" The Special AKA - Racist Friend, released in 1983
6-7 12" The Special AKA – Nelson Mandela, released in 1984
8-9 12" The Special AKA – What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend!, released in 1984
10 12" The Special AKA – Free Nelson Mandela (The Whole World Is Watching Dance Mix), released in 1988
11 12" The Specials/Special Productions – Ghost Town Revisited, released in 1991.
Tracklisting Disc 3:
1. Ghost Town (Extended Version)
2. Why?
3. War Crimes (The Crime Remains The Same)
4. Racist Friend (Instrumental)
5. Bright Lights (Instrumental)
6. Nelson Mandela
7. Break Down The Door
8. What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend
9. Can't Get A Break
10. Nelson Mandela '88
11. Ghost Dub '91/Let Us Unite
VBR ~239K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
