Ska Revival
September 1979. England. The Prince by
Madness had entered the British charts on September 1. The Specials
were riding high in the Top 10 with Gangsters. Those hot, hot
summer holidays were over and the standard school uniform of black and
white was about to take on a whole new meaning.
Pocket
money was spent on 2 Tone badges and scarves. Ties were worn
narrow-side out and uniforms were altered to include stove-pipe pants,
white socks and penny loafers. 2 Tone was taking over . . .
Taking Berry Gordy's Motown as the blueprint and
"with an agenda for social change resulting in racial
harmony", The Specials' organist and chief songwriter Jerry
Dammers set up 2 Tone records and had The Specials rubber stamping
5,000 plain paper sleeves for their debut single in bassist Horace
Panter's bedroom a mere five moths earlier. Only three months later
the ska movement in the UK had become a monster.
Top Of The Pops
was invaded by
Madness, The Specials and The
Selecter,
and five months later Jerry Dammers declared "2 Tone has become a
monster". Its success (five Top 10 hits including The Specials'
first Number One with the live EP featuring Too Much Too Young)
had taken its toll.
Pork pie hats, crombies, rolled-up drainpipes,
DMs, wraparound shades, skinny ties, Harrington jackets and white
socks . . . that's style!
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