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!