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The Specials


pilsburydoughboy
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I read today that the lead singer,Terry Hall is a Manc Fan.I find this hard to believe as Cov ran out to message to you rudy to celebrate the 25th anniverisary(sp) of two tone against saints.

 

Well he certainly had connections with/in Manchester. Formed a group there after The Specials/Fun Boy Three broke up. Can't remember the name though I seem to recall they had a few top 20 hits.

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I met Terry Hall a few times when he was in The Specials. He was a bit of a volatile character back then. I always thought he was going to nut me.

 

Mind you, back in the days of the Fun Boy Three, I once spent a splendid evening in the company of Terry and Keren and Sara from Bananarama.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITWZ7wOTojA

 

Sadly or otherwise I still remember all the words though I guess the lyrics aren't particularly profound !!

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A few months ago I had the pleasure of seeing Rankin Roger (The Beat), Neville Staples(The Specials) and Pauline Black(The Selector) backed by a very good band here in Dubai.

 

Each did a session of their groups hits and then all on stage for a few encores. Twas a very good night indeed and boy did my legs ache the next morning from all the bopping about :D

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A few months ago I had the pleasure of seeing Rankin Roger (The Beat), Neville Staples(The Specials) and Pauline Black(The Selector) backed by a very good band here in Dubai.

 

Each did a session of their groups hits and then all on stage for a few encores. Twas a very good night indeed and boy did my legs ache the next morning from all the bopping about :D

 

Unfortunately that tends to be the case as you grow older ;) Pauline Black is fantastic. I always loved "On My Radio" and then a few years ago the Selecter released a new version which was even better !

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Utter garbage. I hated the pseudo angst set to a reggae beat. You'll be telling me that UB40 were good next.

 

Well any band that has over 50 hit singles in the UK alone as well as success in USA, Canada, New Zealand and most of Europe must have one or two fans. Of course music is a matter of taste and as is shown only too well on any music thread those that post on what they are listening to etc; clearly chose the most obscure group that springs to mind and come across as utterly pretentious. So whilst UB40 don't compare for me to the 2 tone groups mentioned yes they clearly are a very good band so please leave our thread alone Ponty, you are not wanted ;)

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I met Terry Hall a few times when he was in The Specials. He was a bit of a volatile character back then. I always thought he was going to nut me.

 

Mind you, back in the days of the Fun Boy Three, I once spent a splendid evening in the company of Terry and Keren and Sara from Bananarama.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITWZ7wOTojA

 

Keren Woodward got me through those difficult teenage years :rolleyes:;)

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Hackney in July!? Wasn't aware of that one. Roll on the 17th July.........if I can still get tickets :(

There are some left

 

http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/event/22004192B3425A7D

 

The Pogues, The Aggrolites, and Man Like Me, are with Madness on the main stage. Bjorn Again :o, Gregory Isaacs, Hayseed Dixie, and Scarlett and Viva will play the second stage.

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I agree with Ponty. I'd much rather listen to Buckcherry.

 

Well since your opinion is worthless then it doesn't matter who you agree with though since it is Ponty that doesn't surprise me, reprobates the pair of you ;) Thought you'd more likely be out making a pest of yourself in Watford TBH !!

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Keren Woodward got me through those difficult teenage years :rolleyes:;)

 

Yeah, Keren was always my favourite. Muchly.

 

After our brief liason, next thing I knew off she went and married that Andrew Ridgeley character.

 

Tsk.

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The first couple of UB40 albums are cracking.

 

UB40 - The most successful covers band in hiostory. Their first single - One in Ten - was a protest song about the level of unemployment in the 1980s, and was actually very good. Then they decided they weren't going to bother writing their own songs any more and would just do dinner-party-reggae-light versions of classic songs instead, and they went seriously downhill after that.

 

To compare them to The Specials (Ponty) is beyond contemptible. Shame on you.

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UB40 - The most successful covers band in hiostory. Their first single - One in Ten - was a protest song about the level of unemployment in the 1980s, and was actually very good. Then they decided they weren't going to bother writing their own songs any more and would just do dinner-party-reggae-light versions of classic songs instead, and they went seriously downhill after that.

 

To compare them to The Specials (Ponty) is beyond contemptible. Shame on you.

 

Wasn't the name an unemployment form...

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UB40 - The most successful covers band in hiostory. Their first single - One in Ten - was a protest song about the level of unemployment in the 1980s, and was actually very good. Then they decided they weren't going to bother writing their own songs any more and would just do dinner-party-reggae-light versions of classic songs instead, and they went seriously downhill after that.

 

To compare them to The Specials (Ponty) is beyond contemptible. Shame on you.

 

'King/Food for thought' was UB40's first single. 'One in Ten' their 5th.

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They are the only thing to come out of Cov. Top band BTW.

 

Lady Godiva and the Austin Princess/Ambassador?

 

Also, who would win a poll between Sonny and Cher's version and UB$) with Chrissie Hind's I Got You Babe? I am always dissappointed when drunkenly karaokeing and finding they only have the latter crap version available.

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'King/Food for thought' was UB40's first single. 'One in Ten' their 5th.

 

Really? My memory really isn't what it used to be! :(

 

Anyway, the point I made is still valid... Their early stuff that they wrote themselves was actually alright (King was a decent song as well), but they lost any credibility when they started doing nothing but covers.

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Utter garbage. I hated the pseudo angst set to a reggae beat. You'll be telling me that UB40 were good next.

 

First appeared against a backdrop of Thatchers Britain The Specials were a voice against racial hatred,unemployment,crime and racisim.Given the rise of the BNP in recent times how apt that the Specials have reformed.

UB40 are complete ****e.

Get down the Eagle after a home game for a Specials get together you will love it.

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TBH I'm not sure apart from the obvious fact they were a reggae band what UB40 have to do with Ska as I would never classify them as a Ska band. That said I agree some of their early stuff was good but when they resorted to only doing cover versions then I lost interest in them. Off the top of my head I'd say the following were Ska bands though I'm sure there will be more I have forgotten:

Specials

Selecter

The Beat

Madness

Bad Manners

The Bodysnatchers ( Rhoda Dakar)

The Swinging Cats

Fun Boy Three ( albeit a far more "pop music" style)

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First appeared against a backdrop of Thatchers Britain The Specials were a voice against racial hatred,unemployment,crime and racisim.Given the rise of the BNP in recent times how apt that the Specials have reformed.

UB40 are complete ****e.

Get down the Eagle after a home game for a Specials get together you will love it.

 

Yes, I think The Specials were probably the most serious of the 80's Ska bands compared to the more tongue in cheek stuff of say Bad Manners and Madness. That said The Beat did some stuff which had a serious message such as "Stand Down Margaret" And "Get a Job" though my favourite tracks would definitely be "Mirror in The Bathroom" and "Hands Off She's Mine" which I think were two of their earlier hits. I also loved their cover of "Tears of a Clown" which was comparable to the Smokey Robinson and The Miracles original.

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my favourite tracks would definitely be "Mirror in The Bathroom" and "Hands Off She's Mine" which I think were two of their earlier hits. I also loved their cover of "Tears of a Clown" which was comparable to the Smokey Robinson and The Miracles original.

 

Good shout, liningb them up right now on Spotify. Cheers.

 

Rankin' Full Stop, another cracker.

 

Just found teh Andy Williams cover they did 'Can't Get Used To Losing You', what a great sound.

Edited by hamster
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Good shout, liningb them up right now on Spotify. Cheers.

 

Rankin' Full Stop, another cracker.

 

Just found teh Andy Williams cover they did 'Can't Get Used To Losing You', what a great sound.

 

Oddly enough I was just watching videos of a few of their songs on Youtube, glad to be of service ;)

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UB40 - The most successful covers band in hiostory. Their first single - One in Ten - was a protest song about the level of unemployment in the 1980s, and was actually very good. Then they decided they weren't going to bother writing their own songs any more and would just do dinner-party-reggae-light versions of classic songs instead, and they went seriously downhill after that.

 

To compare them to The Specials (Ponty) is beyond contemptible. Shame on you.

 

That's a pretty shorn down history. 'Signing Off' and 'Present Arms' are both top examples of UK Reggae. 'Present Arms In Dub' is pretty decent too. They did go dramtically cobblers once they got a bit of success, but lots of bands do.

 

I could use this space to make a case for early Aswad too, but I'd probably get laughed off the thread :)

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That's a pretty shorn down history. 'Signing Off' and 'Present Arms' are both top examples of UK Reggae. 'Present Arms In Dub' is pretty decent too. They did go dramtically cobblers once they got a bit of success, but lots of bands do.

 

I could use this space to make a case for early Aswad too, but I'd probably get laughed off the thread :)

 

Labour of Love? Good title, only chose that as 'Money for Nothing' had already been used imo. Lazy Brummies. Having said that, I do kinda like Homely Girl.

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Labour of Love? Good title, only chose that as 'Money for Nothing' had already been used imo. Lazy Brummies. Having said that, I do kinda like Homely Girl.

 

 

You'll notice I'm not trying to make excuses for their **** covers records, just their first couple of albums.

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