THE SPECIALS – GHOST TOWN 7″ EP – EXC+ UK 1981 SKA PUNK 2 TONE

The Specials – Ghost Town
(2-Tone Records  1981  TT17)
UK Pressing – Silver Labels

Vinyl in Excellent+ condition
(there are some surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality apart from some light pops/crackles, mainly at the very start – Side 2 is a bit cracklier)

Flipback Sleeve in Excellent condition
– wear and crease along opening edge

The Specials, also known as The Special AKA, are an English 2 Tone and ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry. Their music combines a “danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk’s energy and attitude”, and had a “more focused and informed political and social stance” than other ska groups. The band wore mod-style “1960s period rude boy outfits (pork pie hats, tonic and mohair suits, and loafers).” In 1980, the song “Too Much Too Young”, the lead track on their The Special AKA Live! EP, reached number one in the UK. In 1981, the unemployment-themed single “Ghost Town” also hit number one in the UK Singles Chart.

After seven consecutive UK Top 10 singles between 1979 and 1981, several members of the group abruptly left to form the Fun Boy Three. Continuing on as “The Special AKA” (a name they used frequently on earlier Specials releases), a substantially revised Specials line-up issued new material through 1984, including the top 10 UK hit single “Free Nelson Mandela”. Afterwards, founder and songwriter Jerry Dammers dissolved the band and pursued political activism.

The group reformed in 1993, and have continued to perform and record with varying line-ups (but without Dammers).

“Ghost Town” is a song by the British 2 Tone band The Specials, released on 12 June 1981. The song spent three weeks at number one and 10 weeks in total in the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart. Addressing themes of urban decay, deindustrialisation, unemployment and violence in inner cities, the song is remembered for being a hit at the same time as riots were occurring in British cities. Internal tensions within the band were also coming to a head when the single was being recorded, resulting in the song being the last single recorded by the original seven members of the group before splitting up. However, the song was hailed by the contemporary UK music press as a major piece of popular social commentary, and all three of the major UK music magazines of the time awarded “Ghost Town” the accolade of “Single of the Year” for 1981.

Track listing

Personnel

The Specials

• John Bradbury – drums
• Roddy Radiation – guitar
• Jerry Dammers – keyboards, backing vocals
• Lynval Golding – guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on “Why?”
• Terry Hall – lead vocals, backing vocals
• Horace Panter – bass
• Neville Staple – vocals

Additional personnel

• Dick Cuthell – flugelhorn
• Paul Heskett – flute
• Rico Rodriguez – trombone