Follow on TwitterMUSIC Video: The Specials – ‘Ghost Town’ Reflects A Period Of Economic Unrest, That Has Come Full Circle
In 1981, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s neoliberal policies — marked by austerity, deregulation, union-busting, and privatization — pummeled the economy with an 11.3% unemployment rate, and riots erupted literally everywhere in the UK, spreading from city to city, town to town.
This was the political climate in which The Specials released their amazing 3-song EP, with ‘Ghost Town’ as its single. With two albums under their belt — an absolutely incredible self-titled debut LP, and a remarkable follow up, More Specials; both infusing upbeat Jamaican Ska with the raw energy of punk — the band allowed its sound to evolve with ‘Ghost Town‘.
The song injects a subdued, haunting, almost middle-eastern melody with sparse, dark, post-apocalyptic lyrics, evoking the surreal imagery of a downtrodden urban wasteland.
Jerry Dammers reveals his inspiration for writing the song:
There was a riot in Brixton about a year before the record came out. I was writing the song partly about that. Also, Britain was falling apart. The car industry was closing down in Coventry. We were touring, so we saw a lot of it. Liverpool and Glasgow were particularly bad. The overall sense I wanted to convey was impending doom.
It remained #1 in the charts for three weeks, having charted the very day after riots began to spread, making the song something of an anthem for that era. But, listening to the lyrics, you might think they were singing about 2012.
Ghost Town:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WhhSBgd3KI[/youtube]
LYRICS:
This town, is coming like a ghost town
All the clubs have been closed down
This place, is coming like a ghost town
Bands won’t play no more
too much fighting on the dance floorDo you remember the good old days before the ghost town?
We danced and sang, and the music played in a de boomtownThis town, is coming like a ghost town
Why must the youth fight against themselves?
Government leaving the youth on the shelf
This place, is coming like a ghost town
No job to be found in this country
Can’t go on no more
The people getting angryThis town, is coming like a ghost town
This town, is coming like a ghost town
This town, is coming like a ghost town
This town, is coming like a ghost townby Jerry Dammers/2 Tone Records
Music VIDEO: Ian Brown – F.E.A.R.
I adored the Stone Roses when they released their self-titled album on Silvertone Records in the late 80s, and was fortunate enough to finally see them perform live, in support of their second album, Second Coming, at Webster Hall in NYC (May 22, 1995).
The Roses split shortly after that tour, and lead singer Ian Brown set out, solo, in a fresh new direction, assembling crafty electronic dance rhythms with soulful memorable melodies.
Over the course of fifteen years and eight albums, he has put together a rather impressive catalog of amazing songs. Here is one from his third LP, Music of the Spheres, called “F.E.A.R.” Inspired by The Autobiography of Malcolm X, each verse of the song forms the acrostic F.E.A.R.
LYRICS:
For each a road
For everyman a religion
Find everybody and rule
For everything and rumble
Forget everything and remember
For everything a reason
Forgive everybody and rememberFor each a road
For everyman a religion
Face everybody and rule
For everything and rumble
Forget everything and remember
For everything a reasonYou got the fear
F.E.A.R. (You got the fear)Final eternity arouses reactions
Freeing excellence affects reality
Fallen empires are ruling
Find earth and reapFantastic expectations
Amazing revelations
Final execution and resurrection
Free expression as revolution
Finding everything and realizing
The F.E.A.R. video was shot on the streets of Soho and Chinatown, in London, England, on what was rumored to be a $300 budget.
ENJOY!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f8wAXDZ9D0[/youtube]
Music VIDEO: General Public Performs ‘Rainy Days’
When The English Beat disbanded in 1983, the group’s singer/songwriter Dave Wakeling and toaster Ranking Roger continued to work together, but as a new entity: General Public.
Their first album, …All The Rage (which featured The Clash’s Mick Jones, The Specials’ Horace Panter, and Dexy’s Midnight Runners members Mickey Billingham and Stoker) enjoyed critical acclaim, climbing the charts in both the U.S. and the U.K.
The second single from that album — and one of the most well-recognized songs of the 80s — “Tenderness,” rose to #27 in the U.S. charts and was featured in films: Sixteen Candles (1984), Weird Science (1985), and Clueless (1995). Other well-received singles from the album, included “Never You Done That” and “Hot You’re Cool.”
Off the success of …All The Rage, the band won the prestigious Juno award in Canada for 1984’s Best New Artist.
The band split-up shortly after their second album, Hand to Mouth, which spawned two memorable singles, but proved to be far less successful than their debut LP.
In 1995, while Dave was working for Greenpeace, long-time fan and friend Elvis Costello gave Dave Wakeling an earful in front of 18 other Greenpeacers, telling him: “All this Greenpeace stuff, and this anti-Apartheid stuff, that’s all well and good, but you know your place is on the stage, and you know that!” Costello’s words apparently had some affect, because two weeks later Dave rejoined with Roger as General Public to begin work on their third, and arguably strongest, album-to-date, Rub It Better.
For the new album, Wakeling and Roger brought in their old English Beat comrade Saxa (on Saxophone), as well as Birmingham reggae singer and toaster Pato Banton (who’d worked previously w/ the English Beat on Special Beat Service). Other guests included Mick Jones, Chris Spedding, and ex-General Public members Horace Panter and Stoker. Produced by Talking Heads keyboardist Jerry Harrison, the album is a perfect blend of soul, ska, dancehall, pop, and contemporary rock.
Despite receiving a 5-star rating from Rolling Stone Magazine and becoming an instant Beat/GP-fan favorite, Epic Records somehow dropped the ball on promoting this amazing album, resulting in lackluster sales. Roger eventually grew tired of traveling back and forth between England and America (where Wakeling had earlier relocated) and the band, once again, called it quits.
Dave Wakeling is now touring the world as The English Beat, with plans to go into the studio to record two new albums. Ranking Roger can also be seen touring the U.K. as The Beat.
I have had the pleasure of seeing Dave Wakeling’s The English Beat on several occasions, which go down as some of my all-time favorite live performances (and I have seen A LOT over the years). His set includes many of the fabulous songs from both The English Beat and General Public. He is truly one of the most gifted (and underrated) songwriters/singers/guitarists/performers of our time.
From General Public’s Rub It Better, here is the effervescent “Rainy Days,” with Roger at the mic:
ENJOY!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40BWxhUAwHc[/youtube]
VIDEO: The Kinks – Waterloo Sunset
One of my all-time favorite Kinks songs. And what amazing video quality for such early footage! [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M8hrmGQOHk[/youtube]
LISTEN: New Paul Weller Single ‘Starlite’ Evokes The Spirit of The Style Council
Last Tuesday, Paul Weller released a new standalone single, Starlite, which will surely delight his longstanding Style Council fans. For the first time in 20 years, Weller recaptures that soulful dance spirit that made The Style Council stand apart from both his earlier The Jam material as well as his later solo work. Here’s how […]
MUSIC VIDEO: Saint Etienne – ‘Nothing Can Stop Us Now’ – 1991
This British trio has managed to successfully infuse amazing modern dance club music with the spirit of 1963 over a period that spans twenty years. I was fortunate enough to have seen them play their very first US performance in New York City (with Grant Lee Buffalo and American Music Club) at the Manhattan Center […]
Watch: Paul Weller Performs One Of His Best Hits, “Wild Wood,” Live
Paul Weller does an incredible live version of his amazing single, “Wild Wood.” Enjoy!:
Watch: Paul Weller Covers Sister Sledge’s “Thinking of You”
Probably no artist has left as big a mark on my adolescent years as Paul Weller. From huge Jam fan / Style Council fan — to playing in bands heavily influenced by his writing. There’s probably millions of those who share similar stories as mine across the Atlantic, but over here in America, I’d guess […]
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