Usually credited as The Special AKA.
Jerry Dammers Keyboards Read Full Bio ↴Usually credited as The Special AKA.
Jerry Dammers Keyboards
John Bradbury Drums
John Shipley Guitar
Gary McManus Bass
Rhoda Dakar Vocals
Egidio Newton Vocals
By October 1981, constant touring and differences over musical direction saw The Specials original lineup split. Terry Hall , Neville Staples and Lynval Golding departed to form Fun Boy Three , and Roddy Radiation going his own way. Jerry Dammers wanted to continue as The Specials, but legal wrangling forced him to revert to the original moniker of The Special AKA. The remaining members went on tour around Germany backing Rico.
Dammers being the perfectionist he is, spent the next three years putting together an album. 'In The Studio' eventually emerged in 1984 to high critial acclaim, but sales were no where near enough to recoup Chrysalis investment in the record, rumoured to be over £ 200,000 pounds, leaving Dammers in a hell of a lot of debt with Chrysalis when it failed to sell as hoped.
'What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend' became Dammers last record on the label he set up (The JB's Allstar's "Alphabet Army" became the last 2-Tone release in '85). Dammers then turned to politics full time, getting involved with Artists Against Apartheid and Red Wedge. It was Dammers who was primarily behind the 1988 Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday concert at Wembley featuring Stevie Wonder, Dire Straits, Whitney Houston and Simple Minds. Two years later the event was repeated at Wembley with Mandela now free and able to attend.
Jerry Dammers Keyboards
Jerry Dammers Keyboards
John Bradbury Drums
John Shipley Guitar
Gary McManus Bass
Rhoda Dakar Vocals
Egidio Newton Vocals
By October 1981, constant touring and differences over musical direction saw The Specials original lineup split. Terry Hall , Neville Staples and Lynval Golding departed to form Fun Boy Three , and Roddy Radiation going his own way. Jerry Dammers wanted to continue as The Specials, but legal wrangling forced him to revert to the original moniker of The Special AKA. The remaining members went on tour around Germany backing Rico.
Dammers being the perfectionist he is, spent the next three years putting together an album. 'In The Studio' eventually emerged in 1984 to high critial acclaim, but sales were no where near enough to recoup Chrysalis investment in the record, rumoured to be over £ 200,000 pounds, leaving Dammers in a hell of a lot of debt with Chrysalis when it failed to sell as hoped.
'What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend' became Dammers last record on the label he set up (The JB's Allstar's "Alphabet Army" became the last 2-Tone release in '85). Dammers then turned to politics full time, getting involved with Artists Against Apartheid and Red Wedge. It was Dammers who was primarily behind the 1988 Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday concert at Wembley featuring Stevie Wonder, Dire Straits, Whitney Houston and Simple Minds. Two years later the event was repeated at Wembley with Mandela now free and able to attend.
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In the Studio
The Special A.K.A. Lyrics
Alcohol An icy wind blows through the door You feel like…
Break Down the Door For too long, i have lived in a trap built…
Bright Lights The bright lights, the bright lights, the bright lights Th…
Girlfriend Hello and how are you and how do you do? And…
House Bound Looking at the world, through lace curtains Would they lik…
Lonely Crowd Put out my cigarette And switch off the TV set This is…
Nelson Mandela Free Nelson Mandela Free, Free, Free, Nelson Mandela Free Ne…
Night on the Tiles Free me from this prison, just for a while Let me…
Racist Friend If you have a racist friend Now is the time, now…
War Crimes Bombs to settle arguments, the order of the boot Can you…