The Specials
The Specials (also known as The Special AKA) is an English “2 Tone” ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a danceable ska beat with punk’s energy, underpinned by an informed political and social stance.
The group was formed by songwriter/keyboardist Jerry Dammers, with Terry Hall (vocals), Lynval Golding (guitar, vocals) and a rhythm section featuring Horace Panter (bass) and John Bradbury (drums; born 16 February 1953, died 28 December 2015). Read Full BioThe Specials (also known as The Special AKA) is an English “2 Tone” ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a danceable ska beat with punk’s energy, underpinned by an informed political and social stance.
The group was formed by songwriter/keyboardist Jerry Dammers, with Terry Hall (vocals), Lynval Golding (guitar, vocals) and a rhythm section featuring Horace Panter (bass) and John Bradbury (drums; born 16 February 1953, died 28 December 2015). The band wore mod-style 1960s period "rude boy" outfits (pork pie hats, mohair suits, and loafers). In 1980, their 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, the band broke up in 1984. A version of the band reformed from 1994-2001. In 2008, the band reformed again and, in2009, embarked on a 30th anniversary tour. In 2010, they toured America and Europe. In 2011 they again touring the UK.
In 1979, their debut LP hit the shelves and quickly soared into the UK Top Five. The album was produced by Elvis Costello and was released under founding member, Jerry Dammer's record label 2 Tone Records.
Following the success of their debut album, Specials, their second and final album, More Specials was released. This expanded the group's 2 tone sound to include lounge music and other influences.
After two albums and a string of very successful singles the band called it quits in 1984. The bands members moved onto their other musical projects. In 1994 they toured with the original line-up without Terry Hall and Jerry Dammers. Roddy sang Terry's parts. The line-up changed in 1996. The band split again in 2001.
In 2008, The Specials officially announced that they would reform and embark on a 30th Anniversary Tour in 2009. The founding member, Jerry Dammers was not part of the reformed Specials and relationships between him and the rest of the band have remained sore, particularly on Dammers' side of things.
In January 2013, the Specials announced the departure of Neville Staple. In February 2014 it was revealed that another original member, Roddy Radiation, had left the reformed group. In spite of this, the Specials played an extensive tour in the autumn of 2014 with Steve Cradock as lead guitarist.
www.thespecials.com
The group was formed by songwriter/keyboardist Jerry Dammers, with Terry Hall (vocals), Lynval Golding (guitar, vocals) and a rhythm section featuring Horace Panter (bass) and John Bradbury (drums; born 16 February 1953, died 28 December 2015). Read Full BioThe Specials (also known as The Special AKA) is an English “2 Tone” ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a danceable ska beat with punk’s energy, underpinned by an informed political and social stance.
The group was formed by songwriter/keyboardist Jerry Dammers, with Terry Hall (vocals), Lynval Golding (guitar, vocals) and a rhythm section featuring Horace Panter (bass) and John Bradbury (drums; born 16 February 1953, died 28 December 2015). The band wore mod-style 1960s period "rude boy" outfits (pork pie hats, mohair suits, and loafers). In 1980, their 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, the band broke up in 1984. A version of the band reformed from 1994-2001. In 2008, the band reformed again and, in2009, embarked on a 30th anniversary tour. In 2010, they toured America and Europe. In 2011 they again touring the UK.
In 1979, their debut LP hit the shelves and quickly soared into the UK Top Five. The album was produced by Elvis Costello and was released under founding member, Jerry Dammer's record label 2 Tone Records.
Following the success of their debut album, Specials, their second and final album, More Specials was released. This expanded the group's 2 tone sound to include lounge music and other influences.
After two albums and a string of very successful singles the band called it quits in 1984. The bands members moved onto their other musical projects. In 1994 they toured with the original line-up without Terry Hall and Jerry Dammers. Roddy sang Terry's parts. The line-up changed in 1996. The band split again in 2001.
In 2008, The Specials officially announced that they would reform and embark on a 30th Anniversary Tour in 2009. The founding member, Jerry Dammers was not part of the reformed Specials and relationships between him and the rest of the band have remained sore, particularly on Dammers' side of things.
In January 2013, the Specials announced the departure of Neville Staple. In February 2014 it was revealed that another original member, Roddy Radiation, had left the reformed group. In spite of this, the Specials played an extensive tour in the autumn of 2014 with Steve Cradock as lead guitarist.
www.thespecials.com
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
Ghost Town
The Specials 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 floor
Do you remember the good old days before the ghost town?
We danced and sang and the music played in natty-boom town
This town is coming like a ghost town
Why must the youth fight against itself?
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 angry
This 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 town
This 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 town
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Jerry Dammers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them
Christopher McLaughlin
Dated?
Regardless of Political
Social, Economic
Relevance
This Song was Unique
Then and is Now.
The
Arrangement , Orchestration,
Lyrics and The Haunting Tone
Alone
Provide So much more Than
a Market Variety 3 + minutes song.
Great Cut.
IvoK
@Clare Nava song:
-any city is a ghost town just before sunrise and in the night, and with cameras pointing high to the buildings... it's easy to frame
-"too much fighting on the dance floor"
well yeah, more people out of work=more fights=more closed clubs?
economy: "closed down industry"
you know, if it was anything simillar as today, when railroad workers strike DURING the recession, maybe it should of been closed down. but it wasn't. not even mines.
this is some sort of modern spoilage, where you can't see yourself with 0.0001% lower salary, no matter if whole world is starving: unions surely can be nonsensical, after their reasonable beginnings in 19th century....
Wikipedia talks of 23% economic growth during Thatcher, so...it wasn't that bad.
another issue might be called scapegoating, something humans excel at at any place of the globe: it's convenient to blame government even if you can't really prove anything: issue is the following;
can you have prosperity while most of the world around you is at recession?
blaming Biden today is just like blaming Thatcher yesterday.
you cannot say that other political option would result in something better. but i can say it probably wouldn't, as some things are just impossible, during recession.
btw. i have no special liking of either of those 2, not my time and/or place, i'm just saying Western governments are not Boogeyman trying to destroy their folk like opposite political options try to represent them.
after a certain level of progress is reached, left and right politics don't mean/differ much: today's uk right is much more left than many countries' left.
anybody cutting unemployment benefits?
so there you have it: injecting some relativity in blaming governments for everything bad happening in the world.
The Specials
More music from The Specials: https://TheSpecials.lnk.to/Listen
Dejan Weaver
Me
Lockwood
listen since the eighties
never give up
Jack Molloy
@Franco Meola Philip john davenports
Franco Meola
Deadly brother One Love from Nimbin Australia
Jack Molloy
God Birmingham is a shit hole
Remchaill
This plays in my head every time a waiter asks me if I'd like to hear the specials.
Treasure Forever
Epic
C H
😁
Milky🥊
La La lalalalalwlhahahala