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The Selecter are a British ska revival band from Coventry, formed in the late 1970s as one of the essential bands of the British ska movement.
Much of what set apart The Selecter from many of the other ska bands at the time was the voice of Pauline Black. She had to disguise herself as a man in order for the band to get gigs, but once they did, there was no disguising her voice. Like other ska bands of this movement, The Selecter featured a racially mixed line up, and songs about violence, politics, marijuana, a fictional spy's theme song, James Bond, and reggae classics. The name of the band is a reference to the Jamaican word for a music selecter, known elsewhere as the DJ. Also typical to the style is the mix of one vocalist singing, and the other toasting in a Jamaican style, a precursor to rapping.
The Selecter's first recording Too Much Pressure was recorded at the end of 1979 and beginning of 1980 and issued on the pre-eminent 2 Tone/Chrysalis label. Their second recording Celebrate the Bullet was issued in 1981. Though the band has continued to regroup and reform on and off, most of the many recordings available are recompiled selections from these first two albums, either live or studio recordings. The Selecter's first two albums are essential British ska recordings.
Pauline Black has been the singer in The Selecter since its formation in 1979 when the band spearheaded the Two Tone movement alongside The Specials releasing the singles "The Selecter", "Three Minute Hero", "The Whisper", "Missing Words" and "On My Radio" as well as two albums; "Too Much Pressure" and "Celebrate The Bullet". The Selecter were also featured in the cult film Dance Craze. The band split in 1982, Pauline carved out a career in TV and theatre, appearing in dramas like The Vice, The Bill, Hearts and Minds and 2000 Acres of Sky. She won the 1991 Time Out award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in the play All or Nothing At All and starred next to Christopher Lee in the schlock horror film The Funny Man. She reformed The Selecter in 1991 and has released several new albums and has toured all over the world.
Nick Welsh is probably best known for being the bassist in The Selecter and formerly Bad Manners but he has worked with some of the biggest names in Ska and Reggae, Prince Buster, Laurel Aitken, Rico Rodriguez, Dave Barker and most recently Lee "Scratch" Perry with whom he received a Grammy Award Certificate for his work on the CD Jamaican ET which won The Best Reggae Category in 2002. Nick also writes music for TV which has been used world-wide on shows as diverse as WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), The Osbournes and even adverts for Ariel soap powder.
Neol Davies the founder and writer of the classic hits returns with a brand new band in 2010.
neoldaviesakatheselecter plays the mainstage at Bestival 2011 with new album and remixes.
Original line-up
Pauline Black : vocals
Compton Amanor: guitar
Charley Anderson: bass guitar
Charley Bembridge: drums
Desmond Brown: Hammond keyboard
Neol Davies: guitar
Arthur Hendrickson: vocals
Anderson and Brown left The Selecter in 1980. They were replaced by James Mackie: Hammond organ and Adam Williams: bass guitar
Reformed line-up: 1991
Pauline Black: vocals
Neol Davies: guitar
Arthur 'Gaps' Hendrickson - vocals
Martin Stewart: keyboards
Nick Welsh : bass
Perry Melius : drums
The Selecter 2010 lineup includes
Founder and songwriter Neol Davies- vocals/guitars
Lead Vocals- John Gibbons
Daniel Crosby- Drums
Andre Buyani- Bass
Tim Cansfield- Guitar
Victor Travino- Congas & Percussion
Dean Ross- Hammond Organ
Selecter Horns
Bristol And Miami
The Selecter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Water in he vinegar and it never changes to wine
Causing no fuss just smoking inside
Heavy light bursts in and the shadows rush to hide
Then Bristol caught fire
Smell of burning in the air
Everybody listening to the reggae jukebox singer singing
Sing on, sing on
Listen to the echo of the street
Sing on, sing on
Listen to the echo of the street
Four thousand miles to the west
People only take so much
When surrounded by the best they want to reach out and touch
Miami beach hot and lazy
Sun a yellow ball of light
Hiding invisible men living in a world of white
Bristol and Miami
Where's it gonna be tomorrow
Anytime, anywhere
It's only time we borrow
Sun beat down, hot heavy afternoon
Hurricane swept the town, and didn't finish so soon
Black smiles thrown in the dust
Replaced by anger
White grins begin to rust when
They're looking in the face of danger
Then Miami caught fire
Smell of burning in the air
Everybody listening to the reggae jukebox singer singing
Sing on, sing on
Listen to the echo of the street
Sing on, sing on
Listen to the echo of the street
Black man singing in the heat of the night
Broken dreams just fly away
Everybody listening to the reggae jukebox singer singing
Sing on, sing on
Listen to the echo of the street
Sing on, sing on
Listen to the echo of the street
Black man singing in the heat of the night
Broken dreams just fly away
The song "Bristol and Miami" by The Selecter is a commentary on the social and political injustices that were occurring in both Bristol, England and Miami, USA, during the time the song was written. The lyrics paint a picture of two very different cities - Bristol depicted as a gritty, working-class city with an active reggae scene, and Miami, a laid-back beach town with a dark history of racial inequality. The song speaks to the struggles faced by people in both cities, who are trying to make a better life for themselves in a world that can be cruel and unfair.
The lyrics of the song are filled with powerful imagery, such as the "cafe on the corner with a peeling painted sign" and "heavy light bursts in and the shadows rush to hide." The juxtaposition of the vibrant reggae music with the bleak surroundings of the Bristol cafe creates a sense of hope amidst the despair. The same can be said for the Miami Beach scene, with its beautiful sun and sand but also the "invisible men living in a world of white."
The chorus of the song, "Sing on, sing on, listen to the echo of the street," emphasizes the importance of community and the power of music to bring people together in the face of adversity. The repeated references to a "reggae jukebox singer" suggest that reggae music is a unifying force that can bridge the gap between different cultures and backgrounds.
Line by Line Meaning
Cafe on the corner peeling painted sign
There's a cafe on the street corner with a sign that's peeling and faded.
Water in the vinegar and it never changes to wine
The vinegar is diluted with water and it can never turn into wine, no matter how long it's kept.
Causing no fuss just smoking inside
People are smoking casually inside the cafe without causing any disturbance.
Heavy light bursts in and the shadows rush to hide
When bright light enters the dimly lit cafe, shadows disappear quickly.
Then Bristol caught fire
Something happened in Bristol that caused chaos and unrest.
Smell of burning in the air
There's a noticeable odor of something burning.
Everybody listening to the reggae jukebox singer singing
People are united in listening to a reggae jukebox singer perform.
Four thousand miles to the west
There's a distance of four thousand miles to the west from Bristol.
People only take so much
People can only bear so much before they break down.
When surrounded by the best they want to reach out and touch
When people are surrounded by greatness, they feel compelled to be a part of it.
Miami beach hot and lazy
Miami's beach is warm and relaxed.
Sun a yellow ball of light
The sun is a bright, yellow sphere of light.
Hiding invisible men living in a world of white
There are unseen people living in a world of white, possibly referring to the privileged class.
Where's it gonna be tomorrow
The future is uncertain and unpredictable.
Anytime, anywhere
Anything can happen at any time or place.
It's only time we borrow
We can only borrow time and never truly own it.
Hurricane swept the town, and didn't finish so soon
The hurricane that hit caused widespread destruction and lasted a long time.
Black smiles thrown in the dust
Joyful expressions were wiped off people's faces and trampled in the dust.
Replaced by anger
The happiness was replaced by anger.
White grins begin to rust when
Even the happy expressions of white people start to fade away when...
They're looking in the face of danger
...they're faced with imminent danger or threats.
Black man singing in the heat of the night
A black man is singing in the night, possibly conveying a deeper message.
Broken dreams just fly away
People's dreams are shattered and blown away without any hope of being fulfilled.
Contributed by Kaelyn M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kevin Carlson
Those drums and chorus at the end could raise the Titanic.Wish I could play it on loop somehow.I just finished Paulilne Black's memoirs,Black By Design,what a woman.
Nick morrell
Wow. .never heard this before ..I admit I don't know the selector inside out .only heard a few tunes .but I love all of them ..she's quite a singer. This is really good ..love the beat of ska and northern soul ...gonna brush up on the selector ...thank you for this
Philip Boucher
Can’t understand why this tune didn’t get much air time back in the day, brilliant SKA tune
Rita damayanti
Pauline Black. What a singer. What a dish. Thank you Selector for all the great songs of my youth.
Steve Hawes
The entire song up to the end has a relentless, unending feel, like the beat is just gonna continue forever ...
Jables Mullet
Man this song gets better and better as you listen to it and every time you listen to it again.
SMdiabla
Selecter was definitely ahead of their time. This wave of Ska was so under appreciated in the US. Imagine if they'd hit when No Doubt was hitting it big. They'd have mopped up the place!
John F
Loved! the second album ! Thanks for posting this!
mindsearrecords
i love the a capella ending on this. great stuff. lots of interesting twists and turns.
Sir Patch Stuart
One of my favorite tune from my favorite album of 2 tone ska, sadly less known that the their first album...anyway they make an incredible SUBCULTURE !!!!