The Selecter, a ska revival band from Coventry, England, formed in the late… Read Full Bio ↴The Selecter, a ska revival band from Coventry, England, formed in the late 1970s as one of the essential bands of the British ska movement. The profilic lead singer is Pauline Black. The Selecter are known for hits as 'On My Radio', 'Too Much Pressure', 'Missing Words', 'Three Minute Hero' and 'Celebrate The Bullet'. The Selecter featured a racially mixed line up, and the name of the band is a reference to the Jamaican word for a music selecter, known elsewhere as the DJ.
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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

My Perfect World
The Selecter Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Time was
I thought
I'd lost my appetite
Truth was
Back then
Nothing came out right
Meanwhile
I found

Someone I really like
Sure thing
This time
Gonna put up a fight

All I want is a day without you
All I want is a night with you
All I want is to be forever
Just wrapped up on our own
In my perfect world

You do
Voodoo
You put a spell on me
What's worse
This curse
Made a fool of me
I heard
You shout
What do you want from me
Who knows
Right now
Why not be with me

All I want is a day without you
All I want is a night with you
All I want is to be forever
Just wrapped up on our own
In my perfect world

All I want you to do is make it better
It hurts
So bad
If I talk to you
I've tried
So hard
God knows it's true

All I want is a day without you
All I want is a night with you
All I want is to be forever

Just wrapped up on our own
In my perfect world

Overall Meaning

The song "My Perfect World" by The Selecter is about the ups and downs of a romantic relationship. In the beginning, the singer is feeling disillusioned with love and relationships, stating that nothing "came out right." However, the chorus reveals that the singer has found someone they really like, but they still long for alone time in their own perfect world.

The second verse adds complications to the relationship, as the singer believes their partner has put a spell on them and made a fool of them. But despite the turmoil, the singer still wants to be with their partner and make the relationship work.

Overall, the song speaks to the complexities of love and relationships - the ups and downs, the desire for closeness, and the need for personal space. It's a relatable sentiment that many can connect with, and the upbeat ska sound nicely underscores the sometimes difficult emotions at play.

Line by Line Meaning

Time was
In the past

I thought
I believed

I'd lost my appetite
I had lost my desire

Truth was
In reality

Back then
In the past

Nothing came out right
Nothing was going well

Meanwhile
At the same time

I found
I discovered

Someone I really like
Someone I have feelings for

Sure thing
Definitely

This time
Now