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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
Red Reflections
The Selecter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Making witty conversation
Instant coffee in the cups
Then the milk went sour
Now honesty was all I wanted
Enough warmth to mix it right
Didn't want my loving on the rocks
But couldn't melt the ice
Then the door shut
And the mirror falls
My jagged image
Rests against the wall
And I see
Red reflections in the mirror of the night
The mirror shows all your secrets
Puts all your fears on view
It always plays its jokes
Only when you're looking at you
And if loneliness was a colour
It would be white
But all I see is red reflections
In the mirror of the night
The mirror shows all your secrets
Puts all your fears on view
The darkness lights your eyes
In the quiet I hear a thousand sighs
Then the door slams shut
And the mirror falls
My jagged image
Rests against the wall
And I see
Red reflections in the mirror of the night
The Selecter's song "Red Reflections" is a powerful and emotional depiction of feelings of loneliness, isolation, and emotional turmoil. The lyrics describe the singer sitting on their couch with their partner, trying to make conversation and failing due to a lack of honesty and warmth. The milk being sour serves as a metaphor for the relationship going bad. The singer reflects on the mirror, which shows the truth about themselves and their situation. The singer can see all their secrets and fears in the mirror, but it also shows "red reflections." This could refer to the pain they are feeling, or even the anger that they are trying to suppress.
The second stanza speaks more to the perception of the mirror as a symbol for reflection and vulnerability. The mirror is personified as something that always plays tricks on people, but only when they're looking at themselves. Loneliness is depicted as the color white, but for the singer, they can only see "red reflections" in the mirror of the night. The red reflections in the mirror could represent a lot of different things, from the anger and frustration that they're feeling to the pain and heartbreak of their situation.
In the end, the singer's jagged image is seen by themselves once the door slams, which could once again serve as a metaphor for a deteriorating relationship. The song hints at emotional intensity that is often evoked by personal turmoil that can be relatable to anyone.
Line by Line Meaning
Stretched out on the sofa
Lying comfortably on the sofa
Making witty conversation
Engaging in clever and amusing dialogue
Instant coffee in the cups
Drinking coffee made quickly
Then the milk went sour
But then the milk went bad
Now honesty was all I wanted
Seeking sincerity
Enough warmth to mix it right
Desiring the right amount of warmth to mix the coffee
Didn't want my loving on the rocks
Preferring a stable and consistent relationship
But couldn't melt the ice
But unable to break through the emotional distance
Then the door shut
And then the door closed
And the mirror falls
And the mirror shatters
My jagged image
My fragmented reflection
Rests against the wall
Lies still on the ground
And I see
And I observe
Red reflections in the mirror of the night
Red hues of light reflecting in the broken mirror at night
The mirror shows all your secrets
The mirror reveals all your private truths
Puts all your fears on view
Exposes all your anxieties
It always plays its jokes
It often tricks you
Only when you're looking at you
Only when you're observing your own reflection
And if loneliness was a colour
If isolation had a hue
It would be white
It would be colorless
But all I see is red reflections
But all I see is the red light reflected in the broken mirror
In the mirror of the night
In the mirror in the darkness
The darkness lights your eyes
The shadowy atmosphere illuminates your gaze
In the quiet I hear a thousand sighs
Amid the silence, I perceive innumerable exhales
Then the door slams shut
Then the door suddenly shuts
And the mirror falls
And the mirror shatters
My jagged image
My fragmented reflection
Rests against the wall
Lies still on the ground
And I see
And I observe
Red reflections in the mirror of the night
Red hues of light reflecting in the broken mirror at night
Contributed by Alaina E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.