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

Street Feeling
The Selecter Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My friend is cut with pain
He's got to get it all out tonight
Like a flame so bright
His feelings running high
No time to sigh
He knows it's just make or break
There's no time to fake it
He's got to get a spark to his imagination

Before it's too late
Before the blue chinned nasty boys
Claim him as a hero

Street feeling that feeling oh oh yeah
Street feeling that feeling oh oh yeah
Street feeling that feeling oh oh yeah

His daytime safety's finished, he's in the night
It's dark and cold, but he's been told
You need to be so tough, shut your mouth, grit your teeth
Believe your bluff get rough
Sitting round with his friends talking 'bout the record machine
Thinks he's too tough too clean
Needs to be mean

Street feeling that feeling oh oh yeah

Overall Meaning

The Selecter's song "Street Feeling" is a lament about the pressures that society places on young people living in the inner-city. The lyrics begin with a description of a friend who is in a great deal of emotional pain, and who needs to express himself in order to move on. The "flame so bright" described in the lyrics refers to the intensity of the emotions that he is feeling, and the urgency with which he needs to express them. The urgency of the situation is emphasized by the reference to the "blue-chinned nasty boys," who are waiting to claim him as a hero if he fails to express himself in time.

Despite the danger, the singer encourages his friend to express himself through music and to tap into his "street feeling." The chorus repeats the phrase "street feeling" several times, emphasizing the importance of this feeling for those who live in the inner city. The second verse describes the ways in which young people are expected to be tough and to shut down their emotions, in order to cope with the harsh realities of their lives. However, the singer suggests that this is not a sustainable way of life, and that it is important for young people to find a way to express themselves and to embrace their emotions in a positive way.

Overall, the song is a powerful tribute to the resilience of young people growing up in difficult circumstances. Despite the challenges they face, the singer encourages his friend to find a way to express himself, to embrace his emotions, and to tap into the "street feeling" that binds them together as a community.

Line by Line Meaning

My friend is cut with pain
My friend is suffering emotionally

He's got to get it all out tonight
He needs to express his emotions ASAP

Like a flame so bright
His emotions are intense

His feelings running high
His emotions are heightened

No time to sigh
There's no time to waste

He knows it's just make or break
His situation is critical

There's no time to fake it
He can't pretend anymore

He's got to get a spark to his imagination
He needs to find inspiration

Before it's too late
He needs to act quickly

Before the blue chinned nasty boys claim him as a hero
Before he is forced into a role he doesn't want

Street feeling that feeling oh oh yeah
The feeling of being on the streets