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

Tell Me What's Wrong
The Selecter Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We were friends do you remember
Not so long ago
Each and every time we meet
You seem to be avoiding me
I've been hearing things all around
You've been saying that I'm a clown
I guess the truth is plain to see
Man to man is your worst enemy

Won't you tell me
What have I done
For you to try and bring me down
I felt the change change towards me
Tell me tell me what's wrong

Oh won't you tell me
Oh won't you tell me
Won't you tell me
Tell me tell me what's wrong

After all's been said and done
I guess that's how it ought to be
Just you remember this
The bad you do will follow you

I can see things more clearly now
To me it just don't make no sense
I guess the truth is plain to see
You're now my enemy

Won't you tell me
What have I done
For you to try and bring me down
I felt the change change towards me
Tell me tell me what's wrong

Oh won't you tell me
Oh won't you tell me
Won't you tell me
Tell me tell me what's wrong

I can see things more clearly now
To me it just don't make no sense
I guess the truth is plain to see
You're now my enemy

Oh won't you tell me
Oh won't you tell me
Won't you tell me
Tell me tell me what's wrong

After all's been said and done
I guess that's how it ought to be

Overall Meaning

The lyrics for The Selector's song "Tell Me What's Wrong" explore the breakdown of a friendship and the confusion that comes with it. The singer is struggling to understand why their friend has become distant and seems to be spreading rumors about them. The lyrics suggest that there may be jealousy or resentment fueling their friend's behavior, but ultimately the singer is left in the dark and left wondering what they did to warrant this change in their friend's attitude towards them.

The chorus, which repeats the plea to "tell me what's wrong," highlights the frustration and confusion the singer is feeling. They are clearly hurt by the sudden shift and would like some sort of explanation. However, the lyrics also suggest a degree of acceptance and resolution in the face of this conflict. The final lines caution the friend who has betrayed them that "the bad you do will follow you."

Overall, "Tell Me What's Wrong" is a powerful and relatable meditation on the difficulties of navigating and maintaining friendships that have gone awry.

Line by Line Meaning

We were friends do you remember
There was a time when we were close friends

Not so long ago
It wasn't very long ago

Each and every time we meet
Every time we see each other

You seem to be avoiding me
You appear to be actively avoiding me

I've been hearing things all around
I've heard rumors and gossip about you

You've been saying that I'm a clown
You've been spreading lies about me

I guess the truth is plain to see
It's obvious what's really going on

Man to man is your worst enemy
You're only hurting yourself by treating me poorly

Won't you tell me
Please explain

What have I done
What did I do wrong

For you to try and bring me down
Why are you trying to ruin my reputation