@@iocat no need for the question mark. you are correct, the name of their label was "Two Tone Records". but "Two Tone" refers to a wider movement in music than the product of just one--admittedly awesome--label.
I'm so glad that you reacted to this band, and specifically this song. In his autobiography, Horace states that he'd never played reggae or ska style bass until he joined The Specials. He had to learn the vibe and the feel of that genre upon joining them and obviously did an excellent job. If you watch live footage of the band, there's no slapping. He digs in hard with his fingers to get the pops.
Watching live videos on youtube (e.g. the Letterman one), it seems to me that he pulls the two pops in the main away from the bass, similar to how you'd do with slapping technique. But the octave runs are probably just hard-articulated fingerstyle.
Rico Rodriguez on trombone - who played on the origial ska with Prince Buster, like Saxa in The Beat bringing the Jamacian sound to Coventry and Birmingham. Plus Chrissie Hynde on backing vocals
The term 2tone came from Jerry Dammers of the Specials founding of 2tone Records, helping to fight racism, merging Punk, Reggae, Ska. The bluesy feel you're getting comes from early pub/punk rock, which was a throwback to more 50s/60s rock style. Chorus section completely reminds me of Minnie the Moocher, Everybody Needs Somebody, or even James Brown's version of The Old Landmark (funny, all songs can be found in the movie The Blues Brothers)
Saw this, and dropped everything I was doing. I've been waiting for you to discover The Specials since you first discovered Rancid. This band is one of my main bass playing influences. I fucking love them. "I just love how loud the bass is". YES! This is one of the few bands I can actually hear the bass playing, which is why my style is so similar to them. This band made me fall in love with the instrument because they play it like a lead, but not. "Rat Race", "Too Much, Too Young", "Ghost Town" and....wow. Just, everything. "Nelson Mandela" is such a good protest song. I look forward to your future videos with this band. Damn, this is awesome.
Oh man, this comment really made my day. Appreciate your patience, and glad you enjoyed it! I wish I could get to all these bands faster 😅 - Cheers! 🙏🏼
I'm surprised that the first requested Specials song wasn't "A Message To You, Rudy" or "Ghost Town." I thought those are their most famous songs. It's cool that something less famous than those hits was chosen. The prominence of the bass on this one makes it a good choice.
I'm hoping our man Mark here has actually heard of Elvis Costello... How do these young allegedly professional session musicians miss so much of music history? Are they too busy being caught up in the endless hiphop loop?
The Specials are such a huge important band for yhe development of ska. As you probably read Ska is originally Jamaican and with the huge influx of Jamaicans to the UK in the late 40's and 50's the music blended in and generated a subculture that later led to bands like the Specials who featured a very diverse group of members from different backgrounds and cultures. As mentioned by others 2 Tone is the label that released the Specials and is most associated with that sound - similar in concept to 'Motown' being a label with such a distinct sound it is almost its own genre
Was DEFINITELY mentally comparing Two Tone to Motown in terms of "Labels that make and define their own sound" before I read this comment. Hard agree! One more contemporary example that comes to mind could be the "Fat Wreck" sound, tho maybe less instantly recognisable and less mainstream.
@@mikecynic5167 Absolutely, in many ways it is one of the first styles that Jamaica brought to the world. Bit of a shame that many people associate it with the second and third wave music and are not aware of it's origins!
The Specials have a load of good songs. Gangsters, Ghost Town, A Message to You Rudy, Enjoy Yourself, Do Nothing and You're Wondering Now are all superb. I've missed loads out but those are the songs that spring to mind.
Two tone is an anti racist movement as well as a genre, white working class punk mixed with black working class ska. The Specials played gigs where racist punks and skins would cause trouble. There was a lot of fighting with the anti racist punks and skins. It started the whole anti facist movement with rock against racism and stuff.
A lot of skins weren’t racist and there were a lot of black skins they shared common interest in the music but there was an element of boot boys who adopted the look of the skins and suede heads and punks weren’t really racist that often more anti government
I saw the Specials in 1980 at Bracknell Sports Center. There was some nazi skinheads who had been disrupting the show with their nazi chants. When Nite Club was being played about half way through, the band jumped off the stage and started beating up these skinheads. Only the drummer was left playing the drums for Nite Club until the rest of the band returned to carry on playing like nothing had happened! Fantastic Concert.
Love this! Horace Panter is one of my bass heroes. After The Specials, he was involved in tons of projects with other former Two Tone musicians. He is a well-respected pop artist now.
The "2 Tone Sound" comes from the label that put out The Specials records, the label was called 2 Tone and signed a lot of bands that sounded like this. Also, stoked you finally did this one!! I'd love to see you do this whole record.
@@jonathonherroon6580 probably a bit of both. A lot has been made over the years of the Specials, Selector, The Beat etc being inclusive bands at a time when society in general and popular music is specific, was not. Plus the 2 tone thing gives ska lovers the opportunity to wear sharp suits with white shoes
I also enjoy this song they do live which is a cover mashup of some of their old favorites The Skinhead Symphony In Three Movements: Long Shot Kick the Bucket / The Liquidator / Skinhead Moonstomp
My first band in high school covered this song back in the mid 80s, so much fun to play, even for me, the guitar player! That entire album is stellar! RIP Terry Hall!
Congrats, Mark! Low End U is my favorite channel here on RUclips. Your reactions to all the ska and punk bands I grew up listening to are amazing. You might want to check out The Toasters-they are one of the pioneers of third-wave ska. You should check out the live versions of “Weekend in L.A.,” “Shebeen”, or “History Book” from their Dub 56 album. Keep up the good work!
@ boy howdy! Haha it was fantastic. I’m glad you enjoyed The Specials! I would check out the rest of that album strictly for the banging jams. But have you ever listened to Blues Traveler? I was listening to “Hook” the other day and thought that you might have a good time breaking that bad burner down. Just a thought, love the videos!
@@LowEndUniversity You should analyze the “Get Happy” LP by Elvis Costello & The Attractions - EC’s homage to ‘60s American soul and R&B. Bruce Thomas puts in some some incredible bass work on that one.
The record label was Two Tone Records - which was Jerry Dammer's label if that helps. Jerry was the Specials' Organist/Keyboard player. He was one of the founders of the group.
Produced by Elvis Costello. They were aiming to sound close to how they sounded live (not recorded live, the voices are the band and friends in the studio) but not a lot of production work in the studio. Every time the trombone solo comes in (Rico Rodriguez) I get goosebumps
The Jamerson thing is a good catch. The chromaticism as the song moves from one chord to the next is one of his signatures. I wish you had done Concrete Jungle but this was also a great choice. Maybe check that one out between shoots?
Yep. Loved the reaction and the memory of 11 year old me, who forced his dear old Dad to take him to London to buy this album, made me smile (miss you Dad)
This generation of ska bands were heavily influenced by Prince Buster who was one of the original first wave of ska musicians,he is mentioned in numerous ska songs and his music was regularly covered. It’s well worth checking out if you’re interested in ska.
I actually picked up an yellowing original of this just a couple of weeks ago... Google is listening and brought me here! Memories of 10-year-old me playing this, The Beat, Madness, The Selecter round my mate's house in '80, and still love it today.
The Toasters continued this sound into the US ska scene. Check out The Toasters-East side beat, live in LA from1993. Matt Malles is very much influenced by Horace. Malles is a beast on the bass. I believe he plays a Modulus 5 string.
I 'borrowed' my mum's bootleg Madness cassettes when I was about 7 and never gave them back - that was my first step away from mainstream music and I'm so glad I took it!
I onced asked a friend is horace a good bass player and he said no he is a great bass player you have to remember half the time he was in the air when he was playing.
James Jamerson is a very good comparison that hadn't occurred to me before. I've always loved the Specials' basslines and Motown basslines but somehow never connected the two.
Citizen Fish did an awesome cover of this song that you might be interested in hearing. Speaking of Citizen Fish, the song "The B.O.B. Song" has a really fun bassline that you might also want to check out. Thanks for the videos!
2 tone was the second iteration of ska that blended skinhead reggae or traditional ska (Symarip, the pioneers, Desmond Dekker) with the emerging punk scene and attitude. Alot of it revolved around racial unity and the distrust of the English government.
For more context, id also look up northern English soul starting in 50s out of the mod culture. Motown had a huge influence in uk at this time and helped bring this more upbeat funkier style. The two style are parallel and linked closely.
Ok! Well now you need to do The Selecter, the other premier British Ska Revival band from that same era. On My Radio Is the track to check. Their performance of it on Top Of The Pops in 1979 is great.
The Specials are very influential on SKA. Having been a bass player in a SKA band I am very interested in this. A mate, Tony Devonish, from the sister band of the one I was in, has actually played keys for the Specials on UK tours. His band, Rebelation, are really good. Check out “Pounds and Pence”. It is my favourite of theirs that is on RUclips. Their Bass Player, Muttley, was my stunt double (stand in, we are nothing alike) in my old band. He is much better than I am and thoroughly deserved the capitalisation of Bass Player.
Love that bouncing bass. "Concrete Jungle" is another great one of theirs. It'd be cool to hear your take on XTC, a band with ska roots but took things in different directions (try "Senses Working Overtime"). And if you wanna go back to the roots try Toots and the Maytals' "Pressure Drop"
No surprise that you can hear echoes of other styles of music. Ska has it's roots in popular post war US music. After the war, transistor radios became popular. Jamaican s could listen to US military broadcasts of popular music. Jazz swing and rhythm & blues were popular. Local artists at the time were often playing mento (often confused with calypso). Sound systems were a very important part in the development of Ska. They started out playing US music but gradually they developed their own unique styles which became ska. Another huge influence was Sister Ignatius, a teacher at Alpha Boys School. Amongst other subjects, she taught music and had a large record collection. A number of her former pupils went on to become pioneers of ska.
You're right, in particular The Skatalites all attended the school and were taught music theory and composition by her. Cool woman especially for a nun!
Elvis Costello produced this record. Two Tone relates to the fact that most of these bands were multi-cultural/racial, as were most if not all of the bands that released stuff on Two Tone records.
Makes sense, thanks for the clarification! I've seen it used a lot as a genre label in context, so wasn't sure how much it referred to a band's music, stylistically-speaking.
When you feel your ready for it, a couple of jamaican ska songs to start off with would be - from 1965, Love And Affection by The Wailing Wailers(aka The Wailers, aka Bob Marley And The Wailers) And From 1963, Exodus by The Skatalites
Ska bass, especially from this era sounds like this, but what you're hearing is not slapping/popping. You almost exclusively use the side your thumb to smack/pluck the shit outta that string and then mute the note immediately so it doesn't ring out at all. Typically muting with the left by releasing the fret while slightly palm muting without producing a dead note. Ska guitar is the same, play downstroke- immeadite mute-dead note the upstroke (or play upstroke mute dowstroke if 3rd wave ska). This is what gives Ska that chicka-chicka sound that is so unique!
I found an old promo copy of this album with a different cover a few years ago. A side profile of the band looking up to the sky on the cover. Horace Panter was known as the polite gentleman of The Specials.
I know you said "Out All Night" by the Pietasters was one of the songs on your Playstation game soundtrack. There are some parts of the bassline in that song that are kinda similar to some in this song.
My favorite old school ska. Great band that is sadly underrated. I raised my kids on this as good house cleaning music. When they heard the Specials, they knew it was time to bop around the house and clean up.
There's a bit of Donald Duck Dunn in there too, even Carol Kaye (Motown/Soul) especially the chorus, a lot like how he plays ''Shake your tail feather with Ray Charles in the Blues Brothers. I saw them first in 1979, I was a punk. 2 tone originated in the City of Coventry, very large Afro Caribbean community so two tone referred to Black and white.The artwork and logos were also mostly done in Black and White .I saw them first time in 1979 on the 2 tone tour. Back in the 70's there were many discrimination and social problems all over the UK. Being a punk then meant that you wouldn't be allowed in most pubs, some pubs had a sign ''No dogs, no blacks, no Irish'' and we were were often beaten up by hooligans. This led to us mostly going to Biker bars, gay bars and dub reggae clubs, other marginalised groups. This is how punks ended up wearing make up , hearing serious disco/soul/hip hop from the New York scene, (gay influence) big boots and leather studded belts and heavy rock and psych (biker bars, which helped a lot dealing with attacks from hooligans so they stopped doing it) which is where Motorhead, Iron Maiden and Anthrax came from, and reggae/ska from the Caribbean, mostly Jamaica, Punk bands the Clash, The Ruts, Stiff little fingers etc. were doing reggae and ska before 2 tone. This mix resulted in 2nd gen ska, heavy metal/thrash/death etc, new romantics, goth, Indie and even the start of the rave scene. The cultural mix from that period in the UK created movements, fashions and attitudes that have lasted despite the industry constantly trying to crush it through profiteering.
One of my favourite lines of all time in this song "I won't dance in a club like this All the girls are slags And the beer tastes just like piss" Not particular PC calling the ladies that but he was right about the beer in UK clubs...
I always interpreted that bass line as mocking the jazz-funk dance music of the day, which was the music of the night club, the subject being ridiculed by the song
I'm sure the bass is somewhat reminiscent of the ska songs you heard by rancid and Op Ivy. Matt and Tim both are big fans of the specials. It also kinda sounds like the bass line from i wanna riot by rancid which i don't believe you've heard.
This band is so influential that they deserve this entire album reviewed
100%
I'm lucky enough to live 2 houses away from Horace Panter the bass player. What a top bloke he is, no wonder he was called Horace Gentleman.
Sir if you don`t mind 😊
Lucky bastard
Two Tone refers to the mixed race composition of the UK ska bands.
Yesss
Also the name of their label?
Came here just to drop that nugget of TwoTone history
@@iocat no need for the question mark. you are correct, the name of their label was "Two Tone Records". but "Two Tone" refers to a wider movement in music than the product of just one--admittedly awesome--label.
Black & White unite!
I'm so glad that you reacted to this band, and specifically this song. In his autobiography, Horace states that he'd never played reggae or ska style bass until he joined The Specials. He had to learn the vibe and the feel of that genre upon joining them and obviously did an excellent job. If you watch live footage of the band, there's no slapping. He digs in hard with his fingers to get the pops.
Neat
Watching live videos on youtube (e.g. the Letterman one), it seems to me that he pulls the two pops in the main away from the bass, similar to how you'd do with slapping technique. But the octave runs are probably just hard-articulated fingerstyle.
I wanna say the octave parts are drawing from disco which was coming into vogue right around that same time. Makes sense with the song title.
Rico Rodriguez on trombone - who played on the origial ska with Prince Buster, like Saxa in The Beat bringing the Jamacian sound to Coventry and Birmingham.
Plus Chrissie Hynde on backing vocals
The term 2tone came from Jerry Dammers of the Specials founding of 2tone Records, helping to fight racism, merging Punk, Reggae, Ska.
The bluesy feel you're getting comes from early pub/punk rock, which was a throwback to more 50s/60s rock style. Chorus section completely reminds me of Minnie the Moocher, Everybody Needs Somebody, or even James Brown's version of The Old Landmark (funny, all songs can be found in the movie The Blues Brothers)
Saw this, and dropped everything I was doing. I've been waiting for you to discover The Specials since you first discovered Rancid. This band is one of my main bass playing influences. I fucking love them. "I just love how loud the bass is". YES! This is one of the few bands I can actually hear the bass playing, which is why my style is so similar to them. This band made me fall in love with the instrument because they play it like a lead, but not. "Rat Race", "Too Much, Too Young", "Ghost Town" and....wow. Just, everything. "Nelson Mandela" is such a good protest song. I look forward to your future videos with this band. Damn, this is awesome.
Oh man, this comment really made my day. Appreciate your patience, and glad you enjoyed it! I wish I could get to all these bands faster 😅 - Cheers! 🙏🏼
The Specials were the glue between punk, ska, and mod too. Just a generational band that influenced so many. Glad you did this. Do more.
Thanks man! That’s the plan! A lot to get to. 😇
I'm surprised that the first requested Specials song wasn't "A Message To You, Rudy" or "Ghost Town." I thought those are their most famous songs. It's cool that something less famous than those hits was chosen. The prominence of the bass on this one makes it a good choice.
Totally agree, I ain't heard this. Just example of please research this band more😂
Nite Club has been covered by quite a few bands, so people who aren't even familiar with The Specials know this one.
Produced by Elvis Costello!
Thanks for saying this for me
Same
Wow, I've been listening to this album for most of my life and I never knew that. Thank you. Makes sense it's so freaking good
Who tried to sack Roddy Radiation!
I'm hoping our man Mark here has actually heard of Elvis Costello... How do these young allegedly professional session musicians miss so much of music history? Are they too busy being caught up in the endless hiphop loop?
The Specials are such a huge important band for yhe development of ska. As you probably read Ska is originally Jamaican and with the huge influx of Jamaicans to the UK in the late 40's and 50's the music blended in and generated a subculture that later led to bands like the Specials who featured a very diverse group of members from different backgrounds and cultures.
As mentioned by others 2 Tone is the label that released the Specials and is most associated with that sound - similar in concept to 'Motown' being a label with such a distinct sound it is almost its own genre
Ska existed before Reggae.
Was DEFINITELY mentally comparing Two Tone to Motown in terms of "Labels that make and define their own sound" before I read this comment. Hard agree! One more contemporary example that comes to mind could be the "Fat Wreck" sound, tho maybe less instantly recognisable and less mainstream.
@@mikecynic5167 That it did; they had to slow the tempo as it was too hot to dance to in the dancehalls of Jamaica
@@mikecynic5167 Absolutely, in many ways it is one of the first styles that Jamaica brought to the world. Bit of a shame that many people associate it with the second and third wave music and are not aware of it's origins!
Love love love that you did this song, but as others have mentioned, this deserves an entire album reaction.
The Specials have a load of good songs. Gangsters, Ghost Town, A Message to You Rudy, Enjoy Yourself, Do Nothing and You're Wondering Now are all superb. I've missed loads out but those are the songs that spring to mind.
Concrete Jungle and Little Bitch are two of my favourites that often get overlooked.
this!
@ Oh yeah lol
The godfathers of modern ska. Love these guys and this album. Little Bitch is such a classic. Glad you enjoyed it.
I love Little Bitch, but I think the cover by Big D and the Kids Table is even better if you fancy checking it out.
The second wave of Ska was huge .A lot of UK bands from then had timeless bass lines.Look out for The Beat or The Selector,they too were great.
Selecter.
The Selecter is my favorite number 1 band from the two tone era. I try to see them any time they are in the US.
@@cr3t1n I saw them a couple of years ago, and was amazed at how good they were live.
bad manners, madness
@@cr3t1n Pauline Black is the Queen.
Have you checked out Madness before? If not then they’re another pillar of that scene.
Two tone is an anti racist movement as well as a genre, white working class punk mixed with black working class ska. The Specials played gigs where racist punks and skins would cause trouble. There was a lot of fighting with the anti racist punks and skins. It started the whole anti facist movement with rock against racism and stuff.
A lot of skins weren’t racist and there were a lot of black skins they shared common interest in the music but there was an element of boot boys who adopted the look of the skins and suede heads and punks weren’t really racist that often more anti government
Rock against racism was started in 1976 before The Specials existed . Bands like Matumbi , Clash and sham were instrumental in the movement .
@@nickspydiver yep it certainly was and they were great
I saw the Specials in 1980 at Bracknell Sports Center. There was some nazi skinheads who had been disrupting the show with their nazi chants. When Nite Club was being played about half way through, the band jumped off the stage and started beating up these skinheads. Only the drummer was left playing the drums for Nite Club until the rest of the band returned to carry on playing like nothing had happened! Fantastic Concert.
Too Much Too Young is a great track too, lead bass.
Love this! Horace Panter is one of my bass heroes. After The Specials, he was involved in tons of projects with other former Two Tone musicians. He is a well-respected pop artist now.
The "2 Tone Sound" comes from the label that put out The Specials records, the label was called 2 Tone and signed a lot of bands that sounded like this. Also, stoked you finally did this one!! I'd love to see you do this whole record.
Did they name the label 2 tone because a lot of the original bands were multi- racial, in a Britain that was culturally segregated still?
@@Morhaw I've heard that, but I've also heard that the whole black/white artwork and checkerboard thing was just a style Jerry Dammers liked
@@jonathonherroon6580 probably a bit of both. A lot has been made over the years of the Specials, Selector, The Beat etc being inclusive bands at a time when society in general and popular music is specific, was not.
Plus the 2 tone thing gives ska lovers the opportunity to wear sharp suits with white shoes
@@Morhaw Yeah, 2 tone came from the multi racial bands. There's lot of anti racist songs on the 2 tone label.
Love The Specials!
My Uncle Dave was briefly their manager and get's a call-out in Horace's book, "Ska'd for Life"
I also enjoy this song they do live which is a cover mashup of some of their old favorites
The Skinhead Symphony In Three Movements: Long Shot Kick the Bucket / The Liquidator / Skinhead Moonstomp
This song always gives me literal chills of excitement, it’s so good
Love The Specials! Really happy to see you getting around to them.
More to come!
"It Doesn't Make It Alright" has a nice bass grove in it as well...
“I just love how loud the bass is”… same Mark same. Also this is my favourite Specials song
Horance Panter was also the bassist in General Public.
So awesome to see you review bands I've loved for 30 years, punk and ska both. Love to see these bands get the musical credit they deserve.
My first band in high school covered this song back in the mid 80s, so much fun to play, even for me, the guitar player! That entire album is stellar! RIP Terry Hall!
Congrats, Mark! Low End U is my favorite channel here on RUclips. Your reactions to all the ska and punk bands I grew up listening to are amazing. You might want to check out The Toasters-they are one of the pioneers of third-wave ska. You should check out the live versions of “Weekend in L.A.,” “Shebeen”, or “History Book” from their Dub 56 album. Keep up the good work!
Every lover of punk rock must own The Specials album
The Specials are Ska not punk.
You have absolutely no idea what you are on about.
Too good of a band to be Punk in the classic sense.
Horace is such a great bass player ❤️
This is one of my favorite bass lines to play! So catchy and fun!
The Specials supported the Clash on one of their UK tours.
Horn section included Rico, legendary in the original and Two tone ska eras
Hail yeah! I’ve been waiting for a Specials review
Hope you enjoyed it!
@ boy howdy! Haha it was fantastic. I’m glad you enjoyed The Specials! I would check out the rest of that album strictly for the banging jams. But have you ever listened to Blues Traveler? I was listening to “Hook” the other day and thought that you might have a good time breaking that bad burner down. Just a thought, love the videos!
@@LowEndUniversity You should analyze the “Get Happy” LP by Elvis Costello & The Attractions - EC’s homage to ‘60s American soul and R&B. Bruce Thomas puts in some some incredible bass work on that one.
The record label was Two Tone Records - which was Jerry Dammer's label if that helps. Jerry was the Specials' Organist/Keyboard player. He was one of the founders of the group.
“First time hearing The Specials”
Terry Hall is smiling in his grave
As is Bradders
@@UKSkaface You guys...Terry Hall never smiled!
@reverend_sasquatch583 >_
@@reverend_sasquatch583 He's maybe given a sardonic smirk then.
Terry Hall? Smiling? 😉
Top ten favorite bands of all time. They were so influential to so many other bands I love.
One of favourite Specials songs. Such a great band and a powerful song.
So many great bass players in the UK at this time, whether new wave or pink or pub rock or ska.
Produced by Elvis Costello. They were aiming to sound close to how they sounded live (not recorded live, the voices are the band and friends in the studio) but not a lot of production work in the studio. Every time the trombone solo comes in (Rico Rodriguez) I get goosebumps
Never heard the Specials? I’m glad you’re finally hearing them now.they were the best Ska band of many great Ska bands!
Old Brit Ska is so much fun. Opened up so much for future music.
I saw them live in 1981 and wow, what an experience to see them running all over the stage!
The Jamerson thing is a good catch. The chromaticism as the song moves from one chord to the next is one of his signatures.
I wish you had done Concrete Jungle but this was also a great choice. Maybe check that one out between shoots?
That was really special! 😉
Thanks a lot for the video! 😊👍🏻
Lucky enough to see them back in their pomp....SUPERB bassist, Sir Horace Panter!
I have been waiting for this. Not watched the video yet, but excited to see you react.
Yep. Loved the reaction and the memory of 11 year old me, who forced his dear old Dad to take him to London to buy this album, made me smile (miss you Dad)
This generation of ska bands were heavily influenced by Prince Buster who was one of the original first wave of ska musicians,he is mentioned in numerous ska songs and his music was regularly covered. It’s well worth checking out if you’re interested in ska.
Big up Coventry Two Tone
So, so, so glad that you gave this a listen!!!!! A legendary band!! 100%
Great album. Love 2 tone ska. Was lucky enough to see the specoals on tour.
Ooh some Ian Dury and the Blockheads would be the perfect tangent from here
Noooorrrrrrman
Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick would be an ideal start.
I actually picked up an yellowing original of this just a couple of weeks ago... Google is listening and brought me here!
Memories of 10-year-old me playing this, The Beat, Madness, The Selecter round my mate's house in '80, and still love it today.
2 tone is the most fun music for dancing the night away.
The Toasters continued this sound into the US ska scene. Check out The Toasters-East side beat, live in LA from1993. Matt Malles is very much influenced by Horace. Malles is a beast on the bass. I believe he plays a Modulus 5 string.
Such a great album. This made the 80s fun.
Specials and Madness are my favorites from that era.
I 'borrowed' my mum's bootleg Madness cassettes when I was about 7 and never gave them back - that was my first step away from mainstream music and I'm so glad I took it!
I onced asked a friend is horace a good bass player
and he said no he is a great bass player you have to remember half the time he was in the air when he was playing.
James Jamerson is a very good comparison that hadn't occurred to me before. I've always loved the Specials' basslines and Motown basslines but somehow never connected the two.
Thinking of the Goldfinger cover now :-D
Citizen Fish did an awesome cover of this song that you might be interested in hearing. Speaking of Citizen Fish, the song "The B.O.B. Song" has a really fun bassline that you might also want to check out. Thanks for the videos!
2 tone was the second iteration of ska that blended skinhead reggae or traditional ska (Symarip, the pioneers, Desmond Dekker) with the emerging punk scene and attitude. Alot of it revolved around racial unity and the distrust of the English government.
For more context, id also look up northern English soul starting in 50s out of the mod culture. Motown had a huge influence in uk at this time and helped bring this more upbeat funkier style. The two style are parallel and linked closely.
Ok! Well now you need to do The Selecter, the other premier British Ska Revival band from that same era. On My Radio Is the track to check. Their performance of it on Top Of The Pops in 1979 is great.
Overrated,
Either that or 3 minute hero. Grew up listening to 2 Tone. Quality.
The Specials are very influential on SKA. Having been a bass player in a SKA band I am very interested in this.
A mate, Tony Devonish, from the sister band of the one I was in, has actually played keys for the Specials on UK tours.
His band, Rebelation, are really good. Check out “Pounds and Pence”. It is my favourite of theirs that is on RUclips.
Their Bass Player, Muttley, was my stunt double (stand in, we are nothing alike) in my old band. He is much better than I am and thoroughly deserved the capitalisation of Bass Player.
YES! Have only seen 15 seconds so far but I know this is gonna be cool! Please do a whole bunch of 2-tone tracks.
It would be a great one for you to do the whole album of, or a mixtape.
Do the Slackers next.
Love that bouncing bass. "Concrete Jungle" is another great one of theirs. It'd be cool to hear your take on XTC, a band with ska roots but took things in different directions (try "Senses Working Overtime"). And if you wanna go back to the roots try Toots and the Maytals' "Pressure Drop"
xtc are great
I live near Coventry and went to the clubs there in the late 70s and early 80s and this sums it up perfcetly and yes it was very rough.
Chrissie Hynde from the pretenders was on backing vocals
You gotta do more Specials. Horace was a huge influence on Matt Freeman.
No surprise that you can hear echoes of other styles of music. Ska has it's roots in popular post war US music. After the war, transistor radios became popular. Jamaican s could listen to US military broadcasts of popular music. Jazz swing and rhythm & blues were popular. Local artists at the time were often playing mento (often confused with calypso).
Sound systems were a very important part in the development of Ska. They started out playing US music but gradually they developed their own unique styles which became ska.
Another huge influence was Sister Ignatius, a teacher at Alpha Boys School. Amongst other subjects, she taught music and had a large record collection. A number of her former pupils went on to become pioneers of ska.
You're right, in particular The Skatalites all attended the school and were taught music theory and composition by her. Cool woman especially for a nun!
Big D and the Kids Table cover the Specials song "Little Bitch". Definitely recommend that one for a reaction
Chuu chuu all aboard the Ska train!
One of my favorites basslines to play… so funk and melodic and protagonist
Elvis Costello produced this record. Two Tone relates to the fact that most of these bands were multi-cultural/racial, as were most if not all of the bands that released stuff on Two Tone records.
Makes sense, thanks for the clarification! I've seen it used a lot as a genre label in context, so wasn't sure how much it referred to a band's music, stylistically-speaking.
When you feel your ready for it, a couple of jamaican ska songs to start off with would be
- from 1965, Love And Affection by The Wailing Wailers(aka The Wailers, aka Bob Marley And The Wailers)
And
From 1963, Exodus by The Skatalites
Al Capone by Prince Buster immediately followed by Gansters by The Specials.
@ that’d be cool
Ska bass, especially from this era sounds like this, but what you're hearing is not slapping/popping. You almost exclusively use the side your thumb to smack/pluck the shit outta that string and then mute the note immediately so it doesn't ring out at all. Typically muting with the left by releasing the fret while slightly palm muting without producing a dead note. Ska guitar is the same, play downstroke- immeadite mute-dead note the upstroke (or play upstroke mute dowstroke if 3rd wave ska). This is what gives Ska that chicka-chicka sound that is so unique!
legends
I found an old promo copy of this album with a different cover a few years ago. A side profile of the band looking up to the sky on the cover. Horace Panter was known as the polite gentleman of The Specials.
I know you said "Out All Night" by the Pietasters was one of the songs on your Playstation game soundtrack. There are some parts of the bassline in that song that are kinda similar to some in this song.
hell yeah, I vote for this one
If you’re going to do a Pietasters song either Stone Feeling or Moment are considerably better songs with better bass lines.
Mark, I think the riff it’s reminding you of is Judy in Disguise.
AHHHHHHHH that's absolutely it. All I had to do was hear the chorus in my head from reading your song title...😅
Concrete Jungle is another great bass line. There is a video on YT of them playing it live back in the day, and I highly recommend watching it.
Horrace Panter. What a guy.
My favorite old school ska. Great band that is sadly underrated. I raised my kids on this as good house cleaning music. When they heard the Specials, they knew it was time to bop around the house and clean up.
Great band. Can’t help but move to their music. Top 10 all time album for me.
There's a bit of Donald Duck Dunn in there too, even Carol Kaye (Motown/Soul) especially the chorus, a lot like how he plays ''Shake your tail feather with Ray Charles in the Blues Brothers. I saw them first in 1979, I was a punk. 2 tone originated in the City of Coventry, very large Afro Caribbean community so two tone referred to Black and white.The artwork and logos were also mostly done in Black and White .I saw them first time in 1979 on the 2 tone tour. Back in the 70's there were many discrimination and social problems all over the UK. Being a punk then meant that you wouldn't be allowed in most pubs, some pubs had a sign ''No dogs, no blacks, no Irish'' and we were were often beaten up by hooligans. This led to us mostly going to Biker bars, gay bars and dub reggae clubs, other marginalised groups. This is how punks ended up wearing make up , hearing serious disco/soul/hip hop from the New York scene, (gay influence) big boots and leather studded belts and heavy rock and psych (biker bars, which helped a lot dealing with attacks from hooligans so they stopped doing it) which is where Motorhead, Iron Maiden and Anthrax came from, and reggae/ska from the Caribbean, mostly Jamaica, Punk bands the Clash, The Ruts, Stiff little fingers etc. were doing reggae and ska before 2 tone. This mix resulted in 2nd gen ska, heavy metal/thrash/death etc, new romantics, goth, Indie and even the start of the rave scene. The cultural mix from that period in the UK created movements, fashions and attitudes that have lasted despite the industry constantly trying to crush it through profiteering.
I also really enjoyed Goldfinger's cover of this
One of my favourite lines of all time in this song
"I won't dance in a club like this
All the girls are slags
And the beer tastes just like piss"
Not particular PC calling the ladies that but he was right about the beer in UK clubs...
Ska is the BEST form of music.
Their song “Little Bitch” is incredible on bass and has a great drive from start to finish.
This is one of those albums you can listen from start to finish.
Check out their performance on Saturday Night Live, outstanding! A seven piece band where everyone was equally important - legends ❤
I always interpreted that bass line as mocking the jazz-funk dance music of the day, which was the music of the night club, the subject being ridiculed by the song
I'm sure the bass is somewhat reminiscent of the ska songs you heard by rancid and Op Ivy. Matt and Tim both are big fans of the specials. It also kinda sounds like the bass line from i wanna riot by rancid which i don't believe you've heard.
That part of the bassline you are talking about reminds me of John Fred and His Playboy Band - Judy in disguise :)
That’s the one!!!
Good Job!
Some songs that have the same feel as the bass line- Judy in Disguise( with glasses), and Bang the Drum all Day
I think Horace fused a bit of funk into the Ska to reflect the music that was being played in night clubs at that time