Specials

9-29-08 The Specials

I recently got the book “Ska’d For Life” by Horace Panter (also known as Sir Horace Gentleman), the bass player of the original Specials. I enjoyed the book greatly (and wrote a small bit about it on my other blog, 1musiclife1) and began thinking about The Specials again.

My modest Specials collection:

7" GANGSTERS / SELECTER, THE TWO TONE UK TT 1/2

1979 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" MESSAGE TO YOU RUDY, A / NITE KLUB TWO TONE UK CHSTT 5

1979 2 TRKS with 'Two Tone' sleeve

CD SPECIALS CHRYSALIS US VK 41265

1980 15 TRKS US version

LP SPECIALS CHRYSALIS US FV 41265

1980 15 TRKS US version

CD MORE SPECIALS CHRYSALIS US VK 41303

1980 12 TRKS US version

LP MORE SPECIALS CHRYSALIS US CHR 1303

1980 12 TRKS US version

7" BRAGGIN' & TRYIN' NOT TO LIE / RUDE BOYS OUTA JAIL TWO TONE UK TT 999

1980 2 TRKS with 'Two Tone' sleeve – promo-only?

7" RAT RACE / RUDE BOYS OUTA JAIL TWO TONE UK CHSTT 11

1980 2 TRKS with 'Two Tone' sleeve

7" STEREOTYPE / INTERNATIONAL JET SET TWO TONE UK CHSTT 13

1980 2 TRKS with 'Two Tone' sleeve

7" GHOST TOWN / WHY? TWO TONE DE 103.338

1981 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" BOILER, THE / THEME FROM THE BOILER (Special AKA) TWO TONE UK CHSTT 18

1982 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

10" WAR CRIMES / (Version) (Special AKA) TWO TONE UK CHSTT 10-23

1982 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

I bought as many 2-Tone label records as I could find when they came out as new releases, but I obviously never found ‘everything’. Not sure which edition of the debut single I have – it doesn’t say Chrysalis anywhere on it – so probably it’s a Rough Trade version – unfortunately, not a hand-stamped copy!

I never got to see them live; I think the two albums (“Specials” and “More Specials”) are really good, still good after 25+ years! I do not have the re-mastered CD’s, unfortunately – just the first ones I ever got, at the end of the 80’s. And I wish I had a 12” of “Ghost Town”!

I remember just how unsettling “The Boiler” was, when I first heard it.

It seems as though some of the members of the original Specials have re-formed recently, and played some gigs in England – without Jerry Dammers? Oh, goodness.