The Specials

The Specials are a ska band from Coventry, United Kingdom, formed in 1977 and active from 1977 to the present. They are associated with 2 Tone, new wave, reggae, rocksteady and ska, and their music combines a danceable ska rhythm with punk energy and a political, social outlook.

Formation and early line-up

The group is formed by songwriter and keyboardist Jerry Dammers. The early line-up includes Terry Hall on vocals, Lynval Golding on guitar and vocals, Horace Panter on bass, and John Bradbury on drums. Other members linked with the band include Dick Cuthell, Roddy Radiation, Rico Rodriguez, Neville Staple and Mark Adams.

The Specials also develop a recognisable visual style, wearing mod-influenced 1960s “rude boy” clothing such as pork pie hats, mohair suits and loafers.

Releases and chart success

Their debut album is released in 1979 and reaches the UK Top Five. It is produced by Elvis Costello and issued on Jerry Dammers’ 2 Tone Records. Their second album, More Specials, follows and broadens the group’s sound beyond ska, bringing in lounge music and other influences.

Among their best-known singles are “Too Much Too Young”, which reaches number one in the UK in 1980, and “Ghost Town”, a 1981 single about unemployment that also reaches number one in the UK Singles Chart. The band also places seven consecutive singles in the UK Top 10 between 1979 and 1981.

Breakups and reformations

The Specials split in 1984 after two albums and a run of successful singles. A version of the band reforms from 1994 to 2001, touring without Terry Hall and Jerry Dammers at first, with Roddy singing Hall’s parts. The line-up changes in 1996 before the group splits again in 2001.

The band reforms again in 2008 and tours for their 30th anniversary in 2009. They also tour America and Europe in 2010 and tour the UK in 2011. Neville Staple leaves in 2013, and Roddy Radiation leaves in 2014, after which the band continues to tour with Steve Cradock on lead guitar.

Later history

John Bradbury dies in 2015. Terry Hall dies in 2022 after a short illness.