|
 Our
reviewer Liz Jaynes on a new book that reassesses the indie label
that spawned a youth movement in Margaret Thatcher's Britain...
In
the Autumn of 1979 The Specials released their first single 'Gangsters'
on the 2 Tone label.
Mixing
the rhythms of ska with a hypnotic riff and homegrown lyrics that
were as sharp as the band's suits, the record sailed up the charts
to number 6 and in the process kick-started a whole new musical
movement: 2 Tone.
| "This
was a movement where fashion, the sharp suits and porkpie hats,
collided with music and politics..." |
Now
a quarter of a century later, in his book Wheels Out of Gear:
2 Tone, The Specials and A World In Flame, author Dave Thompson
traces the development of this very British ska punk sound.
Thompson
focuses on the flashpoint period between 1979-1981, from the early
days of The Specials to the explosion of the 2 Tone sound, which,
for a brief, intense period, became the hottest thing since sliced
bread, launching the careers of The Selecter, The Bodysnatchers
and The Beat.
Documenting
2 Tone's rise, he follows the music from its early days in Coventry
down to the capital, where bands from the Midlands converged with
London acts such as Madness and Bad Manners playing to crowded venues
and taking the charts by storm.
turbulent
times
 Central
to Thompson's account is the reminder that this was about more than
just music. It was a fully fledged movement where fashion (encapsulated
by the black-and-white logo of the Walt Jabsco figure), music and
politics collided.
The
2 Tone sound appealed not only to the youth of the day, black and
white, but also reflected the turbulent times of the era in songs
such as 'Ghostown', 'Racist Friend' and, inevitably, 'Stand Down
Margaret'.
As
the title A World In Flame suggests, Thompson dedicates a
large section of the book to the socio-political climate of Britain
in the late 70s and early 80s, from unemployment, racism and riots
to the rise of Thatcherism.
At
times this means he drifts away from the narrative of the 2 Tone
story, which could have been livened up further with contemporary
interviews from various scene-makers and band members.
That
said, the book is a detailed, well-researched and intelligent account
of The Specials and 2 Tone, a movement whose message and music continue
to command a following today.
Find
more on The Specials and young London in '79 here>>
More
rock book reviews here>>
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