The Specials: North American Spring Tour 2017

English ska legends The Specials will soon make their way across the Atlantic for a North American spring tour. Set to commence in early June, the jaunt will see the UK outfit play to crowds in such cities as Toronto, Brooklyn, Portland, Los Angeles, and Baltimore.

The tour will feature a new iteration of The Specials, following the deaths of both drummer John Bradbury and trombonist Rico Rodriguez in 2015. The updated lineup includes original members in Terry Hall, Horace Panter, and Lynval Golding, rounded out by Ocean Colour Scene’s Steve Craddock on guitar and Gary Powell of The Libertines on drums.
(Original keyboardist Jerry Dammers currently missing in action...)

If the group’s upcoming dates are anything like its impressive appearance at Riot Fest Chicago last September, fans old and new should be in for a treat.

The Specials 2017 Tour Dates:
06/16 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
06/17 – Saratoga, CA @ Mountain Winery
06/18 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl

The Specials: Make Their Albums Extra Special

The Specials’ two albums are being reissued on March 30, alongside The Special AKA’s album In The Studio.

The expanded editions are the first time that founder songwriter and keyboardist Jerry Dammers has given his approval to anything surrounding the band since the rest of the line-up reformed without Dammers’ involvement in 2007.
Each remastered album features all of The Specials’ B-sides, EPs and non-album singles as well as assorted BBC live sessions as well as sleevenotes by music journalist Lois Wilson and previously unseen pictures by photographer Chalkie Davies.

1979’s self-titled debut adds the three-song "Too Much Too Young" EP, plus an 11-song gig recorded in Paris in December 1979 originally aired for the BBC In Concert series.

The following year’s "More Specials" album adds non-album singles Rat Race and Ghost Town, the single version of Do Nothing, and the B-sides of those three singles as well as Stereotypes’ flip side – Rude Boys Outa Jail, Maggie’s Farm, Racquel, Friday Night Saturday Morning and the extended version of Why. Rounding off the release are Radio 1 session versions of Stereotypes, Sea Cruise and You’re Wondering Now plus a Rude Boys Outa Jail remix featuring guitarist Neville Staple in his guise as Judge Roughneck.

Dammers, drummer John Bradbury and bassist Horace Panter formed The Special AKA after The Specials split in 1981, recruiting singer Stan Campbell, guitarist John Shipley and former Bodysnatchers vocalist Rhoda Dakar. Their 1984 album "In The Studio" adds the B-sides The Boiler, You Just Can’t Get A Break and Jungle Music, plus a three-song John Peel session and six instrumental versions.

1981 Top Singles & Albums Chart

1981 NME Singles
1. Ghost Town - The Specials
4. Fascist Groove Thang - Heaven 17
5. Love Action - Human League

12. Tainted Love - Soft Cell
13. Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag - Pigbag
20. Just Can't Get Enough - Depeche Mode
23. Rapture - Blondie

30. Doors Of Your Heart - The Beat
31. Kitchen Person - The Associates
33. Favourite Shirts - Haircut 100
34. Pocket Calculator - Kraftwerk

38. Chant No.1 (We Don’t Need This Pressure On) - Spandau Ballet
42. Ceremony - New Order
45. The ‘Sweetest Girl’ - Scritti Politti
46. Pretty In Pink - Psychedelic Furs
48. Computer Love - Kraftwerk

1981 NME Albums
2. Computer World - Kraftwerk
3. Red - Black Uhuru
4. Wha'ppen - The Beat
5. Penthouse And Pavement - Heaven 17
6. Dare - Human League
9. Red Mecca - Cabaret Voltaire

22. Heaven Up Here - Echo And The Bunnymen
23. See Jungle! Etc..... - Bow Wow Wow
34. Tattoo You - The Rolling Stones
44. Wild Gift - X

UK Inde Singles
01/81
 1,  5 Cartrouble - Adam & Ants
 3,  6 Zerox - Adam & Ants
 8,  4 Telegram sam - Bauhaus
19, 18 Holiday In Cambodia - Dead Kennedys
29, 20 Atmosphere - Joy Division

10/81
 6,  1 One In Ten - UB40
11, 24 Holiday In Cambodia - Dead Kennedys
23,  6 New Life - Depeche Mode
24, 21 Dreaming Of Me  - Depeche Mode
28,  * Wardance - Killing Joke


Billboard Disco Top 80
08/81
24, 24 Computer Love - Kraftwerk
25, 25 New Toy - Lene Lovich
28, 34 Dumb Waiters/Into You Like A Train - P Furs
39, 27 Planet Earth - Duran Duran
41, 35 Sound of the Crowd - Human League

42, 49 Our Lips Are Sealed - Go-Go's
49, 54 New Life/Shout - Depeche Mode
54, 44 Primary - Cure
65, 62 Stand & Deliver - Adam & Ants
69, 70 Papa's Got a New Pigbag - Pigbag
73,  * Chant No.1 (We Don’t Need This Pressure On) - Spandau Ballet
79, 76 The American - Simple Minds

Specials, Madness, Selecter: 2 TONE TOUR Glasgow 79-11-11

The Specials, Madness and The Selecter were on the 2 TONE TOUR in Glasgow on November 11th.

Dexy's Midnight Runners played on June 29th (1980?).