The Specials were danceable, political, multicultural, and influenced youth fashion while scoring number-one hits. There aren’t many other bands in pop history that can claim the same. They represented a musical and subcultural revolution. Incredible.
One of the first times I saw them was at the Paradiso in Amsterdam, where Two Tone peers The Beat opened for them. It was an era when great support acts were the norm—thinking of The Passions opening for The Cure and Gang of Four supporting the Buzzcocks.
When I first heard The Specials’ debut album, I couldn’t stop playing it. A mix of party and politics. To be honest, I didn’t initially realize many of the tracks were energetic covers of old ska classics, but The Specials brought their own power to them. Thanks to them, I dove deeper into the history of ska, discovering legends like The Skatalites, The Maytals, The Ethiopians, and more—bands I still play regularly.
And still love the Specials.