''More Specials'' is the second album by English ska band

the Specials The Specials, also known as The Special AKA, are an English 2 tone and ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry. After some early changes, the first stable lineup of the group consisted of Terry Hall and Neville Staple on vocals, Lynv ...

, released by 2 Tone Records in September 1980. After the success of the band's self-titled debut, band member

Jerry Dammers Jeremy David Hounsell Dammers GCOT (born 22 May 1955) is a British musician who was a founder, keyboard player and primary songwriter of the Coventry-based ska band The Specials (also known as The Special A.K.A.) and later The Spatial AKA Orche ...

assumed the role as the band's leader and stirred them into expanding their

2 Tone Two-tone, two tone, or 2 tone, etc., may refer to: Audio and sound * Two-tone analysis, in nonlinear system measurement * Two-tone attention signal * Two-tone chime, such as the "ding dong" sound of a doorbell * Two-tone sequential paging, se ...

sound into other genres of music, most prominently a

lounge music Lounge music is a type of easy listening music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It may be meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place, usually with a tranquil theme, such as a jungle, an island paradise or outer space. The rang ...

and

easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, ...

style inspired by

Muzak Muzak is an American brand of background music played in retail stores and other public establishments. The name has been in use since 1934, and has been owned by a division or subsidiary of one or another company ever since. In 1981, Westingh ...

. Several band members disagreed with Dammers' vision and brought their own influences to the album, including from northern soul and

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and b ...

, contributing to an eclectic sound palette. The relations between band members continued to sour into the album's accompanying tour and most of the band departed in 1981. The album features collaborations with

the Go-Go's The Go-Go's are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1978. Except for short periods when other musicians joined briefly, the band has had a relatively stable lineup consisting of Charlotte Caffey on lead guitar and keyboar ...

members

Belinda Carlisle Belinda Jo Carlisle ( ; born August 17, 1958) is an American singer. She gained fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, the most successful all-female rock band of all time, and went on to have a prolific career as a solo artist. Raised in ...

Charlotte Caffey Charlotte Irene Caffey (born October 21, 1953) is an American guitarist, best known for her work in the rock band the Go-Go's in the 1980s, including writing " We Got the Beat". Career Caffey began her musical career playing bass guitar in th ...

, and Jane Wiedlin;

Rhoda Dakar Rhoda Dakar (born 1959) is a British singer and musician, best known as the lead singer of The Bodysnatchers, who were signed to the 2 Tone record label. She also worked with The Specials and Special AKA, also 2-Tone artists. Career Dakar, bo ...

from the Bodysnatchers; and Lee Thompson from

Madness Madness or The Madness may refer to: Emotion and mental health * Anger, an intense emotional response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat * Insanity, a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns * ...

. The lyrics on the album, as with the band's debut album, are often intensely political. Upon its release, the album alienated some fans, but reached number 5 in the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

, while its singles reached the top 10 of the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. The album also reached number 98 on the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart. Critics greeted the album with praise, where journalists felt the album marked a bold step for the band. It has been since cited as an influence on the

trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with " downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic fusion of hip hop and electronica with slow tem ...

genre in the 1990s, and has been re-released several times.

Background

Formed in

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...

in 1977, the Specials were the originators of 2 Tone music, a style that mixed the Jamaican genres of ska and

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

with the attitude and energy of punk rock and a focus on politically and

socially conscious Social consciousness or social awareness, is collective consciousness shared by individuals within a society. They began 2 Tone Records, partly named for the band's multiracial line-up, on which they released their debut single " Gangsters" in 1979, which reached the

top 10. The subsequent debut album ''

The Specials The Specials, also known as The Special AKA, are an English 2 tone and ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry. After some early changes, the first stable lineup of the group consisted of Terry Hall and Neville Staple on vocals, Lynv ...

'' (1979) was a critical and commercial success, while the '' Too Much Too Young'' EP released in early 1980 reached number one in the UK Singles Chart. By early-mid-1980, after six months of touring, the band were physically exhausted and felt they could not sustain the large amount of energy required to be in the band, but they had a schedule to adhere to;

Chrysalis Records Chrysalis Records () is a British record label that was founded in 1968. The name is both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders' names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis. It started as the Ellis-Wright A ...

, the owner of 2 Tone Records, were hurrying the band into recording their second album, while managers wanted the band to tour in Europe, Japan and the United States. Various deals, including large concerts, TV programmes and a feature film, also needed to be discussed. Bassist

Horace Panter Horace Panter (born Stephen Graham Panter, 30 August 1953) also known as Sir Horace Gentleman, is the bassist for the British 2 Tone ska band The Specials. Early life Panter was born in Croydon, Surrey and spent most of his formative years i ...

recalled: "Decisions needed to be made, and all we wanted to do was sleep. We didn't have any choice. We had to learn to enjoy the ride or get off, and nobody wanted to get off!" A new single was required, so the band released "

Rat Race A rat race is an endless, self-defeating, or pointless pursuit. The phrase equates humans to rats attempting to earn a reward such as cheese, in vain. It may also refer to a competitive struggle to get ahead financially or routinely. The term is ...

", written by guitarist Roddy Byers as a critique on how privileged students "would spend three years pissing it up in college, knowing full well that Daddy would get them a good job when they left no matter what." With

Linton Kwesi Johnson Linton Kwesi Johnson (born 24 August 1952), also known as LKJ, is a Jamaica-born, British-based dub poet and activist. In 2002 he became the second living poet, and the only black one, to be published in the Penguin Modern Classics series. His p ...

's "Me Wan' Fi Go Rave" as a musical starting point, band founder and keyboardist

added a plucked piano intro inspired by John Barry, foreshadowing his primary direction on ''More Specials''. The single was a success, reaching number 5 in the UK charts. Meanwhile, drummer John Bradbury wanted to record a solo single, a cover version of the northern soul track "Sock It to 'em J.B.", imagining the titular initials changing from

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...

to John Bradbury. The band recorded it with him at

Tulse Hill Tulse Hill is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in South London that sits on Brockwell Park. It is approximately five miles from Charing Cross and is bordered by Brixton, Dulwich, Herne Hill, Streatham and West Norwood. History The ar ...

, and though it was not released as a single, it did make it onto ''More Specials''. For the band's second album, Dammers wanted to move the band's sound forward, away from ska and towards new territory. He declared: "It's time for 2-Tone bands to begin getting experimental. Some of the home-grown ska has started to become a cliche. We've got to start all over again." He reflected years later: "Ska was just a launching point. I didn't want us to end up like

Bad Manners Bad Manners are an English two-tone and ska band led by frontman Buster Bloodvessel. Early appearances included ''Top of the Pops'' and the live film documentary, '' Dance Craze'' (1981). They were at their most popular during the early 1 ...

." For Dammers, this change meant he could pursue his fascination with

and mood music, both " background sounds not designed for active listening, but which, if you paid attention, turned out to be weird, even creepy," according to writer

Simon Reynolds Simon Reynolds (born 19 June 1963) is an English music journalist and author who began his professional career on the staff of ''Melody Maker'' in the mid-1980s. He has since gone on to freelance and publish a number of full-length books on musi ...

. In particular, he was interested in

. Band member

Neville Staple Neville Eugenton Staple (born 11 April 1955), sometimes credited as Neville Staples, is a Jamaican-born English singer, known for his work with the 2 Tone ska band the Specials, as well as with his own group, the Neville Staple Band. He also pe ...

said this was a reflection of the band's constant touring abroad: "We were in aeroplanes too much, man, and hotels! We were hearing that kind of elevator music, those drum-machine beats, everywhere we went. You soak up what surrounds you." In Dammers' own recollection, he had been inspired by listening to the styles while on tour in America in particular; in 2009, he reflected:

Recording

Unlike the first Specials album, which was produced by

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in 2020, and has twice been nom ...

in a raw fashion, Jerry Dammers himself produced ''More Specials'' with Dave Jordan, except for "Sock It to 'em J.B." which was produced by Bradbury. It was recorded during summer 1980 at Coventry's Horizon Studios and mixed at Wessex Studios in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. In contrast to the first album, ''More Specials'' was predominately crafted in the studio, as, in his pursuit of musical perfection, Dammers had become infatuated with the idea of a recording studio and the possibilities it presented for numerous

overdub Overdubbing (also known as layering) is a technique used in audio recording in which audio tracks that have been pre-recorded are then played back and monitored, while simultaneously recording new, doubled, or augmented tracks onto one or more av ...

s and fine tuning. Consequently, ''More Specials'' is more producer-dominated than the band's previous work. In this period, Dammers would listen to any music with an open mind, feeling that no matter whether he initially thought the music was good or bad, he would grow to like it with repeated plays. His ambition with ''More Specials'' was to destroy people's preconceived ideas of good and bad music to the point where listeners would hear a record and "won't even know if they like it or not." Panter said the band's intention was to become "more international." Several band members opposed Dammers' suggested "Muzak-lounge

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

experiment" idea. Byers was moving into a different direction in his fusions of ska with

, contributing to a difference of opinion which destroyed his friendship with Dammers. While Byers acknowledged Dammers as having had the determination and vision to start the band, he felt he wanted to dominate the band and "run everything himself," with group manager Rick Rogers serving merely to interpret Dammers' ideas. The guitarist stated he wanted to start his own band to play his rockabilly-styled

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm ...

, which would have been stylistically consistent with acts like Stray Cats who had just began gaining attention in London. Consequently, he had begun creating songs in punk rock and

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, an ...

styles, while Bradbury's interest in northern soul remained intact, thus contributing to the varied sound of the final album. Regardless, as Dammers was the band's production mastermind, he dominated the recording. Byers reflected that, with ''More Specials'', the Specials "went from ''

With the Beatles ''With the Beatles'' is the second studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released in the United Kingdom on 22 November 1963 on Parlophone, eight months after the band's debut '' Please Please Me''. Produced by George Mar ...

'' to '' Sgt. Pepper's'' without doing '' Rubber Soul''," a comment Panter found to be "very pertinent," who noted that: " ammers wouldoften say we've done that, now let's do something else. And other people would say, hey we've got this great thing going on here, why are we doing something different? That was probably the beginning of the fracturing of the band." During recording, Dammers had a heated row with Bradbury, who wanted to do a "2 Tone review, mixing ska,

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...

and reggae," which seemed like a good idea to him and Panter. Recording was also hindered by outside interference, most notably when a journalist entered the studio to interview the band, who were recording one of the songs who then felt the interruption had sabotaged the "vibe" of the song. Another contributing factor to the dark tone of ''More Specials'' was the drink and drug-related issues within the band, racial squabbles in the audience of the band's live shows and guitarist Lynval Golding being victim to a violent racist attack. For his experiments in Muzak, the "cheesy" tone of the pre-recorded rhythms on Dammers' newly bought Yamaha home organ, especially the Latin-America rhythms, were integral to his vision. For the Muzak-style tracks, including "Stereotypes", "I Can't Stand It" and "International Jet Set", the band sacrificed the live 'ensemble' recording of their first album for a "one instrument at a time"

multitrack recording Multitrack recording (MTR), also known as multitracking or tracking, is a method of sound recording developed in 1955 that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources or of sound sources recorded at different times to create a ...

style, firstly laying down the keyboard and drum tracks, then adding bass, then guitar, and so on, contributing to a "totally different feel to the music" that Panter disliked.

Composition

''More Specials'' is more adventurous than the band's debut, given the disparate influences of its band members, and comprises an eclectic mix of songs written by different band members, including Terry Hall's first composition, several

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song relea ...

s, Dammers' experiments in muzak and

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to ...

and some "rockabilly mod" material from Byers. '' Louder Than War'' wrote that the album was "ambitious and totally unique, expanding the group’s musical palette into areas never previously explored in 'rock' music," highlighting the encompassing of gloomy

Spaghetti Western The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

music,

dub reggae Dub is an electronic musical style that grew out of reggae in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is commonly considered a subgenre of reggae, though it has developed to extend beyond that style.Dub: soundscapes and shattered songs in Jamaican r ...

, muzak, dark

exotica Exotica is a musical genre, named after the 1957 Martin Denny Exotica (Martin Denny album), album of the same name that was popular during the 1950s to mid-1960s with Americans who came of age during World War II. The term was coined by Simon Wa ...

, calypso,

bossa nova Bossa nova () is a style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a "different beat" that altered the harmonies with the introduction of unconventional chords and an innovat ...

and northern soul. The band also incorporated inflections of jazz and

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became ...

into their sound, and flourishes of

Mariachi Mariachi (, , ) is a genre of regional Mexican music that dates back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. The usual mariachi group today consists of as many as eight violins, t ...

flugelhorn The flugelhorn (), also spelled fluegelhorn, flugel horn, or flügelhorn, is a brass instrument that resembles the trumpet and cornet but has a wider, more conical bore. Like trumpets and cornets, most flugelhorns are pitched in B, though som ...

are provided by guest musician Dick Cuthell. Simon Reynolds called the record a "ragbag of revivalisms" and "a motley compromise" between band members. ''More Specials'' is split into two distinct sides; Panter stated that side one is the "songs side" and side two is the "muzak side." The album is nonetheless dominated by Jerry Dammers and his Muzak-inspired direction, to the point where even '' The Rough Guide to Rock'' considers the album to be a venture into lounge music, while critic Scott Plagenhoef found the album to be "lounge-inspired

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-r ...

." Dammers saw his contributions as "a

DIY "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...

punk appropriation of Muzak." His preferential musical textures on ''More Specials'' are, according to Nick Reynolds of

BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio ...

, "odd and particularly British," citing the "basic rhythm boxes, brass sections in full cry, and a variety of cheesy keyboards and

fairground Fairground most typically refers to a permanent space that hosts fairs. Fairground, Fairgrounds, Fair Ground or Fair Grounds may also refer to: Places Canada * Fairground, Ontario, a community United States * Fairground, St. Louis, a neighbo ...

and

cinema organ A theatre organ (also known as a theater organ, or, especially in the United Kingdom, a cinema organ) is a type of pipe organ developed to accompany silent films, from the 1900s to the 1920s. Theatre organs have horseshoe-shaped arrangements o ...

s." While the music on the album can be jolly, the album's lyrics are comparably bleak, with English life depicted "in all its drab, suffocating despair and there's no way out," according to Nick Reynolds. John Lewis of '' Uncut'' wrote that, compared to the "teenage male fear writ large" on the band's first album, ''More Specials'' "presents a dread that’s more existential than adolescent." Critic Vivien Goldman nonetheless commented that the band's bleak world view is presented with humour: "This may be the funniest record of 1980."

Side one

Side one is eclectic, incorporating energetic ska ("Enjoy Yourself"), northern soul ("Sock It to 'em J.B."), reggae ("Do Nothing") and a "kitsch singalong" ("Pearl's Cafe"). The album is bookended by two cover versions of

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Br ...

standard "

Enjoy Yourself (It's Later than You Think) "Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think)" is a popular song published in 1949, with music written by Carl Sigman and lyrics by Herb Magidson. Cover versions A popular version of the song, recorded by Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians, was ...

." Nick Reynolds writes that the irony behind recording the song is "very

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

indeed." In the version that opens the album, the song is upbeat, with inventive drumming from Bradbury, but ironically hints at the nation's then-fear of a potentially impending

nuclear war Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a theoretical military conflict or prepared political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conventional warfare, nuclear wa ...

. Indicating the band's move away from ska, the song's horn arrangements are said by Goldman to "evoke

Bernard Herrmann Bernard Herrmann (born Maximillian Herman; June 29, 1911December 24, 1975) was an American composer and conductor best known for his work in composing for films. As a conductor, he championed the music of lesser-known composers. He is widely r ...

and the Northern Dance Orchestra more than the cool jerk at Studio One." "Man at C&A", Hall's first composition, also shares a theme of nuclear war with its lyrics addressing doomsday, and was described by Simon Reynolds as a "

film soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

/Muzak fusion." The song includes a horn arrangement inspired by

Nelson Riddle Nelson Smock Riddle Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid-1980s. He worked with many world-famous vocalists at Capitol Recor ...

and "explosion" sounds from Bradbury's synthesised drums. Bradbury's interest in new technology, including synthesised drums, provided a foil to most of the other band members, who preferred simplistic live recording. Lee Thompson of

contributes saxophone solos to "Hey, Little Rich Girl", which concerns an aspiring "little rich girl" who moves to London but whose career detours into

pornography Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults,

. "Do Nothing" warns about the "dangers of obliviousness" with particularly sharp lyrics, although the searching lyrics are contrasted with the song's upbeat, laidback rhythm. Peter Chick of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

'' noted that " e track might conjure a blissful, muzak-smooth, easy-listening utopia, but – as seemed to be ''More Specials bleak theme – underneath the surface, everything was fucked up." "Pearl's Cafe" features future Specials vocalist

, then of the Bodysnatchers, dueting with Hall, and lyrically comments on the country's frustration, with one critic particularly noting the line: "It's all a load of bollocks, and bollocks to it all." Bradbury's northern soul tribute "Sock It to 'em J.B." was updated via saxophone work from Paul Haskett, who applies a 1960s kitsch sound to proceedings.

Side two

The Go-Gos - Belinda Carlisle and Charlotte Caffey

Side two sees the album enter into more radical territory, dominated by Dammers' infatuation for exotica and

film score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to e ...

s. Throughout this side, Dammers plays rhythms in the styles of

cha-cha Cha-Cha, Cha Cha, ChaCha or Chacha may refer to: Music *Cha-cha-cha (dance), a dance of Cuban origin *Cha-cha-cha (music), a genre of Cuban music *Cha Cha (album), ''Cha Cha'' (album), a 1978 album by Herman Brood & His Wild Romance *Cha Cha (sou ...

, beguine and bossa nova on his Yamaha home organ. "Stereotypes/Stereotypes Pt. 2" blends styles of lounge, dub and

music and features complex chord circles that have been compared to

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wor ...

. The track begins with exotica sounds, a "chintzy" drum machine beat and ominously harmonised vocals from Hall, Golding and Staple. In the song's second part, it transforms into an extended dub section with Dammers' ringing synth figures, Byers's

flamenco Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura a ...

notes and drum machine beats rubbing with

echo In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the lis ...

-laden

snare drum The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...

s. Lyrically, it concerns a slacker who drinks heavily and then crashes his car in a

police chase A car chase or vehicle pursuit is the vehicular overland chase of one party by another, involving at least one automobile or other wheeled motor vehicle in pursuit, commonly hot pursuit of suspects by law enforcement. The rise of the automotive ...

. "Holiday Fortnight" is an instrumental flavoured by

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

and calypso music, whereas "I Can't Stand It" contains

cool jazz Cool jazz is a style of modern jazz music that arose in the United States after World War II. It is characterized by relaxed tempos and lighter tone, in contrast to the fast and complex bebop style. Cool jazz often employs formal arrangements an ...

licks, and was one of the first songs Dammers had ever written. "International Jet Set" is a bleak

psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science o ...

track in an exotica and "elevator music" style with a

sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form ...

-style groove and lucid synths. Lyrically, Hall narrates a personal nervous breakdown on a

McDonnell Douglas DC-10 The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is an American trijet wide-body aircraft manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. The DC-10 was intended to succeed the DC-8 for long- range flights. It first flew on August 29, 1970; it was introduced on August 5, 19 ...

aeroplane in which he talks of the misery of life and his alienation, before the sound of a captain announcing over the PA that the plane is to take a crash landing, presumably killing its passengers. According to

Simon Price Simon Price (born 25 September 1967) is a British music journalist and author. He is known for his weekly review section in ''The Independent on Sunday'' and his book ''Everything (A Book About Manic Street Preachers)''. Career Writer Pric ...

of ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...

'', the wider message is explicit: "There’s no one driving. This is the late 20th century and the lunatics have their fingers on the red button. We’re alone. We’re all going to die. Brrrr." The reprise of "Enjoy Yourself" that closes the album is a collaboration with

and is slower and broodier than the first version, transforming the song into "a wry cynicism worthy of '

Threepenny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, ''The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with music b ...

' or similar

Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a p ...

/ Weill

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dinin ...

collaborations," according to Goldman.

Release and tour

With photography from Carol Starr and Chalkie Davies, the album cover of ''More Specials'' depicts a "cheesy" out-of-focus colour photograph of the band snapped in the bar of the former Regent Hotel in

Leamington Spa Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or simply Leamington (), is a spa town and civil parish in Warwickshire, England. Originally a small village called Leamington Priors, it grew into a spa town in the 18th century following ...

. Dammers asked Davies to take a deliberately bad, out-of-focus picture reminiscent of the album sleeves of Jamaican artists like

King Tubby Osbourne Ruddock (28 January 1941 – 6 February 1989), better known as King Tubby, was a Jamaican sound engineer who greatly influenced the development of dub in the 1960s and 1970s. Tubby's innovative studio work, which saw him elevate the ...

. Simon Reynolds felt this colour sleeve "announced the end of the black-and-white 2-Tone aesthetic," even noting that some of the band are smiling, compared to the serious facial expressions on the first album's sleeve. In September 1980, the first single from the album, a double A-side of "Stereotypes" and "International Jet Set", was released to present the band's new "post-ska" sound. It reached number 6 in the UK Singles Chart in September. Released several months later, the second single "Do Nothing" reached number 4 on the chart in December. "Rat Race", included on the American edition of the album, reached number 89 on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

''s

Club Play Singles Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as th ...

chart. ''More Specials'' was released on 19 September 1980 in the United Kingdom by 2 Tone Records. Although the band's new direction bewildered some of their fan base, the album was a commercial success, reaching number 5 on the

and staying on the chart for 20 weeks. It was ultimately certified Gold by the

British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with ...

. In the United States, where it was released by Chrysails Records with "Rat Race" added to the track listing, it reached number 98 on the US ''Billboard'' 200. The album also made the top 30 in New Zealand and Sweden. It has been re-released several times, including by 2 Tone as an LP in 1987, by Chrysalis as a CD in 1989, again by Chrysalis as a remastered CD in 2002 and more recently as a 2CD deluxe edition by 2 Tone in March 2015, adding a range of bonus material to the album. Coinciding with the album's release, the Specials began the More Specials Tour in autumn 1980, but the conflicts between band remembers that had surfaced during the album's recording sessions continued to develop throughout the tour, with relations between members being the worst they had ever been. Dammers recalled band members becoming tired and constantly feeling under pressure, and throughout the tour, they watched "the country falling apart" as shops throughout the British towns and cities they played became shuttered up and closed down: "

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...

had apparently gone mad, she was closing down all the industries, throwing millions of people on the dole. We could actually see it by touring around. You could see that frustration and anger in the audience. In

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...

, there were these little old ladies on the streets selling all their household goods, their cups and saucers. It was unbelievable. It was clear that something was very, very wrong." The scenes they saw inspired the lyrics of their subsequent

unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the refe ...

-themed non-album single, "

Ghost Town Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * ''Ghost Town'' (1956 film), an American Western film by All ...

" (1981), a critically acclaimed hit which musically mixes reggae with Dammers' continued experimentation with easy listening and programme music, and which reached number one during the 1981 England riots. The popularity of the song was not enough to rebuild relations within the band, and most of the members left later on in 1981, leaving only Dammers and Bradbury, who thereafter added new members and changed the band's name to The Special AKA.

Critical reception

Critical reception to ''More Specials'' was very favourable, with Vivien Goldman of the '' NME'', John Orme of ''Melody Maker'', Mike Gardner of ''

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the '' NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in '' ...

'' and Garry Bushell of '' Sounds'' all praising the album and considering it a bold step for the band. In the words of Panter, they wrote of how it was a " reakaway from a safe-ska stance, redifining

dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded da ...

for the eighties (dance muzak for the eighties, to be precise)." In the ''NME'', Goldman felt that " ns expecting more frenetic ska re-runs will do a treble-flip when they hear the conglomerate of Zhivago-esque movie soundtracks and other much-maligned musics the Specials have re-validated. Their energy has become more sensual, too, less St Vitus's dance, more mellow hip-grind." She wrote that she would play side two "more than any other 2 Tone artefact" and concluded that "The Specials' maturing process is a proper tonic." In ''

Smash Hits ''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand ...

'',

David Hepworth David Hepworth (born 27 July 1950) is a British music journalist, writer and publishing industry analyst who was instrumental in the foundation of a number of popular magazines in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Along with the journalist, editor and b ...

felt the decision the change in direction was wise and called the record " original and highly intelligent album that suggests The Specials can keep it up if you can." ''Billboard'' complimented the lyrics as "uniformly excellent whether they're speaking of love or a tribute to James Bond." In his '' Record Guide'',

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

was somewhat less receptive, saying that although "they make the ska sound their own by synthesizing its trippy beat and their own inborn vocal attenuation into a single formal principle--a platonic ideal of fun," this becomes so conspicuous on side two that "the result is so light it's almost ethereal, political consciousness and all." Among retrospective reviews, Jo-Ann Greene of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

reflected that the album was "an intensely satisfying set in its day, even if it wasn't as centered as their debut." In ''Uncut'', John Lewis complimented the lyrical "dread that's more existential than adolescent," but felt "the most interesting development is the sonic shift from monochrome into

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

." Simon Tucker of ''Louder Than War'' agreed that ''More Specials'' documents the point "where the band widen their palette even further with the black and white replaced by rainbow," and felt that it was a shame that the album "signposts what could have been if the band had managed to stay together, but maybe they’d said all they could have as a unit by this time." In his review for BBC Music, Nick Reynolds said that the album "has lots of quality, and is almost a classic," while Martin C. Strong of '' The Great Rock Bible'' felt the album proved the Specials "were no one trick pony." Less favourable were ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

'', who bemoaned the "more turgid experimental approach."

Accolades

At the end of 1980, it was named the year's 32nd best album by the ''NME'', and 31st best by ''

OOR ''OOR'' is the oldest currently published music magazine in the Netherlands. ''Oor'' is the Dutch word for ear. Until 1984 it was published as ''Muziekkrant Oor''. History The magazine was first published on 1 April 1971, being founded by Bar ...

''. In 1995, ''Melody Maker'' included it in a list of "great lost albums," having been chosen for inclusion by Simon Price, who wrote an accompanying essay for the album's entry. The album was included in the book ''

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'' is a musical reference book first published in 2005 by Universe Publishing. Part of the ''1001 Before You Die'' series, it compiles writings and information on albums chosen by a panel of music critics ...

''. In 1987, '' Rockdelux'' named it the 91st best album released between 1980 and 1986. In 2003, ''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: *Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * '' ...

'' included in their list of the "Top 50 Eccentric Albums," while in 2007 they included in their list of "The 80 Greatest Albums of the 80s." In 2006, Gary Mulholland included it in his list of the "261 Greatest Albums Since Punk and Disco." It is listed in Amy Britton's book ''Revolution Rock: The Albums Which Defined Two Decades''. Steve Taylor wrote in ''The A to X of Alternative Music'' that the Specials "made the music less obviously antagonistic and as a result more powerfully brooding."

Legacy

Ranking Roger of fellow 2 Tone band the Beat poses ''More Specials'' as one of the reasons why the Beat became more musically adventurous on their second album '' Wha'ppen?'' (1981). He recalled that, unlike the "punkish with an edge" sound of the inaugural Specials album, ''More Specials'' "was like Muzak, hotel music! Obviously they’d been on the road too long, that’s what we thought. We thought they’ve been on the road too long cause this is the kind of music we hear in them hotels when we tour round America – everywhere! But it still had a message and that was really successful for them. And maybe it was more successful for them because they challenged to change." He told one interviewer, " 'More Specials''was more like muzak and Spanish music and we thought, 'hey up what's going on? It's modern cowboy music or something?' – but people still got into it, they still think of it as a classic." Music critic Jon Harrington wrote that the "eclectic mixture of styles" on ''More Specials'' influenced 1990s

acts including

Massive Attack Massive Attack are an English trip hop collective formed in 1988 in Bristol by Robert "3D" Del Naja, Adrian "Tricky" Thaws, Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. The debut Massive Attack album '' Blue Lines'' was releas ...

and Portishead, while the revival of interest for easy listening in the mid-1990s could be traced back to Dammers' work on ''More Specials''. Blur were also influenced by ''More Specials'', and some critics have compared several Blur songs to the album; Ian Wade of ''

The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quietu ...

'' felt the "spectral gloom" of ''More Specials'' resides "like a shadow" over Blur's fourth album '' The Great Escape'' (1995), most notably on the "kitchen-sink-ska" of "Fade Away", while "Best Days" and "He Thought of Cars" from the same album were said by Scott Plagenhoef of ''

Stylus Magazine ''Stylus Magazine'' was an American online music and film magazine, launched in 2002 and co-founded by Todd L. Burns. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog. Addi ...

'' to develop upon the "lounge-inspired post-punk" of ''More Specials''. Wade also cites the B-sides "Supa Shoppa" (1994) and especially "The Horrors" (1995) as further examples, the latter song combining "a cheap tango rhythm-preset with schoolhouse piano to push ''More Specials postcard bleakness into something approaching existential dread." Orbital sampled "Man at C&A" on the song "Are We Here?" from '' Snivilisation'' (1994). Panter originally felt the album had a strong "beyond cynicism" vibe that seemed "angry at its own impotence. It didn't seem to care." He did not listen to the album for 20 years "because it just reminds me of that time when the band was just falling to bits because it was exhausted." Upon revisiting the album, he found it to be inferior to the band's debut album but noted "it really stands up. Some of the songs are my favourites – 'Man at C&A', I love 'International Jet Set' and 'Enjoy Yourself' has become anthemic these days." The band were considering commemorating the album's 35th anniversary in some fashion in 2015, but these plans did not materialise.

Track listing

LP

Side one #" Enjoy Yourself" (

Herb Magidson Herbert A. Magidson (January 7, 1906 – January 2, 1986) was an American popular lyricist. His work was used in over 23 films and four Broadway revues. He won the first Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1934. Life and career Magidson was ...

Carl Sigman Carl Sigman (September 24, 1909 – September 26, 2000) was an American songwriter. Early life Born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York to a Jewish-American family, Sigman graduated from law school and passed his bar exams to practice in t ...

) – 3:39 #"

" (Roddy Byers) – 3:07 - NB: not included on UK release nor Dutch LP #"Man at C&A" (Jerry Dammers, Terry Hall) – 3:36 #"Hey, Little Rich Girl" (Roddy Byers) – 3:35 - featuring Lee Jay Thompson #" Do Nothing" (Lynval Golding) – 3:43 #"Pearl's Cafe" (Dammers) – 3:07 #"Sock It to 'em J.B." (Clayton Dunn,

Rex Garvin Rex Garvin (July 24, 1940Interview
OtherSounds.com. Retrieved December 6, 2013. – December 2, 2013) wa ...

, Pete Holman) – 2:56 Side two #" Stereotypes/Stereotypes Pt. 2" (Dammers, Neville Staple) – 7:24 #"Holiday Fortnight" (Byers) – 2:45 #"I Can't Stand It" (Dammers) – 4:01 - featuring Rhoda Dakar #"International Jet Set" (Dammers) – 5:37 #"Enjoy Yourself (Reprise)" (Magidson, Sigman) – 1:46 Bonus 7" Early copies included a free 7" single: #"Braggin' & Tryin' Not to Lie" by

Roddy Radiation Roddy Radiation (born Roderick James Byers, 5 May 1955 in Keresley, Coventry, England) is an English musician who played lead guitar for The Specials, as well as many rockabilly bands such as the Bonediggers and the Tearjerkers. He wrote the S ...

and

featuring Paul Haskett #"Rude Boys Outa Jail" (Version) featuring

a.k.a. Judge Roughneck

CD

#"Enjoy Yourself" (Magidson, Sigman) – 3:39 #"Rat Race" (Byers) – 3:07 - NB: not included on UK release nor Dutch LP #"Man at C&A" (Dammers, Hall) – 3:36 #"Hey, Little Rich Girl" (Byers) – 3:35 - featuring Lee Jay Thompson #"Do Nothing" (Golding) – 3:43 #"Pearl's Cafe" (Dammers) – 3:07 #"Sock It to 'em J.B." (Dunn, Garvin, Holman) – 2:56 #"Stereotype/Stereotype, Pt. 2" (Dammers, Staple) – 7:24 #"Holiday Fortnight" (Byers) – 2:45 #"I Can't Stand It" (Dammers) – 4:01 - featuring Rhoda Dakar #"International Jet Set" (Dammers) – 5:37 #"Enjoy Yourself (Reprise)" (Magidson, Sigman) – 1:46

Personnel

;The Specials * Terry Hall – vocals * Lynval Golding – vocals,

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

– vocals,

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

–

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

, keyboards, production * Roddy Byers – guitar *

–

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

* John Bradbury –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...

, production on one track with: * Rico Rodriguez – trombone * Dick Cuthell –

cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B, though there is also a so ...

, horn * Lee Thompson –

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...

*Paul Heskett – saxophone *

– vocals * Belinda,

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

and

Jane Jane may refer to: * Jane (given name), a feminine given name * Jane (surname), related to the given name Film and television * Jane (1915 film), ''Jane'' (1915 film), a silent comedy film directed by Frank Lloyd * Jane (2016 film), ''Jane'' (20 ...

– background vocals ;Technical *Dave Jordan – production,

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

*Jeremy "The Blade" Allom – engineering *Chalkie Davies, Carol Starr – cover photographs and artwork

Charts

Certifications

References

Bibliography * * * * * * * * * {{Authority control 1980 albums 2 Tone Records albums The Specials albums Post-punk albums by English artists Lounge music albums Avant-pop albums