2 Tone Records was an English

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...

that mostly released ska and

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

-influenced music with a

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

and pop music overtone. It was founded by

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 Orch ...

the Specials The Specials, also known as the Special AKA, were 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, J ...

and backed by

Chrysalis Records Chrysalis Records () is a British independent 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 Ell ...

History

of the ska revival band

started the record label in 1979. Chrysalis had wanted to sign the Specials, but Dammers arranged a label deal, for Chrysalis to fund 15 singles a year and release at least ten of those. The label spawned the

2 Tone Two-tone, two tone, or 2 tone, etc., may refer to: Audio and sound * Second-order intercept point#Two-tone analysis, Two-tone analysis, in nonlinear system measurement * Two-tone attention signal * Two-tone Warning chime, chime, such as the "ding ...

music and cultural movement, which was popular among

skinhead A skinhead or skin is a member of a subculture that originated among working-class youth in London, England, in the 1960s. It soon spread to other parts of the United Kingdom, with a second working-class skinhead movement emerging worldwide i ...

s, rudies and some

mod revival The mod revival is a subculture that started in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and later spread to other countries (to a lesser degree). The Mod Revival started with disillusionment with the punk scene when commercialism set in. It was f ...

ists. The label stopped operating in 1986, though "2 Tone" is still used as an imprint for back catalogue issues. 2 Tone Records signed the Selecter, Madness and The Beat, but they all left within two years. 2 Tone Records acts signed a contract that allowed them to leave the label after releasing just one single, which was unusual in the record industry. Madness and The Beat both took advantage of this clause; the former to sign to

Stiff Records Stiff Records is a British independent record label formed in London by Dave Robinson (music executive), Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera. Originally active from 1976 to 1986, the label was reactivated in 2007. Established at the outset of the p ...

, and the latter to start their own label, Go Feet Records. Although 2 Tone Records was closely identified with the ska revival, efforts were made to broaden the label's musical output, releasing recordings by artists such as singer-songwriter

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...

and the

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

-punk band the Higsons. Dammers, with the assistance of Horace Panter and graphic designers John "Teflon" Sims and David Storey, created artwork that was to become central to 2 Tone Records. The logo portrays a man in a black suit, white shirt, black tie, pork pie hat, white socks and black loafers. Named "Walt Jabsco", the fictional character was based on a photograph of

Peter Tosh Winston Hubert McIntosh (19 October 1944 – 11 September 1987), professionally known as Peter Tosh, was a Jamaican reggae musician. Along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, he was one of the core members of the band Bob Marley and the Wa ...

, a former member of the Wailers. Walt got his name from an old American bowling shirt that Dammers owned. He influenced the design of an

emoji An emoji ( ; plural emoji or emojis; , ) is a pictogram, logogram, ideogram, or smiley embedded in text and used in electronic messages and web pages. The primary function of modern emoji is to fill in emotional cues otherwise missing from type ...

(originally meant to depict a suited man doing the pogo): .

Artists

* The Apollinaires *

* Ranking Roger *

Bad Manners Bad Manners are an English Two-tone (music genre), two-tone and ska Musical ensemble, band led by frontman Buster Bloodvessel. Early appearances included ''Top of the Pops'' and the live film documentary ''Dance Craze'' (1981). They were at ...

(only for ''

Dance Craze ''Dance Craze'' is a 1981 documentary film about the British Two-tone (music genre), 2 Tone music genre. The film was directed by Joe Massot, who originally wanted to do a film only about the band Madness (band), Madness, whom he met during th ...

'') * The Beat (known as "The English Beat" in the US) * The Bodysnatchers *

& the Attractions (only for one unreleased single) * The Higsons * JB's Allstars * Madness * Rhoda Dakar * Rico Rodriguez * The Selecter *

The Specials The Specials, also known as the Special AKA, were 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, J ...

(sometimes called "The Special AKA")

Discography

Albums

*The Specials — ''

'' * The Selecter — '' Too Much Pressure'' *The Specials — '' More Specials'' *Various Artists — ''

'' * Rico Rodriguez — ''That Man Is Forward'' *Rico Rodriguez — ''Jama Rico'' *Various Artists — ''This Are Two Tone'' (1983) *The Special AKA — '' In the Studio'' *Various Artists — ''The 2 Tone Story'' *The Specials — ''Singles'' *The Specials — ''Live at the Moonlight Club'' *Various Artists — ''Best of 2 Tone'' *Various Artists — ''The Compact 2 Tone Story''

Singles

*TT1 / TT2 The Special AKA — " Gangsters" / The Selecter – "The Selecter" 7" (Split single with The Selecter) *CHS TT3 Madness — "

The Prince ''The Prince'' ( ; ) is a 16th-century political treatise written by the Italian diplomat, philosopher, and Political philosophy, political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli in the form of a realistic instruction guide for new Prince#Prince as gener ...

" / "Madness" 7" *CHS TT4 The Selecter — " On My Radio" / "Too Much Pressure" 7" *CHS TT5

— " A Message to You Rudy" / "Nite Klub" 7" (Ft Rico) *CHS TT6 The Beat — " Tears of a Clown" / "Ranking Full Stop" 7" *CHS TT7 The Special AKA — " Too Much Too Young", " Guns of Navarone" / "Longshot Kick the Bucket", " Liquidator", " Skinhead Moonstomp" 7" (All tracks recorded live) *CHS TT7

& The Attractions — " I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down" / "Girl's Talk" 7" (Unreleased – given away at gigs) *CHS TT8 The Selecter — " Three Minute Hero" / "James Bond" 7" *CHS TT9 The Bodysnatchers — " Let's Do Rock Steady" / "Ruder Than You" 7" *CHS TT10 The Selecter — "

Missing Words "Missing Words" is a song and single written by Neol Davies and performed by English 2 tone ska revival band the Selecter. Released in 1980 it reached #23, on the UK charts, staying there for eight weeks. Background In contrast to the Selec ...

" / "Carry Go Bring Come" 7" *CHS TT11 The Specials — "

Rat Race A rat race is a metaphor used to describe an endless, self-defeating, or pointless pursuit. The phrase is sometimes used to relate the human life to that of rats attempting to earn an ultimately pointless reward when Mortality salience, death ...

" / "Rude Boys Outa Jail" 7" *CHS TT12 The Bodysnatchers — "Easy Life" / "Too Experienced" 7" *CHS TT13 The Specials — "

Stereotype In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalization, generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can ...

" / "International Jet Set" 7" *CHS TT14 The Swinging Cats — "Mantovani" / "Away" 7" *CHS TT15 Rico Rodriguez — "Sea Cruise" / "Carolina" 7" *CHS TT16 The Specials — " Do Nothing" / " Maggie's Farm" 7" *CHS TT17 The Specials — "

Ghost Town A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...

" / "Why?" / "Friday Night, Saturday Morning" 7" *CHS TT12 17 The Specials — "Ghost Town" (Extended) / "Why?" (Extended) / "Friday Night, Saturday Morning" 12" *CHS TT18 Rhoda & The Special AKA — " The Boiler" / "Theme from the Boiler" 7" *CHS TT19 Rico Rodriguez & The Special AKA — "Jungle Music" / "Rasta Call You" 7" *CHS TT12 19 Rico Rodriguez & The Special AKA — "Jungle Music" / "Rasta Call You" / "Easter Island" 12" *CHS TT20 The Apollinaires — "The Feeling's Gone" / "The Feeling's Back" 7" *CHS TT12 20 The Apollinaires — "The Feeling's Gone" (Dance Mix) / "The Feeling's Back" / "The Bongo Medley" (Extremely Long Version) 12" *CHS TT21 The Higsons — "Tear the Whole Thing Down" / "Y Lang, Y Lang" 7" *CHS TTS1 The Apollinaires — "Envy the Love" / "Give It Up" / "Tear the Whole Thing Down" / "Y Lang, Y Lang" 12" (White label promo only, split with Higsons) *CHS TT22 The Apollinaires — "Envy the Love" / "Give It Up" 7" *CHS TT12 22 The Apollinaires — "Envy The Love" / "Give It Up" 12" *CHS TT23 The Special AKA — "War Crimes" / "War Crimes" (Version) 7" *CHS TT10 23 The Special AKA — "War Crimes" / "War Crimes" (Version) 10" *CHS TT24 The Higsons — "Run Me Down" (Long Version) / "Put the Punk Back Into Funk Pts 1 & 2" 7" *CHS TT12 24 The Higsons — "Run Me Down" / "Put the Punk Back Into Funk Pts 1 & 2" 12" *CHS TT25 The Special AKA — "Racist Friend" / "Bright Lights" 7" *CHS TT12 25 The Special AKA — "Racist Friend" / "Bright Lights" / "Racist Friend" (Instrumental) / "Bright Lights" (Instrumental) 12" *CHS TT25 The Special AKA — "Racist Friend" / "Bright Lights" 7" (Picture Disc) *CHS TT26 The Special AKA — "

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...

" / "Break Down the Door!" 7" *CHS TT12 26 The Special AKA — "Nelson Mandela" / "Break Down the Door!" 12" *CHS TT27 The Special AKA — "What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend" / "Can't Get a Break" 7" *CHS TT12 27 The Special AKA — "What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend" (Extended Version) / "Can't Get a Break" 12" (Early copies had free poster) *CHS TT 272 The Special AKA — "What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend" / "Can't Get a Break" / "War Crimes" / "War Crimes" (Version) 7" (Twin 7" pack with "War Crimes" single) *CHS TP 27 The Special AKA — "What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend" / "Can't Get a Break" 7" (Picture disc) *CHS TT28 The Friday Club — "Window Shopping" / "Window Shopping" (Instrumental) 7" *CHS TT12 28 The Friday Club — "Window Shopping" / "Window Shopping" (Instrumental) 12" *CHS TT29 JB's Allstars — "The Alphabet Army" / "Al. Arm" 7" *CHS TT12 29 JB's Allstars — "The Alphabet Army" / "String Mix" / "Radio Version" / "Al. Arm" 12" *Tone FNMX1 The Special AKA — "Free Nelson Mandela" (70th Birthday Remake) / "Free Nelson Mandela" 12" *TTP1 V/A — ''The 2 Tone Story'' promo EP 7" (4 track EP, Specials, Selector, Madness, promo for The 2 Tone Story LP) *CHS TT30 The Specials — "Ghost Town" / "Ghost Town" (Dub '91) 7" *CHS TT12 30 The Specials — "Ghost Town" / "Why ?" / "Ghost Town" (Dub '91) / "Version" 12" *CHS TT31 Various Artists — ''The 2 Tone EP'' 7" (Special AKA, Madness, Selecter, Beat) (released in 1993) *CHS TT32 The Specials — "Sock It to 'Em J.B. (Dub)" / "Rat Race (Dub)" 7" (released for

Record Store Day Record Store Day is a semi-annual event established in 2008 to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". Held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November, the day brings together f ...

2014)

References

External links

2 Tone Information site

The 2 Tone TrailDiscography at Discogs

2 Tone record collection
{{Authority control British record labels 2 Tone Records Record labels established in 1979 1979 establishments in England Record labels disestablished in 1986 1986 disestablishments in England