A new box set next month will anthologize most of the output of influential ska/punk label 2 Tone Records.
2 Tone: The Albums will collect eight major long-playing albums issued by the British label between 1979 and 1984: The Specials' Specials (1979), More Specials (1980) and In The Studio (1984, issued under a revised line-up and new name, The Special AKA); The Selecter's Too Much Pressure (1980); Cuban-born Rico Rodriguez's That Man Is Forward (1981) and Jama Rico (1982); and two compilations: Dance Craze, the soundtrack to the 1981 documentary of the same name covering the 2 Tone label and cultural movement, and 1983's This Are Two-Tone, which collected non-LP and one-off singles from the label as recorded by The Specials, Madness, The English Beat, The Bodysnatchers and more.
Founded by Specials keyboardist Jerry Dammers, 2 Tone represented the convergence of a "second wave" of ska and reggae music as exported from Jamaica to Europe during the '60s with the late '70s punk rock explosion across the United Kingdom. With racial tensions running high in Margaret Thatcher's England, 2 Tone sought to connect and celebrate the multiracial disciples of reggae culture, and did with comparatively fair music business practices. (Artist contracts required only one single release, after which an artist was free to record elsewhere, garnering exposure for revivalists like Madness and The English Beat early on.)
The movement crossed over into the pop charts with Top 10 singles like The Specials' "A Message To You Rudy" and chart-toppers "Too Much Too Young" and "Ghost Town," The Selecter's "On My Radio" and The Beat's cover of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles' "Tears Of a Clown." Though the label shuttered in 1985, the music influenced a third wave of ska in America during the mid-'90s, and the iconic label design (featuring the fictional black-and-white character Walt Jabsco) has a surprising influence on a specific character in the font Webdings and a resultant emoji of a levitating man in a business suit.
2 Tone: The Albums is due on September 4. It features all eight discs in mini-LP reproductions of their original sleeves, enclosed in a lidded rigid box with a 24-page booklet that features new liner notes for each album. Pre-order it at the links below.
2 Tone: The Albums (Chrysalis, 2020)
Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Disc 1: The Specials, Specials (originally released as 2 Tone CDLTT 5001, 1979)
- A Message To You Rudy
- Do The Dog
- It's Up To You
- Nite Klub
- Doesn't Make It Alright
- Concrete Jungle
- Too Hot
- Monkey Man
- (Dawning Of a) New Era
- Blank Expression
- Stupid Marriage
- Too Much Too Young
- Little Bitch
- You're Wondering Now
Disc 2: The Selecter, Too Much Pressure (originally released as 2 Tone CDLTT 5002, 1980)
- Three Minute Hero
- Everyday
- They Make Me Mad
- Missing Words
- Danger
- Street Feeling
- My Collie (Not a Dog)
- Too Much Pressure
- Murder
- Out On The Streets
- Carry Go Bring Come
- Black and Blue
- James Bond
Disc 3: The Specials, More Specials (originally released as 2 Tone CHRTT 5003, 1980)
- Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think)
- Man At C&A
- Hey, Little Rich Girl
- Do Nothing
- Pearl's Café
- Sock It To 'Em J.B.
- Stereotypes Pt 1
- Stereotypes Pt 2
- Holiday Fortnight
- I Can't Stand It
- International Jet Set
- Enjoy Yourself (Reprise)
Disc 4: Various Artists, Dance Craze (originally released as 2 Tone CHRTT 5004, 1981)
- Concrete Jungle - The Specials
- Mirror In The Bathroom - The Beat
- Lip Up Fatty - Bad Manners
- Razor Blade Alley - Madness
- Three Minute Hero - The Selecter
- Easy Life - The Bodysnatchers
- Big Shot - The Beat
- One Step Beyond - Madness
- Ranking Full Stop - The Beat
- Man At C&A - The Specials
- Missing Words - The Selecter
- Inner London Violence - Bad Manners
- Night Boat To Cairo - Madness
- Too Much Pressure - The Selecter
- Nite Klub - The Specials
All tracks recorded live
Disc 5: Rico, That Man Is Forward (originally released as 2 Tone CHRTT 5005, 1981)
- Easy Snappin'
- Fiesta
- Chang Kai Shek
- Stay Out Late
- Red Top
- X
- Ganja
- That Man Is Forward
Disc 6: Rico, Jama Rico (originally released as 2 Tone CHRTT 5006, 1982)
- Destroy Them
- We Want Peace
- Jam Rock
- Some Day
- Distant Drums
- Love and Justice
- Java
- Do The Reload
- Easter Island
Disc 7: Various Artists, This Are Two-Tone (originally released as 2 Tone CHRTT 5007, 1983)
- Gangsters - The Special AKA
- Madness - Madness
- On My Radio - The Selecter
- The Tears Of a Clown - The Beat
- A Message To You Rudy - The Specials
- Too Much Pressure - The Selecter
- Too Experienced - The Bodysnatchers
- Ranking Full Stop - The Beat
- Too Much Too Young (Live) - The Selecter
- The Selecter - The Selecter
- Stereotype - The Specials
- Mantovani - The Swinging Cats
- Do Nothing - The Specials
- Jungle Music - Rico & The Special AKA
- The Boiler - Rhoda Dakar & The Special AKA
- Ghost Town - The Specials
Tracks 1 and 10 released as 2 Tone single TT1/2, 1979
Track 2 released on 2 Tone single TT3, 1979
Tracks 3 and 6 released on 2 Tone single TT4, 1979
Tracks 4 and 8 released on 2 Tone single TT6, 1979
Track 5 released on 2 Tone single TT5, 1979
Track 7 released on 2 Tone single TT12, 1980
Track 9 released on 2 Tone single TT7, 1980
Track 11 released on 2 Tone single TT13, 1980
Track 12 released on 2 Tone single TT14, 1980
Track 13 released on 2 Tone single TT16, 1980
Track 14 released on 2 Tone single TT19, 1982
Track 15 released on 2 Tone single TT18, 1982
Track 16 released on 2 Tone single TT17, 1981
Disc 8: The Special AKA, In The Studio (originally released as 2 Tone CHRTT 5008, 1984)
- Bright Lights
- The Lonely Crowd
- What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend
- Housebound
- Night On The Tiles
- Nelson Mandela
- War Crimes (The Crime Is Still The Same)
- Racist Friend
- Alcohol
- Break Down The Door
Robert Taylor says
This would have been an instant buy if it included the Selecter Celebrate the Bullet...so hard to find!.So w/o this its "meh"!
Charles says
Celebrate was released solely by Chrysalis who dumped them after its release and have rarely kept it in print much less remastered or expanded it. Only time a Chrysalis release is deluxed out is when a boutique label like Rhino or Cherry does a one off.
Jeremy Shatan says
At the time it came out, us 2 Tone heads thought Celebrate was "Meh" - maybe I need to revisit...
John says
This looks a good box set to buy anyone who likes 2 tone should buy this
Wayne says
Celebrate the bullet was re released on CD on the captain mod label, including bonus tracks. It's quite hard to find though. I'm lucky enough to have a copy and the original vinyl version.
Gaz says
It's a gd box set but it should really have the dance craze movie in with the sound track
David Price says
Dance Craze will never be released as i sopke to the producer last year at a special screening of Dance Craze and he told me Dance Craze was only ment to be seen on the big screen and with that in mind it will never be shown on the small screen or the format.
Trojan says
It was released on VHS in 1988. Legal difficulties are preventing it from being released on DVD.
phil says
There is someone on ebay UK who is selling the original VHS VIDEO film of dance craze. Now this comment was sent 14th of September.