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RIP Terry Hall

Kaka Tim said:
Dont think you can over-estimate how important the specials - and whole 2tone thing - was in turning British youth against fascism and racism. In the late 70s the national front were a force to be reckoned with and I was one of many young teens who would daub NF and swastikas on walls on school books without fully understanding what it was about but picking up on the whole "fuck you" appeal of it. The specials and others made you confront that - this cool band with brilliant songs, who looked great and who were totally on your side were outspokenly opposed to the far right - to the point of putting themselves in actual danger. I think they wised up many many young minds and went a long way towards making youth culture and pop music actively anti-racist with no place for fascism.
The way their music - with it intoxicating alchemy of punk and jamaican ska - embodied their stance whilst creating a wholey unique sound was genius as well.
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Only thing I'd add to this thread is that it wasn't just British youth either, if you listen to or read interviews with US antifascists so much came out of working class kids in the 80s becoming antiracist skinheads, getting in fights with nazis and then developing their worldview from there, and the influence of the Specials and 2-Tone was definitely a huge part of that too. So he definitely made a huge contribution to something that had a positive effect internationally. That and the tunes, of course.
 
At Coventry FC

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Idris2002 said:
It's one of the bad ones alright. Happened to a woman I knew in Belfast: she died of it 9 months after her wedding.
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Aye, it still has a high mortality rate - where early diagnosis for cancers is frequently key to successfully treating them, pancreatic cancer typically has no symptoms or ones that can easily be mistaken for minor complaints until it has spread :(

Very tragic and upsetting, I bloody love The Specials. Sad loss.
 
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Puddy_Tat said:
this came up on tweeter this evening



Terry Hall Easter special Piccadilly Radio, Manchester TX: 8th April 1985 21:00-23:00 (with timmy mallett :hmm: )

I've not got the time to do it justice this evening, might give it a play tomorrow.
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Listening to this now. It's wonderful! He's not a natural DJ, but he plays a great selection of truly eclectic stuff, and doesn't care if it's uncool. Also some interesting snippets about his life.
 
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Maggot said:
Listening to this now. It's wonderful! He's not a natural DJ, but he plays a great selection of truly eclectic stuff, and doesn't care it's uncool. Also some interesting snippets about his life.
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There's a few radio programmes on BBC sounds player as well.. seems he was into early Bowie and likes Blur.. not bad.
 
I am the wrong age to have heard the specials contemporaneously but of course I knew the songs that everyone would know. I did hear his collaboration with Tricky in the 90s which I rather liked.

Yesterday I was listening to the Richard Herring podcast, I was surprised how incredibly funny he was, as a non-comedian he had great timing. I could do a lot worse than check out his music
 
Sitting here, having an extra glass or two, I'm hoping the message got through to the various sons and daughters who were also present, and seemingy perturbed while semi-joining in. I just sat there 'patiently explaining,' like a good former-Leninist would...
 
RD2003 said:
Sitting here, having an extra glass or two, I'm hoping the message got through to the various sons and daughters who were also present, and seemingy perturbed while semi-joining in. I just sat there 'patiently explaining,' like a good former-Leninist would...
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Sometimes it works better without the patient explaining.
 
I loved the Specials and then the Fun Boy Three, partly because they were obviously great songs but also because they were as witty as they were political. But it's only retrospectively that realise how much your teenage and 20s self missed. The lyrics posted up thread were as good as anything around and the music has a lot more going for it than you think. You tend to 'just' remember the words for FBT songs and 'just' the words and ska beat for the Specials. But here's a guy doing a guitar lesson for the Ghost Town. Beautifully put together guitar part (pretty good lesson as well).
 
8ball said:
Sometimes it works better without the patient explaining.
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Yeah. But I suspected they'd have forgotten everyting in the morning without my expert input. Now they're going to drive off thinkiing 'Phew, who was that old twat who seemed to have the abilitiy to explain more or less everything.'
 
Just seen this, a reflection on the Specials' impact from someone who grew up in 1990s Chicago:
hardcrackers.com

Special Treatment

1990’s Chicago was not Thatcher’s Britain of the 1980’s. The music of The Specials, while of a specific context, still contained elements which would resonate quite loudly across the sea of time and space, and allowed kids of the future to vibe with their music and message. I was one of those...
hardcrackers.com hardcrackers.com
 
I love this one their voices are beautiful together and there is the obvious abuse they both experienced which makes it more poignant imo.

 
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