Difference between revisions of "The Specials"
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| − | [[File:Thespecials.jpg|thumb|right]] | + | [[File:Thespecials.jpg|500px|thumb|right]] |
| − | The Specials are a British ska band from the 1970s and 1980s. | + | '''The Specials''' are a British ska band from the 1970s and 1980s. They scored hits with ''Gangsters'' (1979), ''A Message to You, Rudy'' (1979), ''Ghost Town'' (1981) and ''Free Nelson Mandela'' (1984). |
| − | + | ==Frank Zappa and The Specials== | |
| + | When Zappa was guest DJ on [[WPIX, New York]] (November 19, 1979), he played ''Gangsters'' by The Specials. As a DJ on [[KSJO, San Jose]] (April 2, 1980), he played their song ''Concrete Jungle'' (no relation to Bob Marley's reggae song of the same name). | ||
| − | + | The Specials covered Frank Zappa's ''[[Trouble Every Day]]'' on their 2021 album ''Protest Songs''.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/sep/26/the-specials-protest-songs-1924-2012-review-genre-hopping-calls-to-action</ref> Their bassist, Horace Panter said, interviewed by Record Collector (9 September 2021), that ''[[Freak Out!]]'' was the first album he ever bought. Being 15 at the time, he remembered: ''" I’ll admit I was initially attracted to it for the sleeve, I really didn’t like the music much! He’s not primarily known as a protest singer, but he was always outspoken and critical of governments in his interviews, a real advocate for freedom of speech; he actively opposed the PMRC (Parents’ Music Resource Centre) when they were lobbying for censorship in the 80s. But 'Trouble Every Day' is an out-and-out protest song, one of the first things I thought of when we were deciding what to record."''<ref>https://recordcollectormag.com/articles/the-specials-protest-songs-1924-2012</ref> | |
| + | ==Notes== | ||
| + | <references/> | ||
| − | [[Category:Tributes & Covers|Specials]][[Category: | + | [[Category:Favorite Pop Musicians|Specials]] |
| + | [[Category:Tributes & Covers|Specials]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Pop Musicians|Specials]] | ||
Latest revision as of 10:44, 26 June 2026
The Specials are a British ska band from the 1970s and 1980s. They scored hits with Gangsters (1979), A Message to You, Rudy (1979), Ghost Town (1981) and Free Nelson Mandela (1984).
Frank Zappa and The Specials
When Zappa was guest DJ on WPIX, New York (November 19, 1979), he played Gangsters by The Specials. As a DJ on KSJO, San Jose (April 2, 1980), he played their song Concrete Jungle (no relation to Bob Marley's reggae song of the same name).
The Specials covered Frank Zappa's Trouble Every Day on their 2021 album Protest Songs.[1] Their bassist, Horace Panter said, interviewed by Record Collector (9 September 2021), that Freak Out! was the first album he ever bought. Being 15 at the time, he remembered: " I’ll admit I was initially attracted to it for the sleeve, I really didn’t like the music much! He’s not primarily known as a protest singer, but he was always outspoken and critical of governments in his interviews, a real advocate for freedom of speech; he actively opposed the PMRC (Parents’ Music Resource Centre) when they were lobbying for censorship in the 80s. But 'Trouble Every Day' is an out-and-out protest song, one of the first things I thought of when we were deciding what to record."[2]
