Sunday, January 21, 2018

Ghost Town Business: Anniversary Specials

Let's catch up to January with a pair of anniversary specials by... The Specials.
If you aren't familiar with The Specials, it's time you were.
One of the most, if not the most, beloved group of the Ska revival in England at the turn of the 1970s to the 1980s, their music has never been far from my playlist since I first heard them in around 1980.
Today is a weird one -- perhaps the only time this will ever happen -- in that I have both a concert from the Paradiso in Amsterdam and a DVD of one from the same period. The Holland gig was taped 38 years ago tonight, and the video one first aired on the BBC the very same day.
There's an official live record from this tour, but for whatever reason it sounds poorly recorded. This one is the one they should have issued! The DVD is sourced from a 2011 rebroadcast and looks awesome as well.
The Specials
European gigs
1979-80

1.
Paradiso
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
1.21.1980

01 Dawning of a New Era
02 Do the Dog
03 It's Up to You
04 Monkey Man
05 Rat Race
06 Blank Expression
07 Rude Boys Outta Jail
08 Concrete Jungle
09 Too Hot
10 Doesn't Make It Alright
11 Stupid Marriage
12 Too Much Too Young
13 Guns of Navarone
14 Little Bitch
15 A Message to You, Rudy
16 Nite Club
17 Gangsters
18 Long Shot Kick de Bucket
19 Liquidator
20 Skinhead Moonstomp
21 Madness
22 You're Wondering Now

Total time: 1:11:52

Lynval Golding - guitar, harmonica & vocals
Horace Panter - bass
Terry Hall - vocals & percussion
Jerry Dammers - keyboards & vocals
Neville Staple - vocals & percussion
Roddy Radiation - guitar & vocals
John Bradbury - drums & percussion
Dick Cuthell - flugelhorn
Rico Rodriguez - trombone

off-air FM recording from Dutch Radio, sounds like a master reel
484 MB FLAC

2.
"Rock Goes to College"
Colchester Institute
Colchester, UK
12.24.1979

01 intro
02 Do the Dog
03 Monkey Man
04 Rat Race
05 Blank Expression
06 Rude Boys Outta Jail
07 Doesn't Make it Alright
08 Concrete Jungle
09 Too Much Too Young
10 Guns of Navarone
11 Nite Klub
12 Gangsters
13 Longshot Kick de Bucket
14 Madness
15 You're Wondering Now

Total time: 44:28

Lynval Golding - guitar, harmonica & vocals
Horace Panter - bass
Terry Hall - vocals & percussion
Jerry Dammers - keyboards & vocals
Neville Staple - vocals & percussion
Roddy Radiation - guitar & vocals
John Bradbury - drums & percussion
Dick Cuthell - flugelhorn
Rico Rodriguez - trombone

PAL DVD of a 2011 BBC-4 rebroadcast, with an option for alternate, fan-remastered audio included, first aired 1.21.1980
2.01 GB PAL

CD & DVD are in one folder/January 2018 archive link
I zipped these up separately in case you would like to get one and not the other, but trust me both are more than worthwhile as a double anniversary Specials special.
I shall return in a couple of days with a tribute to a great person gone far too soon, but for now I invite you to fly the friendly Ska with one of the all-time best practitioners of the art form, all taped (or broadcast) on this day in 1980!--J.