In 1979, 2 Tone exploded into the national conscience as records by The
Specials, The Selecter, Madness, The Beat, and The Bodysnatchers burst
onto the charts and a youth movement was born. 2 Tone was black and
white: a multi-racial force of British and Caribbean island musicians
singing about social issues, racism, class and gender struggles. It
spoke of injustices in society and took fight against right wing
extremism.
The music of 2 Tone was exuberant: white youth
learning to dance to the infectious rhythm of ska and reggae; and
crossed with a punk attitude to create an original hybrid. The idea of 2
Tone was born in Coventry, masterminded by a middle-class art student
raised in the church. Jerry Dammers had a vision of an English Motown.
Borrowing £700, the label's first record featured 'Gangsters' by The
Specials' backed by an instrumental track by the, as yet, unformed,
Selecter. Within two months the single was at number six in the national
charts. Dammers signed Madness, The Beat and The Bodysnatchers as a
glut of successive hits propelled 2 Tone onto Top of the Pops and into
the hearts and minds of a generation.
However, soon infighting
amongst the bands and the pressures of running a label caused 2 Tone to
bow to an inevitable weight of expectation and recrimination. Still
under the auspices of Jerry Dammers, 2 Tone entered in a new phase.
Perhaps not as commercially successful as its 1979-1981 incarnation the
label nevertheless continued to thrive for a further four years
releasing a string of fresh signings and a stunning end-piece finale in
'(Free) Nelson Mandela'.
Told in three parts, Too Much Too Young
is the definitive story of a label that for a brief, bright burning
moment, shaped British culture.
Hardback
Too Much Too Young: The 2 Tone Records Story: Rude Boys, Racism & the Soundtrack of a Generation - Daniel Rachel
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