The Specials are a British band formed in 1977 in Coventry, UK, aka The Special A.K.A.. Their founder, Jerry Dammers, based on his knowledge of 60's mod and ska cultures, formed the label Two Tone, releasing a number of seminal singles by seminal bands with the same passion, outlook and style. After being formed in 1977 by Jerry Dammers, Lynval Golding and Horace Panter (also known as Sir Horace Gentleman), the band was first called The Automatics, and then The Coventry Automatics. Terry Hall and Roddy Byers (AKA Roddy Radiation) joined the band the following year, and the band changed its name to The Special AKA The Coventry Automatics, and then to The Special AKA. Joe Strummer of The Clash had attended one of their concerts, and invited The Special AKA to open for his band in their On Parole UK Tour. This performance gave The Special AKA a new level of national exposure, and they briefly shared the Clash's management. The Specials began at the same time as Rock Against Racism which first gathered in 1978. According to Jerry Dammers anti-racism was intrinsic to the formation of The Specials with an intention to integrate both black and white people. Many years later Jerry Dammers stated, "Music gets political when there are new ideas in music, ...punk was innovative, so was ska, and that was why bands such as the Specials and the Clash could be political." Read more at: http://www.last.fm/music/The+Specials/+wiki. |