For this latest installment of our Vintage Video series, we honor the life and music of The Beat’s Ranking Roger — who died Monday — with the single best document of the 2 Tone era, the criminally out-of-print concert film “Dance Craze: The Best of British Ska… Live!” Watch the whole film right here.
Beloved 2 Tone ska act The Specials today released its first new album featuring original frontman Terry Hall since 1980’s More Specials, and helped mark the occasion by announcing a 40th anniversary tour of North America this May and June. Full dates right here. Plus, stream the new album ‘Encore.’
This is a round-up of the week’s new albums, expanded reissues and/or box sets, appearing each Monday on Slicing Up Eyeballs. All releases due out this Friday unless noted. This week sees the release of new studio albums from The Specials, The Beat Featuring Ranking Roger and The Stone Roses’ Ian Brown.
Legendary 2 Tone ska act The Specials this week released its first single with original lead frontman Terry Hall since 1981’s “Ghost Town,” a lilting new song called “Vote For Me” that is the first cut to surface off the band’s forthcoming reunion album Encore. Listen to the full track right here.
Ten years into their current reunion, The Specials have announced they’ll release a new album titled Encore next year, the band’s first collection of original material in two decades and its first recordings with original lead singer Terry Hall since the 1981 single “Ghost Town.” Full details, including tracklist, right here.
[tweetmeme]Reactivated 2 Tone ska legends The Specials will return to the U.S. this summer for at least three concerts in California. According to its Facebook page, the band will perform in Oakland, Pomona and San Diego in late June. It’s not known yet whether more shows are in the offing. Full dates here.
Reunited U.K. indiepop outfit The Darling Buds have recorded a cover of The Go-Go’s 1981 hit “Our Lips Are Sealed” — written by Jane Wiedlin and The Specials’ Terry Hall — that will be released on the Neon Maniacs compilation on Cassette Store Day this October. Stream the full song right here.
The Specials return to North America this June for a 12-date run of concerts that will take the band to Canada and the east and west coasts of the United States. The tour opens with two shows in Toronto on June 6 and 7, then plays a few East Coast dates, followed by a West Coast run, before ending at a Quebec festival on June 24.
This week’s new releases include reissue of The Specials’ three albums — 1979′s The Specials, 1980′s More Specials and 1984′s In the Studio, the latter of which was released under the band’s original name, The Special AKA — as well as a new record from German synthpop outfit Camouflage.
The three original studio albums from the legendary 2-Tone ska act The Specials — 1979’s The Specials, 1980’s More Specials and 1984’s In the Studio — will be reissued this March in expanded 2CD sets featuring non-album singles, live material, instrumentals and Peel sessions.
This week’s new releases include a live CD/DVD combo from Simple Minds, a new best-of from The Dream Academy, vinyl reissues of classic debut albums from Tears For Fears, ABC and Soft Cell, a live album from The Specials reissued on vinyl, and a new best-of set of 2 Tone ska.
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