Time Machine - September 1 1979
2Tone craze storms Britain
The Prince by Madness had entered the British charts on
September 1. The Specials were still riding high in the Top
10 with Gangsters. Those hot, hot summer holidays were
over and the standard school uniform of black and white
took on a whole new meaning. Pocket money was spent on
2Tone badges and scarves. Ties were worn narrow-side out
and uniform was altered to drainpipe trousers, white socks
and penny loafers.
"2Tone was taking over," recalls Pauline Black, lead
vocalist with The Selecter. "I remember walking down Oxford
Street. Every shop display was taking off the 2Tone label's
black and white. Even Evans, the large size women's clothes
store. It was amazing."
"We felt part of something important," recalls Cathal
Smyth, alias Chas Smash, Madness' dancer and compere. "It
was a real movement, a family for us and our fans."
Taking Berry Gordy's Motown as the blueprint and "with an
agenda for social change resulting in racial harmony", The
Specials' organist and chief songwriter Jerry Dammers set
up 2Tone and had The Specials rubber-stamping 5,000 plain
paper sleeves for their debut single Gangsters in bassist
Horace 'Gentlemen' Panter's bedroom a mere 5 months
earlier. On signing a distribution deal with Chrysalis -
which meant turning down a disgruntled Mick Jagger
representing Rolling Stone Records ("We knew who he was,"
says Terry Hall, lead singer with The Specials, "But we
weren't interested in him")-2Tone burst overground. Dammers
celebrated with the announcement of a 40 date UK tour.
"We wanted to make it as good a bill as possible," explains
Terry Hall. "Three superb bands so it was full-on. Jerry
wanted it to be like a 60s soul revue."
There were a few hitches. "Jerry lost his organ through the
floorboards after fans invaded the stage," recalls Hall.
There was violence at Hatfield Polythenic and ticket prices
were hiked up. "Jerry went beserk," remembers Smyth. "He
refused to go on until the money was refunded."
Dammer's sell-out nightmares were just around the corner,
but first came the 2Tone invasion of Top of the Pops by
Madness, The Specials and The Selecter.
"We knew we'd made it then," laughs Smyth. "I was glued to
that programme every week as a kid watching Gary Glitter,
Marc Bolan and The Sweet. I was proud to be on there."
But behind the scenes "it was a total stitch-up", according
to Smyth. "We got herded around like sheep and so did the
audience. There was no interaction allowed between bands.
We were told to stay in our individual dressing room and
not to come out until we were called. The audience were
told when to clap, when to duck when a camera zoomed over
their heads and when to move as cables were coming through.
We were a nightmare. There were seven of us and no way
could we be contained in one room."
All 3 groups also refused a BBC make-over "We'd been on
German TV just before," remembers Hall. "They'd insisted on
make up and we looked bright orange. It was embarrassing"
Only three months later, Dammers declared: "2Tone has
become a monster." It's success - 5 Top 10 hits, including
The Specials' first Number 1 with the live EP featuring Too
Much Too Young - had taken it's toll. "It was fine in the
beginning," recalls Terry Hall. "We were kicking back
against Coventry, bad schooling, no jobs, racism. It became
difficult when there was nothing left to rebel against. We
couldn't sing about unemployment when we were buying
ready-made meals for two from Marks and Spencer. I can't
say I enjoyed myself after the first tour."
"In the end, Jerry took it to extremes," explains Smyth.
"He wouldn't sit down on the tour bus. He'd give his seat
to a fan while he crouched on the floor because he felt
guilty. He'd sleep on park benches instead of hotel rooms
and refuse to go in limos."
Lois Wilson
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