They were a crucial part to the band at that time, however things move on. The purists out there will say oooh, The Specials aren’t The Specials without Jerry Dammers or Neville Staple Ok, point taken. After 37 years from the release of Ghost Town, The Specials are back with Terry Hall, Lynval Golding, Horace Panter and co with this modern uptake on life in Britain and how it’s (not) changed much from the bleak times of the late seventies, early eighties. You wouldn’t expect the ’70s’ premier ska-punk band to return after 20 years out of the studio having transformed themselves into a cutting edge psych grime act – ‘Encore’ essentially mingles mellowed ska and reggae with funk disco, Latin hints and spoken-word pieces – but initially you might fear their socio-political edge has dulled
it may not be for everyone but for most the album they waited for. The Specials are expected to announce new tour dates this week.īelow, check out the tracklisting for the new album.Like most fans, i can say its a shame original members Staples, Byers and Dammers aren't on this but its a good album with a serious message. In addition to Larsen, the album features drummer Kenrick Rowe and Ocean Colour Scene guitarist Steve Craddock, who has been touring with the band since 2014.įollowing the release of 1979’s The Specials and 1980’s More Specials, and the recording of “Ghost Town,” Hall left the band - which continued for one more album, In the Studio, under the Special AKA moniker. Between 19, reunited versions of the group - sans Hall - released three covers albums ( Today’s Specials, Skinhead Girl and Conquering Ruler), plus 1998’s Guilty ’til Proved Innocent!, which featured new songs by original and new members of the band. The new record is produced by Hall, Panter, Golding and Nikolaj Torp Larsen, a keyboardist who joined The Specials as a touring member in 2008. In addition to Hall, the album features original Specials members Horace Panter (bass) and Lynval Golding (guitar), but not Jerry Dammers, who never participated in the reunion, or Roddy Radiation and Neville Staple, who both left the reunited group in recent years. 1, and physical formats will include a vinyl pressing and a 2CD release that will include a second disc entitled The Best of The Specials Live. The 2 Tone ska legends will release the 10-song album on Feb.
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.”