The Specials

Too much, too old? The Specials set to reform

By Ian Burrell, Media Editor

20 July 2004

The Specials, the Coventry band that burst on to the pop charts 25 years ago with the ska-influenced "Gangsters" and prompted the youth cult of the Rude Boy, are on the brink of being reformed.

In an interview with Mojo magazine, Neville Staple, one of the band's vocalists, revealed that he had held a meeting with his fellow singer Terry Hall and the organist and lynchpin of the group, Jerry Dammers, to discuss reuniting an act that changed the course of British music.

Staple said: "Everyone in the band's talking, there's no animosity and we'll meet again. The Specials was Jerry's band, everything goes through him. But if we did it, it would have to be the original seven of us. I reckon if we did play, we'd do five big cities and that'd be it. Can you imagine the interest? It would be phenomenal."

If the reunion does happen, it will almost certainly be in Coventry, the birthplace of The Specials and the 2-Tone record label, with its distinctive black and white chequered logo. 2-Tone was also home to The Beat and The Selecter - who like The Specials took the ska sound of late Sixties Jamaica and gave it the feel of urban Britain at the start of the Thatcher years.

Plans are afoot for a major 25th anniversary 2-Tone concert in the city later in the year, likely to be staged at the 3,000-capacity Skydome, home of the Coventry Blades ice hockey team.

Hilary Hopker, of the regional promotions agency CV One, said: "2-Tone has become a crucial part of our history - musically it is the thing that Coventry is known for. Manchester has the Hacienda and Coventry has The Specials and 2-Tone," she said. Ms Hopker said the city was hoping to stage the concert to coincide with its Peace Month, which celebrates good race relations.

Roger Lomas, the 2-Tone producer, said yesterday that he was confident that a core group from the seven-strong Specials could be reunited. Staple, Lynval Golding (now living in America), Horace Panter and Roddy Radiation were all keen to play again, he said, but other members of the band were less nostalgic.

"A full reunion might happen one day but I think the truth is that if they wanted to get back together they would have done it by now," he said.

© 2004 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd