French television has captured some wonderful live performances by great bands over the years. My favourite is Os Mutantes, but this is pretty wonderful as well. R.I.P., Terry my friend.
Well, I was there and clearly remember those ginormous tv cameras + crew constantly moving around being a real nuisance to the front rows. Now Jerry and the guys were well aware of this too and after the filming was done and with the cameras gone, they promptly played the set all over again - 'and this time for real'. I can tell you that was a completely different experience for the band as well as for the audience and a great time was had by all.
I was just going to say, filming live TV shows was very very different 40 years ago. How amazing they redid the set! When the Specials first played NY in 1979/80, the club Hurrah had the gall to charge SEVEN DOLLARS...there was literally a protest with fliers everywhere because shows were never more than $5 lol
Agreed. I ain't seen better footage of what I saw and heard in London in 1981. I shocked by how tight they already were in '79. As for this crowd - worst ever.
I love the whole Two Tone Rude boys and girls Era! The Ska Revival of the early Eighties. The music was brilliant, hard driving, danceable, smart and fun. The Two Tone label was legendary and I like how it brought together black and white with music. Ska had the energy of Punk and it’s own fashion sense. Pork pie hats and suits with white socks. Rude boys and girls skanking all night. Great times!
"Concrete Jungle, by the The Specials. One of my favourite tunes all time! First things first, I do not carry a knife but I can relate to this song and these lyrics!" The specials, "I'm going out tonight I don't know if I'll be alright Everyone wants to hurt me Baby danger in the city I have to carry a knife Because there's people threatening my life I can't dress just the way I want I'm being chased by the national front Concrete jungle, animals are after me Concrete jungle, it ain't safe on the streets Concrete jungle, glad I got my mates with me!"
So great! In our area of San Diego there were high schoolers who would travel to UK and bring back all this good stuff. No MTV for a while still. Then when MTV came on it seemed to direct/control the direction of music. It's a shame since more processed groups/music was promoted and viewers and listeners lost their ability to think on their own. The best bands since the Beatles were The Specials/The Beat/Madness/Selector and all those Two-Tone bands. I tell you, it was a good time to be in high school.
Just too add, there is parody, great musicianship, totally unique vocals from Terry Hall. Also the cross culture message for the kids, never heard anything like it in 1979.
We're Madness with em on tour - a school mate had a dead cool bootleg double L P às clear as mustard , I can recall the yanks chatting away in between the nuttey boys Rockin the place
I got some braces from somewhere at the two tone tour in 1979 at potternewton park leeds. I remember other kids joking about them and me still thinking they were the coolest things ever. Good times. X
I always think the period of music from 1977-81 was the greatest for UK music, just so many new sounds and styles... also ties in with being 9 years old and up... maybe that has something to do with it... have not felt the same about chart music ever since..
Concrete Jungle, by the The Specials. One of my favourite tunes of all time! First things first, I do not carry a knife but I can relate to this song and these lyrics!" The specials, "I'm going out tonight I don't know if I'll be alright Everyone wants to hurt me Baby danger in the city I have to carry a knife Because there's people threatening my life I can't dress just the way I want I'm being chased by the national front Concrete jungle, animals are after me Concrete jungle, it ain't safe on the streets Concrete jungle, glad I got my mates with me!"
The audience was totally hypnotised - like in Monterey when Jimi hit the stage on Sunday night - They were simply suffering from that "Specials Shock Treatment" - nobody was quite ready for Two-Tone transfusions, but then it finally kicked in - TG!
Couple of observations, #1 the band is tight. And with no crowd participation for the first 3 or four songs, that would be tough. Good on 'em. #B, the band wins over them but the end. How could they not!
Thanks for posting, awesome. I was 8 so it's good to see stuff like this now I'm 50 and into so much more than I was as a kid. As has been said though, how the hell are about 3 people in the audience tapping a foot or bending a leg. I'm no dancer but you can't stay STILL to this incredible music. It's only by the time Gangsters hits that a small section start pogoing! And surely overdubbed applause?
All the comments on the crowd not digging it and dancing. Remember these were very repressed and uptight times. Youths just beginning to learn how to relax, feel free to express themselves, had to be coached and learn how! Bands like Specials were critical for helping create the free expression youth movements. Thank them big time!
Merci à GILLES VERLANT (R.I.P) . Grace à lui on pouvait presque tous les mardis assister à des veritables perfs en LIVE qui passaient sur RTB le samedi suivant ,et pas n'importe qui qui étaient en tournée dans la region , Super retour vers no future LOL
Remember running home from secondary school to watch, Rock Goes To College" my walls were plastered with posters, you all forget Elvis Costello produced The Specials albums and The Go-Gos done the backing vocals before Belinda Carlisle went solo and became the superstar she became ahhhh "Circles In The Stand" love her for that 17 year old moi!!!! ☯️👌
Geez, it's been said, but they're *razor* sharp here. That second set veejoe1 saw must really have been something! I've loved the Specials since forever and this is pretty much exactly how I always imagined their set. Except... for the audience! What is up with 150,000 people viewing this? it should be 100 times that many.
The Selector and then the Specials played the same show! Thanks for posting this! I get to see some new old footage of the Specials. RIP Jerry Dammers-the brilliant Ska keyboard player.
